NBC Makes A Major Chicago Med Cast Exit In Season 12 Inevitable

Published Nov 12, 2026, 1:45 PM EST Laura Hurley has been writing about the entertainment industry for more than twelve years, after a decade as a content producer and editor at CinemaBlend after writing for WhatCulture and Examiner. Attending events like SCAD TVfest and San Diego Comic-Con over the course of her career, she has been immersed in the world of network, streaming, and cable TV. Warning: this article contains spoilers for Chicago Med season 12, episode 6, "Lessons in Chemistry."Chicago Med's cast was off-balance for the first five episodes of season 12 due to the glaring absence of one series regular. Additionally, Goodwin's move from the top job at Gaffney Med to her old position as an ED nurse changed the entire hospital's power structure and even led to Dr. Archer getting demoted. Now, just a few weeks before the fall finale, One Chicago's medical drama has set up the exit of a key cast member. Multiple new actors joined the Chicago Med cast for season 12 to help fill the vacuum left by Lenox. BecauseSarah Ramos was absent as Lenox for the majority of the first five episodes, it was only a matter of time before the ED got its usual chief back. Her return seems to be ushering in the exit of somebody else. In fact, the biggest villain causing problems at Gaffney is almost certainly on the way out, sooner rather than later, after the latest twist. Goodwin's scheme to move to the ED rather than leave the hospital is paying off. While she was initially too busy with her actual nursing duties to make much progress in attempting to take down Miranda, she finally got her chance to remove the biggest obstacle to patients getting the best treatment in Dick Wolf's TV universe. The end is nigh for actress Orlagh Cassidy on Chicago Med after "Lessons in Chemistry." Chicago Med Is Losing Its Latest Villain George Burns Jr/NBC Miranda's vendetta to take down Goodwin finally paid off in season 12 when the former hospital administrator took the fall for Doris and resigned rather than turn her in. Since Miranda has mostly been enacting her new budget-cutting policies through Mallory, Goodwin didn't get many chances to dig up dirt on her nemesis until "Lessons in Chemistry." Unfortunately, Goodwin didn't get anything until after a pregnant woman nearly died due to Miranda's policies, and only survived due to an emergency hysterectomy. The woman had been ousted from Gaffney's overflow wing despite Hannah's vehement objections, and that tragedy will lead to a villain being ousted. The best care at the hospital is reserved for patients with private insurance, rather than given to those who need it, regardless of insurance situation. Fittingly, Goodwin was with Doris when she made the connection, and she confirmed that Miranda's actions aren't just immoral — what she's doing is illegal. While that's obviously bad for all the patients admitted to the hospital without private insurance over the past five episodes, Goodwin gaining leverage over Miranda is exactly what she needs to get rid of her. She didn't start scheming before the end of the episode, but her path to getting rid of Miranda is now clear, which means Orlagh Cassidy's days as a cast member are numbered. After Miranda's 11 episodes over three seasons, Goodwin is on the verge of finally winning. Why Chicago Med Needs Goodwin Back As Boss George Burns Jr/NBC Even though Miranda being ousted from the top job at Gaffney would allow Goodwin to achieve her highest priority in season 12, that doesn't necessarily mean that she'll get her job back as the hospital administrator. She'd surely get the support from some people at the hospital, including the long-suffering head of the legal department, but she also just had a heart-to-heart with Mallory that points toward Mallory doubling down on keeping the job. Despite Mallory developing some better intentions in the wake of the pregnant woman's brush with death (and forced hysterectomy), Goodwin is the only one at Gaffney who really knows how to find the right balance between budget and patient care. Even if she didn't always have the money to give the ED all the resources they wanted, she never forgot that a hospital's most important purpose is to help people and save lives. If Gaffney is going to continue doing that, Goodwin needs to hang up the scrubs and step back into her office as the administrator. The good news is that it's only a matter of time. Colin Donnell is set to return to Chicago Med in the upcoming fall finale, and even though NBC hasn't revealed much about what brings Connor back to Gaffney, one detail points to Goodwin getting her job back: Connor will walk the halls of the hospital again when Goodwin calls him in to help a young patient who needs a risky surgery. Scratch & Peek Identify the cover art while scratching off as little foil as possible. She wouldn't have the authority to do that if she's still working as a nurse in the fall finale, so Goodwin will likely be back in her old position within the next couple of episodes. The fall finale of Chicago Med will air on December 9 on NBC, and new episodes will continue releasing on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET in the meantime. Release Date November 17, 2015 Network NBC Showrunner Michael Brandt Cast Marlyne Barrett Maggie Lockwood S. Epatha Merkerson Sharon Goodwin Directors 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 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 Creator(s) Michael Brandt, Derek Haas, Matt Olmstead