Since Chicago Med fans are so invested in the TV show, they really want to make sure that it is at its best. That means that many fans have wanted Dr. Charles to be treated better and for Dr. Ripley to move past a disappointing storyline. More notably, Chicago Med fans loved Season 10 for improving a beloved character, featuring a perfect episode, and doing a wonderful job introducing new characters. Similarly, fans were overjoyed that Season 10 brought back several characters from the past.
After Season 10 brought back three characters who’d all been gone for years, it seems very likely that kind of thing will continue to happen. With that in mind, it is time to look at which Chicago Med characters should return during the show’s 11th season.
Why Chicago Med Season 11 Will Likely Feature Returning Stars From The Show’s Past
Since it is such a big deal when blockbuster movies are released, there are several famous directors. For example, fans know that people like Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee, Kevin Smith, Kathryn Bigelow, and Quentin Tarantino are in charge of their movie sets.
As a result of that knowledge, many people assume that TV directors are the ones in charge of shows. In reality, however, it is the people who are credited as showrunners who make the big decisions behind TV shows.
For that reason, it was a big deal when it was announced that Chicago Med was getting a new showrunner for the show’s 10th season, Allen MacDonald. It is because of something that Allen said during an interview that it seems very likely that Chicago Med’s 11th season will feature past character returns.
After the 10th season of Chicago Med was truly fantastic in almost every way, it would be a travesty for Allen to not return for the show’s 11th season. With that in mind, it is important to note that Allen has said that he enjoys bringing characters back from Chicago Med’s past. While talking to Variety in September 2024, Allen stated that he wanted to bring back long-gone Chicago Med characters.
“One thing I love about the One Chicago world is just because someone has exited the show, they’re still part of the world. And I like checking in with people.”
Allen definitely followed through on that statement since Chicago Med’s 10th season included appearances by Dr. Sarah Resse, Robin Charles, and Anna Charles. With all that in mind, and the fact that those returns got a lot of attention, it seems very obvious that Allen would continue to bring old characters back.
Why Chicago Med‘s 11th Season Must Feature The Return Of Dr. Will Halstead
Throughout Chicago Med’s history, the show introduced many characters that the show’s fans couldn’t get enough of. With that in mind, it would have made sense if Allen MacDonald focused on having the most popular characters ever return. While looking at Season 10’s character returns, the thing that was truly great was that Allen chose to bring back characters that made the most sense for the show’s plotlines.
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During Season 10 of Chicago Med, Dr. Daniel Charles went through an identity crisis of sorts. Throughout the season, he was told by a potential romantic interest who he liked but rejected that he needed to let himself be happy. Dr. Charles also had his former protégé, Dr. Sarah Reese, return and question how opinionated he is about patient care.
Since Chicago Med premiered, almost all of the show’s original cast members have departed. The only remaining actors from the start are S. Epatha Merkerson who portrays Sharon Goodwin, Oliver Platt who portrays Dr. Daniel Charles, and Marlyne Barrett who portrays Maggie Lockwood.
Then Dr. Charles suffered a huge loss after his estranged mother died within minutes of her unleashing his anger on her. When it was time for his mom’s funeral, Dr. Charles had his two daughters, Anna Charles and Robin Charles, return. Upon their return, Dr. Charles learned that Anna was struggling with her mental health and both of his daughters told him that they found him hard to talk to. After learning that he wasn’t the father that he thought he was, Dr. Charles then turned to Dr. Reese for help.
All three characters returning played into a series of events that appear to have rocked Dr. Charles to his core. Going into Season 11 of Chicago Med, it seems like Dr. Charles will go on a journey of self-improvement as a doctor, father, and human. It will be fascinating to see how that plays out for Dr. Charles and Chicago Med.
Considering how Chicago Med’s 10th season handled which characters from the past returned, the best option for Season 11 seems clear.
Chicago Med’s Characters From Least to Most Likable, According to Collider | |
|---|---|
Chicago Med Character | Rank |
Dr. Dean Archer | #10 |
Dr. Will Halstead | #9 |
Dr. Ethan Choi | #8 |
Dr. Crockett Marcel | #7 |
Dr. Natalie Manning | #6 |
Sharon Goodwin | #5 |
Maggie Lockwood | #4 |
April Sexton | #3 |
Dr. Hannah Asher | #2 |
Dr. Daniel Charles | #1 |
Dr. Will Halstead is the most obvious character from Chicago Med’s past to return during Season 11 because of how he could profoundly affect two of the main characters.
