Chicago Med is on the verge of reaching a primetime milestone in the 2025 TV schedule that few shows ever hit: the 200th episode. Nick Gehlfuss is returning as former leading man Will Halstead for the occasion, and the episode should be a treat for longtime fans as well as anybody more invested in the plots introduced in the Season 11 premiere last week. Gehlfuss spoke with CinemaBlend about the big episode, including the parallels to Connor from way back when and Will's relationship with Owen.
The 200th episode is called "A Game of Inches," and while the logline from NBC doesn't specifically mention Will, the episode description previews a patient that "throws the hospital into chaos." How could Will Halstead come back to Gaffney if not with a bit of chaos? As it turns out, it's no coincidence that Nick Gehlfuss' first return to Med since he got his happy ending with Natalie will be in the 200th episode.
After I asked if he knew that he'd be back for the milestone specifically when he signed on to return in Season 11, the future CIA star shared:
Yes. [Showrunner] Allen [MacDonald] had told me that was his idea, and I thought he was so thoughtful and just the way he crafted some of the story to mirror some of the first episode, I just thought it was really paying a wonderful homage to the show and just extremely grateful to be a part of it.
Allen MacDonald, who binge-watched the whole series before coming on board as showrunner last season, recently shared about Will's return that Will "was one of the characters I knew that I wanted to bring back." According to Gehlfuss, he'll be back in a way that should be nostalgic for old-timers in the One Chicago world.
Back in the day, Connor (Colin O'Donnell) entered the Gaffney ED with plenty of blood and chaos, attempting to treat victims of a catastrophic train crash before Will even knew that he was a new doctor at the hospital. When I asked Gehlfuss if Will would fall back into any of his old habits while back at Med in Season 11, he previewed:
Of course, him just taking control when it's not his patient, and thinking he knows best. But Allen had crafted a wonderful mirror of the first episode to the 200th, and all the writers, too. Allen and all the writers who created this beautiful, emotional storyline and wonderfully awkward, intense, relationship-wise. They mirrored this Will and Connor beginning to Dr. Frost and Will, and the roles are reversed, and so it's great. I just love that they did that.
Dr. Frost is among the current ED staff who didn't arrive at Gaffney until Will already left, so it should be fun to compare his reaction to however he's welcomed by characters like Goodwin, Hannah, and Dr. Charles. That said, Will's not coming to the Windy City from Seattle all by himself.
While it remains to be seen if Torrey DeVitto will reprise her role as Natalie at any point in Season 11, Natalie's son Owen will be with Will when he comes back to his old stomping grounds. Gehlfuss addressed the Manstead relationship status in the time since they both left One Chicago, and teased how Owen plays into Will's decision to pay a visit to the Windy City:
I think them not working at the same hospital probably helps their relationship. But also what seems to be at the forefront of Will and his relationship with Natalie is figuring out their family unit. He is having a difficult time bonding with Owen for reasons I can't reveal at this moment, but it is also making his relationship with Natalie tense. His reason for coming back to Chicago was to have a boys weekend with Owen. And it quickly turns and gets interrupted in quite a wild way.
Planning a fun weekend for family bonding is all well and good... anywhere but the world of One Chicago, anyway! Owen was quite young the last time he was at the hospital, and it sounds like Will will be back in action instead of just arriving at Gaffney to take the youngster on a guided tour. According to Nick Gehlfuss, learning to be a father to Owen is his top priority. The actor shared:
That's what he is most [dedicated to] at this moment. He's trying to be a father and figure out how to do that. Given the dynamic and the changes that are happening in his life, it is probably the most important role he's focused on right now, but coming back into the hospital, gets wrapped up in being a doctor. Being a doctor, sometimes... he's obviously still a doctor back in Seattle, but being a doctor and the time that one needs to commit to that profession can take away from being a father.
In an interesting twist, the trailer indicates that Owen will actually be the first one back at Gaffney rather than Will, although fortunately not because Owen himself is sick or injured. Take a look:
Tune in to NBC on Wednesday, October 8 at 8 p.m. ET for the 200th episode of Chicago Med, also available streaming next day with a Peacock subscription. As usual, Med is followed on Wednesday nights by Chicago Fire at 9 p.m. ET and Chicago P.D. at 10 p.m. ET, all on NBC.
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