After Chicago Fire’s Fall Finale Cliffhanger Left Many Futures In Jeopardy, Here’s When Severide And (Hopefully) All The Rest Will Be Back

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Be warned: this article contains spoilers from the fall finale of Chicago Fire Season 14, titled “Pierce the Vein.” The episode is available to stream the day after it airs with a Peacock subscription.

Even though One Chicago recently returned to television, the fall finale of Chicago Fire has now aired, concluding the storylines for the heroes of Firehouse 51 for the year. However, things weren’t fully resolved, and several cliffhangers will leave fans guessing until next year. With characters facing danger and uncertain career paths, it’s already time to look forward to the 2026 TV season and the return of One Chicago.

Where “Pierce The Vein” Left Off

In “Pierce the Vein,” Severide appeared to be in a relatively safe position, working alongside Van Meter on a fire investigation. The episode concluded with them visiting the person affected by the arson, only for the camera to reveal a mysterious figure setting the building ablaze behind them as the credits began, with flames quickly spreading up the stairs.

It’s happened before: the season finale left Severide’s life hanging in the balance. But honestly, I’m more concerned about Van Meter right now. I think Fire really needs Taylor Kinney as its main star, and while Van Meter is important, he’s not as crucial – which makes this cliffhanger particularly worrying.

At the end of the episode “Pierce the Vein,” several lives were at risk, and Mouch’s job security is now in question. Continuing budget problems at the fire department forced Davis (Annabeth Gish, who joined the show this season) to repeatedly cancel plans with Pascal as she worked to avert a teachers’ strike.

The city’s budget calculations revealed a potential solution to avert the strike might involve permanently removing one of Firehouse 51’s engines – specifically Engine 51, which is currently led by Lieutenant Mouch in his first year of command. Pascal learned this troubling news shortly after praising Mouch for taking initiative within the Chicago Fire Department. While Davis didn’t explicitly confirm Engine 51 would be cut, the situation doesn’t look promising for Mouch and his crew.

Mouch isn’t the only member of Engine 51 facing an uncertain future. With Ritter gone, the engine company doesn’t have as many key characters, and Kylie hasn’t become a permanent member as some hoped. Right now, Mouch is the most recognizable face of Engine 51, making it possible for Chicago Fire to temporarily shut down the engine. If that happened, Mouch could potentially transfer to Truck 81 or find another job until Engine 51 is back in service.

Another character’s return in the first episode of 2026 is uncertain, but most fans aren’t too concerned. Stella Kidd took a short leave of absence to bring Isaiah to Cleveland so his mother could receive treatment at a specialized medical center. This news came up in the episode “Pierce the Vein,” and while some viewers (including me, as a Northeast Ohio native!) were bothered by jokes about Cleveland—even though Tony surprisingly defended the Cleveland Orchestra—it doesn’t suggest Kidd won’t return, only that the timing is currently unknown.

Good news – Novak is okay, and Violet had a meaningful connection with Vasquez at the end of the episode! Now, we’re left wondering when we’ll finally get some resolution to all the lingering questions from the fall finale.

When Chicago Fire Will Return In 2026

Just before the fall finales of the One Chicago shows aired on November 12th, NBC revealed its midseason premiere dates. The announcement included news about Season 2 of The Hunting Party taking over Thursdays from Law & Order: Organized Crime, as well as the premiere date for The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, a new comedy starring Tracy Morgan and produced by Tina Fey. Importantly, NBC confirmed that One Chicago Wednesdays will return in the new year as soon as possible.

The popular drama Chicago Fire returns to NBC on Wednesday, January 7th at 9 p.m. ET to finish its fourteenth season. Chicago Med will be back at 8 p.m. ET for its eleventh season, continuing a previous storyline, and Chicago P.D. will resume its thirteenth season at 10 p.m. ET.

As a big TV fan, I’m already bracing myself for February! It looks like my three favorite shows will be going on pause because of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan – they’ll be taking over primetime from February 6th to the 22nd. And honestly, that’s not even the half of it! NBC is also airing the Super Bowl on February 8th and the NBA All-Star Game on the 15th. It’s going to be a busy month for TV, that’s for sure!

If you need your Chicago Fire fix in the coming weeks, you’ll find all fourteen seasons available on Peacock. You can also stream all seasons of Chicago Med and Chicago P.D., including their crossover episodes, on the same platform.

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2025-11-13 06:09