As the longest running show in the One Chicago franchise, Chicago Fire season 15’s premiere had a lot of legwork to do after leaving viewers in the lurch with lives hanging in the balance during a violently explosive structure fire, and some of its resolutions fell short. With cast shake-ups having been announced ahead of Chicago Fire season 15, viewers were aware going into the episode that things were going to change, but it wasn’t clear until getting into the weeds with Firehouse 51 just how much would be changing. With both Joe Miñoso and Dermott Mulroney having announced departures in the early episodes of the season, their fates, among others, were in jeopardy during the structure fire.

Throughout Chicago Fire season 14, it was clear that things were shifting within the structure of the series, which was still adjusting to the leadership of Mulroney’s Battalion Chief Dom Pascal. With Severide (Taylor Kinney) and his work with the Office of Fire Investigation stretching out throughout the season, his work with Firehouse 51 was far more limited than it had been in previous seasons, while his home life with Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) saw the couple welcoming a foster son before seeing him return to his mother. In the Chicago Fire season 14 finale, Isaiah (Hero Hunter) returned, hoping to live with his foster parents once again and leaving things in flux for the couple’s personal life.

While the most outstanding piece of the Chicago Fire finale stemmed from the structure fire that left lives in limbo, the premiere was quick to address viewers’ most burning questions, but with many moving parts throughout the episode, it didn’t always feel like attention was being paid to the stories that mattered most.

Chicago Fire Season 15, Episode 1 Revealed The Fallout Of The Structure Fire

While Chicago Fire season 14 left viewers on the hook about the structure fire, the premiere opened with a resolution, though not all the information about Firehouse 51’s heroes was readily available. Chicago Fire season 15 episode 1, “New Blood,” viewers get the chance to see Firehouse 51 in one of their most intense blazes yet, and in true 51 fashion, they’re not prepared to leave the building until everyone’s safe. With Cruz taking action while Severide assesses, things move quickly as the fire roars on, and it doesn’t take long for Chicago Fire to make a massive change that will restructure the show to its core.

After spending time up close and personal with the blaze, Chicago Fire takes some liberties with the timeline, zooming forward a bit in order to get a better look at the fallout. With Severide finally having made a decision on where he’ll stand between Firehouse 51 and OFI, the series clues viewers into what’s going on with the rest of the crew quickly, giving each character a moment in the spotlight before another shift starts. A fresh batch of Probies are set to join Firehouse 51 as we ease back into Chicago Fire, and with new responsibilities come new circumstances, which leave some struggling as they still reel from the shock of the structure fire.

Though the majority of the episode focuses on the fallout and how Firehouse 51 is navigating, there are moments that bake in a bit of forward momentum for the long-running series. From the reveal of Stella and Severide’s current relationship with Isaiah to how Hermann (David Eigenberg) is dealing with the fallout from the structure fire, Chicago Fire takes its time to ensure that there are threads for the season to pull as it moves forward. The biggest piece of forward momentum, however, comes from the group of new Probies who join the team within the span of the first episode. Unfortunately, their place in the squad doesn’t feel as solid as the drama of what’s already been happening within the existing team.

Chicago Fire Season 14’s New Candidates Feel Weaker Than Past Probies

NBC (via MovieStillsDb)

Chicago Fire’s newest candidates, specifically Burke (Da’Vinchi) and McCaffrey (Matthew Daddario), are a big component of the premiere episode, both for their introductions and the way their arrival shakes up Kidd’s role. With Kidd taking on the training of the new candidates, the pressure is on for both her and the probies, but when things go awry more than once, it’s clear that they’re not all on the same page. While Burke and McCaffrey are both meant to be high performers, their attitudes don’t seem to be a great fit for the established group at Firehouse 51. Even so, their work should be good enough to sustain them within the group, and when it’s not, Kidd has to step in quickly.

While the new candidates are only a piece of Chicago Fire season 15’s premiere, their impact feels like a sign of things to come, which doesn’t feel as promising as I’d like it to. I’m open to whatever is coming next with the new candidates, and it’s more likely than not that Kidd will whip them into shape, but it felt like too much seeing them falter during an episode where there felt like so much other story on the line. While Chicago Fire season 15’s premiere offered the answers that viewers have been waiting on, the story of the structure fire’s fallout will be something that continues to have ramifications throughout the next few episodes. Despite some bumps in the road, Chicago Fire’s sizzling season opener could lead to an intriguing season.

Chicago Fire season 15 airs new episodes every Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.

Release Date

October 1, 2025

Episodes

21