Thirty-three seasons and 662 episodes of theOne Chicagoshows —Chicago Fire, Chicago PD,andChicago Med— have aired sinceChicago Firepremiered in 2012, and through it all, we have had to reluctantly say goodbye to many beloved characters. None of the three series' casts look the same as they did in their respective first seasons, which is a sad but understandable truth. Most actors only stick with a show for so long before wanting to explore other opportunities. Consequently,some characters have died, while others have simply moved out of Chicago to excuse actors' absencesintheOne Chicagouniverse.
TheOne ChicagoTV series premiere on Wednesday, September 25, on NBC, withChicago Medseason 10 premiering at 8 p.m. ET,Chicago Fireseason 13 at 9 p.m. ET, andChicago PDseason 12 at 10 p.m. ET.
Some oftheOne Chicagocharactershave been harder to say goodbye to than others. It’s much easier to let go of those who only stuck around for a season than characters who have been around since a TV show’s beginning, especially if the writers kill them off in the fictional universe. However, when a TV franchise likeOne Chicagolasts a long time, actor exits are to be expected. Nevertheless,I’m still holding onto hope that some departed (and alive) characters fromChicago Fire, Chicago PD,andChicago Medcan returnto their respective series one day.
10Matt Casey
Chicago Fire
Jesse Spencer’s Matt Casey was arguablythe face ofChicago Fire, which is why his exit in season 10 was so shocking and upsetting. Spencer was one of the original main cast members of the NBC procedural drama, and his character’s role at Firehouse 51 made him all the more important. Casey was the lieutenant in charge of Truck 81. His leadership skills defined much of the work ethic among the firefighters, butCasey’s time on the show would quickly end duringChicago Fireseason 10,when he moved to Portland, Oregon, to take care of Andrew Darden’s sons.
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Thankfully,Chicago Fireseason 10, episode 5, wasn’t the last time we saw Casey in Chicago.Casey returned for Kelly Severide and Stella Kidd’s wedding in the season 10 finale and then again towards the end of season 11 when he came to the city on business. DuringtheChicago Fireseason 11 finale, Casey proposed to Sylvie Brett, and she said yes. The two married in season 12 and moved to Portland, leaving the Windy City behind.
However,the door remains open for Casey and Brett’s return,which (at least, in the fictionalOne Chicagouniverse) is very plausible once Casey is no longer the Darden boys' guardian. Let’s just hope that Spencer is open to reprising his role inChicago Fireone day, and Kara Killmer is right beside him when or if he does.Chicago Firehas lost too many characters as of late, and bringing Casey back would be a welcoming gift for many fans.
9Sylvie Brett
Speaking of Brett,Kara Killmer leftChicago Fireafter Casey and Brett’s wedding in season 12, episode 6. It wasa bittersweet goodbye as Casey and Brett finally got their happy ending,but that also meant that viewers had to bid farewell to both characters for the foreseeable future. Even though Killmer wasn’t a part of the original cast ofChicago Firelike Jesse Spencer, she was one of the veteran players on the NBC TV series. Brett was introduced as Leslie Shay’s replacement in Ambulance 61 in season 3, and she stuck around Firehouse 51 for almost ten seasons.
I’m still holding out hope that both Brett and Casey can return to Chicago one day and rejoin their family at Firehouse 51.
Brett quickly became afan-favorite character inChicago Fireas she is easy to love. Her cheerful yet professional personality was perfectly balanced, especially on a show that experienced a lot of heartbreak. So, it’s safe to say thatBrett has been dearly missed since her exit.As mentioned above, though, I’m still holding out hope that both Brett and Casey can return to Chicago one day and rejoin their family at Firehouse 51.
8Gabby Dawson
Perhaps this is a controversial opinion, but I would love to see Monica Raymund reprise her role as Gabby Dawson inChicago Fire(especially with Casey and Brett gone). Raymund was amongthe originalChicago Firecastmembers, and her character was one of the best during the early seasons. Of course, everyone knows thatGabby started to go downhill in the episodes leading up to Raymund’s exitfrom the NBC procedural drama. However, a little redemption never killed nobody.
