Chicago Fire Showrunner On Season 12's Exciting Returns, Big Changes & The Loss That Made Everyone Cry - Exclusive Interview
It may be hard to believe, but "Chicago Fire" has been on the air since 2012, with its 12th season set to premiere January 17 on NBC. The firehouse-based series has been such a hit during its run that it spawned what's called the One Chicago franchise, which also includes "Chicago Med" and "Chicago P.D."
Despite being an ensemble cast, the series has managed to hold onto several high-profile actors since the very beginning, including Taylor Kinney as Kelly Severide, David Eigenberg as Christopher Herrmann, and Eamonn Walker as Wallace Boden. It has also been successful at integrating rising stars like Hanako Greensmith as Violet Mikami, Alberto Rosende as Blake Gallo, and Daniel Kyri as Darren Ritter. Through it all, Andrea Newman has been on board as a writer and executive producer, moving up to sole showrunner for Season 12 after the departure of "Chicago Fire" creator Derek Haas.
During an exclusive interview with Looper, Newman revealed how Season 12 will deal with Firehouse 51's changing personnel, including the previously announced exits of Rosende and Kara Killmer (who plays Sylvie Brett), as well as what to expect now that Kinney has returned after having stepped away for multiple episodes during Season 11.
'There's a theme this year of change and evolution'
This interview has been edited for clarity.
The big news heading into Season 12 is that Severide is back. What was it like writing around his temporary exit, and were you ever worried you might have to write him off permanently?
You never know. That was always a question, but he's such a part of the show and such a heart of the show that we always felt that Severide would be back. We were so excited to have him back and to be able to write for him again.
It's no secret that the series will be losing two beloved characters this season, Gallo and Brett. What can we expect from their departures, and how do you fill that void once they're gone?
Well, we have people leaving, but we have people coming in too, and that kind of shake up is always fun and good for the characters and the show. For Brett, it'll be sad to see her go, but we have her for a chunk of this season — and knowing that her time is limited, the character really throws herself into the job, and she has some exciting saves and action. She takes some big risks this season, one of which may be a little too big and might create some serious wrenches in the plans that she's got going. We'll see.
She now has a kid, and your mindset changes at that point. Does that have anything to do with her leaving?
I can say that we definitely show that challenge to be a working mom. She's trying to make it all happen, but she's got childcare issues, she's got balancing work-life issues ... She's dealing with all of that in the early part of the season.
With her leaving, it feels like Matt Casey (Jesse Spencer) is exiting the show again too, as she was a big connection between him and Firehouse 51 since he left. Should fans be worried that means there will be fewer Casey cameos in the future?
There's a theme this year of change and evolution, but there's something that Boden says in the premiere, which is: "Once you're a part of 51, you're always a part of 51." We love Matt Casey — we love Jesse — and we will definitely see him this season. He's always welcome to come back to the show.
Assuming Brett and Casey get married, maybe we'll see some Portland action, or they'll come back to Chicago for a wedding at some point?
We'll see Chicago action, and we'll see those two together. But there are plans in place that go awry. Things don't go exactly how anyone thinks it's going to go, as you know how it goes on "Chicago Fire."
Saying goodbye to Gallo was harder than expected in real life
There's surely a lot to be addressed with how Gallo's departure affects Violet, but how does Gallo leaving affect Ritter?
The goodbye is hard for everybody, but it's especially difficult for Ritter and Violet. That trio has become such a center point of the show, and they're so close. They'll be leaning on each other a lot more; Violet will be leaning on Brett a lot more. But that goodbye is a special moment for the three of them in particular, and the three actors were really close too. That day on set when we shot that goodbye was very emotional. There were a lot of real tears.
I've interviewed all three of them, and they always talk about how they hang out outside of the show ...
Over the break they went to Europe together — Greece and Italy — and there were Instagram pictures everywhere. Those three are tight, and they're very much like their characters in terms of that relationship. The trio affection is very real, and man, do you feel that in the premiere, and we felt it on set when we were filming it.
Ritter is an untapped goldmine, if you ask me. Please tell me he's going to get more screen time this season.
That is always the challenge with an ensemble cast. We have too many incredibly talented actors and great characters. But yes, Ritter has a nice storyline in the first couple of episodes. He and Herrmann have some relationship stuff that they're dealing with and some challenges coming out of a call. We will get a bunch of Ritter — not enough, though. It's never enough Ritter.
Each time a beloved character exits, what is your first thought about filling that gap? What does it take to launch a new character that you hope the audience will connect with?
It's difficult, and they're big shoes left behind. We like to create a character that's worthy of that spot — worthy because they're trouble in one way or another, either good trouble or bad trouble, or because they're incredibly compelling. We have a character coming in Episode 2 that has got a lot of layers, and we're going to peel back on him. Gibson is his name, and he is incredibly compelling. I was yelling at the dailies when I saw him. I was like, "Oh my god, look at this guy, he's so good!" I was like a bad audience member at a movie that can't shut up. I'm very excited about this Gibson character.
Newman is proud of the show's 'tough female characters'
This is the first season where series creator Derek Haas hasn't been involved, as he bowed out of the whole One Chicago franchise at the end of last season. What has it been like moving forward without him?
It's funny because I literally just heard a buzz as you and I were talking, and it was Derek. Derek and I talk all the time. He has never really left. He's the heart of the show — the creator of the show — and we're constantly talking, even still, about the show all the time. I love that guy and everything he brought to the show, and it's like writing about Casey and 51 — he never left. His presence is always there. He is still front and center.
That being said, it's also fun to be running a show solo as a female showrunner with strong female characters on an action show. That's awesome. I love that. ["Chicago P.D." showrunner] Gwen [Sigan] and I both talk about feeling lucky to be writing shows that are tough, with tough female characters who hold their own. That's a thrill.
Because of the strikes, this season is condensed into 13 episodes. Does a shortened season alter how you approach each episode? It seems like there's a lot happening in those 13 episodes.
That's true. There is a lot happening. When the scripts come in, we've been like, "Is that seven too many stories for this episode?" There's a lot to play, which is also fun. There is loads to explore this season. There are characters that are going through whole new journeys and new twists and turns in their relationships, like Severide and [Stella] Kidd — their journey is continuing coming off of Severide not being there. They've got a lot to handle and explore and get past. There's a lot of intriguing stuff between the two of them. It's pretty chock-full this season.
When it comes to storylines currently in play, which one is most exciting to you?
Well, you have to be excited about all of them. All of them have to be exciting to write and feel like they're worthy of an episode. But I do love bringing in a new character and how that shakes up the house, how everybody handles it, and what it does to the other characters and the dynamics. Things shift, and that's always fun to explore. You always get to see new sides of people when you bring a new character in because there's new dynamics there too. I love that.
I also am loving Severide and Kidd and the whole idea of those two, who had this big leap of faith getting married when neither of them really believed in the whole idea of marriage in the beginning. Now, they've got to work together to get through stuff. There's a line that Violet has in the pilot about the tension that's between them [caused by] Severide disappearing for a while. She says, "It's like watching two big cats circling each other, and you don't know what's going to happen next." That's the dynamic we see between Severide and Kidd, as they're two strong-willed characters. That's been fun to write.
Season 12 of "Chicago Fire" premieres January 17 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC and will stream the next day on Peacock.