The One Chicago franchise delivered emotional episodes on January 15, 2026, with tragedies striking across 'Chicago P.D.,' 'Chicago Fire,' and 'Chicago Med.' Sergeant Trudy Platt grapples with a friend's apparent suicide, Stella and Severide face losing their foster son, and Sharon Goodwin mourns her ex-husband's death.
In 'Chicago P.D.' Season 13, Episode 9, Sergeant Trudy Platt agrees to assist her detective friend McKay in an investigation. When he misses a meeting, she visits his home and discovers him dead from a gunshot to the head. Initially ruled a suicide, Platt suspects murder due to suspicious elements like an open window, CCTV footage of a break-in, and unexplained blood. Officer Burgess helps investigate, noting McKay's leave of absence and a routine laundromat trip as signs of mental health struggles. Burgess theorizes criminals broke in after his death to identify an informant, confirmed by a farewell message on his phone. Devastated, Platt accepts the suicide ruling and informs McKay's wife with Burgess's support.
'Chicago Fire' Season 14, Episode 9, sees Kelly Severide and Sylvie Brett-Kidd, known as #Stellaride, confronting a parenting crisis. With Isaiah's biological mother's health improving, she requests he live with family friend Lydia, whom he knew as a child. Isaiah is initially hesitant but reconnects warmly. Severide, preoccupied with tracking an arsonist despite being sidelined, returns home furious upon learning of the change and blames Brett-Kidd for handling it alone. The couple grieves separately—Brett-Kidd heads to the firehouse, while Severide lingers in Isaiah's empty room and later breaks down visiting injured Van Meter in the hospital.
On 'Chicago Med' Season 11, Episode 9, Sharon Goodwin receives tragic news: her ex-husband Bert dies from complications of Alzheimer's following a fall and untreatable brain bleed, per his advanced directive. The family gathers as he takes his final breath. Meanwhile, Hannah Asher's father visits, sparking tension over her pregnancy with Dr. Dean Archer. At lunch, he emphasizes two-parent households and questions the arrangement with a '60-year-old.' Archer defends Hannah, calling her father a 'prick' but earning his approval. The father reveals Archer's clear love for Hannah, leaving her to consider her future. Other developments include Dr. Ian inviting Dr. Frost to reboot a series, Dr. Lenox recovering from injuries, and Dr. Charles requesting leave amid antidepressant struggles.
These episodes highlight the interconnected emotional toll on the characters, with resources noted for mental health support like the 988 lifeline.