'Chicago P.D.' and 'Law & Order' Are Definitely Connected in Some Key Ways

Dick Wolf is basically a genius when it comes to procedural dramas on primetime TV. Take all of the shows under the One Chicago and Law & Order umbrellas, for example. Both franchises have paved the way for other shows. And fans of both want to know if it's possible that Law & Order and Chicago P.D. take place in the same universe.

Combining both shows at some point wouldn't be the same as crossovers between Chicago P.D. and Chicago Fire, since both Chicago shows are from the same franchise. And it would be pretty different from the original Law & Order spilling into Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

But because both Chicago P.D. and Law & Order are from the same creator and both follow law enforcement, it's hard not to wonder if they're connected.

In 2016, Dick Wolf did the unthinkable and announced plans to combine four of his TV shows in a massive crossover event. He'd planned a crossover between Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., Chicago Med, and Law & Order: SVU.

However, at the time, SVU showrunner Warren Leight expressed concern about how they would write a storyline that touched all of the emergency services along with his show and still make sense.

In the end, Dick agreed to crossover just Chicago P.D. with SVU and it worked. There hasn't been as monumental of a crossover between the series since then, but it proved that both franchises take place in the same universe.

Although Chicago P.D. crossed over with SVU and not the flagship Law & Order, it still proved a clear connection.

Law & Order ended its 20-season run in 2010. But in September 2021, NBC announced plans to revive the series that started it all. At the time, Dick expressed his excitement about being able to go back to the first Law & Order incarnation.

"There are very few things in life that are literally dreams come true," he said in a statement (per TVLine). "This is mine."

Chicago Med's S. Epatha Merkerson played a police officer in Law & Order from Season 4 until its sudden cancellation. Some fans think this means she could reprise her role in the revival. Or, at the very least, she could jump around and connect the franchises once again.

Right now, however, there hasn't been an official word on that.

There don't appear to be any plans right now for an immediate Chicago crossover with Law & Order, but it seems like a possibility. And FBI: Most Wanted showrunner David Hudgins told CinemaBlend in June 2021 that he could see how a crossover with his show and one of the shows in the Chicago franchise would work.

Again, there aren't any plans for that in the near future. But the idea of multiple Dick Wolf franchises coming together is enough to get most fans excited and hopeful for the possibilities.

Watch Chicago P.D. on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. EST on NBC.