How Chicago Med beat Chicago Fire to become NBC's top drama show, explained 

Medical dramas hold a special place in every fan's heart, especially when it is NBC's Chicago Med that has been engaging fans since 2015. At the heart of the show is the emergency department of the fictional Gaffney Chicago Medical Center, where doctors and nurses regularly face chaotic situations.

The Chicago One franchise began with Chicago Fire, another hit drama that fans never want to miss out on watching. While Chicago Med centers around doctors handling medical cases, the flagship series focuses on the firefighters, who often risk their lives.

But, what if we tell you that Chicago Med has recently outshined Chicago Fire? Yes, you read it right. There are a few notable reasons why the medical drama has received more ratings, including character development.

While Chicago Fire continues to feature the main characters, the reduced role of Kelly Severide, along with the absence of his wife, Stella Kidd, from the midseason premiere might have upset many viewers.

On the other side, the medical drama continues to offer intense narratives like Sharon Goodwin's stalker storyline in which the widow of a deceased patient starts keeping tabs on Goodwin. The problems escalated when she broke into Goodwin's house and stabbed her.

The storyline kept fans on the edge as they wondered if Goodwin would make it out alive. Goodwin ended up in a critical situation but was thankfully saved by Dr. Dean Archer.

Continued reading to know more about the show and how it outshined Chicago Fire.

Disclaimer: This article contains the writer's opinion. Readers’ discretion is advised.

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Chicago Med is performing better than Chicago Fire on NBC

The Chicago One shows continue to dominate the charts on NBC, but it is Chicago Med that is making waves among fans and viewers. The reason? Everything that the show is doing. From compelling storylines to high-stakes character development, the medical drama is gaining notable attention.

This shift took place after the fifth episode of Season 10, which introduced fans to the stalker storyline. Since then it has been offering dramatic medical cases and a perfect balance between the new and old characters.

However, when it comes to the Chicago Fire, the show has significantly reduced Severide's appearance. Despite him and Kidd being the two most loved characters, the midseason premiere didn't focus on them.

The latest season is giving him less screen time, compared to his presence in the previous chapters of Chicago Fire on NBC. Another big reason why Chicago Med could outshine the flagship show is due to the less exciting fire cases.

As seen in the mid-season premiere, the episode didn't focus on a high-stake fire case, but Mouch discovering the dead body of an old man, followed by his quest to find if the deceased man had a family. The second half of the episode follows Cruz's facing challenges due to his past actions.

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The new showrunner for Chicago Med is raising the bar

The fall finale of the medical drama paved the way for the show, and part of its recent success goes to the new showrunner, Allen MacDonald. While talking about the show, actor Steven Weber (Dr. Dean Archer) praised MacDonald, who watched the series from the start to leave no stone unturned.

As per Cinemablend, the actor said:

"Allen and [producer] Anna [Dokoza] are raising the bar, and the audience is coming there, as evidenced by our ratings. "

He continued:

"People are really digging the show and coming to it and looking forward to it, not just as comfort, but they're excited by it. That's a function of our new writers."

As mentioned above, the Goodwin storyline engaged fans till the very end, ultimately leading to an improvement in the viewership. Now that the show is performing well, fans expect more intriguing storylines in the future.

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