Summary
TheOne Chicagofranchise shows are connected not only to each other but to several other Dick Wolf shows. Dick Wolf has dominated the television landscape for the past several years. He has three successful franchises:FBIon Tuesdays,One Chicagoon Wednesdays, andLaw & Orderon Thursdays, although the latestupdate forLaw & Order: Organized Crimeseason 5includes its move to Peacock rather than airing as part of the Thursday night block.
One Chicagoconsists of three shows that have each aired for at least a decade, although they have been plagued with cast turnover issues andChicago Medseason 10 recently confirmed several returning cast members. It is the only one of Wolf’s three franchises that doesn’t focus exclusively on police procedurals, as Chicago Med is a medical drama and Chicago Fire focuses on firefighters rather than cops.Although most of Wolf’s other series are set in New York instead of Chicago, all current Dick Wolf shows are set in the same universe, and some shows have featured crossover appearances.
Every One Chicago Crossover Episode, Ranked Worst To Best
The One Chicago franchise are a staple of procedural network TV, and their crossover episodes are some of the best of the Dick Wolf empire.
Chicago Fire
Cast
Chicago Fire follows the lives of firefighters, rescue squad members, and paramedics of Firehouse 51 in Chicago as they face professional and personal challenges, showcasing their dedication, teamwork, and resilience.
Chicago Fireis the oldest of the three One Chicago shows, so there would be no franchise without it. It premiered in 2012 to solid ratings, which have remained virtually unchanged over twelve seasons. Its popularity led to the creation of the first spinoff,Chicago PD, the following year, andChicago Medfollowed in 2015. It also set the tone for theOne Chicagobrand by blending procedural storylines with stories about the main characters’ personal lives.
Although it is set in Chicago rather than New York, theChicago Firecrew have been involved in crossover stories withLaw & Order: SVUtwice. Both of these stories began with fires in Chicago that uncovered evidence of sex crimes in New York, which brought Benson and the rest of her team in to catch the perpetrator.Chicago Firehas also crossed over with its sister shows in theOne Chicagofranchise on ten separate occasions, although it has not done so since 2019.
One Chicago Desperately Needs A Crossover In 2024
Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, and Chicago PD kicked off their 2024 seasons in January, and the three television shows are due for a crossover event.
Chicago P.D.
Chicago P.D.: This police drama, set in Chicago’s District 21, follows the distinct units within the Chicago Police Department—uniformed officers addressing street crimes and an Intelligence Unit tackling major offenses such as organized crime and drug trafficking, capturing the dedication of those who serve and protect their community.
Chicago PDis unique among police procedurals becauseit features an anti-hero who often crosses moral lines and engages in police brutality for the greater good.Sergeant Hank Voight originally appeared onChicago Fireas an antagonist—a dirty cop who attempted to have Casey silenced when Casey fingered Voight’s son for causing an accident that paralyzed a teenager while drunk. Voight was arrested for his part in this scandal, but was later reinstated as the head of the Intelligence Unit, making for tense relations between the police and fire departments on the two shows.
The police and fire departments work together when necessary despite the rough start. Voight also softened somewhat in later seasons, which has helped improve relations between him and Chief Bowden. WithBowden exitingChicago Fire, there is an open question of how the new chief will navigate the relationship with Voight. Voight still engages in questionable behavior when he feels the circumstances warrant it, so the new chief will have to decide whether it’s worth making an enemy out of him.
Chicago Med
Chicago Med is a medical drama series that explores the high-stakes environment of a bustling Chicago hospital. Set against the backdrop of chaotic emergency room scenarios, the series follows a team of dedicated doctors and nurses as they confront challenging cases inspired by real-world issues, while navigating complex relationships.
Chicago Medoriginally had an extremely close connection. Will Halstead, who was the lead doctor onMedfor its first eight seasons, was introduced as Detective Jay Halstead’s brother. Jay was supposed to be the more levelheaded of the two, whileWill often did impulsive things in the name of helping patients and got himself into trouble. Will was nearly fired for breaking rules twice and resigned after he deliberately sabotaged OR 2.0 to prove that the machine was unsafe to use during surgery.
Ironically, neither Halstead brother is part of their respective show anymore, with Jay leavingChicago PDafter season 10 and Will leavingChicago Medafter season 8.
