Chicago Med is nearing 10 years on air as its milestone 10th season begins this month — and fans will have a lot to celebrate when the show returns.
S. Epatha Merkerson, Oliver Platt and Marlyne Barrett will all be back amid shake ups in the showrunner department and there are a few new faces ready to mix it up in the ED. The new season will begin with an explosive story line, picking up one month after season 9’s May finale drama.
“When a commuter ship capsizes, the ED finds itself under water as they struggle to treat the influx of new patients and deal with bold new employees taking charge,” the official logline reads.
In addition to a medical emergency, Jessy Schram, who plays Dr. Hannah Asher, teased in August that her character is still in a “crush scenario” in season 10 with Dr. Mitch Ripley, played by Luke Mitchell.
“Luke has been a great addition, and I feel like he’s definitely been finding his stamp [with] Ripley,” Schram told TVLine. “And it’s fun to be able to be his scene partner while he’s doing that.”
Scroll down for everything we know about Chicago Med season 10:
What Happened During the Season 9 Finale?
During the May finale, fans saw two budding romances with Ripley (Mitchell) and Hannah (Schram) having a make out session over tea and Maggie Lockwood (Barrett) and Dr. Loren Johnson (Henderson Wade) getting closer. After Ripley gets assigned a high-risk prisoner to oversee in the ED, his day begins to spiral. Ripley accuses Dr. Daniel Charles (Platt) of not advocating for the patient and slams him for not having his back as a teen. Charles, however, doesn’t stand for Ripley’s accusations and tells him he’s over being his protector.
Meanwhile, Ripley gets into a tiff with his childhood friend Sully (Daniel Dorr) when Sully is at the hospital for one of his cancer treatments. Sully calls Ripley soft after learning that Ripley didn’t seek retaliation after Pawel (Kristof Konrad) filed a suspicious lawsuit against him earlier in the season.
During the final moments of the episode, Pawel is brought into the ED after being attacked by a masked assailant. Pawel points the finger at Ripley, who instead of defending himself just walks out of work, leaving Hannah and Maggie stunned.
In addition to Ripley’s drama, Sharon (Merkerson) decides to put her ex-husband in a facility to help with his dementia. Dr. Crockett Marcel (Dominic Rains), meanwhile, revealed that he lost his daughter to leukemia, a trauma that resurfaced after the loss of a young patient. In the wake of the tragedy, Crockett is advised to take leave and get his head right.
Showrunner Shakeup
Original showrunners Andrew Schneider and Diane Frolov announced in April that they wouldn’t be returning for the new season. “We love Chicago Med and have devoted all our creative energies to it, but after nine seasons we feel it’s time for us to move on and explore other possibilities,” the pair, who are married, said in a joint statement. “We’ve been privileged to work with a great writing staff, production team and a brilliant cast of actors. We will miss them all.”
Allen MacDonald is taking over the helm as showrunner for season 10. MacDonald previously worked on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, 13 Reasons Why and most recently Harlan Coben’s Shelter.
Dr. Crockett Marcel Leaves the ED
News broke in June that Rains will not be returning as surgeon Dr. Crockett Marcel. Rains portrayed Crockett from 2019 to 2024, and he has not commented on his exit. Deadline reported at the time that it’s unclear if the actor will make any season 10 cameos after Crockett hinted at a leave of absence during the season 9 finale.
Who Is Coming Back for Season 10?
Merkerson, Platt and Barrett inked new deals in July to extend their roles on Chicago Med, TVLine reported. Merkerson will reprise her role as Sharon Goodwin, Platt is back as Dr. Daniel Charles and Barrett will return as Maggie Lockwood.
Veterans Steven Weber and Schram, who play Dr. Dean Archer and Dr. Hannah Asher, respectively, will also be back this year. Season 9 newcomer Mitchell, who portrays Dr. Mitch Ripley, is reprising his role as well. Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut, who appeared in three episodes as med student Naomi, will continue to pop up this season, per TVLine.
New Kids on the Block
The Gaffney Chicago Medical Center is welcoming two new faces this season in Sarah Ramos’ Dr. Caitlin Lenox and Darren Barnet’s Dr. John Frost. The actors will be series regulars, according to TVLine.
What’s Going on With Hannah and Ripley?
Season 10 will pick up one month after Ripley was accused of beating up Pawel as Hannah looked on in silence. According to Schram, Hannah was “confused” by the incident, telling TVLine in August that the “suspicion” should be focused on Ripley, not Hannah’s reaction.
The actress teased that Ripley’s drama “could possibly cause complications” for his and Hannah’s budding romance. “We’ll see if that’s going somewhere good, or if it’s a little too rocky for them,” Schram explained. “We’ll see how they affect each other.”
Schram exclusively told Us in September that the season begins with “high tension” between Hannah and Ripley after his alleged assault on Pawel. “It has definitely caused a rift between Hannah and Ripley. He’s not out of the woods yet,” she shared. “There’s still a lot of suspicion, there’s still a lot that he needs to go through to see if he did or didn’t [harm Pawel].”
While Schram noted that it won’t be an easy road for the couple, she revealed that there are definitely “more feelings involved now” between the pair. “We are playing with two people that are in a push and pull relationship and that are sharing themselves a little bit more,” she added.
Love Is in the Air for Sharon Goodwin
Merkerson exclusively told Us in September that Sharon will “absolutely” have more romance with Dr. Dennis Washington (John Earl Jelks) this season. “You will see them together more than you have in the last season when he was first introduced,” she teased. “Now that that relationship has been established, I think you will definitely see more of the doctor — the good doctor.”
The actress added, “I’m just loving that whole thing with Dr. Washington.” She noted, “I think it’s so important that especially women of a certain age, find themselves in these situations where, you know, they’re giggly, because that’s exactly what no one expects from Goodwin, right? I’m looking forward to what that will bring.”
When Does ‘Chicago Med’ Premiere?
Season 10 begins on Wednesday, September 25, at 8 p.m. ET. Chicago Med will be followed by Chicago Fire at 9 p.m. and Chicago P.D. at 10 p.m. all on NBC.
