Chicago Med said goodbye to original cast member Colin Donnell at the beginning of Season 5 after news broke during Season 4 that he and two other One Chicago stars would be leaving as regulars. Fortunately for fans, the farewell to Dr. Connor Rhodes was much less final than the farewell to Ava Bekker, and he left in search of a purpose elsewhere than Med. Now, Chicago Med showrunners Andrew Schneider and Diane Frolov have weighed in on what's happening with Connor and what could be next.
Showrunners Andrew Schneider and Diane Frolov spoke with CinemaBlend ahead of the Chicago Med Season 5 fall finale, and they shared this when I asked if fans could expect an update on Connor at some point:
Andrew Schneider: Well, let's just say he's alive, he's out there.Diane Frolov: He's doing well.Andrew Schneider: He's doing well. He's healing. So, certainly a possibility.
That's some very good news on the Connor front! Although Andrew Schneider and Diane Frolov didn't spill any details about if and when Colin Donnell would return to Med to reprise his role, news that Connor is doing well and healing is promising after how he left. He departed without even being able to bring himself to say goodbye to most of his friends at the hospital, which was pretty understandable after he watched Ava slash her own throat after Connor found out for sure that she'd killed his dad.
Chicago Fire is also using its fall finale to prove that characters who could have been gone for good can return after a time. If Gabby Dawson can come back to Fire, why not Connor to Med? He didn't depart by telling Sharon Goodwin goodbye forever, and he wasn't totally broken by what he experienced. Maybe after a little healing, he can swing by Med, even if only for a standalone episode.
Is it bad that I kind of want a reveal that he went to work on a relief mission in Puerto Rico? That seems to be the thing to do for departing One Chicago stars, and leaving on a relief mission doesn't mean leaving forever.
Chicago Med did add a new doctor after Connor's departure, and Dr. Marcel has complicated enough relationships after less than half a season that nobody can claim Med has gotten boring! Between his role in outing Philip as a manipulative liar, his initiative in kicking off a love triangle, and the unique traits he brings to the show, Marcel has guaranteed that Connor's place in the ensemble didn't go unfulfilled.
Still, surely there would be room for Connor to return at some point. Whatever happens, at least fans can know that he's doing well, even if he's doing it off-screen. Will probably could have used Connor in Season 5, since he was having a very hard time dealing with the Natalie situation. That situation may get a little less complicated now that her memories are returning, which the Chicago Med showrunners explained will happen thanks to "really specific triggers."
See the final episode of Chicago Med in 2019 (which may or may not reveal something about Connor) on Wednesday, November 20 at 8 p.m. ET, followed by the return of Dawson in Chicago Fire's fall finale at 9 p.m. ET, and Chicago P.D.'s bloody fall finale at 10 p.m. ET, all on NBC.
