When describing Chicago Justice, the always colorful Dick Wolf deftly anthropomorphizes the entire franchise, explaining, “Fire is the crotch, P.D. is the muscle, Med is the heart and this show is the brain.” And to help launch the fourth installment of the Chicago franchise, NBC is turning March 1 into a mega-crossover event. “It is Fire and then P.D. and then Justice with the cast of Med scattered through all three of the hours,” says Wolf, noting that a crossover of this magnitude has never been attempted on television.
“Crossovers are a pain in the ass,” laughs Wolf. “But usually, the highs for many of the shows have been during crossovers and, unfortunately, it’s like ratings crack, and it’s a bad addiction because you don’t want to overuse it.”
Wolf notes that the through line of the three episodes is a single case. “I think [it] will keep people sitting there for all three hours,” says Wolf. “Each hour is giving you new information and building toward a great courtroom conclusion.”
As more information about the episode has been released, fans were shocked to learn that the ripped-from-the-headlines story is eerily similar to Oakland’s Ghost Ship fire. In December, 2016, a fire ripped through a warehouse turned artists collective, killing 36 people.
On the NBC website, the March 1 episode of Chicago Fire — called “Deathtrap” — carries the log line:
Truck and squad are called to aid in a massive all-city response when an old, ill-equipped factory-turned live/work space quickly turns into a firestorm, trapping countless unsuspecting victims. The dire situation quickly turns personal when it is discovered that one of Chicago PD’s own has a family member at the scene. With the rescued victims in need of serious medical attention, the doctors and nurses of Chicago Med are tested as the major influx of patients are brought through their doors. Meanwhile, in the aftermath, the building owner steps forward to cooperate with the ongoing investigation, but the situation takes a sudden and unexpected turn.
The Chicago PD episode is titled “Emotional Proximity” and the Chicago Justice episode will be called “Fake.”
What do you think about the subject matter of tonight’s episodes?
“One Chicago” Crossover Event > NBC > Wednesday, March 1, 8-11pm ET/PT
Great crossover! Definitely kept my attention throughout the night