I Was Bummed That Transplant Is Ending After Four Seasons On NBC, But Now I’m Glad After The First Few Episodes

Spoilers ahead for the first three episodes of Transplant Season 4.

Summer is usually when network TV is short on new scripted options, this year opting for shows like America’s Got Talent’s milestone Season 20 and Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s somewhat convoluted Destination X. For the past several years, however, NBC has offered Transplant as a great medical drama to replace Chicago Med in primetime. I’ve been a fan since it premiered in the U.S. as a Canadian import from CTV back in 2020, so naturally I was bummed when news broke that Season 4 would be the end. Now, three episodes in, I’ve changed my mind. Not for a bad reason, though!

Transplant arrived in the 2025 TV schedule with two back-to-back episodes on Thursday, May 22, followed by the third on May 29. (All three episodes are streaming now with a Peacock subscription.) With so many plates still spinning at the end of Season 3, I couldn’t help but wonder how everything would be resolved satisfactorily with just ten episodes.

Somewhat reassuringly, Joseph Kay told CTV (via NBC Insider) that “I’d always intended a four-season window into Bashir’s life as he completes his medical residency for a second time, sets down roots in Canada, and learns to shed some of his past” and “it’s incredibly fulfilling to be able to tell his complete story.”

The new status quo to Start Season 4 was that Bash and Mags would have to compete for one available ER fellowship at York Memorial, June was moving up in her department, Theo was suspended for his questionable actions at the end of Season 3, Bash’s flashbacks were catching up with the present, and – last but certainly not least – Mags needed to be placed on the list for a possible heart transplant.

Transplant hasn’t wasted time on delivering twists like Theo being restored to his position despite some opposition, Bash’s former benefactor Elliot arriving in the flashbacks, and Bash and Mags hooking up. Plus, the clock is still ticking on who will get the ER fellowship and if/when Mags is going to need a new heart. Oddly enough, it was those big steps forward that made me realize I don’t need to be bummed about Transplant ending, because the stakes feel truly high for each storyline. Who doesn't love high stakes?

Normally, I would have assumed that of course Theo would be reinstated, because Jim Watson is a series regular. Of course Devi would find a way to keep all the nurses and open up a second fellowship in the ER so that both Bash and Mags could stay, because surely we wouldn’t lose Hamza Haq and Laurence Leboeuf from the cast. Of course everything would work out with Bash’s latest struggles to put down roots in Canada, with the flashbacks moving away from Syria and catching up with the present. The status quo wouldn’t change that much. Other than Dr. Bishop leaving, the cast has remained largely the same over four seasons.

But with the end nigh, none of my usual assumptions are guaranteed to actually apply, and that's the good kind of stress when it comes to network television, as far as I'm concerned. I’d like to see Bash getting to stay at York Memorial, and I’m hoping for Mags’ heart transplant storyline to heat up since Laurence Leboeuf has been crushing it, but nothing feels guaranteed at this point. Big wins and losses can stick in this season without needing to be undone for a fifth season. Transplant is making the most of a final season, and I’m on board until the very end.

Tune in to NBC on Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET for new episodes of Transplant, or stream next day on Peacock. The first three seasons are also available on the NBCUniversal streamer. What started as a time slot filler when TV was short on options during the COVID production shutdowns of 2020 became a favorite summer option, so I’d recommend the show to anybody who enjoys a good medical drama.