Hailey van Braam
NBC quickly confirmed Chicago Med and the entire One Chicago franchise would be returning as part of its fall lineup shortly after the season 6 finale aired. While the revelation was unsurprising considering the series’ extended run on NBC’s fall schedule, it was certainly welcome in assuring us that Chicago Med, Fire, and PD will be back in 2021.
A Recap on Season 6 (Spoilers alert!) and a Glimpse of Season 7
Season 6 of Chicago Med concluded in May, leaving several significant questions unanswered thanks to some cliffhangers. Furthermore, the announcement that two original series stars were leaving, along with the fact that the original cast of regulars’ contracts had expired at the end of Season 6, indicated that there could be several familiar faces absent in Season 7. Now, fans may rejoice because not only have numerous cast members been guaranteed to return, but the Will Halstead cliffhanger may have been resolved as well.
When Will took the fall for Natalie stealing medication for her ailing mother, Season 6 of Chicago Med ended with Goodwin firing him for crossing lines with his clinical experiment (and she has no idea how many lines he broke). Even after being dismissed, he didn’t reveal Natalie and make Goodwin believe he was the guilty one, and it was evident that Goodwin had run out of second chances.
While all of the cast members returning is great news for fans, Will is the only one who received a major cliffhanger. It would have been a different story if Ethan’s life hadn’t been saved before the final credits rolled, though it’s unclear how he’ll react to April’s absence, especially with Dean Archer taking over the ED while he recovers. Will, as well as the majority of the other series regulars, will return. It’s still unclear how Chicago Med will compensate for the loss of April and Natalie, but Asjha Cooper’s Vanessa is likely to appear more frequently, which will undoubtedly generate issues owing to her status as Maggie’s secret biological daughter. We’ll have to wait and see what happens.
On Wednesday, September 22, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Chicago Med returns to NBC. Following that, at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Chicago Fire premieres. At 10:00 p.m., Chicago P.D. concludes the One Chicago Franchise.