Severide’s Chicago Fire Season 13 Update Suggests His Marriage WIth Kidd Is Still In Danger Of Ending
Stellaride is not out of the woods yet – a new update concerning Chicago Fire season 13 points toward more problems for Stella and Severide.
It would be intriguing to seeGabby return to Chicago and Firehouse 51 for a bit of a redemption arcin futureepisodes ofChicago Fire. Now that Casey and Brett are gone, Gabby would have a little more room to breathe on the show. We wouldn’t have to worry about a repetitive and agonizing Gabby/Casey/Brett love triangle, andChicago Firecould just focus on Gabby outside her love life. Raymund’s return toChicago Fireis more like a pipe dream than a reality, but that won’t stop me from hoping it will happen.
7Erin Lindsay
Chicago PD
Moving on toChicago PD, the firstChicago Firespinoff has also lost many actors since its premiere in January 2014. PerhapsChicago PD’s most devastating loss was Sophia Bushas Erin Lindsay. The actress was among the original cast of the NBC police procedural series, and her character was quite significant because she had ties to several characters. Hank Voight was practically Lindsay’s surrogate father, she briefly dated Kelly Severide fromChicago Fire, and Lindsay and Halstead were one ofChicago PD’s most interesting couples to root for. Unfortunately,Bush’s time on the show had an expiration date.
Lindsay had a rough upbringing that evidently carried over to her adulthood. She experienced multiple heartbreaking losses, includingthe death of Nadia Decotis inChicago PDseason 2. Plus, Lindsay’s mother’s drug addiction continued to weigh heavily on her, so much so that she later accepted a job at the FBI in New York to have charges against her mother dropped during the season 4 finale. The probability of Bush returning toChicago PDis almost next to none, butshe’s undoubtedly among the most missedOne Chicagocharacters.
6Antonio Dawson
Jon Seda’s Antonio Dawson was among the detectives and officers in the original Intelligence Unit crew inthe cast ofChicago PDseason 1, and he stuck around for six seasons before leaving. It’s been a long time since we saw Antonio’s face in the NBC procedural series, and his return would be exciting. Antonio served as a worthy adversary to Voight regarding their morals, making their dynamic quite entertaining. Unfortunately,it’s been difficult to replace Antonio’s role regarding his relationship with others inChicago PD.
Jon Seda joined the cast ofChicago Justiceas Antonio Dawson during its first (and only) season, but after its cancelation, he returned toChicago PD.
Perhapsif Gabby (Antonio’s sister) returns to Chicago, Antonio can, too.Like many others on this list, though, a miracle would likely have to happen to have Gabby and Antonio back in theOne Chicagouniverse. However, a one-episode cameo might be possible. Maybe a lot of actors can return when theOne Chicagofranchise hits 700 episodes (or if it makes it to1,000 episodes likeNCIS).
5Jay Halstead
Jay Halstead’s exit fromChicago PDis probablyamong the saddest exits in theOne Chicagofranchise.Like Sophia Bush and Jon Seda, Jesse Lee Soffer was inChicago PD’s original cast and a fan-favorite character from the very beginning. However, Halstead’s send-off in season 10 was quite controversial and many believe it was a disservice to his character. As a result, it would be ideal if Soffer could reprise his role as Halstead in a future episode (or episodes) to give his character the closure he deserves.
Unfortunately,Soffer probably won’t be returning toChicago PDanytime soon.Soffer was cast as Wes Mitchell,Scott Forrester’s replacement inFBI: Internationalseason 4, which will premiere in October 2024. It’s more than likely that the actor will be busy withFBI: Internationalfor a while and won’t have time to come back toChicago PD. But Soffer has admitted that he would be open to returning (which he did in seasons 10 and 11 as a director), so, anything is possible.
