As one of three shows that make up Wednesday’s most-watched
dramas on NBC, Chicago Fire stands as the longest-running
of Dick Wolf‘s One Chicago Universe. The popular series has
been airing on the network since October 2012 and now has almost two hundred and fifty episodes to show because of its success.
For many fans, its ability to grip audiences from the off is the reason it’s still going strong today. There aren’t many firefighter-centered shows with a life span as long as Chicago Fire, and its continued support from fans only proves it’s deserving of that success. Alongside Chicago P.D. and Chicago Med, this television trio consists of all the drama, love, and emotional torture one could expect, and it’s a lot. And out of so many episodes, they’ve put fans through the wringer on more than one occasion. An episode could be one of the best for a number of reasons, from the loss of a beloved character to a memorable event, but according to IMDb, these are the greatest of them all.
10.“Telling Her Goodbye” – Season 5, Episode 16
IMDb Rating – 8.9
There’s nothing like a tense hostage situation with almost every primary character involved to peak an audience’s heart rate, is there? Well, fans were met with that very scenario in the sixteenth episode of season five when fleeing gang members sought shelter inside the firehouse, much to Chief Boden’s (Eamonn Walker) and Christopher Herrmann’s (David Eigenberg) audible annoyance.
The ensuing chaos saw fan favorites Matt Casey (Jesse Spencer) shot in the shoulder, Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) beaten up, and Herrmann with an apparent heart attack, leaving viewers on the verge of a coronary event, as well. Threats to the lives of Firehouse 51’s members were a constant throughout this episode’s entirety, and if that’s not enough to create a lasting impression, what is?
9.“The Last One for Mom” – Season 4, Episode 20
IMDb Rating – 8.9
As a firefighter, there are hard days on the job, and then there are the days that make someone question their sheer will. For Severide, season four episode “The Last One For Mom” pushed him to his emotional limits. Tasked with watching a little boy named J.J. while a cop friend testifies in court, he’s more than up for spending time with the kid he’d formed a bond with over previous episodes. But, things go awry very quickly.
Halfway through the episode, J.J.’s (Maxwell Jenkins) mom is shot before she can testify, later dying from her wounds during surgery. Severide and the rest of Firehouse 51 do everything they can to ensure J.J. gets the best project for school, keeping him protected from the news until his Aunt can get there. But every time he mentions his mom throughout the episode triggers a twinge in the hearts of the firefighters and viewers.
8.“I Am the Apocalypse” – Season 3, Episode 19
IMDb Rating – 8.9
The One Chicago shows aren’t afraid to get down and dirty when it comes to covering real-world issues. These have been tackled in many ways over the years, from drug-related crimes all the way through to terrorist-level threats. For Chicago Fire, one of their most impactable episodes came when “I Am the Apocalypse” was released in 2015. The nineteenth episode of season three is intended to introduce viewers to the members of the franchise’s new show, Chicago Med. But it ended in disaster when a man infected with an unknown disease pulled the pin on a grenade in the hospital’s waiting room.
Fans were introduced to Jay Halstead’s (Jesse Lee Soffer) brother, Will (Nick Gehlfuss), as he started his first day at the hospital. His first task? Tending to the injured in the explosion. It’s one of Fire‘s most memorable, given its upsetting nature, but also because it left Severide with life-threatening injuries after he selflessly attempted to tackle the man to the ground. Whether he would live or die remained unknown throughout the episode, keeping viewers gripped and worried at the potential loss of a beloved character.
7.“Sacred Ground” – Season 8, Episode 1
IMDb Rating – 8.9
Losing a character can be one of the most heartbreaking aspects of falling in love with a TV show. Fans grow attached to its characters and their relationships, as well as the universe as a whole. So, when it comes to saying goodbye to a member of that family, it makes for some downright gut-wrenching episodes.
“Sacred Ground” is arguably the most emotional of them all. Brian Zvonecek (Yuri Sardarov), better known to his team and fans as Otis, was part of the beating heart of Truck 81 for eight years. He was a constant presence throughout the first seven seasons, so when his life came to an unexpected end in the first episode of season eight with his best friend, Joe Cruz (Joe Minoso), by his side, it was nothing short of devastating.
6.“I’m Not Leaving You” – Season 7, Episode 22
IMDb Rating – 8.9
The Chicago shows aren’t shy about a good cliffhanger. Although good, they’re usually accompanied by frustration and unbearable anticipation at the idea of having to wait months for answers to the burning questions they leave behind. It’s not uncommon for shows like these to have cliffhangers that’ll leave the life of a favorite character on the line, and season seven was no different.
