One Chicago has big plans for 2025. The franchise absolutely dominated NBC ratings in 2024, and the return of the franchise crossover at the end of the month proves that Chicago Med, Chicago Fire and Chicago PD are thriving as a shared television universe.
Part of the appeal of One Chicago, of course, is the wide array of characters in its cast. It's an ensemble franchise at the end of the day, and as such, people are going to have their personal favorites. Consider this a new year's wish list. These are the characters we hope get more screen time in 2025, and a brief explainer as to why.
Stella Kidd - Chicago Fire
Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) is an interesting case. She's been part of Chicago Fire since season 4, and is one of the pillars of the show in terms of importance. She hasn't been given much, however, in terms of personal drama this season.
The character feels like an anchor for others to explore interesting subplots, and we'd like to see that shift in 2025. Fortunately, Fire showrunner Andrea Newman confirmed that a member of Kidd's family will appear during the second half of season 13, which will spell big news for the character's past and her future with Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney).
Kiana Cook - Chicago PD
Replacing Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos) was always going to be tough, but Kiana Cook (Toya Turner) has done a fine job of carving out her own niche within Chicago PD. She differs from her predecessor greatly in terms of policing, but there's still a lot that we've yet to find out about her.
We'd like to see the second half of PD season 12 explore Cook's character further. She has a chance to become one of the show's core characters, and if the writers take too long to dish out new info on her, Cook may succumb to the same fate as Dante Torres (Benjamin Levy Aguilar), who is starting to feel like a permanent secondary character.
Dr. Mitch Ripley - Chicago Med
Dr. Mitch Ripley (Luke Mitchell) was initially posed as Chicago Med's replacement for Dr. Will Halstead (Nick Gehlfuss), and the writers have stuck to this premise. The character, like Halstead before him, is going to do whatever it takes to ensure the health and safety of his patients. Even if it means stepping on tradition in the process.
Ripley has had some interesting subplots, particularly with Dr. Hannah Asher (Jessy Schram), but the character still feels a bit rote. We don't feel like we understand him to the extent that we did Halstead, and as such, we hope the rest of season 10 gives him material that allows him to showcase different dimensions of his personality.
Lyla Novak - Chicago Fire
Lyla Novak (Jocelyn Hudon) is quickly becoming a fan favorite. She has proven to both charm and intrigue viewers through her actions in the field and her friendship with veteran medic Violet Mikami (Hanako Greensmith).
This is less of a plea for Chicago Fire to give her more to do, but rather an urging for them to continue what they've been doing with Novak. The fall finale teased some major revelations about the medic's tragic past, and we can't wait to learn more about her as season 13 resumes.
Nina Chapman - Chicago PD
Nina Chapman (Sara Bues) may seem like an odd choice, given that she isn't a main Chicago PD character, but her presence has brought a novel energy to the show, and Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) in particular. The assistant district attorney admitted to having romantic feelings for Voight, then left town in the episode "The After."
We want to see more Chapman, and in turn, more of the potentially romantic dynamic between her and Voight. The latter hasn't considered a romance since the death of his wife, Camille, and it might be the change he needs to turn his personal life around.