Chicago Med Twist: Colin Donnell To Return As Dr. Rhodes In Season 12 — Find Out What Brings Him Back
"Chicago Med" will get a blast from Gaffney's past this fall.
Original series cast member Colin Donnell, who departed as Dr. Connor Rhodes at the start of Season 5, will return to the NBC medical drama for two Season 12 episodes, TVLine has confirmed.
According to People, which broke the news of Donnell's return, his first appearance will come in the Season 12 fall finale, airing Wednesday, December 9 at 8/7c. In that episode, Dr. Rhodes will return to Gaffney — at the request of S. Epatha Merkerson's Sharon Goodwin — to "help a young heart patient who needs a complicated, risky surgery."
"Dr. Connor Rhodes was the very first character fans met in the opening scene of 'Chicago Med”s premiere episode in 2015, and he's one of my absolute favorites in the history of the series, so bringing him back home to Gaffney Chicago Medical Center has been an absolute priority for me since I joined the show," showrunner Allen MacDonald said in a statement. "I'm so thrilled that Colin Donnell has agreed to return in his iconic role, bringing with him all of Connor's warmth, intelligence and complexity. Both Colin and Connor have been missed."
How did Connor's arc end?
Colin Donnell's visit to Season 12 will mark his first "Chicago Med" appearance since exiting the show in the Season 5 premiere. In that episode, Connor learned that his ex-girlfriend Ava (Norma Kuhling) was responsible for killing his father — and Ava took her own life, as well, after realizing that Connor wouldn't let her disappear after committing such an act. In turn, Connor left Chicago, seeking a fresh start somewhere away from his personal tragedy.
"We wanted to give a real dramatic and emotionally satisfying ending to their story," then-co-showrunner Andrew Schneider told TVLine at the time about Donnell and Kuhling's final episode. "They were both really game to jump in and resolve their stories in that way."
Meanwhile, in the Season 12 premiere earlier this week, Sharon Goodwin remained on voluntary leave from Gaffney after being accused of violating HIPAA and leaking Dr. Rabari's (Manish Dayal) medical file to prevent him from being hired at the hospital. But the episode ended — spoiler alert! — with longtime Gaffney nurse Doris (Lorena Diaz) revealing to Goodwin that she was really responsible for the leak.
"If you're Doris, and you have some idea of what really went down, there's a certain guilt you carry with that, and that escalates as the hour continues," Allen MacDonald told TVLine of Doris' surprising confession. He urged viewers, though, to "always have some wariness moving forward, and I would not take anything you see in the premiere at complete face value."
"Chicago Med" fans, are you looking forward to having Connor back at the hospital? Tell us below!
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