We had the chance to speak with Chicago Fireplace showrunner Andrea Martin in regards to the upcoming crossover with Chicago Med and Chicago PD.
Don’t fear — there aren’t any spoilers. Nonetheless, we did focus on the logistics of making these crossovers, together with who determines character arcs throughout the three sequence.
Get the hearth began for the epic crossover now!
So, you may have an enormous crossover developing. How do the writers’ rooms get collectively to start out on a venture like this? What’s the method?
Yeah, it’s attention-grabbing. It’s, you already know, the best way we did it. I imply, it begins months out. You understand, it’s actually months and months of planning, which is loopy, but it surely begins with a common dialog amongst all of the showrunners.
Then, we’ve writers assigned to those episodes, and every present is assigned a author. These three obtained within the room and began taking the massive image concepts and making and including in all of the character stuff that’s round them in episodes earlier than and after.
And yeah, we stored the textual content chain going. You understand, we’ve the med buildings proper subsequent door and PDs, and also you simply see folks operating out and in of one another’s buildings and doorways and down the halls. And yeah, it’s simply plenty of, it was like a beehive taking place whereas that was happening.
We additionally had a textual content chain going the place we may replace one another on the most recent twists and turns. Isn’t that onerous, although?
I imply, you’ve obtained three fully totally different applications, they usually all want to slot in from the final episode to the one after it.
It’s so difficult. I believe everyone has this type of climbing Mount Everest really feel to a point, however the reward is so huge.
What’s enjoyable is the sensation of all these exhibits coming collectively and attending to see these writers that you just move within the corridor, however you don’t at all times get to take a seat and speak to — the solid, too, getting to hang around collectively.
It’s actually enjoyable. It brings everyone collectively in a very nice approach.
And each one among these crossovers has someone in peril and someone else who’s saving them. How do you determine which characters might be on the mercy of the catastrophe and which of them might be saving the day? Is there a contest between you all?
It’s a very good query. Yeah. It’s humorous as a result of we had been speaking about how, in fact, each pitch that we begin with is, you already know, our characters, and the identical with the opposite exhibits.
After which, as you chip away at it, everyone form of involves the identical place. Finally, it’s character-centric. It’s like, the place are the characters within the second that this crossover will happen, and what’s going to greatest serve the tales that we’re telling for these characters proper now?
That’s actually the way it shakes out. On this scenario, we’ve so many various issues happening without delay.
And this, it actually, the episodes themselves don’t really feel like a fireplace, a med, a PD. It looks like one three-hour film. The way in which this one broke out, we didn’t even give it some thought like that as a result of we had triage taking place on the scene.
All of the Med persons are there, and our guys are operating from this fireplace scene to the hospital. The PD guys are investigating the scene and going to the hospital to speak to witnesses. So, all the pieces is admittedly interconnected, and the character tales are the entrance and heart half that guides it.
And apparently, Stella and Ruzek are assembly for the primary time throughout this crossover, proper?
I used to be making an attempt to assume in the event that they’ve ever crossed earlier than, however they actually haven’t had this type of connection earlier than. That they had actually by no means been collectively in a disaster earlier than on this approach.
So that individual dynamic that you just talked about is admittedly enjoyable as a result of we haven’t seen it earlier than, they usually’re each very robust personalities. Lieutenant Kidd is just not going to take orders from Ruzek, and Ruzek’s not going to wish to take orders, both.
The true enjoyable of this crossover was seeing them have to come back collectively in a disaster — all of these dynamics, seeing everyone, individuals who hadn’t met as a result of there have been plenty of new solid members.
And the way did their personalities complement one another as they found out easy methods to get themselves out of this?
Yeah, their personalities. It’s humorous as a result of I believe Ruzek is admittedly tightly wound. You understand, he’s form of on a special mission than she is. He’s making an attempt to unravel a thriller on the similar time.
He’s making an attempt to maintain folks alive. She’s extra the, you already know, the rescuer and the calm, the port and the storm form of vibe on this one. And so, however they’re each having these disaster moments with their relationships.
They’re each trapped, and there are important others on the skin. So, Severide and Burgess come collectively, too, making an attempt to speak with them and having their relationships examined on this approach.
Okay. I’ve to ask this as a result of my editors and I had been having a dialog at this time about relationships and the way there are only a few actually good and stable ones on TV. And but, we noticed the trailer for the crossover, and we noticed Severide in tears, and we knew everyone was in hassle.
