'Chicago Med' Star Exits After 8 Seasons
The Chicago Med Season 8 finale saw a longtime doctor leave the city, as Nick Gehlfuss' Dr. Will Halstead hung up his lab coat and headed for Seattle to reunite with ex-fiancé Natalie Manning. It was a surprising exit, but it was in true Will nature as he couldn't handle the changes that were coming to Gaffney Chicago Medical Center. He ultimately handed in his resignation, but it wasn't so easy for him, just like it wasn't easy for Gehlfuss to come to the decision. The actor spoke to Variety about his exit, noting that it was time to say goodbye, even though it was hard to do it.
"It was a difficult decision, but ultimately, I felt I'd taken Dr. Halstead as far as I can go with him," Gehlfuss shared. "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. 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."
Not seeing Will on Chicago Med next season is going to be very hard, especially since he was the initial connector between Med and P.D. Now that both Halstead brothers are out, the One Chicago franchise just won't be the same. However, they did give Will a pretty nice send-off that was basically a full-circle moment. Plus, now that Manstead is finally together again, fans can hope that they will stay together forever and get the happy ending they actually deserve.
Nick Gehlfuss' exit comes not long after it seemed like Marlyne Barrett would be exiting the NBC medical drama. The actress, who portrays Charge Nurse Maggie Lockwood, was diagnosed with cancer a while back, coincidentally after her character had been battling the disease. Since filming for long days can be taxing on the body, especially while doing chemo, it wouldn't have been surprising if she decided to depart the series. Maggie had been looking at other places and was even still deciding in the finale. However, it seemed Will was the one to leave Med first.
When Chicago Med returns in the fall for Season 9, it is going to look a lot different, and it won't be just because of Will's absence. Much of the One Chicago cast will be in fewer episodes next season due to budget cuts, and there's no telling how many episodes exactly, but hopefully, the storylines will play into them to at least make some sense. Fans will just have to wait and see when the series is part of NBC's fall schedule later this year.