It’s always fun to hear that your favorite show has been renewed, but for Chicago Fire fans, it’s a bit of a double-edged sword.
On the one hand, we’re getting another season.
But on the other hand, we’re losing at least two series regulars.
That’s one way to smother all the excitement and make us wonder whether the show can recalibrate.
It has survived many cast changes in the past, but audiences are becoming more fickle due to the many options available outside of broadcast TV.
As a network, NBC needs shows to be fiscally responsible, so the cast changes aren’t too surprising.
Generally, actors get more money whenever they renegotiate contracts.
Chicago Fire’s New Villain is NBC in Disguise
It’s rare to hear of actors taking pay cuts because longer tenure is expected to lead to more cold, hard cash.
This time, countless Chicago Fire stars are locked in negotiations because their contracts expire after the current season.
Chicago Fire Season 13 Episode 20 introduced The Padlock, seemingly setting up what’s sure to be a long summer for both fans and the cast.
The storyline involved an individual arriving at Firehouse 51 with an agenda:
To save money.
Contrary to popular belief, an NBC exec has not joined the cast, even though it sounds like they have.
If anything, the storyline presents a conceited effort to prepare for the fact that many more individuals will be let go over the summer.
Taylor Kinney has been with the show since the beginning as Kelley Severide, so I imagine his salary has got to be pretty big.
Will that incentivize producers to eliminate him because it could keep more people employed?
Many Beloved Cast Members Are Gone
It isn’t certain because he’s probably the one fans continually tune in for.
Severide has grown out of Firehouse 51 recently, but he’s vital to the show’s continued success.
Then again, I said the same about Chief Boden, and look how that worked out!
His departure forced the firehouse into a precarious position, but it allowed some of the more peripheral characters to get more screentime.
Sometimes, these things pay off, but I can’t shake the feeling that this latest hurdle won’t, and the show will suffer.
How can the show continue with such a wide array of fantastic characters who bare their soul every week?
From a viewer standpoint, the Padlock storyline is a plot device to save money.
It takes away from the escapism of watching these shows to escape from everyday life.
With the economy tanking, do we need Chicago Fire to go there?
Sadly, the plot showcases the predicament facing the industry as a whole.
When money is tight, people must reduce the budget without much care if the show is eradicating the people for whom viewers are tuning in.
Soaring Budgets Have Killed Many Beloved Shows This Season
This season alone, shows like FBI: Most Wanted and The Equalizer have been canceled.
The shows’ numbers have been in the millions, but their network wanted to introduce cheaper programming.
Even One Chicago’s fate was up for debate, as NBC is focusing on sports next season. This means that many shows are probably getting the chop this week.
If we had it our way, Chicago Fire would keep the cast the same and move into its next chapter with vigor, but that isn’t in the cards.
What are your thoughts on the matter?
You made it to the end — and that means a lot.
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Chicago Fire brought on a new villain and the individual seems like NBC in disguise, trying to get rid of cast members.
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