One Chicago's long absence from the small screen is nearly over, with Chicago Fire's winter premiere hitting the airwaves on NBC in the 2026 TV schedule. The long-running drama left off in the fall on a life-or-death cliffhanger for Severide. While that's not unusual for the bold Squad 3 lieutenant, comments from executive producer Reza Tabrizi to CinemaBlend have me concerned that "heartache" on the way will be tied to a different character.
The winter premiere, which airs on January 7 and streams next with a Peacock subscription, is called "A Man Possessed" and picks up where the finale left off. Per NBC's logline, an act of arson will harm someone close to Firehouse 51, putting Severide on the track of the perpetrator. That at least indicates that Severide will be fine enough to continue his OFI investigation.
The fall finale ended with him, Van Meter, and a school principal by the name of Mr. Cole, who had been targeted for arson by an unidentified student, several stories up in an apartment building that was set on fire by a hooded figure. When I spoke with Reza Tabrizi, who also directed the winter premiere, he previewed the episode getting Chicago Fire off to an eventful start in 2026:
One of the great things about the fall finale was the fact that we had so many different cliffhangers. Almost every storyline had its own cliffhanger compared to what we normally do, which is a big cliffhanger at the end of the episode. But there's a lot that needs to be discussed and figured out, and dynamics being created that will lead to conflicts and challenges. So in that sense, I was really excited to pick up on all the cliffhangers that we had and carry them through. And some of them get answered, some of them might not. [We] get the winter premiere off to a strong start.
Technically, Chicago Fire also ended 2025 on a cliffhanger regarding the fate of Engine 51, with Pascal learning that budget cuts might lead to Mouch's rig being decommissioned. That's certainly still a concern in 2026, but Reza Tabrizi's comments leave me concerned for Van Meter. Of the three people in the apartment that was set on fire, he's the only one who fans have reason to care about but doesn't have the against-all-odds survival streak of Kelly Severide.
Fans have gotten to know the OFI boss better over the years the longer that Severide pitched in as a "fire cop," and I know that I at least would be bummed if something goes sideways for him. When I asked the EP/director how worried fans should be about the characters involved in the arson, he shared:
I think it's always interesting when one of our own is stuck in a situation, and Severide is one who is very experienced at that. He keeps getting himself into situations that he has to MacGyver his way out of it, one way or another. And then the fact that we have Van Meter in there as well, alongside Mr. Cole, who is not a firefighter, and doesn't have the tools to be able to manage the situation. But we come out of it with some heartache and some elements of worry, obviously, for one or two loved characters.
Mr. Cole could be a dangerous variable. While the fall finale revealed that he's not exactly the best principal to the kids under his charge, neither Severide nor Van Meter is going to just abandon a civilian in a fire, and that could create a larger risk to both. When I noted to the EP that Severide has bad luck to end up in deadly situations even when he's working with OFI, Reza Tabrizi responded:
And he's become closer with Van Meter over the years, so that's an element that will come to surface and how they deal with this danger that's right under their feet.
All of this said, Chicago Fire often puts key characters in deadly situations without going so far as to kill them off. There are also other concerns for the winter premiere, including whether Stella will return from her trip before the final credits roll. Regardless of whether Severide experiences a loss, the couple has been pretty solid all season. For now, check out the promo for the first new episode of 2026:
Tune in to NBC on Wednesday, January 7 at 9 p.m. ET for the winter premiere of Chicago Fire, between Chicago Med (with its own life-or-death cliffhanger to resolve) at 8 p.m. ET and Chicago P.D. at 10 p.m. ET. You can also stream the winter premieres on Thursday via Peacock.
