Chicago Fire is about to finally offer up some payoff to a seed planted in the season 15 premiere, and it’ll do so with help from a familiar face from the world of NCIS.
NCIS alum Melinda McGraw has been cast as Margaret Mikami, the mother of Hanako Greensmith’s Violet Mikami. McGraw will make her debut in the show’s upcoming sixth episode, set to air on Wednesday, November 11, finally bringing fans some payoff to a story thread set up in the premiere when Violet was seen sending a call from Margaret to voicemail.
McGraw is best known for her role as Diane Sterling on NCIS, a role she originated in the show’s ninth season when fans finally got to meet Gibbs’ second wife, an IRS criminal investigator who would later marry Gibbs’ friend, FBI Agent Tobias Fornell. McGraw appeared in a handful of episodes over the years before her character was killed off in season 12 by Sergei Mishnev as a way for him to get revenge against Gibbs for his part in the death of Sergei’s half-brother. While Diane was killed off the show in season 12, McGraw would reprise the role in season 16, appearing to Gibbs as a ghost—we would later see Kathleen Kenny take over the role of Diane in NCIS: Origins, playing a younger version of the character in the 90s-set spinoff.
Now, McGraw will be bringing her talents to the One Chicago franchise, taking on the role of Violet’s mother, who has her own complicated past, which is finally about to get explored on Chicago Fire.
While Violet has been a mainstay on Chicago Fire for eight seasons now, little is known about her family life, including her relationship with her parents. Given the way Violet avoided taking her mother’s call in the Chicago Fire season 15 premiere, it seems like the pair might not have the best of relationships. This is something that we’re finally going to get to see the show explore beginning in episode 6 when McGraw makes her debut as Margaret, and it is a storyline that Chicago Fire showrunner Victor Teran felt deserved to be explored
In an interview with Soaps She Knows, Teran admitted that the creative team felt it would be “remiss” not to finally give the Chicago Fire fans the chance to learn “more about [Violet] and her backstory, and where she comes from and what complications she has in her past.”
As for how Margaret will enter the fold? It seems her arrival will be tied to a Joint Duty Program fundraiser Violet and Novak are working on with the episode synopsis teasing that "Violet and Novak begin fundraising for the Joint Duty Program and receive a surprising donation.”
It seems safe to assume this surprise donation comes from Violet’s mother, which certainly raises some questions for us. Are we about to learn that Violet comes from a wealthy family within the Chicago area and see a relationship that gives shades of Lorelai Gilmore and her mother, Emily? It would certainly be a fun approach to take and open the door to some fun storytelling options.
Regardless of what the writers have cooked up, we’re excited to see McGraw make her Chicago Fire debut and to finally get to learn more about Violet’s backstory via her arrival!
Don't miss the introduction of Margaret McGraw in Chicago Fire season 15, episode 6, when the episode airs Wednesday, November 11, at 9/8c on NBC!
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