After a long hiatus, the three shows of One Chicago are returning to NBC’s Wednesday night lineup in the 2024 TV schedule. In the Season 10 premiere, Chicago Med has a big cliffhanger to resolve after Season 9 ended with Dr. Mitch Ripley accused of assaulting Liliana’s sketchy brother, and at least one character won’t be back for it. The biggest change for Season 10 happened behind the scenes, however, with Allen MacDonald taking over as showrunner after previous co-showrunners Andrew Schneider and Diane Frolov left the series. The new boss spoke with CinemaBlend about preparing for the top job as well as resolving the cliffhanger ASAP.
Allen MacDonald comes to Chicago Med with plenty of TV experience as executive producer on shows like CSI and 13 Reasons Why, but he’s a newcomer to One Chicago. So, how does one prepare to step into the role as showrunner for a series already nine full seasons and nearly 200 episodes in? I asked MacDonald that very question, and he shared:
First and foremost, you sit down and you watch 176 episodes. That's where you start, and you immerse yourself in the world and the characters, just soaking it up as much as you can. And then on the other end of that, I had to sit down and figure out what my version of the show was going to be this season, and I basically felt that this show has always been a beautifully written show that was very emotional, and I wanted to build on that very successful foundation moving forward and just do my version of that.
Well, there are certainly more unpleasant ways to prepare for a new job than binge-watching a hit TV show! A lot has changed on Chicago Med over the course of those 176 episodes, including many of the original series regulars departing. MacDonald is no stranger to medical dramas, as he went on to say:
[This] is me being a former huge fan of two medical shows, St. Elsewhere and ER, and very much influenced by those and always wanting to do a medical drama, but only got the opportunity now. I like to make people laugh and cry at the same time as much as possible, and I think medical shows more than other procedurals allow for that the most easily.
One Chicago overall is a pretty reliable place in primetime to laugh and cry, and more of that seemingly will be on the way with Med this fall. (If you also want to check out any or all of the 176 episodes so far, you can find the first nine seasons streaming with a Peacock subscription.) MacDonald went on to share what stories he was particularly looking forward to picking up in this new era of Chicago Med:
I was very much excited about the Hannah/Ripley relationship. It was just so happy at the end of last season, up until the very last scene, that I just couldn't wait to throw some bumps in their path. I was excited to tell that story. I still am, and we are continuing to tell that story, but I can tell you, it's safe to say that there will be some bumps in the future for the Hannah and Ripley relationship.
Jessy Schram’s Hannah and Luke Mitchell’s Ripley took a bit of time last season for their sparks to catch fire, but the two were in the early stages of a pretty sweet romance… before the Season 9 finale ended on the bombshell accusation against him that he’d brutally beaten a man he had every reason to dislike. I noted to the new showrunner that he inherited quite the cliffhanger to start Season 10, and he responded:
I did, and a lot of Episode 1, especially the Ripley story in the season premiere, revolves around the question of what was Ripley's involvement in Pawel’s attack last season, and he hasn't really told Hannah the full story. That's caused a bit of an ice storm between them, so things will be very icy when we first see them together. The question of Ripley's involvement in Pawel’s attack will be answered by the end of the premiere, but the fallout of it between him and Hannah will be ongoing.
So, Chicago Med isn’t wasting any time in addressing the question of whether or not Ripley was truly involved in the attack on Pawel, but that’s not quite how it will feel for Hannah. Allen MacDonald also confirmed that the Season 10 premiere is jumping ahead “about a month” from the Season 9 premiere, which means several weeks of Ripley not telling Hannah the full story.
With so much happening so quickly to start Chicago Med Season 10, what kind of conversations did Allen MacDonald have with previous showrunners Andrew Schneider and Diane Frolov for the passing of the torch? MacDonald explained, saying:
That's a very good question. Laura. I have not spoken with Andy and Diane, but having watched the 176 episodes, I'm definitely a big fan of their work and their brand of emotional storytelling, and I especially like the characters they created. The current cast, I was very excited about getting to sit down on my laptop and start writing dialogue and stories for and I've now gotten to do that, and I love it.
Fortunately, the wait for the Season 10 premiere is nearly over, as Chicago Med returns to NBC on Wednesday, September 25 at 8 p.m. ET to start One Chicago Wednesdays for the fall. In case you need a refresher on the cliffhanger from back in May, take a look:
Chicago Med will continue airing on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET throughout the tenth season, followed by Chicago Fire Season 13 at 9 p.m. ET and Chicago P.D. Season 12 at 10 p.m. ET, all on NBC. Be sure to check back with CinemaBlend for more on One Chicago!
