One Chicago Recap: Chicago Med "Frost on Fire"/Chicago Fire "Carry a Torch"/Chicago P.D. "Faith"

 

This week's One Chicago, from relationship growth to an unexpected moment, a heartbreaking but emotional moment, and more. Here's this week's recap and review of One Chicago. 

Chicago Med "Frost on Fire" 

"Frost on Fire" was an hour that leaned heavily into the "One Chicago" interconnectedness, giving us a crossover romance we didn't know we needed while delivering a gut-punch guest star performance. Here is the breakdown of the cases, the cameos, and the chaos.

​The headline story this week involved a college basketball player named Kristen, who was brought in after a field overdose. Frost and Novak found themselves at odds when Archer suspected Novak had accidentally double-dosed the patient with fentanyl in the ambulance.

​But it turns out Novak’s medical skills were fine. The patient had a rare metabolic condition that caused standard doses of opioids to skyrocket to toxic levels in her system. The resolution led to a heartfelt moment where Frost—tapping into his "child star" charisma—surprised the patient with a signed photo from Chicago Sky legend Courtney Vandersloot (who made a fun, grounded cameo as herself).

​Dr. Caitlin Lenox returned to the ED this week, jumping straight into a case with Hannah Asher. They were treating a surrogate carrying a baby for her best friend.

​They discovered during an ultrasound that Lenox had a second fetus. But this wasn't a missed twin—it was superfetation. The surrogate had conceived her own biological child while already pregnant with the surrogate baby. It was a classic medical anomaly that forced the characters to navigate a legal and emotional minefield.

​In the most emotional arc of the night, Dr. Ripley treated an elderly woman with dementia, Ruth (played by the legendary Marla Gibbs). While the staff initially judged the daughter, Grace (Angela E. Gibbs), for neglect, the truth was far darker. Grace revealed scars from cigarette burns, explaining that her "sweet" mother was once a monster. It was a haunting look at how dementia can erase the person you hated, leaving a shell that you still can't bring yourself to love.

"Frost on Fire" was a solid entry that balanced "Case of the Week" intrigue with significant character progression. While the soap-opera elements are dialled up to 11 this season, the introduction of Dr. Frost has injected a much-needed youthful energy into the ED.

​The chemistry between Frost and Novak is the best thing to happen to this show in years. Their flirtation felt natural, and their date at the end of the episode—interrupted by a call to Dr. Ripley (the ultimate roommate wingman)—was genuinely charming. It’s rare for a crossover romance to feel this organic rather than like a corporate mandate.

​Watching Marla and Angela Gibbs play opposite each other was a masterclass. The episode didn't take the easy way out by forcing a reconciliation. It allowed Grace to stay hurt, proving that Med can still do "Prestige Drama" when it stops worrying about who is dating whom for five minutes.

​My biggest gripe? The surrogate storyline and the elder abuse plot both felt like they needed an extra ten minutes. The show is currently juggling a lot of "rebounding" relationships (Archer pining for Hannah, Lenox and Ripley’s impulsive hookup), and sometimes the medical mysteries of the week feel like they are just there to give the doctors something to do while they talk about their feelings. Overall, I give the episode an 8.5/10.

​What did you think of this week's episode? Are you Team Frost/Novak, or do you think the "Fire-Med" romance is doomed to fail? And what did you think of Lenox’s return? Could Lennox and Ripley be the next Med couple? Let’s debate in the comments!

Chicago Fire "Carry a Torch"

"Carry a Torch" was a heavy-hitter that finally forced some of our favorites to stop running from their shadows. ​Here is the breakdown of the tears, the rescues, and the long-awaited reunions.

​The episode picked up with the high-stakes aftermath of the arson fire. Captain Tom Van Meter spent most of the hour in a coma, leaving Severide (Taylor Kinney) in an emotional tailspin. While Severide stayed away from the hospital to give Van Meter's daughter, Carrie, space, it was clear he was just avoiding the reality of the possibility of losing his mentor. By the final act, Van Meter finally woke up, providing the relief 51 desperately needed.

​While Van Meter fought for his life, Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) and Kelly fought for their marriage. The distance between them has been a mile wide lately, and a call involving a pregnant crash victim finally broke Stella’s dam. After seeing the woman with her newborn, Stella finally admitted the truth to Kelly: she hadn't processed the trauma of her miscarriage or the loss of their foster son, Isaiah. Their confrontation outside Molly's was raw, messy, and the most honest they've been in years.

​New firefighter Sal Vasquez had his hands full when his father, Ray, showed up at the firehouse sporting a busted lip. It turns out Ray’s past as an informant in prison caught up to him. Sal eventually stepped in to help his father out of a dangerous standoff with a vengeful former cellmate’s crew. It was a solid bonding moment for the "Vasquez men" that finally gave Sal some much-needed depth.

