Chicago Med shockingly ended Season 8.
As previously reported by Monsters and Critics, Dr. Natalie Manning was a topic of conversation on the show.
The writers kept coming up with ways to reference the character during storylines about Dr. Will Halstead.
While the season finale played out, it all started to make sense when actress Torrey DeVitto returned to Chicago Med.
Nick Gehlfuss has played Dr. Will Halstead since the very beginning. But that run came to an end on Wednesday night.
In an episode that has to be watched, Natalie and her son Owen popped on by to take Will away from the hustle and bustle of the hospital.
Nick Gehlfuss confirms that he left the Chicago Med cast
“It was a difficult decision, but ultimately, I felt I’d taken Dr. Halstead as far as I can go with him. I think that comes down to a creative part of you, or the energy or spirit you have that you’re either built for a very long time with one person or not,” Nick told Variety.
“I am attracted to the profession for the variety in it, and eight years is a long time. It’s two college degrees! I’m joking now that I basically have a doctorate in television,” Nick jokingly elaborated.
Having Dr. Will Halstead leave Chicago Med during the same television season that Jay Halstead left Chicago P.D. actually makes sense. But their departures do leave some big shoes to fill within the world of One Chicago.
On to Chicago Med Season 9
NBC ordered a new season of Chicago Med. Episodes are supposed to begin airing in Fall 2023, but the network may have to postpone it.
The ongoing Writers Strike will impact most scripted television shows, with some networks already releasing fall schedules packed with reality shows.
CBS has ordered longer episodes of Survivor for the fall and has postponed Big Brother 25 to provide more content for the fall months.
When things settle down with the strike, Chicago Med fans should expect to hear casting news during the summer months.
Replacing Will Halstead will be a huge endeavor for the producers, but the long-running medical drama is no stranger to bringing in new people.
Stay tuned because Med will go through some changes before Season 9 debuts.
To re-watch any episodes from Chicago Med Season 8, everything is available for streaming on Peacock.
Chicago Med airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on NBC.