Chicago Med’s Dr. Will Halstead and Dr. Natalie Manning no longer work at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center — but their return to the city and the show has the cast buzzing.
“I am just so excited about Natalie and Will coming back,” S. Epatha Merkerson, who plays Sharon Goodwin on the NBC series, says in Us Weekly’s exclusive first look at Nick Gehlfuss and Torrey DeVitto’s joint return to the Windy City during the upcoming Wednesday, October 14, episode.
Oliver Platt, who plays Dr. Daniel Charles, adds, “Having Nick and Torrey back was just an absolute blast.”
The clip then jumps to a scene from the upcoming episode in which a pregnant Natalie (DeVitto) arrives in Chicago after getting a call about her son, Owen (Frankie DeMaio), being shot while in town with Will (Gehlfuss) for a boys’ trip.
“Daniel? What are you doing here?” Natalie says as she comes down an escalator to find her old coworker ready to get her. “I’m picking you up,” Dr. Charles replies before giving her a big hug.
“I’m ecstatic to have some OGs back in the building,” Darren Barnet, who is a newer face on Med playing Dr. John Frost, says in the video. “They’re amazing as people, amazing as actors, amazing performers [and] human beings.”
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Jessy Schram, who plays one of Will’s former flames Dr. Hannah Asher, tells the cameras she is over-the-moon about seeing her old castmates again.
“Stepping into this new season, coming back to set just feels like home. Being with our crew, our cast and to have Nick and Torrey there it feels really surreal, and it just feels so natural,” Schram, 39, says. “I’ve definitely missed both of them and I know everybody else has.”
Steven Weber, who plays Dr. Dean Archer, is in agreement about having the OG stars back at homebase. “It’s fantastic having Nick Gehlfuss back and, of course, Torrey DeVitto, both show favorites, fan favorites,” he gushes.
Luke Mitchell, who portrays Dr. Mitch Ripley, notes that it’s “cool having them back” in the fold.
“It just feels right. They’re really lovely people and super talented. Having them back feels like they never left,” the actor shares.
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While the cast was excited to catch up with Gehlfuss and DeVitto following their respective exits in 2023 and 2021, their joint return to Chicago Med won’t be all sunshine and roses.
Gehlfuss’ Will left the show during the season 8 finale in 2023 where he was reunited with Natalie and her son, Owen, in Seattle. (Natalie, meanwhile, left Chicago for a new adventure during the season 7 premiere in 2021.)
During the Wednesday, October 8, episode, fans saw Will’s return to Chicago in an attempt to bond with Owen ahead of Natalie giving birth to the couple’s first baby. (Natalie is 20 weeks pregnant with her and Will’s first baby. Owen is from Natalie’s prior relationship.)
Will found himself involved in a case at the hospital after seeing a boy get pushed out of a car in bad shape. Will initially butted heads with Dr. Frost over the boys’ treatment — the kid was a drug mule — but ultimately the kid gets treated.
As the doctors perform surgery on the mule, they get held up at gunpoint by a woman wanting the cocaine. Dr. Caitlin Lenox (Sarah Ramos) then confronted the gunwoman and as the credits rolled she fled, but not before fans heard gunshots go off in the lobby.
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The cameras panned to Natalie getting a call that her son, Owen, had been shot, which sets up her return to Chicago on next week’s episode.
In Us’ exclusive preview, Natalie does arrive in town to see her son and seemingly finds herself under doctors’ watch. In one clip, a tearful Natalie is in a hospital bed, wearing a gown as Will sits by her bedside and they nod their heads.
Fans will have to wait until Wednesday to see if Natalie’s baby is OK and what happens to Owen.
Chicago Med airs on NBC Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
