Torrey DeVitto never planned on returning to Chicago Med. After playing Dr. Natalie Manning for 100+ episodes of the series, she felt good about moving on from the main cast after Season 7. But when the opportunity to rectify a less-than-ideal storyline arose, she jumped at it.
Why Torrey DeVitto returned to Chicago Med in Season 8
DeVitto wanted her character and Dr. Will Halstead (Nick Gehlfuss) to be endgame all along. DeVitto “was such an advocate for [Manning and Halstead],” the Vampire Diaries star told People, adding that she was “bummed” when Natalie started dating Crockett (Dominic Rains). “I was like, ‘no.'”
“I did not feel like Natalie and Will got the ending that they deserved at all,” she added of the way they’d left things when DeVitto said goodbye at the start of Season 7.
So when Gehlfuss decided to leave the show at the end of Season 8, DeVitto agreed to return so Manning and Halstead could find each other one last time. “I wanted them to end up together so badly, and Nick became a brother to me,” she shared. “I love that dude so much. And so it was because he was leaving, I was just like, ‘We need to give this to all of the Manstead fans out there.'”
Torrey DeVitto loved giving Natalie the ending she deserved
“I loved it,” said DeVitto of her final cameo. She also emphasized that the bonds with her co-stars made all the difference and were another reason she returned. “Honestly, it was all about Nick for me,” she said. “I had no intentions of going back to the show. I feel like I had done my time, and I loved so many people there and had such a great experience, but there was nothing in my head that was like, ‘Oh, I hope to come back.'” But we’re so glad she did.
Online, #Manstead fans were overjoyed to see their favorite ship reunited at last. With the Gaffney Chicago Medical Center going for-profit, it made perfect sense for Dr. Halstead to head to Seattle to be with Dr. Manning and her son. (Here’s what she’s said about the return previously.) If only every couple got this happy ending.
Watch all-new episodes of Chicago Med on Wednesdays at 8/7c on NBC and the next day on Peacock.