Is it exhausting to make joyful relationships the place persons are simply going about their lives and having a very good time? Is it simpler to indicate them struggling? I’m simply interested in that from a author’s perspective.
It’s attention-grabbing. I’d say it’s more difficult from a writing standpoint to painting relationships with actuality. You understand, that’s actually what you’re making an attempt to do is make it really feel actual and relatable to the people who find themselves watching.
No one has an ideal relationship—that I do know anyway. So, what you’re doing is form of digging deep into all of the cracks and fissures that any regular relationship has, however then placing it in these disaster conditions. So, it’s difficult to make it actual, I’d say.
To have it’s dramatic and really feel like a relationship that we might be in our fantasy worlds.
You talked about that you just get to see writers you don’t usually see and work with actors and characters you don’t usually work with.
What’s it like increasing the story to that diploma? Does it, you already know, you see these characters each week, they usually’re in your world? For instance, Atwater was on Chicago Fireplace final week.
What’s the distinction between making an attempt to do one thing small like that and bringing everyone collectively?
The problem is that once we try this, it’s a Fireplace episode. So it’s simply integrating Atwater into our Fireplace world, however that is creating an enormous world that you just’ve obtained to mix everyone.
And it’s totally different. It’s not the Fireplace world.
As I mentioned, our PD, Fireplace, and Med world is its personal factor — its personal little universe with its personal planets, stars, and all the pieces else. So it’s very difficult as a result of we’re sending these scripts forwards and backwards to one another. How does that match?
Does that match sufficient? You understand, as we’re doing it, everyone’s obtained their tackle their characters and wish to guarantee that we do justice to the opposite characters, too. So yeah, that’s the toughest half, I believe, ensuring that it’s its personal world.
It’s not simply Med’s world or Fireplace’s world.
Are you ever shocked to see how someone else handles your characters?
Sure.
What are some examples of that?
I’m making an attempt to consider a very good instance from this episode. Severide, you already know, is admittedly pushed to the brink emotionally. And there’s a second the place he virtually loses it on who’s not being significantly useful in the meanwhile. It’s not one of many major solid.
Herrmann, I can’t keep in mind which script it was in, if it was PD or Med, however on this model, Herrmann was form of like, “Relax, Severide,” within the first model.
And I used to be like, no, no, no, Herrmann wouldn’t say settle down. He’d say, “I’ll kick his ass with you.” You understand, that’s what he would say, not “Relax and again off that man.”
It’s “Kidd is my household too. And we’ll take you down collectively.” So it’s catching these little character moments of, “Properly, how does he reply to the opposite children, particularly when it’s a very new character?”
So, we keep watch over that for one another. That’s form of the enjoyable half, actually.
Okay. As I mentioned, we’ve all seen the trailer, which says this three-parter can have ramifications all through the remainder of the season. What are you able to tease about how folks’s favourite characters may be affected for the remainder of the season with out giving something?
I believe there’s a bunch of stuff simply individually.
Once more, Herrmann involves thoughts as a result of he’s at this level of decision-making level about management and transferring up the ladder versus staying the place he’s.
And is he the form of chief who can do what Pascal and Boden have carried out prior to now, which is simply to see the massive image and stand again? Or is he the man who needs to run in, a boots-on-the-ground firefighter?
What’s his management type, and the way does he deal with this disaster? After which you may have one thing just like the Severide-Kidd relationship the place they’re speaking about having a household going ahead, and now they’re ripped aside. And the way does that make them see that?
You understand, what for those who don’t get that the subsequent day with the individual? What for those who don’t get to say that factor once more? In order that turns up the warmth on all these relationships.
Burgess and Ruzek, I’m positive, too, and Mouch and Trudy. Mouch has been consumed along with his rise and taking checks and possibly hasn’t been as attentive as he ought to be. How does this level up the significance of the one who’s primary to you in your life? How are you with them?
Properly, that’s the top of our time. However I do wish to say that I’m actually having fun with Dom Pascal. I believe he’s an ideal character.
And I used to be form of freaking out a little bit bit that Herrmann would possibly step up and desires to be Chief as a result of I’m not able to let him go but.
That’s the entire thing. They will’t each be in that seat on the finish of the season. In order that’s the enjoyable — form of two trains operating. Do they crash, or do they hold operating facet by facet? How does this work out?
Thanks for saying that. We love Dom Pascal and Dermot.
The One Chicago crossover airs tonight starting at 8/7, and we’ll have a full, mixed assessment of “Within the Trenches” at 11/10c when all of it involves an unimaginable conclusion!
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