The Halstead brothers sometimes worked together, most notably duringChicago Medseason 4, when Will was working undercover to help the police catch a mob boss. During this season-long arc, Will provided medical care to the target while secretly funneling information to Jay, but felt bad about it and kept trying to get out of their arrangement. The storyline ended after Will’s wedding to Natalie was derailed by his life being in danger.
7Chicago Justice
Chicago Justiceis less well-known than the other Chicago shows because it only lasted one season. This series starred Philip Winchester as an idealistic state’s attorney, Peter Stone, who was unaware of the bias the criminal justice system often had against people of color. He was often surprised when guilt or innocence weren’t the driving factors in cases and had to question his moral standards when situations were less clear-cut than he believed.
Chicago PD’s Alvin Olinsky appeared in one episode ofChicago Justice.
Dick Wolf often reuses last names in his various works, but the name “Stone” was not a coincidence. AfterChicago Justicewas canceled, Stone traveled to New York and worked as an ADA onLaw & Order: SVUfor a season, during which his backstory became prominent.Stone’s late father was Benjamin Stone, who had been the ADA during the first three seasons of the originalLaw & Order, and Peter always felt like he couldn’t measure up to his well-known father.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is a television series that premiered in 1999. Set in the criminal justice system of New York City, it follows an elite team of detectives who investigate sexually-based offenses, focusing on their efforts to solve complex cases and seek justice for victims.
On the surface,Law & Order: SVUandChicago PDseem to be polar opposites. Olivia Benson has always been depicted as highly moral. She goes the extra mile to help victims put their lives back together, but she doesn’t support blatant rulebreaking or mistreatment of suspects. However, she and Hank Voight were attracted to one another while working together and considered a long-distance relationship afterward. SVU has worked with Chicago PD on several occasions, and a young woman who joined Voight’s unit after living on the streets was killed by a serial murderer wanted both by PD and SVU.
Benson’s interest in Voight isn’t as surprising as it seems, considering the will-they-won’t-they nature of her relationship with Elliot Stabler. Stabler is also a hothead prone to getting physical with suspects, though he is not as amoral as Voight tends to be. Benson also had a relationship withChicago Justice’s Peter Stone that ended when he realized his feelings for her could interfere with his objectivity and left his position.
The Similar Cases Are Not The Only Connection
Law & Order: Organized Crime
Law & Order: Organized Crime follows the detectives of the Organized Crime Control Bureau as they strive to dismantle New York City’s most vicious and violent illegal enterprises, providing a deep dive into the complex and intricate world of organized crime. Released on July 12, 2025, it extends the Law & Order franchise.
Law & Order: Organized Crimestars former SVU detective Elliot Stabler as the lead detective in the Organized Crime Bureau. This unit is similar to Voight’s Intelligence Unit, as it focuses on mob bosses, gang leaders, and other heads of criminal organizations. However, this series has not yet had any crossovers withChicago PD, and Stabler was not in New York when Benson worked with, and fell for, Hank Voight.
Stabler and Voight are similar characters, so it’s easy to think of this series as the New York parallel toChicago PD, especially considering that Stabler and Voight might be romantic rivals if they ever met. The two series are technically connected even though Stabler and Voight have not yet interacted;Stabler started out on SVU, which was established to be in the same universe as the Chicago shows more than half a decade ago.
Law & Order: Organized Crime’s New Home Could Make Stabler & Benson’s Reunion A Logistical Nightmare
Law & Order: Organized Crime’s move to Peacock could mean bad news for those fans who are longing for a Benson/Stabler romantic reunion.
Law & Order
Law & Order is a procedural crime drama series that premiered in 1990, featuring New York City police detectives and prosecutors as they investigate and prosecute serious crimes. The show is known for its two-part approach, dividing between the crime-solving efforts of the detectives and the legal proceedings in court.
The originalLaw & Orderwas on a ten-year hiatus whenChicago PDcrossed over withLaw & Order: SVU. However, it has a strong connection to theOne Chicagofranchise because of Peter Stone. Additionally, it shares an actress with Chicago Med.S. Epatha Merkerson played Lieutenant Anita Van Buren onLaw & Orderin the 1990s and now plays Sharon GoodwinonChicago Med.
