'Chicago Fire' Season 9 Premiere Preview: New relationships and high stakes calls in store for Firehouse 51
For fans, a long wait is finally coming to an end as NBC resumes its 'Chicago' Wednesdays programming. All three shows of the Dick Wolf franchise, 'Chicago Med', 'Chicago Fire' and 'Chicago PD' are back with new episodes after they were forced to end their previous seasons earlier than expected due to the ongoing pandemic. Everything we have heard so far indicates that the production departments for all three shows have taken all the necessary precautions. If we were not anyway excited for their return, everything teased about the new episodes is definitely making us dizzy with anticipation.
'Chicago Fire', the first show of the franchise, is entering its ninth season — it's a phenomenal achievement for a show about the work that firefighters and paramedics do, and yes, while we have lost favorite characters over the past eight seasons, the show manages to bring in more who are just as favored. This season will see the entry of a new paramedic, Gianna 'Mack' Mackey, played by Adriyan Rae, whom MEAWW spoke to. Rae tells us that Mack will get along with Sylvie Brett (Kara Killmer) quite well and that she has known firefighter Joe Cruz (Joe Minoso) since they were children. While we will miss Emily Foster (Annie Ilonzeh), we cannot wait to see how Mack will get along with the rest of Firehouse 51. We also know that Mack and Brett will have to deal with a dangerous call soon after meeting.
Speaking of Brett, there have been indications that the new season will see her stepping up as a leader. Showrunner Derek Haas told CinemaBlend about Brett's outlook this year, "this is going to be more of a professional relationship... with Brett really in a supervisor, mentoring role than as a fast friendship like she has had in the past. She has other things going on in her life." Of course, viewers are also looking forward to something else with Brett — whether her friendship with Captain Matthew Casey (Jesse Spencer) will blossom into something more. Given that it has been nearly two years, we hope it does and from what has been teased, it would seem like we will get the answer within the first two episodes of Season 9.
Meanwhile, another relationship on 'Chicago Fire' is going steady and may even evolve into the next step. Lieutenant Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) and firefighter Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) have been dating for a few years now and even moved in together in the previous season. Haas told CinemaBlend on the Stellaride relationship, "I think Severide will be thinking about next steps with Stella Kidd. That will be a major storyline for Season 9. This is 'Chicago Fire', so I can’t make any promises." We also know that Kidd is going to be encouraged to take the lieutenant's exam this year and that may cause some problems with Severide. We hope the couple gets through that and perhaps, 'Chicago Fire' can see its second wedding in two seasons.
Alberto Rosende joined the cast last year as candidate Blake Gallo and we were immediately impressed. It did not take Gallo too long to feel like part of the family as we saw him being mentored by Casey and Severide, and even pay respect to Brian 'Otis' Zvonecek's (Yuri Sardarov) legacy. We also saw him go through a bit of heartbreak at the end of the last season, but Season 9 holds promising things for Gallo. Rosende told TV Insider that Gallo recognizes Mack's passion and energy, and we wonder whether this means that the paramedic and the firefighter might become more than just colleagues.
'Chicago Fire' Season 9 premieres on NBC on Wednesday, November 11, at 9/8c.