Chicago Fire: 9 Things to Know Ahead of Season 7

With Dawson (Monica Raymund) posed to exit the firehouse and a new paramedic looking to fill the hole she leaves behind, Chicago Fire's seventh season will be all about second chances. For Casey (Jesse Spencer), that means picking up after his relationship inevitably comes to an end. And after losing out his bid for the department commissioner to the conniving Chief Grissom (Gary Cole), Boden (Eamonn Walker) will be forced to deal with Grissom's new lackey, an annoying thorn with a personal stake in Firehouse 51's affairs.

There may be several big changes on the horizon but there's no need to panic. We've got you covered! Here's everything you need to know about Fire ahead of the Season 7 premiere.

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1) The premiere will address the Dawsey breakup.
With Monica Raymund leaving Fire, Dawson's inevitable exit will be addressed immediately in the Season 7 premiere. Her departure was already hinted at in the finale when the fierce paramedic received an offer to help with the hurricane relief efforts in Puerto Rico. It's safe to assume she'll take the life-changing gig, effectively ending her relationship with Casey and leaving him a broken-hearted man.

"Casey's obviously distraught about it, to the point of doing things in the premiere that are ill-advised," showrunner Derek Haas told TV Guide. Added Jesse Spencer, "It's a tragic end but we're gonna see Casey pick up and move on."

Chicago Fire Premiere Exclusive: Casey Makes a Reckless Decision

2) However, Stellaride is still going strong.
Dawson and Casey might be crashing and burning but things are going well for Severide (Taylor Kinney) and Stella (Miranda Rae Mayo) who will continue their healthy and happy relationship in the new season. "It's been going really well so. We're finally in a good, grounded place," said Taylor Kinney. "[Stellaride] offers up a change of pace where you have Casey going through a lot and Severide being the guy with the ear lending the advice."

3) The new paramedic is more than meets the eye.
The firehouse will gain a new crew member in paramedic Emily Foster (Annie Ilonzeh) who has quite a few skeletons in her closet. "Emily's gonna come in having some questions in her background where even being a paramedic at Firehouse 51 is a bit of a second chance for her," Haas noted. She's holding onto a huge secret that Ilonzeh said is "too painful for her to reveal."

4) Boden will go toe-to-toe with Grissom's lackey.
Boden may have lost the commissioner gig to Grissom but the trouble is just beginning for the chief. He'll have to deal with Assistant Deputy Commissioner Jerry Gorsch whose presence in the firehouse won't be a welcoming one.

"[Gorsch] comes in to keep a closer eye on Firehouse 51 and he's gonna be a thorn in all of their sides for a while," said Haas. According to Eamonn Walker, things will get heated between Boden and Gorsch and they'll have some "really intense" scenes together. Let's hope Boden doesn't lose his cool and lose his job!

5) Some familiar faces are returning.
Derek Haas confirms that while Gorsch will be the one tormenting Firehouse 51 this season, Grissom will be back to get under Boden's skin sometime "later in the season." Plus, Severide's parents Benny (Treat Williams) and Jennifer Sheridan (Kim Delaney) will return, as will the Chaplain Orlovsk (Gordon Clapp) to hopefully offer Casey some much-needed guidence.

6) There will be even more crossovers this season.
With One Chicago taking over Wednesday nights this fall, all three shows will be even more inter-connected and guests from other shows will be dropping by frequently. "We're just writing them into almost every episode now," Haas teased. So keep your eyes peeled for One Chicago appearances like Burgess paying a visit to the firehouse."Who knows who's gonna show up at Molly's," Haas added.

7) There will be a Halloween episode.
Are you ready for a spooky One Chicago night? This year, Fire, Med and P.D. are slated to air on Halloween and that special holiday will be incorporated into all three shows. "It'll be like One Chicago-ween," Haas joked.

8) You're going to learn even more about Stella Kidd's background.
This season will explore even more of Stella's past, offering up even more insight into who she was before she joined the firehouse.According to Miranda Rae Mayo, some friends from her past might be dropping by.

9) Fire will include LGBT representation.
The firehouse will see an LGBTQ character arc this season. While we don't know who will be involved just yet, Ilonzeh teased that someone on the show will explore their sexuality and the idea of "not needing to be defined by one thing" in the coming episodes.

Chicago Fire Season 7 premieres Wednesday, Sept. 26 at 9/8c on NBC as part of a three-hour One Chicago block starting with Chicago Med at 8/7c.