Two of the FBI shows also currently have actors from other Dick Wolf shows playing the heads of teams.
The two characters are completely different. Van Buren was a no-nonsense head of the homicide unit while Goodwin is a former nurse turned hospital administrator who is constantly settling disputes between doctors. Thus, it’s unlikely that any of the characters would notice the resemblance if there were a crossover betweenLaw & OrderandChicago Med. However, Merkerson was so associated with the 1990s version ofLaw & Orderthat there was widespread speculation she would leave Med to return to it when NBC first announced that it was bringingLaw & Orderback.
FBI
FBI is a procedural drama that explores the workings of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New York office as dedicated agents tackle high-stakes cases involving terrorism, organized crime, and various formidable threats.
While theFBIfranchise is set in New York and deals with federal rather than state crimes, it has the most direct connection to theOne Chicagofranchise of any non-Chicago show. Hailey Upton once came to New York on loan from PD to help work a case. The FBI team was investigating a case involving a drug deal gone bad, which is the Intelligence Unit’s wheelhouse. Thus,Upton was a logical choice to travel to New York to assist in catching the masterminds behind the crime.
As with Benson/Voight, Upton clashed with the FBI team because they expected her to stick only to legal methods of getting the suspects behind bars. However, this crossover opened the door for future guest appearances, especially now thatChicago PD’s Hailey Upton has left the series ahead of season 12. She decided she wanted a more fulfilling job and was last seen checking out job listings with the FBI and DEA, so she could work with the FBI team in future episodes if the storyline calls for it and the actress is willing to do another guest appearance.
5 Chicago P.D. Characters Who Could Be Upton’s Replacement In Season 12, Ranked By Likelihood
Hailey Upton’s departure left Chicago PD with a gaping hole in its canvas. There are several characters who could step into Upton’s shoes.
FBI: Most Wanted
FBI: Most Wanted follows a specialized team tasked with apprehending high-profile criminals on the FBI’s Most Wanted list. Led by experienced agents, this mobile undercover unit operates tirelessly in the field, pursuing individuals who are determined to evade justice and ensuring public safety.
TheFBIfranchise is connected toOne Chicagovia Upton, butFBI: Most Wantedhas an interesting and ironic behind-the-scenes connection: Dylan McDermott. McDermott played supervillain Richard Wheatley during the first two seasons ofLaw & Order: Organized Crime.However, afterJulian McMahon’s exit fromFBI: Most Wanted, McDermott moved over to that show to play the new head ofFBI: Most Wanted’s Fugitive Task Force, Remy Scott. Wheatley is presumed dead after a car explosion, but nobody was ever found, thus potentially making him the type of dangerous fugitive that Scott’s team brings to justice.
It’s unlikely that there would be a crossover appearance involving the capture of Richard Wheatley because McDermott would have to play a dual role. However, the two series are set in the same universe, so if Wheatley is still alive, Scott has an evil doppelgänger somewhere. Even if Wheatley were not involved,it would be natural for this series to crossover withLaw & Order: OrganizedCrimesince they are set in the same universeand investigate similar types of crimes.
FBI: International
FBI: International follows the elite agents of the FBI’s International Fly Team as they travel globally to protect Americans. The series focuses on their complex missions, navigating international law, and challenges posed by various jurisdictions, demonstrating the high-stakes nature of their work.
FBI: Internationalis different from the other FBI shows because it is set in Europe and involves international crimes that affect Americans. So far, there have been no direct connections between this series and theOne Chicagoshows.However, as of 2024, it is the third Dick Wolf series to use one actor for two different roles in the same universe, as formerChicago PDstarJesse Lee Sofferis joiningFBI: International’s season 4 cast.
Chicago Medalum Colin Donnell guest starred on the final two episodes ofFBI: Internationaland was widely speculated to be the new lead before Soffer was announced.
Soffer will not be playing Jay Halstead. However,One Chicagohas already established thatFBI: Internationalis set in the same universe asChicago PD, so this will be another case of a character having a dopplegänger. There is little reason for this to come up, considering how different the two shows are, but is another example of how all of DIck Wolf’s scripted shows are connected both on-screen and behind the scenes. Additionally, if Upton ever works withFBi: International, she would come face-to-face with a different character who looks and sounds like her ex-husband.
