One Chicago fan favorite Nick Gehlfuss is heading back to Chicago Med Season 11 as the beloved Dr. Will Halstead, and fans are already buzzing with excitement.
How to Watch
Watch Chicago Med Wednesdays at 8/7c on NBC and next day on Peacock.
As Gehlfuss returns as a Season 11 guest star in Med‘s “A Game of Inches,” he’ll reunite with his Gaffney family, who have never forgotten the passionate doctor since his exit from the hospital in Season 8. For many years, Halstead stole hearts with his affinity for going above and beyond for patients, even if that meant bending the rules.. According to the Med showrunner, Halstead will now return to the fold with a friend.
“He is stopping by Gaffney to visit old friends with Owen [Natalie Manning’s son], and that’s all I’m comfortable saying right now,” Allen MacDonald told Parade. “Aside from we will first see him in the 200th episode and that will not be the last time we see him this season.”
RELATED: Dr. Will Halstead Is Back on Chicago Med — and He Has a Brand New Look
Gehlfuss also opened up to People about the stage of life Halstead is in when he returns.
“I think everything was probably going very well until a few months ago, but some changes have occurred, and he’s trying to figure out his relationship with Owen,” the actor said. “The tension around that relationship is obviously affecting him and Natalie. And so, he’s set off to Chicago, I think, to figure out his new home in a way, and he is going to have a bonding boys weekend with Owen.”
Beloved for his relentless devotion and his rule-breaking spirit, Chihards can’t wait to catch up with the Gaffney renegade this season, so we’re looking back at his time at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center.
What happened to Dr. Will Halstead on Chicago Med
Dr. Will Halstead was one of the first doctors to work at Gaffney after Sharon Goodwin (S. Epatha Merkerson) cut the red tape on the hospital’s opening in Med‘s pilot (“Derailed”). However, Halstead actually made his One Chicago debut in Chicago P.D. (Will is the brother of former Intelligence Unit Detective Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer)) so fans were quick to learn that he was dedicated and stubborn, always willing to bend over backwards to get patients the help they needed.
During his time at Gaffney, Halstead worked in the Emergency Department, working closely with former Chiefs Ethan Choi (Brian Tee) and Dr. Dean Archer (Steven Weber) during his multi-year Gaffney tenure.
While Halstead was an exceptional physician. His rebellious nature often led him to occasionally clash with Goodwin, who had to remind him of hospital protocol. Goodwin appreciated Halstead for his infallible fervor, but his tendency to dodge protocol often put him in hot water.
Dr. Will Halstead was unlucky in love until he wasn’t
During his time at Gaffney, Dr. Halstead’s rugged good looks caught many eyes, so fans watched Halstead explore several romantic relationships when he wasn’t helping patients. Some of his shorter-lived flings included steamy connections with Gaffney coworkers Dr. Sabeena Virani (Tehmina Sunny), Nina Shore (Patti Murin), and Grace Song (T.V. Carpio). Despite Halstead’s charm, none of these connections really stuck.
One of Halstead’s most life-changing relationships came after meeting and falling in love with Dr. Natalie Manning (Torrey DeVitto). Halstead and Natalie seemed like endgame material — they were even engaged, but Natalie called it off. While the pair remained friends, it always felt like something was unfinished between them, even as Natalie left Gaffney in Season 6.
After his break-up with Natalie, Dr. Halstead eventually dated Gaffney fan favorite Dr. Hannah Asher (Jessy Schram), meeting her when she was still battling drug addiction. While they dated for a while and fell in love, Asher was still too unwell to be in a relationship, so they ended their relationship after she went to rehab.
After Hannah returned anew and picked up her friendship with Will, she admitted it always seemed Halstead had never gotten over Natalie. Maybe there was something to that?
Why did Dr. Will Halstead leave Gaffney in Season 8?
Will Halstead left Gaffney in the Season 8 finale of Med after deliberately causing an AI-assisted operating room to glitch during a surgery to reveal the system’s untested and life-risking nature. After learning the operating system killed a patient before, Halstead took the risk. Knowing that someone would have to take the fall for the snafu, Halstead gave Goodwin his resignation letter before anyone could be blamed.
“Let’s just say I hope it ends the matter,” Halstead told a solemn Goodwin.
“Will Halstead, what are we gonna do without you?” Goodwin said lovingly. “You have been a constant source of irritation and a constant source of inspiration. Your leaving will be a great loss to us. A great loss to me.”
But the silver lining of Halstead setting out for a blank slate is that he could reconnect with Natalie, who moved to Seattle after leaving Gaffney. In the final moment of Season 8’s finale, fans celebrated as Halstead and Natalie reunited at the Seattle airport, where they shared a kiss and began their happily-ever-after together.
As Halstead returns to Gaffney during Med‘s October 8 episode, fans can’t wait to learn what his next chapter entails. Watch Chicago Med Wednesdays at 8/7c on NBC and the next day on Peacock.
