Spoilers ahead for the winter premiere of Chicago Fire Season 14, called "A Man Possessed" and available streaming next day with a Peacock subscription.
Chicago Fire didn't hold back with the first episode of the 2026 TV schedule, paying off on Severide and Van Meter's cliffhanger with the "heartache" promised by executive producer/director Reza Tabrizi. All three of the men inside of the burning building survived the initial blaze, but Van Meter was gravely injured during the escape, and the winter premiere ended with him in a medically-induced coma with Severide on the warpath for justice.
Now, considering that the main characters of Chicago Fire can be in life-or-death situations on a weekly basis, the vast majority of near-death experiences don't result in actual death on this show. I wasn't particularly worried about Severide after fourteen seasons of him cheating the Grim Reaper.
I was worried about Van Meter, however, after another shocking death a few years back set a precedent that sometimes key characters will die if they're not on the list of series regulars, no matter how beloved they are.
Van Meter May Be Dying
During the escape from the blazing building from the fall finale, Van Meter sustained third-degree burns on his back as well as scorching to his lungs to go with smoke inhalation. With the help of Chicago Med's Dr. Archer, the OFI Captain's life was saved, but he was left on a ventilator and eventually, a medically-induced coma. A tearful Severide told the doctor that he'd heard stories about people being put into those comas and never waking up, and I was concerned that "A Man Possessed" would end with Van Meter flatlining.
Severide's investigation into the fire may have led the CPD toward the culprit, but his outburst during the interrogation was followed by his removal from the case. With Van Meter's life in jeopardy, I very highly doubt Severide is dropping anything. For now, it's just a waiting game to see if Tim Hopper's character will live or die, and a different character's death has me nervous that he really could pass away.
The Chicago Fire Death That Changed The Game For Me
A whole lot has happened on Chicago Fire since Season 11, but a twist that I'm sure many fans haven't forgotten is the death of Chief Evan Hawkins, a.k.a. the man that Violet loved deeply. He died abruptly just three episodes into the season, after Jimmy Nicholas had recurred as the character since the start of Season 10. It was a complete shock to see such an important character die so suddenly, even though Nicholas was only ever a recurring cast member rather than a regular.
Van Meter has admittedly be part of Chicago Fire for much longer, originally debuting in early Season 2 and continuing to appear across more than thirty episodes. He's been a key character in Severide's arcs, but never quite a series regular. Before Hawkins died back in 2022, I wouldn't be too worried that Fire would unceremoniously kill off an important character. Now... well, my eyes were peeled for whether the promo for the next episode would reveal the character's fate. Take a look:
Well, there's no good news about Van Meter's fate in the preview, but also no bad news! Plus, it bodes well for Severide that Cruz is back, so there are two Firehouse 51 heroes on the arson case. Find out if Severide's friend will survive his injuries with the next episode of Chicago Fire, airing on NBC on Wednesday, January 14 at 9 p.m. ET, between Chicago Med at 8 p.m. ET and Chicago P.D. at 10 p.m. ET. You can also find the episodes streaming on Peacock next day.
