Original Chicago Med Cast Member With The Most Horrible Exit Returns After 7 Years For Redemption

Published Oct 14, 2026, 3:30 PM EDT 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. Chicago Med has said plenty of goodbyes over the years, and some have been much more satisfying than others. Now that the medical drama has returned for season 12 in NBC's fall 2026 premiere schedule, viewers have something different to look forward to: a star returning to Gaffney Med rather than leaving abruptly. Considering the nature of their exit, a return to the hospital's halls has been a long time coming. Season 12 started off with some changes to the cast, with Sarah Ramos stepping back as Dr. Lenox and Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut exiting as Dr. Naomi Howard. Fortunately, Lenox's reduced role in Chicago Med season 12 is only temporary, due to Ramos' maternity leave. Nevertheless, showrunner Allen MacDonald has shown a penchant for revisiting past seasons, before he took the top job on the One Chicago drama. After Nick Gehlfuss and Torrey DeVitto returned as Will Halstead and Natalie Manning in season 11, somebody else is getting another shot at a happier ending. Colin Donnell, one of Chicago Med's central stars for the first four seasons, is finally coming back for his first episode as Dr. Connor Rhodes in over seven years. Connor's return could be even more satisfying than Will's and Natalie's, considering the bloody circumstances that led to him leaving the hospital in the first place. Chicago Med Season 12 Is Bringing Back Dr. Rhodes Courtesy of MovieStillsDB News that Colin Donnell is coming back to Chicago Med broke just days after the medical drama returned for season 12. His return will mark his first appearance in One Chicago since his single episode of season 5 in 2019, although the actor did briefly join the cast of CBS' FBI: International elsewhere in Dick Wolf's TV universe. Donnell will be back for two episodes, when Goodwin needs his help with a young patient who requires a complicated surgery. His second episode will also be the fall finale, so the stakes should be quite high by that point in season 12. It remains to be seen why Goodwin will need to reach out to her former staff member. That said, it's worth noting that surgeons have taken a back seat to the ED doctors in recent seasons, especially after Dominic Rains left the series as Dr. Crockett Marcel. Bringing in an outside surgeon makes sense, especially when Goodwin is so familiar with his skills. How Rhodes' Return Can Fix His Traumatic Exit Courtesy of MovieStillsDB Of Chicago Med's many character exits over the years, Connor's is still one of the most memorable. Season 4 ended with the death of Connor's wealthy father, and the subsequent suspicion that he'd killed him. The season 5 premiere veered wildly off course to reveal that Ava Bekker, Connor's fellow surgeon at Gaffney, had killed his father, hoping that his death would bring her and Connor closer together. If that wasn't enough of a brutal twist, Ava reacted to his horror by taking her own life with a scalpel, right in front of Connor. Even for viewers who hated to see Colin Donnell leave Chicago Med, it was hard to blame Connor for wanting to step back from the hospital after that hellish day. His exit still suggested that the door was open for him to return to Gaffney at some point, but that never paid off in any subsequent season under original showrunners Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider. Now, with his season 12 return under a new showrunner, Connor will likely be in a much healthier place than he was when fans last saw him. Seeing that he healed would be enough to redeem the traumatic exit in the season 5 premiere, much like how Torrey DeVitto's return as Natalie in season 11 helped to make up for her underwhelming departure. For now, the wait is on to see Colin Donnell back as Dr. Connor Rhodes in Chicago Med season 12. 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