One Chicago has done an excellent job of cultivating different flavors for its three shows. Chicago Fire is the ambitious, multi-faceted thriller that offers death-defying feats, Chicago Med is the talky one-location drama, and Chicago PD offers intrigue and grim investigations. Every once in a while, though the thematic interests of these shows align, and that is where we will find ourselves on May 14.
The promos for all three shows have been released, and we couldn't help but notice that each of them feature nearly identical stories involving corruption and a quest to expunge the person who's abusing their power. Chicago Med is playing this out with Hayes (Brendan Hines) after its alleged the doctor sexually harassed Cardiothoracic Resident Naomi Howard (Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut).
Dr. Hayes has clearly determined that he's above punishment, which is makes the upcoming case in "Baby Mine..." such a big deal. Dr. Goodwin (S. Epatha Merkerson) literally describes it as a "big deal" in the promo, and the complicated relationship Lenox (Sarah Ramos) has with Hayes leads to the doctor promising to take him down.
All 3 shows will investigate corrupt superiors
Chicago PD has been building up toward its corrupt showdown for most of season 12, and its finally arrived. The promo for "Open Casket," an exceedingly grim title for the first half of a two parter finale, sees Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) urge the rest of the IU to spring to action. "If we catch him, it's game over," he says regarding crooked Deputy Chief Charlie Reid (Shawn Hatosy).
Reid has been increasingly sloppy with his criminal activity, perhaps emboldened by the fact that he has dirt on certain members of the IU, but Voight has been working closely with ADA Nina Chapman (Sara Bues), and it's obvious that he's grown tired of waiting. "Open Casket" is the culmination of one of Chicago PD's longest-running arcs in years.
Chicago Fire continues this trend of investigating higher ups, though it frames its investigation in the most interesting way. A man is nearly killed in an accident, and 51 determines that the gas line on his car was cut with CFD tools. The man also happens to be the one responsible for the death of Monica Pascal (KaDee Strickland), the wife of 51's current chief.
We suspect Chief Pascal is being framed
Chief Pascal (Dermot Mulroney) looks mighty guilty in the promo for "The Bad Guy," and the title makes it seem like a foregone conclusion that he will be caught and subsequently fired for what appears to be attempted murder. He's butted heads with some of his 51 underlings before, with Herrmann (David Eigenberg) and Mouch (Christian Stolte) being the most notable.
Here's the thing, though. Pascal is not a villain the way Dr. Hayes or Deputy Chief Reid is. We've been rooting for him as a hero, as a 51 newcomer for most of Chicago Fire season 13, and the situation he will find himself in, with CFD tools and target he publicly threatened in the past, seems too obvious. Pascal is no dope, so we find it hard to believe he would be so obvious in his attempt.
While One Chicago has overlapped himself, and committed an entire Wednesday night to taking down those in power, we are excited because we expect these stories to go in three very different directions. We think Dr. Hayes, Deputy Chief Reid and Chief Pascal are fated for outcomes befitting their (alleged) crimes, and we are here for what these investigations mean for their respective shows moving forward.