The biggest criticism of Chicago Fire season 14 is effectively squashed by NBC with just one line. Dick Wolf’s One Chicago franchise remains to be one, if not the most successful interconnected universe in the 2025-2026 TV cycle. Thanks to its solid fan-base from being on the screen for over a decade, it remains a ratings winner for the network, although that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have any narrative issues.
As the inaugural show of the One Chicago franchise, Chicago Fire is the most popular among all three shows. A bigger fan-base means a more invested one, so there’s increased interest in what’s happening in Firehouse 51. The last few years have been challenging for the show, as it had to reinvent itself multiple times in light of the various cast reshuffling it underwent. Chicago Fire season 14 is still in the process of establishing its new status quo, with its biggest criticism revolving around how Sam Carver’s story was cut short only to be replaced by someone very similar in Sal Vasquez.
This issue became impossible to ignore when Jake Lockett’s Carver returned on Chicago Fire season 14, episode 11, “Frostbite Blue,” marking his and Violet Mikami’s reunion since he left for Detroit. At this point, the show was already heavily setting up her new romance with Vasquez, which exacerbated the comparisons between the men.
Given the love triangle at play, the air was thick with tension throughout the episode, which ended with Carver leaving without saying goodbye. Reacting to the awkwardness of the situation, Vasquez confidently told Violet: “I’m not Carver.” The declaration was a stepping stone to moving their budding romance forward, but it also felt like a meta-commentary on criticisms that the new Truck 81 member was simply a modified version of Lockett’s role.
For what it’s worth, neither NBC nor Wolf Entertainment gave any reason for writing Carver out of Chicago Fire. The character had just started to get really comfortable being a member of Firehouse 51 and had a lot of storytelling opportunities moving forward. Carver’s romance with Violet was also at a very interesting point when it ended, so it was understandable why it was a criticized move.
How Chicago Fire Can Prove That Vasquez Isn’t Really Just A Carver Carbon Copy
It’s one thing to declare something, but it’s another to prove it. At this point, the responsibility to prove Vasquez right falls onto the shoulders of the Chicago Fire writers. The show needs to make sure that he doesn’t have the same arcs and themes as his predecessor, but more importantly, he needs to be a compelling character on his own. Considering how much cast reshuffling the procedural has seen in the last few years, there’s a tendency to recycle arcs.
Why There’s No One Chicago Tonight (Feb. 11) & When New Episodes Of Fire, PD, & Med Release
All three One Chicago shows are going dark tonight, February 11, 2026, as NBC disrupts Fire, PD, and Med’s scheduled Wednesday night programming.
As the newest addition to Firehouse 51, perhaps Chicago Fire season 14 can skip the stretched-out period when a newcomer struggles to fit in with the whole group. There are so many other things that they can do with Vasquez that don’t involve the same angsty storylines that they usually reserve for a fresh recruit. Beyond that, it’s also very important that Chicago Fire sticks with Vasquez for a considerable amount of time and not write him off just when things are starting to get really exciting for him.
Enjoy ScreenRant’s primetime coverage? Click below to sign up for my weekly Network TV newsletter (make sure to check “Network TV” in your preferences) and get the inside scoop from actors and showrunners on your favorite series.
Chicago Fire
- Release Date
-
October 10, 2012
-
Taylor Kinney
Kelly Severide
-
David Eigenberg
Christopher Herrmann