One Chicago universe, and few characters are left during season 10 who have been with the series since season 1. This cast change is not surprising, considering the show has been on for a decade. However, some newer characters have also left Gaffney Medical Center despite their popularity.
As a result, the Chicago Med season 10 cast is almost unrecognizable to anyone who is returning after taking a break from watching this medical drama. New characters mean new story directions, and Chicago Med has created interesting conflicts by adding characters such as prickly Dean Archer (Steven Weber), who arrived in season 6, and Caitlin Lenox (Sarah Ramos), who is a new addition in season 10. However, the series has a different feel than it did in its early seasons, and some characters' absences are glaringly obvious.
4 Crocket Marcel
Played By Dominic Rains
Marcel was a replacement for Connor Rhodes, who left after Chicago Med season 4. He was my favorite character because he cared so deeply about his patients and often butted heads with other doctors and s over treatment plans. Marcel was also part of one of Chicago Med's strongest love triangles when he and Will Halstead fought over Natalie Manning. However, the most interesting aspect of Marcel's character was his tragic backstory.
Ironically, Mandy Patinkin's Jeffrey Geiger had a similar backstory in Chicago Hope 20 years earlier.
Marcel came to Gaffney Medical Center to numb the pain of losing his 1-year-old daughter to leukemia. He was slow to open up to anybody about his tragedy or let anyone too close because of it, but once he let Natalie in, he told her everything — and it gave both characters and their relationship much more depth. Marcel's every action at the hospital was layered, with pain, grief, and the desire to heal others all competing for top priority as he navigated complex medical situations.
9 Former Chicago Med Characters Who Can Return In Season 10
There are several Chicago Med characters who have left Gaffney Medical Center over the past decade. Some of them could return in season 10.
His final storyline was as tragic as his past. Marcel had to decide to rescind approval for a liver transplant for a young boy at the last minute after the child developed an infection that couldn't be resolved in time to do the procedure. Not only did the child die, but his father chose to take his own life. Marcel couldn't bear the guilt and canceled his next surgery, though his final scene involved him promising Maggie he would be back "tomorrow."
It adds insult to injury that after that strong story, Marcel didn't get an exit scene. Despite his promise to return, when Chicago Med season 10 premiered, Marcel was absent and someone commented that he had moved to Boston. I was disappointed by this off-screen exit, especially since Chicago Med could have given Marcel a proper exit story by having him quit at the end of his final story instead of promising a return that never came. Instead, Chicago Med replaced him with the far less interesting Mitch Ripley, whose only character trait seems to be self-destruction.
3 Will Halstead
Played By Nick Gehlfuss
For eight years, Will Halstead was the heart of Chicago Med. Halstead was the original reason for the spinoff — he was the brother of Chicago PD's Jay Halstead. Will was a rebellious resident who constantly did the wrong thing for the right reasons. His impulsive choices often kept him one step away from being fired, and in many of the best One Chicago crossovers, he worked with Jay to get medical care for victims and bad guys off the streets.
In almost every respect, Will is an irreplaceable character, and Chicago Med simply isn't the same without him.
Some of Will's later storylines were silly — I hated when he went undercover to help Jay catch a Mafia boss — but his constant refusal to respect the rules made Chicago Med more interesting. He was at his best when he butted heads with Marcel, but left the season before Marcel did. Thus, Marcel's final season lacked something because of Will's absence. Additionally, characters like Hannah would never have come to Gaffney if Will hadn't crossed paths with them first. In almost every respect, Will is an irreplaceable character, and Chicago Med simply isn't the same without him.
2 Ethan Choi
Played By Brian Tee
Choi wasn't a likable character, but he helped balance the medical drama, especially during his final few seasons. While his on-again, off-again relationship with April was central to his character, I most appreciate him for the way he tried to keep Archer in check during season 6. Choi and Archer served in the Navy together, and Choi brought Archer on board to be his temporary replacement as ED Chief while recovering from surgery. However, when Choi returned to the hospital, Archer had a difficult time taking orders from his one-time subordinate.
Actor Brian Tee has directed three episodes of Chicago Med since leaving the series.
Choi was overly opinionated and often tried to control patient care in inappropriate ways, especially if he believed the other doctors were violating the rules. These qualities made him a semi-villian, but also led to compelling conflicts. While the current season's Lenox is a similar type of character, her attitudes don't have nearly the same impact that Choi's did, underscoring how much he is missed.
1 Natalie Manning
Played By Torrey DeVitto
The love triangle between Will, Natalie, and Marcel took up most of her final two seasons, and she also got involved with a shady patient who ultimately was proven to be a con artist. While these romantic storylines were interesting, there was a lot more to Natalie's character than that, and Chicago Med lost something when she left for Seattle. Natalie was a pediatrician who was just as ionate about patient care as Will was. She was especially endearing when fighting for care for children who were too young to advocate for themselves.
While I'm happy that she and Will got their happy ending, Chicago Med 's stories aren't as strong without Natalie fighting for children's health despite the disapproval of s and other doctors.
The series has had two other pediatricians since Natalie left Chicago Med. Guy Lockard's Dylan Scott gets an honorable mention, as he was also an interesting character, but he didn't last, while John Frost seems like a younger version of Marcel. These characters don't make me miss Natalie any less. While I'm happy that she and Will got their happy ending, Chicago Med 's stories aren't as strong without Natalie fighting for children's health despite the disapproval of s and other doctors.
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Chicago Med
- Release Date
- November 17, 2015
- Network
- NBC
- Showrunner
- Michael Brandt
Cast
Marlyne BarrettMaggie Lockwood
S. Epatha MerkersonSharon Goodwin
WHERE TO WATCH
Chicago Med is a medical drama series that explores the high-stakes environment of a bustling Chicago hospital. Set against the backdrop of chaotic emergency room scenarios, the series follows a team of dedicated doctors and nurses as they confront challenging cases inspired by real-world issues, while navigating complex relationships.
- Directors
- Michael Waxman, Michael Pressman, Charles S. Carroll, Milena Govich, Anna Dokoza, Bethany Rooney, Fred Berner, Tess Malone, Mykelti Williamson, SJ Main Muñoz, Donald Petrie, Martha Mitchell, Vincent Misiano, Timothy Busfield, Jonathan Brown, John Polson, Stephen Cragg, Anthony Nardolillo, Michael Berry, David Rodriguez, Afia Nathaniel, Oz Scott, Valerie Weiss, Gonzalo Amat
- Writers
- Joseph Sousa, Lily Dahl, Natalie Drayer, Darin Goldberg, Shelley Meals, Melissa R. Byer, Treena Hancock, Mary Leah Sutton, Simran Baidwan, Joshua Hale Fialkov, Jason Cho, Will Pascoe, Liz Brixius
- Creator(s)
- Michael Brandt, Derek Haas, Matt Olmstead
- Main Genre
- Drama
- Seasons
- 10
- Story By
- Michael Brandt
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