Everything we know so far about Chicago Fire season 12
By Cody Schultz
Chicago Fire has captured the hearts of viewers for over a decade now, yet fans can’t get enough of the brave firefighters and paramedics of Firehouse 51. With each passing season, the show has left us on the edge of our seats, craving more adrenaline-pumping action and heartfelt moments.
After a longer-than-anticipated hiatus, Chicago Fire will finally return to the air in January 2024 in a season that promises a lot of change for NBC’s long-running drama. From the departure of favorite characters to potential plot twists, we’re breaking down everything there is to know about the upcoming season!
Chicago Fire season 12 will premiere on January 17, 2024
2024 is going to kick off on quite a positive note for One Chicago fans! After what has been the One Chicago franchise’s longest hiatus yet, Chicago Fire and the One Chicago shows will finally return to NBC’s lineup with new episodes beginning on January 17, 2024!
NBC will be the first broadcast network to bring its fall shows back into the fold after the writers’ and actors’ strikes delayed the returns of the biggest fall shows.
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Starting on January 17, NBC will again be bringing fans a night of One Chicago shows with Chicago Med opening the night at 8/7c followed by Chicago Fire at 9/8c with Chicago PD closing out the night at 10/9c!
It’s unclear how many breaks we’ll have between episodes over the season, but we do know NBC is looking to air new episodes through May so we should be able to look forward to several months with new episodes before the summer break comes.
Who is part of the Chicago Fire season 12 cast?
While NBC has not officially confirmed the full cast list for season 12 we’re anticipating the returns of most if not all of our favorite Chicago Fire cast members. Still, there are a few question marks at the moment revolving around the status of a handful of cast members. Here is a list of those we do expect back for season 12:
- Kara Killmer as Sylvie Brett
- David Eigenberg as Christopher Herrmann
- Joe Minoso as Joe Cruz
- Miranda Rae Mayo as Stella Kidd
- Daniel Kyri as Darren Ritter
- Hanako Greensmith as Violet Mikami
- Eamonn Walker as Wallace Boden
- Randy Flagler as Capp
- Katelynn Shennett as Kylie
- Anthony Ferraris as Tony
- Jake Lockett as Sam Carver
Christian Stolte’s Chicago Fire future remains unclear
Unsurprisingly, NBC has not confirmed the status of Christian Stolte ahead of season 12’s premiere which makes sense given the show is looking to keep fans on the edge of their seats for as long as possible.
Given season 11 ended with Mouch flatlining in the hospital, there is a very real chance that Mouch will be killed off in the season premiere. Still, we’re optimistic that we haven’t seen the last of Mouch or Stolte.
What could bode well for Mouch’s odds of survival is the fact that the show is going to be losing two other characters early in the season. While the writers might still proceed with writing Mouch off, we have a feeling they might not want to lose three big names all at the beginning of the season.
Taylor Kinney is returning to Chicago Fire season 12
Taylor Kinney has confirmed whether he will be returning for season 12 of Chicago Fire. Kinney stepped away from the show unexpectedly in season 11, taking a leave of absence that resulted in his character not appearing in the final episodes of the season.
Following his leave of absence from the show, Kinney had not commented on his status with the show in any way which made many worry he might leave. Fortunately, The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that the actor will be coming back for season 12!
While initial reports were a bit vague in confirming how involved Kinney will be in season 12, it’s since been reported that Kinney will be back in a “full-time” capacity hinting that he’ll be settling back into his series regular role. Of course, there is always a chance Severide could miss an episode, but we’re optimistic he’ll be back for the full season without any interruptions.
Jesse Spencer could return as Casey, but his future is uncertain
Given how Chicago Fire season 11 ended, it seems quite possible we might see Jesee Spencer return as Matt Casey in season 12. However, we’re still waiting for NBC to confirm the contract status of Spencer who was a series regular on the show before stepping away in season 10.
Following his exit in the 200th episode, Spencer has made a series of appearances on the show including in the season 11 finale. In the episode, Casey got down on one knee to ask Sylvie Brett to marry him — a move that has left fans hoping that it was designed to find a way to bring Spencer back into the fold in a larger capacity.
Instead it seems like that storyline was introduced as a way to write off another character or at least it’s about to pave the way for a major exit.
Kara Killmer is leaving Chicago Fire in season 12
Ten years after joining the show in 2014, Kara Killmer is going to be leaving Chicago Fire. While it’s not yet known how many episodes she’ll appear in, it has been confirmed that Killmer will be leaving Chicago Fire sometime in season 12.
Details surrounding her exit remain scarce, but many are speculating over whether the writers will have Brett leave Chicago to move to Oregon to be with Casey.
In the season 11 finale, Casey got down on one knee to propose to Brett. The storyline left many fans to wonder if the storyline was going to be used to bring Jesse Spencer back into the fold. Instead, it seems like it might help serve as the exit storyline for Killmer.
Should the show write Brett off by having her accept Casey’s proposal and move to Oregon to be with him would give the two characters a happy sendoff. While we don’t want to see Brett go, knowing that Brettsey would get their happy ending is something that would at least ease the pain.
Alberto Rosende is leaving in Chicago Fire season 12
Chicago Fire season 12 is going to be full of changes. Not only will Kara Kilmer be leaving the show in season 12, but the upcoming season of Chicago Fire will also see the departure of Alberto Rosende.
Rosende is set to exit the show in the upcoming season premiere, leaving the show after four seasons of playing Blake Gallo on the series.
"“When I decided to end my time with Chicago, it wasn’t easy. The people I’ve met were truly special, the friendships I’ve made will last a lifetime, and the story I got to tell was one that made me proud. Can’t wait to see what else is in store and I wish everyone the best in shooting the rest of the season.” Rosende shared via an Instagram Story."
It’s unclear how Gallo will be written off the show, but we do know Rosende’s final episode will come in the season premiere on January 17, 2024.
Chicago Fire season 12 might be longer than expected
Typically, new seasons of Chicago Fire are about 20-22 episodes long; however, there had been reports during the strikes that season 12 was on pace to be the show’s shortest season yet. Many reports suggested that shows might produce as few as 6-8 episodes as a result of the writers’ and actors’ strikes; however, that does not seem to be the case.
While NBC has not confirmed how many episodes Chicago Fire season 12 will consist of, The Hollywood Reporter has suggested that most broadcast shows will be looking at episode ranges of 10-15 episodes, which is much more promising than the idea of a season consisting of less than ten episodes.
If we had to guess, we imagine NBC will try to turn around as many episodes as possible with it looking most likely that season 12 will consist of 13-15 episodes which will still make the season the show’s shortest yet. But hey, 13-15 episodes is much better than 6-8 episodes!
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