Why is there no new episode of Chicago Med this week? Everything to know

Chicago Med fans tuning in this week may be surprised to find that no new episode is airing, but the break is part of a planned fall hiatus for the entire One Chicago franchise. After running steadily since October 1, 2025, Chicago Med season 11 reached its fall finale on November 12, 2025. 

The episode “Double Down” wraps up the first stretch of the season with major developments and a dramatic cliffhanger. NBC typically avoids airing new scripted episodes during the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s period, and this year the network has opted for a longer-than-usual holiday break.

As a result, Chicago Med, along with Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D., is off the schedule for the remainder of 2025. NBC has officially announced the exact return date; the series is expected to resume on Wednesday, January 7, 2026.

Why is Chicago Med off the air this week?

Chicago Med is off the air this week because NBC has officially moved the series into its annual fall hiatus, a planned break that impacts all three One Chicago shows. The November 12, 2025, episode, “Double Down,” served as the season 11 fall finale, marking the last new installment of 2025.

After that, NBC shifted to its holiday programming lineup. This includes the 2024 Wicked movie, A Saturday Night Live Thanksgiving, Christmas in Nashville, Red One and the fan-favorite Shrek the Halls. Later in December, the lineup continues with Happy’s Place, Jimmy Fallon’s Holiday Seasoning Spectacular, Access Hollywood’s Hot 10 of 2025 and the annual Christmas Eve broadcasts of It’s a Wonderful Life and Christmas Mass.

On December 31, 2025, NBC will air One Chicago repeats ahead of the franchise’s return. Broadcast networks typically avoid airing new scripted episodes during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s because viewership drops and audiences shift toward holiday content.

Chicago Med is expected to return on Wednesday, January 7, 2026.

What happened in the fall finale episode of Chicago Med?

The Chicago Med fall finale, season 11 episode 7, had several tense storylines inside and outside Gaffney Chicago Medical Center. It started with the return of a former patient. He caused a lot of trouble for them the first time he was there. His return immediately brought tension. The team had to strike a balance between being cautious and maintaining professionalism.

Further chaos was added to the hospital when an electric power outage occurred. The lights went out and several machines stalled. With limited resources, the medical staff had to try to stabilize patients. Several doctors were placed in stressful situations by the outage. They had to make quick decisions and sometimes improvised with solutions.

Dr. Daniel Charles spent much of the episode questioning his recent choices. A new case made him rethink whether he was still trusting his instincts as a psychiatrist. His internal struggle affected him as he tried to guide a patient through a dangerous emotional situation.

Dr. Dean Archer was flirting with a new character, and their dynamic provided brief comic relief. They also hinted at complications to come.

Meanwhile, Dr. Caitlin Lenox took an extreme measure when a patient was in potential danger. She sought to break into a patient’s house to try to prevent a tragedy from occurring. The moment escalated fast and underlined her tendency to blur professional boundaries to protect others.

The episode built toward a violent confrontation in its final minutes. The cliffhanger left several characters in immediate danger and ended the fall run with rising stakes.

Notably, Sharon Goodwin did not appear in the episode. Her absence was not addressed, though viewers knew she was with family following her ex-husband Bert’s declining health.

The finale concluded with multiple unresolved threads, setting the stage for tension in the winter premiere, scheduled for early 2026.

Catch Chicago Med on NBC.