The 2025-26 season has already reshaped the One Chicago franchise, with five major characters stepping back before Chicago Fire season 14, Chicago Med season 11 and Chicago PD season 13 had even premiered. The exits landed early, and the shows have spent much of the season adjusting to the new lineup.
Daniel Kyri left Chicago Fire as Darren Ritter, Jake Lockett exited after playing Sam Carver, and Toya Turner was written out of Chicago PD after one season as Officer Kiana Cook. Those departures were announced ahead of the season 13 finale for Fire and ahead of season 13 for PD, making the cast turnover part of the show’s setup rather than a midseason surprise.
Ritter’s exit carried the most clarity about how the franchise wanted to manage the change. Kyri’s departure was confirmed before the season 13 finale as part of cost-cutting measures meant to reduce the show’s cast, even though Ritter had been a fixture since season 7, when he arrived as the newest addition to Engine 51 in a recurring role. He was promoted to series regular in season 9 and written out in the second episode of season 14, “Primary Search,” when he left Chicago for New York to be with his longtime boyfriend, Dwayne. The door was left open for him to return.
Carver’s exit followed a different path. Lockett joined Chicago Fire in season 11, first as a recurring player and later as a series regular by season 13, but his storyline began winding down late in season 13 when Carver decided to leave the CFD for a fresh start. His official departure from Firehouse 51 happened off-camera, and he later came back for a guest appearance in season 14, episode 11, “Frostbite Blue.”
Turner’s exit from Chicago PD was shorter and cleaner on screen, but it was no less significant. Kiana Cook joined at the top of season 12 and then was written out after one season, even though she had been given a permanent place at the 17th Precinct in the season 13 premiere, “Consequences,” after the Intelligence Unit was disbanded. That left the franchise with an early-season reset on all three shows, and then very little additional upheaval afterward.
The pattern is clear now: the initial wave of departures did the heavy lifting, and the One Chicago universe has mostly settled into the new roster. For viewers tracking the chicago med cast alongside Fire and PD, the real question has already been answered — this was not a one-off trim, but a deliberate reset that changed the franchise before the new seasons fully got underway.