CHICAGO JUSTICE cancelled

After one season, it appears that court has been permanently adjourned for NBC’s Chicago Justice according to reports by Deadline.

It’s news that comes as a shock to some, but not to others. Although the series rated higher than other dramas that were renewed such as Taken, Justice hasn’t quite caught on the way the other shows in Dick Wolf’s ONE CHICAGO franchise have. While the show was well-cast with actors such as Philip Winchester, Jon Seda, Joelle Carter and of course the one and only Carl Weathers, in my own personal opinion, it was the imbalance between the show being a procedural and delving into the characters’ backstories that was its downfall. (In contrast, I feel like Chicago Med had a particularly strong season because they nailed that balance perfectly this season, which makes the decision to hold it til mid-season next season hurt more.) Episodes where the show had crossovers with other characters from the ONE CHICAGO world were strongest (like when P.D.‘s Atwater was accused of handling a suspect too rough and contributing to his death) but in reality not something that you can rely on week after week. The season finale was by far one of the season’s most strongest episodes, largely because we learnt more about the characters and it was the first time that I had seen Antonio Dawson on the show doing more than just investigating. Had Chicago Justice been picked up for a second season, I would have liked to have seen the show take notes from the finale and go down that road. Yes, I realize that every case can’t be personal for these characters but give me more of a reason why I should care about them and be invested in their wins and losses because right now, I don’t know enough about them to care.

The announcement of Chicago Justice being cancelled also raises the question of what happens to actor Jon Seda, aka Antonio Dawson, who left Chicago P.D. earlier in its most recent season to join Justice after originally appearing on Chicago Fire and being dubbed the ONE CHICAGO franchise’s good luck charm. Will he go back to Intelligence? Is that even possible now that his spot has been filled by Burgess? Is it possible for him to just keep floating between the three remaining Chicago shows while still in his job with the ASA office? Does Dick Wolf have another CHICAGO spin-off up his sleeve? Chicago FBI perhaps? Only time will tell, but I sincerely hope that the end of Justice doesn’t mean the end of such a valued character in the franchise.

Related links:
ONE CHICAGO Women: Chicago Justice 1×13, Chicago Fire 5×22 & Chicago P.D. 4×23 recap
ONE CHICAGO Women: Chicago Fire 5×15, Chicago P.D. 4×16, Chicago Justice 1×01 & Chicago Med 2×15 recap
CHICAGO JUSTICE: Series Preview
ONE CHICAGO: Chicago Justice preview