Raging response
The firefighter and paramedic crew of Chicago Fire take on COVID-19, love and fiery call-outs in brand-new season 9.
Chicago Fire
Season 9 Tuesdays (from 8 June) M-Net (*101) 19:30
Being a firefighter and paramedic first responder in action-packed adrenaline series Chicago Fire (2012-now) is hard enough as it is.
Long hours, tough working conditions, having to deal with the unexpected each and every time you attend to a call-out, with the potential for injury. And unsurprisingly, for season 9, the crew from Firehouse 51 are now dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic too. “It is heavy going for the characters in this season,” says Taylor Kinney (Perry in drama series Breakout Kings, 2012), who plays Lieutenant Kelly Severide. “When they strap on their gear, they focus on the job at hand and with something like this pandemic, that job is now increased because they are no longer ‘firefighters’ and ‘paramedics’ – they’re one team of lifesavers who’re fighting an enemy that they can’t see.”
CONFRONTING COVID-19
Taylor loves the fact that his show hasn’t ignored the pandemic for its storylines like other series have. If anything, it was
a must-have and it’s helped the viewers connect to the characters more. “We are an emergency service series and it would’ve made no sense to leave this thing (the pandemic) out. We have two sister shows – Chicago PD (2014-now, airing Tuesdays at 21:30 after Chicago Fire) and Chicago Med (2015-now, airing Tuesdays at 20:30 after Chicago
Fire) – and it ties into those.” This also makes it easier for crossover episodes, which the Chicago shows have featured in almost every season. “We love visiting the others because we exist in the same universe,” explains Taylor, adding that it’s going to bring the characters closer. “They share a bond already. But now they will be sharing their traumas and heartache even more. Seeing victims of an emergency call is tough, now they’re saving everyday people who’re sitting at home unable to breathe. But that is the reality of the world,” adds the actor.
GETTING INTO GEAR
The paramedics are struggling as the season begins, but reinforcements are on the way – newcomer Gina Mackey (Adriyan Rae, scavenger Elida in sci-fi series Vagrant Queen, 2020-now, which was filmed in South Africa in 2019).
“She arrives and settles into the group almost immediately. She is one of those wandering types, she lives for the job, but at the same time she struggles to put down roots,” explains Adriyan. And while it’s revealed that Mackey originally applied to be on Fireteam 51 but was beat to the job by Cruz (Joe Minoso, Hector in comedy series Get Shorty, 2017-2019), she doesn’t hold a grudge. She’s going to get the chance to prove herself but there’s an almost immediate setback, explains Adriyan. “She’s not really expecting an event in episode 2, and that knocks her back a bit. She’s not cocky or arrogant, but knowing her abilities, she’s always trying to show that she’s the best of the best.” But while the producers wrote the storyline to grow the character for the future, Adriyan had other plans…