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Before Dr. Charles was taken down several pegs during Chicago Med’s 10th season, he had other characters calling him out. One very notable example of that is the fact that one of Chicago Med’s other current main characters questioned Dr. Charles more than just about anyone.
After it was revealed that Dr. Charles treated Dr. Mitch Ripley when he was a troubled youngster, it became clear that things didn’t end well. In fact, Dr. Ripley clearly deeply resented Dr. Charles at one point because he felt abandoned by the senior doctor.
During Chicago Med’s 8th and 9th seasons, many new characters were introduced, but almost all of them quickly disappeared. The only character who was introduced during those seasons who is now a major part of the show is Dr. Mitch Ripley, who is portrayed by Luke Mitchell.
While questioning himself, it would make sense for Dr. Charles to turn to Dr. Ripley for his insights. After Dr. Charles and Dr. Ripley have profound conversations, the two men could help each other. Dr. Ripley could provide Dr. Charles with those valuable insights. On the other hand, Dr. Charles could ask a former friend who made very similar mistakes to mentor Dr. Ripley.
During the 10th season of Chicago Med, Dr. Ripley’s reckless decisions almost got him fired from Gaffney Chicago Medical Center. Not only that, Dr. Ripley’s decision also risked him losing his medical license and possibly even going to prison. While Dr. Ripley has seemingly turned the page on some of that behavior, nobody would be shocked if he did something reckless again.
For any longtime Chicago Med fan, describing a doctor who sabotaged their career by making a rash decision would also apply to Dr. Halstead. However, when Dr. Halstead left Chicago Med, he seemed to have matured and decided to be a family man.
Bringing Dr. Halstead back to mentor him for an episode or two would be an excellent way to have Dr. Ripley grow as a character. That would be especially valuable if Dr. Ripley turns out to be the father of Dr. Hannah Asher’s baby. It is also worth noting that Dr. Halstead mentoring Dr. Ripley may also help Dr. Charles find some understanding of himself after the upheaval of Season 10. After all, nothing seems to heal Dr. Charles quite like helping others.
Why Dr. Isidore Latham Should Return To Chicago Med
If Dr. Isidore Latham returns to Chicago Med during the show’s 10th season, it won’t have as deep a meaning as Dr. Will Halstead’s potential return could. That said, Dr. Latham’s potential return could serve as a great counterpoint to the most disturbing and tragically realistic storyline from Chicago Med’s 10th season.
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One of Chicago Med’s new characters who were introduced during Season 10 was Dr. Nicholas Hayes. A famed cardiologist who possessed a great deal of power in the hospital, at first it seemed like Dr. Hayes would be a valuable teacher to Student Doctor Naomi Howard.
Sickeningly enough, however, Dr. Hayes turned out to be a total creep who used his position of authority in deplorable ways. Without going into detail, Dr. Hayes tried to take advantage of Student Doctor Howard and then attempted to gaslight her and remain in power. Thankfully, Dr. Hayes was exposed and fired from the hospital.
During earlier seasons, Dr. Latham was introduced as an incredibly talented surgeon who took younger doctors under his wing. While he was never portrayed as a celebrity doctor, Dr. Latham is the opposite of Dr. Hayes and having a senior doctor who is a caring teacher would be refreshing now.
Furthermore, Dr. Latham is a neurodivergent character, which is something that many TV viewers understand a lot better now than when he was previously on the show. As a result, it would be great to bring Dr. Latham back and portray the character with the nuance that many viewers now understand.
Chicago Med
- Release Date
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November 17, 2015
- Network
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NBC
- Showrunner
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Michael Brandt
- Directors
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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
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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
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Marlyne Barrett
Maggie Lockwood
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S. Epatha Merkerson
Sharon Goodwin
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Oliver Platt
Dr. Daniel Charles
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Nick Gehlfuss
Dr. Will Halstead
