For 10 seasons running, Chicago Med has been one of the most exciting TV shows airing on NBC, as the series follows the emergency department’s various nurses and doctors at the fictional Gaffney Chicago Medical Center. Like all the great medical dramas, Chicago Med expertly explores both the personal and professional lives of its diverse cast of characters, who evolve over the course of their time on the show. In fact, one of the greatest strengths of Chicago Med is its cast, whose endless drama makes for highly entertaining television.
One character in particular is a shining example of what makes Chicago Med such an interesting series. Played by Nick Gehlfuss, Dr. Will Halstead was a fan favorite during his time on Chicago Med. He was an attending physician in emergency medicine and often found himself in intense medical situations alongside his major romance with Natalie Manning, another extremely beloved character. But despite his popularity on the show, and his skill as a doctor, Will Halstead had one glaring flaw, which ties directly to his Chicago Med exit.
Will Halstead Resigned In Chicago Med Season 8 After Tampering With Defective Hospital Tech
His Purposeful Sabotage Of The OR 2.0 Was Dangerous
Despite being one of the show’s main characters for its first eight seasons, Dr. Will Halstead eventually left Gaffney Chicago Medical Center, and Chicago Med completely at the end of season 8. This was followed on the heels of one of the biggest moments in his entire medical career.
Though Will Halstead thought he was doing something noble, it was actually quite dangerous in hindsight, and it prompted the character to resign from his position.
Chicago Med season 8 saw the introduction of Jack Dayton, a wealthy businessman who made multiple donations, including the OR 2.0, the brand-new operating theater that implemented AI to help assist surgeons. After losing one of his patients to an issue with OR 2.0, Will Halstead purposely sabotaged the system to highlight its faults. Though Will thought he was doing something noble, it was actually quite dangerous in hindsight, and it prompted the character to resign from his position. It also shows the biggest issue with Will Halstead as a doctor.
Will Halstead’s God Complex Throughout Chicago Med Explained
He Will Push Patients Into What He Thinks Is Right
Despite being a terrific doctor, Will Halstead had one glaring flaw as a person: his immense God complex that often led to him doing some incredibly questionable things that could borderline on horrific. One of the earliest examples of this is in Chicago Med season 1, episode 9, “Choices.” Will disobeys a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) for an elderly patient dying of cancer. She just wanted to go home to die in peace, but he convinced her to start a clinical trial that ended up doing nothing, causing her more suffering before her death.
In general, Will has shown the capacity to interfere with patients’ advance directives, including one where he listened to a dementia patient who didn’t necessarily have the capacity to reverse her DNR, ultimately going against what she had initially said, and it could have landed him in big trouble. He likes to meddle in his patients’ decisions, often pushing them into what he thinks is the best for them without taking into account their own feelings on the matter.
He also isn’t hesitant to go against the hospital’s protocols when he thinks he is doing the right thing. For example, he decided to go against a Jehovah’s Witness’s religious beliefs to give them a blood transplant, a decision that went against everything he learned as a doctor. There is no shortage of instances in which Will believes he knows better than nearly everyone, even pushing his patients in directions that they don’t feel comfortable in.
Why Will Halstead Actor Nick Gehlfuss Left Chicago Med
He Took Will Halstead As Far As He Could Go
Though Dr. Will Halstead had a significant reason for leaving Gaffney Chicago Medical Center, Nick Gehlfuss also had his own reasons for moving on from Chicago Med after portraying the character for the first eight seasons of the show. In an interview with Variety, Gehlfuss opened up about his departure from Chicago Med, including the main driving force behind it, ultimately wanting to move onto other things as an actor, stating:
It was a difficult decision, but ultimately, I felt I’d taken Dr. Halstead as far as I can go with him. I think that comes down to a creative part of you, or the energy or spirit you have that you’re either built for a very long time with one person or not… I am attracted to the profession for the variety in it, and eight years is a long time. It’s two college degrees! I’m joking now that I basically have a doctorate in television.
Despite leaving Chicago Med for creative reasons, including taking on other acting roles, Gehlfuss has unfortunately not appeared in anything else since his departure from the show. It’s worth noting that he is attached to the film Butterfly in the Typewriter, which is a biographical look at author John Kennedy Toole, though the status of its production is currently up in the air. Despite his early exit, Dr. Will Halstead was an endlessly fascinating character with his God complex, and Nick Gehlfuss’ performance as the character in Chicago Med is one of the show’s best.