​"Carry a Torch" was an episode about foundations. Whether it was the literal foundation of the Vasquez family or the emotional foundation of the Severide/Kidd marriage, the message was clear: you can’t build anything new if the ground is still shaking. With Van Meter alive and Stellaride finally talking, the path is clear for a strong finish to the season.

​Can we talk about Novak and Frost? Following their date in last week’s Chicago Med, seeing Frost pop up at 51 was a highlight. Their "hook-up" energy brings a fun, lighter vibe to a show that can sometimes get bogged down in its own drama. It’s nice to see a crossover relationship that actually feels like it’s moving forward in real-time.

​While the big action was elsewhere, David Eigenberg continues to be the show’s MVP. Herrmann’s struggle to accept life without Mouch (now at Firehouse 40) is heartbreakingly relatable. His denial about the Engine 51 decommissioning feels like a metaphor for the show itself; things are changing, and it hurts.

​The writers deserve credit for not letting the "Isaiah" storyline go. By linking Stella’s current irritability to her past miscarriage, they gave Miranda Rae Mayo some of her best material in seasons. It wasn't just "procedural drama"; it felt like a real examination of how grief can sit in your bones until you finally name it. Overall, I give the episode an 8.6/10.

​What did you think of this week's episode? Did you think Van Meter was going to make it, or were you bracing for another tragic exit? And are you rooting for Novak and Frost, or is the cross-show drama too much? Leave a comment!

Chicago P.D. "Faith"

"Faith" served as the emotional finale to a storyline that had haunted Dante Torres for months. If you’ve been following the "Morgan Case," this was the payoff we’ve been waiting for. Here is the recap and review of the night Intelligence finally brought justice home.

​The episode picks up with Torres still obsessed with the cold case of Simone Morgan, whose disappearance was originally pinned on her husband, Odell. Working alongside newcomer Eva Imani (Arienne Mandi), Torres starts retracing Simone’s final 36 hours with a level of detail that borders on the fanatical.

​Through a mix of old 911 hang-up calls and Dominique’s (Simone's daughter) long-buried memories, the team realizes Simone wasn't just a victim of domestic violence—she was a witness. She had accidentally seen a homicide detective, Foster, execute a drug dealer named Noah Lewis while she was walking home from her diner shift.

​As Voight and the team run into procedural roadblocks (Intelligence vs. Homicide is always a bloodbath), Torres leans into his instincts. He tracks a truck mentioned in the original case files to a remote lake. In a visceral, high-stakes sequence, the team recovers the truck—and Simone's remains—from the water.

​With forensic evidence and a terrified informant (Darrell) pointing the finger at Foster, the team finally makes the arrest. The episode ends not in a precinct, but in a church, where Torres watches Dominique finally find peace during her mother’s memorial service.

"Faith" was exactly what Chicago P.D. needed to kick off the second half of the season. It cleaned the slate for Torres, gave us a definitive win over a "monster in a badge," and solidified Imani as a core member of the team. For the first time in a while, it feels like the Intelligence Unit isn't just surviving, they’re thriving.

​For the first half of Season 13, Torres has felt like a man lost at sea. Between the Gloria fallout and his mounting cynicism, he was becoming the "gloomy" island of the unit. "Faith" successfully broke that shell. Seeing him use his own "outsider" perspective to connect with Dominique gave the character a much-needed layer of empathy that had been missing since Jay Halstead left.

​Can we talk about Eva Imani? Her partnership with Torres is the most refreshing dynamic the show has introduced in years. She isn't just a "backup" officer; she’s a legitimate foil for both Voight’s ruthlessness and Torres’s intensity. Their chemistry is effortless, proving that Arienne Mandi and Benjamin Levy Aguilar’s real-life friendship is translatable to the screen.

​While the emotional beats were 10/10, the "dirty cop" plot required some suspension of disbelief. The idea that Detective Foster could sneak into multiple homes undetected, once to kill Simone and another time to threaten a child, felt a little "supervillain" for a show that usually prides itself on grit. However, the payoff of seeing Torres kneeling by the water, finally feeling like he’s "the soldier God sent," was enough to smooth over the narrative bumps. Overall, I give this episode an 8/10.

​What did you think of the episode? Do you think Torres has finally put his demons to rest, or will the "dirty cop" fallout come back to haunt the unit? And what are your thoughts on the Torres/Imani "ship"? Let’s discuss in the comments!

You can catch One Chicago Wednesdays beginning at 8/7c on NBC and streaming the next day on Peacock.