The firefighting drama will NOT be picking up where it left off.
Chicago Fire loves cliffhangers. Of all the One Chicago shows, Fire is the one that most often leaves viewers devastated, or dangling on the edge of their seats to find out what happens next. This was true with the season 11 finale, which not only teased the marriage of Casey (Jesse Spencer) and Brett (Kara Killmer) but the death of Mouch (Christian Stolte).
More often than not, cliffhangers of this magnitude would mean that the following season would pick up right where they left off, so that fans can get the answers right away. That is not how Chicago Fire season 12 is going to handle things, however.
Chicago Fire S12 will not pick up where S11 left off
During a recent discussion with TV Line, showrunner Andrea Newman revealed that season 12 will actually feature a significant time jump, which means the premiere episode will take place some time after the events of the season 11 finale.
The reasoning? Well, according to Newman, there are so many changes going on at the 51 that the writers felt it would be more entertaining to jump into the future and catch up with the characters as they are getting used to the changes:
“”Yes, there will be some time jump going into the premiere, and viewers and [the] 51 are in it together. There have been big changes, and the 51 gang is on a rollercoaster ride throughout the episode trying to navigate all of it.””
While this decision may seem counterintuitive, especially with something as juicy as the Casey and Brett proposal hanging in the balance, the decision to jump forward in time will actually lead to more exciting discoveries on the part of the viewer.
The time jump will help to explain why Gallo is leaving
Instead of seeing the moment in which Brett either accepts or rejects Casey’s proposal, we will have to gauge their body language and be mindful of the comments that other characters make. It allows the writers to draw out the suspense before revealing what actually happened.
The time jump also benefits the characters that are leaving, like Sylvie Brett and Blake Gallo (Alberto Rosende). The former will have had time to get her affairs in order before leaving the 51, and the latter will actually have had enough time to decide to leave the 51.
There was nothing to suggest that Gallo would be walking away from his position during the season 11 finale, so the narrative decision to let some time pass will actually strengthen his character arc. We can’t wait to see how it all comes together.