The Firehouse 51 crew will soon assemble for the back half of Chicago Fire's sixth season and some exciting things are headed your way. TV Guide caught up with showrunner Derek Haas to get the scoop on what to expect going forward, including an impending pregnancy, that anticipated Brettonio reunion, Mama Severide's long-awaited arrival and more. Here's everything you can expect the firehouse to be buzzing about this season:
1) The One Chicago Family May Soon Expand
Break out the bassinets, it looks like someone on Chicago Fire will be getting pregnant down the line. "It's going to be awesome when it happens," Haas tells TV Guide. "And it's going to be a shock to everyone." Not only do we not know when the big baby news might be revealed, there's that bigger question that remains: Who's got a bun in the oven? If we're going by pure shock value, Hope returning to drop the bombshell that she's carrying Severide's baby would definitely send shockwaves throughout the One Chicago family, but there's also the chance that Casey and Dawson will finally get their own bundle of joy too.
2) Redemption for Ramon?
It's no secret Ramon (Daniel Zacapa) hasn't been the best father to Gabby (Monica Raymund) and Antonio (Jon Seda) but his serious injury could have you seeing him in a different light. A fight with Gabby -- in which she calls him selfish for using Casey's (Jesse Spencer) name to get ahead -- inspired him to finally do something good, though it may have cost him his life.
"Those words really hit [Ramon] hard and so he stepped up and did the Good Samaritan thing and got stabbed in the stomach for it," Haas tells TV Guide. The winter premiere, titled "A Man's Legacy," picks up right where we left off on that platform and will reveal whether or not Ramon lives long enough to find redemption.
3) That Anticipated Brettonio Reunion
Ramon's stabbing also sets the stage for another reunion: Sylvie Brett (Kara Killmer) and Antonio Dawson. As Antonio drops by Chicago Med to check in on his father, he'll have an unexpected run-in with Brett who is just as surprised to see him.
"The one thing Brett wasn't counting on in the reaction to having to save Ramon's life is that naturally, Antonio would rush up to the hospital to see how he is," says Haas. "She just wasn't even thinking about Antonio being there so it catches her off-guard." With Antonio sticking around for a few episodes, Haas says fans will be "really happy" with how their story progresses.
4) Is Hope Staging a Comeback?
Brett's former friend Hope Jacquinot (Eloise Mumford) ruffled more than a few feathers during her time at Firehouse 51 and while Chief Boden (Eamonn Walker) may have given her the boot, that doesn't necessarily mean she's gone for good...or does it?
"We definitely allude to her a couple of times," Haas revealed. "But there might be a great opportunity in the later episodes to have Hope raise her head in Chicago again. I think it would be fun. She's great." Something tells us this isn't the last we've seen of her.
5) #DawseyStrong
Despite their many struggles, be it a gnarly warehouse fire or a miscarriage, Dawson and Casey have found ways to overcome life's obstacles together and that's not changing anytime soon. The couple will face another uphill battle when Dawson gets too involved with another case which sparks Casey's concern that this will be a repeat of the heartbreak she experienced with Louie. Despite their difference of opinion in how she's handling things, however, their marriage will remain as strong as ever.
"I don't think you should be worried," Haas explained. "They have rough patches like every new marriage does but they are as tight as they've ever been."
6) Mama Severide Is Coming to Town
Mama Severide will finally make her way to the series and while she and Kelly (Taylor Kinney) might have a great relationship, her appearance won't be all smiley face emojis. "They don't have a bad relationship," Haas explains. "But when she gets to Chicago, of course, there's gonna be conflicting drama."
Though she's only been mentioned a few times so far, Kelly did reveal that Mama Severide suffered a small breakdown after Benny (Treat Williams) slept with Kelly's teacher, resulting in Kelly staying with April Sexton's (Yaya DaCosta) family for a bit. It's unclear what business brings her to town but if it involves Benny Severide, fireworks will surely go off.
7) Hottie in a Hazmat Suit Is Headed Your Way
Move over Casey and Severide, there's a new hottie headed to town and he's about to steal the hearts of the ladies at Firehouse 51. The back half of Chicago Fire's sixth season will introduce a ridiculously good-looking member of the hazmat unit affectionately nicknamed Handsome Zack and he'll ignite some strong feelings among a few of your favorites. "Let's just say some of the women in our firehouse have their eye on him," Haas teased.
Chicago Fire returns Thursday, Jan. 4 at 10/9c on NBC.
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