Hey, I don't usually review NBC's "Chicago Heroes" Wednesday triad - MD, Fire, and PD - because, well, sometimes it's fun to just watch and not review. And my wife and I watch these three Dick Wolf productions every Wednesday, and think the shows are among the best on any kind of television (network, cable, streaming). So here's a little review of the Fall finales, just on this evening.
Chicago Med has been the weakest of the three, but it's been getting better and better. Oliver Platt's Dr. Charles, a psychiatrist, is a complex, fascinating character, played brilliantly by Platt. The ethical quandaries he faces and more or less solves could make an excellent series in themselves. And this year, there's been much more integration of Med and PD, as well as Fire, which is always welcome. The outright cross-over shows in which an episode in Med literally continues in Fire and in turn in PD are always a special pleasure to watch.
Chicago Fire was the first of the Chicago shows to go on the air (Med is the most recent). For most of the years, it's been easily in first place. The combination of firefighters always being on the verge of mortal danger, and the well-handled personal lives, made for a unique and winning combination. It still does. But this season, PD is giving Fire a run for its money.
PD grew out of Fire, with Casey from Fire getting entangled with a corrupt and violent detective, Hank Voight. He was (partially) rehabilitated and became head of a rough and tumble unit, and has been given a tour de force performance by Jason Beghe. Indeed, everyone in PD puts in a powerful, charismatic performance, which I couldn't quite say of Fire and definitely not of Med. So, with the Fall finales that were broadcast tonight, I'd say PD goes into the New Year in the lead in terms of consistently compelling stories, with a minimum of fluff.
But all three are well worth watching, which I'll definitely be doing in 2019.
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