Chicago Med S8 Finale Brings Back Most Unexpected Fan-Favorite Character
The show brought back a beloved character, albeit for a short time.
Season 8 of Chicago Med has come to an end, forcing viewers to say goodbye to yet another character. Nick Gehlfuss and his character Dr. Will Halstead leave the show under circumstances that no one expected.
In an attempt to thwart a malfunctioning AI machine, Will sabotages it and takes all the blame. This leads to his resignation from the hospital.
As heartbreaking as the character's departure was, the show's creators had a surprise in store for the fans that would seemingly overshadow the sadness of Will's departure.
After being fired, Halstead travels to Seattle to rekindle a relationship with another character who left the hospital at one point – Natalie Manning, played by Torrey DeVitto.
The arrival of Natalie caused quite a stir among fans of the show, who couldn't believe that both characters' arcs would end this way – it was literally what most fans wanted.
Fans compare Will's departure from Chicago Med to his brother's departure from Chicago P.D. Many are happy that Will, unlike his brother, got a decent and happy ending with his family.
Many fans were shocked when Torrey DeVitto left Chicago Med in 2021, as her character Natalie Manning had been on the show since the very first season and was considered the main female character.
Many were also upset because it seemed at the time that her relationship with Will was over for good (which turned out not to be the case, and fans are grateful to the writers for that).
Natalie specialized in pediatrics, working mostly with women and children, and her husband was killed in the military, leaving Natalie a widow.
In the first season, she developed a complicated romantic relationship with Will, in which they broke up and then got back together.
Her professional career was also unstable. Natalie often went against the rules to do what she thought was right – she even got arrested once for it. Then she stole a drug from Will's clinical trial to help her sick mother.
Will was fired and Natalie had to confess, which led to her being fired, too. At the beginning of the seventh season, she left Chicago to look for a new job.