When does Chicago Fire season 12 start?

Chicago Fire just wrapped up season 11, but there are multiple storylines that need to be resolved. Namely, the fate of Mouch (Christian Stolte) after he was seriously wounded, and Severide (Taylor Kinney), who has yet to return from his training program.

Mouch and Severide are two of the show’s veteran characters, so the notion that they may be gone for good is nerve-racking. That’s not even getting into Casey (Jesse Spencer), who proposed to Brett (Kara Killmer) right before the episode cut to credits. The season 12 premiere is going to have to answer a lot of questions, so the big question here is: when does Chicago Fire return?

When does Chicago Fire season 12 return?

Generally, fall shows like Chicago Fire air between September and May. This has been the case for the last several years of the show, barring 2020, which had to make some concessions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Five of the last six seasons have premiered in September, so it’s a safe bet to assume that season 12 will follow suit.

There is, however, a possible complication: the writer’s strike. The strike started earlier this year, and based on the lack of progress made thus far, it’s anticipated that the strike will extend right into the summer. There’s also reports that actors will be going on strike as well.

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If either claim turns out to be true, then they will seriously cut into the production of scripted TV like Chicago Fire. If the strike continues into late summer, when the show usually begins to shoot the next season, then NBC will be forced to delay the premiere date.

NBC Chicago reported that the strike could also result in seasons being shortened, due to the lack of episode scripts and shooting time. “They could be forced to cut seasons short, or delay filming altogether,” the outlet added.

Hopefully all gets resolved, and Chicago Fire is able to maintain its goal of a September premiere.

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