What happened to Will on Chicago Med? Character's fate explored
Chicago Med is part of the One Chicago franchise, following the inner workings of the Emergency Department at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center. The show captures the day-to-day stressful activities of emergency rooms and follows doctors, nurses, and other personnel as they handle complex medical problems with personal issues.
In Chicago Med, Nick Gehlfuss portrayed Dr. Will Halstead, an attending physician in emergency medicine. Dedicated to his work, he was often willing to violate hospital procedures when necessary for patient needs.
In season 8, Halstead resigned from Gaffney after sabotaging the OR 2.0 system to expose its safety flaws.
Nick Gehlfuss' role as Dr. Will Halstead on Chicago Med
Nick Gehlfuss played the lead role of Dr. Will Halstead in Chicago Med. He worked as an emergency department attending physician at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center.
Will Halstead is the older sibling of Chicago P.D. detective Jay Halstead, establishing a familial connection within the One Chicago franchise. Before coming to Gaffney, Will practiced medicine in New York and then moved to Chicago to pursue his career.
The early episodes highlight his professional socialization with the team as well as his increasing relationship with Dr. Natalie Manning. During season 1, Will Halstead faced serious conflicts with Dr. Connor Rhodes due to professional disagreements.
Their clashes stemmed from both professional conflicts and personal differences, mainly when treating urgent medical cases. During his work at Gaffney, Dr. Rhodes treated Will's brother, Jay Halstead. They initially conflicted when Dr. Will doubted Dr. Connor's professional skills.
In season 2, Halstead began dating the hospital's pathologist, Dr. Nina Shore. Despite continuing to tackle complex medical cases, he often defied hospital norms, prioritizing patients' needs.
Halstead started dating Dr. Natalie Manning in season 3. However, their relationship was complicated by personal and professional challenges. He proposed to Natalie at the end of the season.
In season 4, Will became involved in an FBI investigation, which impacted his personal life. His engagement to Natalie ended after their wedding was postponed due to safety concerns tied to the case.
By season 5, Will was coping with the consequences of the broken engagement, in addition to the other personal challenges in the hospital. He got involved in a medical device lawsuit in season 6, where he secured a financial payout and invested money into a housing venture.
In season 7, Will returned to the ED after being reinstated, focusing on patient care and navigating hospital politics. He faced ethical dilemmas and continued to challenge hospital protocols when necessary.
Dr. Will Halstead's departure from the series
Multiple incidents led to Dr. Will Halstead's exit from the series during season 8. The death of his patient, Richard Evans, raised his concerns about the safety of the new surgical technology, OR 2.0.
Jack Dayton, the hospital benefactor, refused to stop using the OR 2.0 system despite clear indications of a malfunction. In response, Dr. Halstead and Dr. Grace Song attempted to sabotage the system for the sake of the patients fruitlessly.
As a result, Dr. Halstead lost his post at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center. Before this, he tendered his resignation from the hospital and willingly accepted the blame.
In his farewell, he expressed how much he cherished his time at the hospital and he would always consider the staff his family.
Subsequently, Dr. Halstead decided to leave Chicago and relocate to Seattle. There, he reunited with his former fiancee, Dr. Natalie Manning, and her son, Owen, marking the conclusion of his journey on the show.
Catch new episodes of Chicago Med every Wednesday on NBC at 8 pm ET. Episodes are available to stream on Peacock the following day.
