One Chicago: Who Had The Better Storyline, Chicago Fire Or Chicago PD?
For the past 10 seasons, One Chicago has given us drama after drama with the likes of Chicago PD and Chicago Fire. But this year, the stakes were raised just a bit on both shows. With Fire entering its 10th season and PD its 9th, the writers understood they had to up the ante more than usual. For both shows, it came down to character growth and personal decisions.
As great as the writing was for both, which of these two displayed the better season? Was it Fire with their changing of the guard in House 51, or was it PD with the growth of some of its major characters?
Chicago Fire fans had to endure the loss of Matt Casey and deal with a revolving door of looking for his replacement. The Stella and Severide storyline was touch and go there for a minute as Stella took time off while she gathered her thoughts and feelings. In the process, she alienated Severide which drove a wedge in their relationship. While they would weather the storm and finally get married, that storyline was a good one to witness.
On the other side of town, members of the Intelligent Unit had their own personal issues going on. Ruzek and Burgess were learning the ropes of being first-time parents with Makayla, Jay and Upton got married, Atwater found love but lost it due to a lie, and Hank Voight found a new CI.
Across the board, two of One Chicago shows were on fire with great character arcs. We saw the return of Casey as he and Brett tried their best to navigate their long-distance relationship. Cruz and Chole became parents of two kids following the adoption of Javi but the biggest development involved Violet and her new paramedic, Emma.
If we had to choose which of the storylines identified each show in their last season, what would stand out for Chicago Fire would be the battle between Violet and Emma. With Violet dating Chief Hawkins, it was only a matter of time before that paring would either have its benefits or a downfall. For most, many thought it would be the jealousy of Gallo, but it turned out to be an outside force. Emma wanted Violet’s spot on 61 but Violet was not ready to go down without a fight.
Related: Chicago Fire: Maybe We Haven’t Seen The Last Of Matt Casey
Emma had her demons hidden in the past but what became her downfall was not the family vibe of 51 or the bond between Violet and Hawkins, it was her inability to be a true team member. During a call, she left the scene before the rest of the House and due to that, Emma was forced to walk away. Even so, does that mean we’ve seen the last of Emma?
Everything about their conflict was edge-of-your-seat intense. It didn’t matter if you agreed with the relationship between Violet and Hawkins. What Emma brought to the table almost mirrored with Voight did to Casey in Season 1.
The best storyline on Chicago PD was without a doubt, the dynamic between Voight and his new CI, Anna. The content for PD has always been top-notch and intense. Relationships are a thing of the norm but Season 9 set the Intelligence Unit for something dramatic and dangerous entering Season 10. Voight usually has things under control, but anna made Voight more venerable than he’s ever been.
As much as Voight tried, he just couldn’t save Anna from herself. She was hell-bent on revenge and in the end, she sacrificed it all for her closure. But there were consequences. Voight not only lost what was like a daughter to him but he lost her at the hands of one of his own. How will that play out in Season 10? Will Voight be able to forgive Upton for shooting Anna?
While both shows had outstanding seasons, the writers for Chicago PD stepped it up a notch with the Voight and Anna storyline.
Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