4Will Halstead
Chicago Med
Jay Halstead’s brother, Will Halstead, is anotherOne Chicagocharacter who is dearly missed in the franchise.Nick Gehlfuss leftChicago Medonly one season ago, but his character’s presence is always welcome in the medical drama.Will was an integral member ofChicago Medwho had been working at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center since the beginning. Of course, he could be frustrating at times (just like most ofthe otherChicago Medcharacters), but it’s difficult to accept a reality where Will isn’t in the TV series.
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Will left Gaffney Chicago Medical Center duringtheChicago Medseason 8 finalewhen he handed in his letter of resignation, frustrated with the new policies at the hospital.Gehlfuss' character then moved to Seattle to reunite with his ex-fiancee, Natalie Manning,and her son, Owen. It was admittedly the perfect ending for both Will and Natalie. However, that won’t stop me from hoping the couple returns (even if it’s a brief cameo) toChicago Med.
3April Sexton
April Sexton is arguably one of the most underrated characters inChicago Med,which might be a controversial opinion. However, she deserved a lot better during her time on the NBC medical drama. So, it was probably for the best thatApril leftChicago Medin season 6, but selfishly, I want to see her return to the show. It feels like April’s story isn’t done, and that’s probably because it was never given the proper attention it deserved.
[Yaya] DaCosta claimed she would return toChicago Medon one condition — April becomes a doctor.
Yaya DaCosta got the chance to give closure to April whenshe returned inChicago Medseason 8 and married Ethan Choi.Of course, seeing them get a happy ending is fulfilling in and of itself. But, we still missed out on actually seeing April and Ethan as a married couple and how their dynamic changes (if at all). The good news is thatDaCosta claimed she would return toChicago Medon one condition— April becomes a doctor. That seems quite manageable to me.
2Ethan Choi
If April returns toChicago Med, Ethan Choi would have to, as well, and I would welcome the two original series regulars back with open arms.April and Ethan’s romance was one of the best in the NBC medical drama,and the TV show is in desperate need of a good romance asChicago Medheads into its tenth season. Plus, as mentioned above, witnessing April and Ethan’s dynamic as a married couple would be very intriguing.
Dr. Mitch Ripley
Luke Mitchell
Outside his relationship with April, Ethan was afan-favorite character inChicago Med. While every other doctor was breaking the rules, Ethan was following them to a tee (sometimes to his detriment).Brian Tee’s character was unlike all the others inChicago Med,and having him back would be like a breath of fresh air. Perhaps Ethan and April take what they have learned from their mobile medical clinic and apply it when they return to Gaffney Chicago Medical Center.
1Connor Rhodes
It has been a long time since we have seen Colin Donnell’s Connor Rhodes inChicago Med, which is quite a shame given how beloved he was in the show.Rhodes left Gaffney Chicago Medical Center at the beginning of season 5because he wanted a fresh start after Ava Bekker’s death, and Donnell hasn’t reprised his role in aChicago Medepisodeever since. Maybe Rhodes found what he needed during the five-plus years he has been away from the hospital, and he’s ready to return in a future episode (or two or more).
It’s hard to deny thatChicago Medhas gotten progressively worse as the seasons go on, but the return of Rhodes (or Will, April, or Ethan) could be just what the TV series needs.
Donnell returning as Rhodes inChicago Medwould be quite a surprise,given how long he has been away from the NBC medical drama. However, the actor reprising his role would undoubtedly reinvigorate the show. It’s hard to deny thatChicago Medhas gotten progressively worse as the seasons go on, but the return of Rhodes (or Will, April, or Ethan) could be just what the TV series needs.
One Chicago
Developed by Derek Haas and Michael Brandt, One Chicago is a multi-series television franchise that combines various public service/government organizations in Chicago, Illinois. Each series shares a timeline and universe, with multiple characters crossing over occasionally. The One Chicago universe began with Chicago Fire in 2012, with P.D., Med, and Justice comprising the remainder of one of NBC’s most successful primetime franchises.
