CHICAGO MED Premiere Shocker: One Doctor Exits, While a Former Regular Returns

[Warning: This post contains spoilers for the CHICAGO MED season 8 premiere.]

An old friend returned on the Wednesday, September 21 season premiere of CHICAGO MED, as Ethan (Brian Tee) unexpectedly ran into his ex, April (Yaya DaCosta). (DaCosta exited the medical drama in 2021, and starred in OUR KIND OF PEOPLE last season.)

“I saw your dad’s obituary,” she told him. “I would have come to the service, but I wasn’t sure—I didn’t want it to be awkward.”

April told Ethan she was back in town, and had finished her NP program. Now, she was working with a medical group in Chicago.

After asking about Ethan’s health and his family, April quasi-jokingly asked if he had “gotten married or anything.” He confirmed he was still single, and returned the question. She told him she hadn’t—and she would see him around, setting the groundwork for the former couple to reconnect in the future.

“[Ethan]’s started this transformation and we’re going to continue to see that going forward,” CHICAGO MED co-showrunner Diane Frolov told Give Me My Remote ahead of the season premiere. “Ethan is changing. And so he’s not the rigid Ethan that we’ve seen before he’s coming. He’s dwelling more in gray areas than he did.”

Things were less happy for Dylan Scott (Guy Lockard), who was mourning the loss of Milena, AKA Jo (Riley Voelkel), and opted to leave the hospital. “I have to go someplace where I can just be a doctor,” he told Goodwin. “This is where I met Jo and I lost her. Every time I go past that room, I think of her.”

Off-screen, however, filming the action-packed opening sequence as Will (Nick Gehlfuss), Dylan, and Hannah (Jessy Schram) tried to escape the fire-engulfed apartment building was, well, fun for Gehlfuss.

“I will say it was one of the one of my favorite moments, because I begged them to let me go up that ladder,” Gehlfuss told reporters in the video below. “They wanted to send the stunt [team] up there and I said, ‘No, let me do it!’ And they were all worried, and I understand, and it’s completely natural for them to be worried. But we had the FIRE guys there that could could help us. I asked all the questions and made sure I knew I was doing it right. And it was so fun.”

“It’s a classic crossover moment right out the gate,” he continued. “It was primed and ready for it. So it was wonderful to work with [CHICAGO FIRE’s] David [Eigenberg]; David is a joy to work with. He’s so lovely. But at the same time when we do these crossovers, me as an actor, I’m always interested in how we get wrapped up in their profession, even though we’re the doctors. Me climbing down a fire ladder is just fun and great to see…you can tell as an audience member who’s doing what, right? And so if they can really land on me on a ladder, that’s fun…I’m thankful that they allowed me to do it.”

Watch the video for more from Gehlfuss and Schram…

CHICAGO MED, Wednesdays, 8/7c, NBC

RELATED:

• CHICAGO MED: What You Need to Know About the Season Premiere
• CHICAGO MED: Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider Preview the Fallout from the Fiery Cliffhanger
• CHICAGO MED: ‘(Caught Between) The Wrecking Ball and The Butterfly’ Photos
• CHICAGO MED Season 8 Premiere: ‘How Do You Begin to Count the Losses’ Photos
• ONE CHICAGO: NBC Reveals New Posters for CHICAGO MED, CHICAGO FIRE, and CHICAGO P.D.
• CHICAGO MED: ‘And Now We Come To The End’ Photos
• CHICAGO MED Stars Brian Tee and Steven Weber Share One True and One Joke Finale Tease
• CHICAGO MED Post-Mortem: Brian Tee on Ethan’s Revelation and Blake’s Big Decision
• CHICAGO MED: ‘Lying Doesn’t Protect You From the Truth’ Photos
• CHICAGO MED: Brian Tee and Steven Weber on Ethan Giving Archer Control Over the ED, a Surprising New Case
• The CHICAGO MED Team Previews Ethan’s ‘Big Emotional Curveball’
• CHICAGO MED: Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider Preview Dr. Asher’s Return
• CHICAGO MED: Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider Offer 4 Teases of What’s to Come in 2022
• CHICAGO MED Post-Mortem: Andrew Schneider and Diane Frolov on the Fallout From the Party Reveal
• CHICAGO MED: Andrew Schneider and Diane Frolov Preview A Chaotic Christmas Party, Love Triangle Twist, and a Determined Will
• CHICAGO MED: Sarah Rafferty to Recur, Lily Harris to Guest Star
• CHICAGO MED Bosses Tease New Faces, ‘Beloved’ Characters Returning in Season 7
• CHICAGO MED Season 7 Cast Photos
• Yaya DaCosta on Her CHICAGO MED Exit, Reuniting with Her ALL MY CHILDREN Mom for Fox’s OUR KIND OF PEOPLE
• CHICAGO MED Season 7 Premiere: ‘You Can’t Always Trust What You See’ Photos
• CHICAGO MED Adds Michael Rady
• CHICAGO MED: Steven Weber Bumped Up to Series Regular, Guy Lockard and Kristen Hager Join Season 7
• Daily Dose of Joy: ONE CHICAGO Stars Play Trivia for Charity

Follow @GiveMeMyRemote and @marisaroffman on Twitter for the latest TV news. Connect with other TV fans on GIVE ME MY REMOTE’s official Facebook page.

And be the first to see our exclusive videos by subscribing to our YouTube channel.

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases made through links/ads placed on the site.