“I’m Not Leaving You” saw many a favorite at risk when a raging inferno put multiple Truck 81 and Squad 3 members in the line of fire. A Mattress Factory blaze left over fifty workers trapped in the building’s basement as the firefighters worked to get everyone out safely. But pressure continued to build, and the blaze worsened, ending the season with a prolonged shot of a pressure meter climbing and a horrendously unnerving whistling as the screen faded to black.
5.“Going to War” – Season 7, Episode 2
IMDb Rating – 9.0
In 2018, the casts of Fire, P.D., and Med all crossed paths once more when the former kicked off the annual event with season seven’s “Going to War.” This year saw all three teams involved when a huge fire engulfed a twenty-five-story building, sparking trouble for the Halstead brothers, Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo), and more fan favorites across all three shows. It’s one of the franchise’s most intense crossovers to date.
4.“Deathtrap” – Season 5, Episode 15
IMDb Rating – 9.0
2017’s “Deathtrap” is the first part of a three-way crossover event between Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., and Chicago Justice, with the final installment serving as the latter’s pilot episode. It starts out in Fire‘s fifteenth episode of season five, when a deadly inferno consumes an unsafe building being used as a party hangout, trapping dozens of people inside, including the daughter of Chicago P.D.‘s Alvin Olinsky (Elias Koteas).
Sadly, Lexi Olinsky (Alina Jenine Taber) succumbs to her injuries in P.D.‘s installment of the crossover, making for some absolutely devastating scenes from Al. Losing a child is a pain no parent should ever have to endure, and these episodes did a heartwrenching job of showcasing the downward spiral it can send someone’s mental health. Lexi wasn’t on the show often, but her death had a detrimental impact on those involved in one of Chicago Fire‘s most memorable blazes.
3.“Real Never Waits” – Season 2, Episode 22
IMDb Rating – 9.0
Fire‘s second season ended with a bang. Literally. But “Real Never Waits” saw plenty of drama for many members of 51 before that explosive end. They were saying goodbye to Gabby (Monica Raymund) as she prepared to move to a new firehouse to start a fresh chapter in her career. Severide dealt with some internal demons, having found a little boy badly burned after he’d given an all-clear. And Mills (Charlie Barnett) was on a journey to discover more about his past.
They’d all found some closure by the end of the episode. But, if there’s one thing the Chicago shows are good at, it’s leaving their fans with a major cliffhanger and a four-month wait for answers. Called to a seemingly abandoned building, the team made their way inside as the music cut out, the dialogue decreased, and an uneasy feeling crept in. A brief moment of indistinct panic over the radio turned awry in a split second when an explosion shattered the upper floors of the building, leaving a tinnitus-inducing ringing in the ears. Boden flew into a panic, screaming into the radio for someone to report back as the screen faded to black. Talk about an eerie ending that’ll leave people wanting more.
2.“A Dark Day” – Season 2, Episode 20
IMDb Rating – 9.0
“A Dark Day” was one of Chicago Fire‘s earliest catastrophic events. It follows the aftermath of an explosion at a charity run that destroys a significant chunk of a hospital, injuring dozens in the process. It’s a crossover with P.D. that features Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati), Jay Halstead, Hank Voight (Jason Beghe), Kevin Atwater (LaRoyce Hawkins), and more from Fire‘s first sister show, and it’s an absolutely devastating episode.
Between the chilling cinematography and gut-wrenching scenarios, it’s one of their most well-done episodes, standing out even a decade after its release in 2014. Atop its heartwrenching imagery, its cast performances weigh a heavy emotion, with two little girls’ lives at the forefront of everyone’s minds. Given the nature of the episode, it can be difficult to watch in places, but it is undeniably one of their best.
1.“My Miracle” – Season 5, Episode 22
IMDb Rating – 9.1
As previously mentioned, the thought of losing a fan-favorite character is never an easy thing to wrestle with. Before the loss of Otis in the season eight opener, the threat to another character’s life put fans on the edge for another one of Chicago Fire‘s notorious cliffhanger season finales. For season five’s installment, it was Mouch and Casey at the heart of everyone’s worries when another factory fire threatened to take out multiple members of Firehouse 51.
What makes this episode so memorable is that it ends with one of the most pure, emotionally driven monologs of the show. Fearing he wouldn’t make it out alive, Casey reached Dawson on the radio to say goodbye, calling her “My Miracle,” hence the episode’s name. Between this and Cruz begging Mouch (Christian Stolte) to make it after he suffers a heart attack while trapped with Herrmann, the way this episode ended is seared in the minds of fans even almost seven years on.
