Ahead Of Will Halstead’s Return To Chicago Med, The Showrunner Opened Up About ‘OG Characters Coming Back’ And The 200th Episode

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The anticipation for the return of NBC’s One Chicago Wednesdays in the fall 2025 TV season is almost over, and Chicago Med will be the first show back. Thankfully, showrunner Allen MacDonald quickly confirmed when fans will learn what happens after the Season 10 finale’s cliffhanger – with Hannah knocking on Archer’s door – but the Season 11 premiere isn’t the only episode generating excitement early on.

The medical drama is set to reach a significant 200th episode early in the new season, and MacDonald shared a preview of what viewers can expect. This includes the return of Dr. Will Halstead.

Chicago Med’s 200th Episode

The popular medical drama from the One Chicago franchise will celebrate a milestone with its 200th episode airing on Wednesday, October 8th at 8 p.m. Eastern Time on NBC. You can catch it during the show’s regular Wednesday timeslot, and it will also be available to stream the following day with a Peacock subscription. The episode, titled “A Game of Inches,” is described by NBC as follows:

Tensions rise when Ripley and Archer disagree on how to care for a patient with a complex case. Meanwhile, Asher uncovers something unexpected while working with a couple who are expecting a baby. Elsewhere in the hospital, a patient’s actions cause significant disruption.

Although it wasn’t initially announced, this episode will mark Nick Gehlfuss’s first appearance on Chicago Med since his character, Will, had a positive resolution in the Season 8 finale. Allen MacDonald previously shared with TopMob in the spring that the Med team had “plans” for the 200th episode, but they were still finalizing details. Now, as the Season 11 premiere approaches, it seems those plans involved bringing Nick Gehlfuss back before he begins his role as a lead actor in a new crime series.

Similar to Jesse Lee Soffer, who played Gehlfuss’ former on-screen brother and then moved to FBI: International, the Med actor is also joining CBS to take on a new part within Dick Wolf’s universe, this time on CIA.

What The Showrunner Told Us About Will’s Return

During NBC’s recent One Chicago press event, showrunner Allen MacDonald discussed upcoming storylines for Gaffney Med this fall with TopMob and other media. The biggest casting update – aside from Marlyne Barrett’s departure from the role of Maggie – is the return of Nick Gehlfuss. MacDonald shared a preview of what viewers can anticipate when Will Halstead reappears in Chicago this fall:

When I began this job, I re-watched all the previous episodes and quickly became a fan of Dr. Will Halstead. He was a character I was determined to bring back, and after some effort, we’ve managed to do just that. He’ll be appearing for more than just one episode. He’s returning to Gaffney to reconnect with old friends, specifically Owen, and that’s all I can share at the moment. Besides that, you’ll first see him in the 200th episode, and this won’t be his last appearance this season.

Season 10 marked Allen MacDonald’s debut with the Chicago Med cast, and he shared with me last autumn that his primary preparation involved “watching all 176 previous episodes.” He explained that his long-standing passion for medical shows-going back to classics like St. Elsewhere and ER-which both originally aired on NBC before the One Chicago series began, informed his approach.

When I inquired this autumn if he had any major plans for the 200th episode, he revisited his original ideas:

I wanted to increase the drama and scale of things a bit. I’m a big fan of shows like St. Elsewhere and ER-I’ve watched most of those series from start to finish. I remember rushing to get the TV Guide at the supermarket to find out what would happen on St. Elsewhere each week, and I was especially excited if it hinted at a returning character. Essentially, I was trying to fulfill the wish of my 14-year-old self-the one who loved seeing characters return on St. Elsewhere. I believe the fans really enjoy that kind of thing.

Season 10 featured the return of familiar faces from previous seasons, such as Rachel DiPillo as Dr. Sarah Reese and Mekia Cox (who now stars in The Rookie) as Robin Charles. Whether Nick Gehlfuss will be the sole former cast member to reappear in Season 11 is still unknown, but it seems fans can anticipate a pleasant trip down memory lane with Will’s return – and it won’t be a brief appearance. MacDonald continued by saying:

As a writer, it’s great to revisit the original characters and see how they’re doing. I especially enjoy watching these OG characters interact with the newer ones, such as Lenox and Frost. I’ll share a little hint: Frost is one of the first people Will encounters when he arrives at the hospital.

Because neither Frost nor Lenox had met Will before he moved to Seattle to start a new life with Natalie and Owen, I wonder if they’ll recognize him when he appears at the hospital. Whether they do might depend on the first person he meets. Thankfully, Luke Mitchell shared a behind-the-scenes photo showing at least two of the doctors Will will be interacting with:

Will and Archer worked on Med at the same time, meaning they’ve met before. This is different from Will and Ripley, who are meeting for the first time. I’m also hoping to see how Will reacts to the news of Hannah’s pregnancy, but we’ll have to wait until the Season 11 premiere to find out more. It’s unclear if the show will jump forward in time enough for Hannah to be visibly pregnant anytime soon; the actress wasn’t wearing a maternity costume in a behind-the-scenes clip.

Chicago Med’s Season 11 Premiere

The premiere of Season 11, titled “We All Fall Down,” immediately reveals why Hannah was at Archer’s door and identifies the father of her child. However, the official description from NBC doesn’t offer any major hints about Hannah’s pregnancy. Here’s what you can anticipate:

A family who survived a house fire is being transported to Gaffney for help. Lenox works hard to help two sisters who were hurt at an all-night rave that ended in disaster. Meanwhile, Goodwin and Abrams are disagreeing about some tough decisions regarding staff changes.

Although this doesn’t resolve the cliffhanger from the Season 10 finale, it will be compelling to see if Lenox handles her work in the Emergency Department differently following the shocking results of her prion disease test earlier this year. She demonstrated an ability to separate her personal life from her work in Season 10, but receiving such a significant diagnosis was undoubtedly a lot to take in.

A house fire storyline could potentially bring in a guest appearance from a cast member of Chicago Fire, but there are already many firefighters and paramedics featured in NBC’s shows set in Chicago, so it’s not essential to have the heroes from Firehouse 51 cross over to Med. I’m really looking forward to the possibility of seeing Goodwin and Abrams clash; the neurosurgeon is the type of strong-willed character I enjoy watching on TV, even if I wouldn’t want them as a colleague in real life.

Check out the One Chicago trailer for a peek at what’s to come on Med:

Don’t miss the Season 11 premiere of Chicago Med on NBC, Wednesday, October 1st at 8 p.m. Eastern. Following that, catch the Season 14 premiere of Chicago Fire at 9 p.m. ET, and the Season 13 premiere of Chicago P.D. at 10 p.m. ET. As always, you can stream all three new episodes the next day on Peacock.

The 200th episode of Med is coming up in just a week, and fans are wondering if Nick Gehlfuss returning as Will will be the only exciting thing about this special milestone. With young Owen also returning, it would be great to see a surprise appearance by Torrey DeVitto as Natalie. Med has surprised viewers with her returns before, without any advance notice!

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2025-09-30 02:56