Chicago Med closed out the first half of Season 7 with an episode that set up some serious fallout for characters in 2022, but Brian Tee was absent as Dr. Ethan Choi in the midseason finale. Ethan has spent most of Season 7 off screen to recover from his gunshot wound at the end of Season 6, and his brief return to the ED came to a painful end, but is that it for Season 7? Chicago Med showrunners Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider previewed when Ethan will be back, and what kind of story will be involved.
Ethan was well on the road to recovery when he returned to the ED back in November, but his work took too much of a physical toll on him, and an MRI confirmed that he needed a big surgery requiring at least a couple more months of recovery. He’s not gone for good, though! When I spoke with showrunners Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider, Frolov shared when fans can expect to see him again:
Actually, we're gonna see him again in Episode 12. So, in three more episodes, we'll see him again. He's still in recovery, and then he will come back a little bit later in the season. He's going to have a very moving story with Dr. Charles in Episode 12.
Ethan will be back, but that doesn’t mean he’ll have an easy time of it! Moving storylines involving Dr. Charles can be emotional for all characters involved, for better or worse, and Ethan had a lot of baggage even before his most recent injuries. Plus, Ethan’s biggest storylines have primarily involved April or, more recently, Steven Weber’s Dean Archer as his former commanding officer, so it should be interesting to see what the show has in store with this new story with Dr. Charles.
As for whether or not this “moving story” bodes well for fans who have been waiting to get Ethan back full-time, only time will tell. Andrew Schneider did preview a bit of what Episode 12 has on the way for his arc, however, saying:
Well, we learn more about his background, his past, his family.
Chicago Med has explored his past before, particularly with regard to how his history with the Navy affected him, and the arrival of Dr. Archer added some workplace complications due to that history. His sister Emily also appeared in several episodes in earlier seasons. Still, compared to a character like Will, Ethan has more blanks that could be filled in, and a moving storyline for him could be just what Season 7 needs.
And Episode 12 isn’t too far off! The midseason finale was the ninth episode of Season 7, and Chicago Med will return with the tenth in early January. Based on how the show wrapped in 2021, the first episodes back will have some loose ends to deal with, particularly when it comes to Will and Goodwin with their fraud investigation.
Be sure to tune in to NBC on Wednesday, January 5 at 8 p.m. ET to catch the midseason premiere of Chicago Med, followed by the returns of Chicago Fire at 9 p.m. and Chicago P.D. at 10 p.m. For more of what to watch and when to tune in, check out our 2022 winter and spring premiere schedule!
