Chicago Med fans were treated to an epic finale on Wednesday night. Drawing the eighth season to a close, viewers waved goodbye to one of the show's original cast members, Nick Gehlfuss – aka Dr Will Halstead. And they also enjoyed a reunion with Torrey DeVitto, who made an unexpected return as Dr Natalie Manning.
After sabotaging Jack Dayton's OR 2.0 system in the episode, Will decided to hand in his resignation at the hospital and fly to Seattle. In a heartwarming moment, the character was then reunited with his ex-fiancee Natalie and her son Owen at the airport.
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"I'm never going to let you go," Natalie told him after he asked how long he should stay. And with that, they lived happily ever after!
Naturally, fans of the show were shocked by Natalie's on-screen return, which had been kept top secret. One Chicago posted photos from the moment on Instagram, and fans had plenty to say. "They were always endgame," one replied, followed by a crying emoji.
"Ahhh my heart!!!! Yassss they were always meant to be," added another. Meanwhile, a third commented: "Wow!!! Incredible finale!"
Torrey – who appeared on Chicago Med from 2015 to 2021 – spoke about her return to The Hollywood Reporter, revealing that she wasn't expecting a call from the show's creators.
"When they did call me and told me what the premise of the storyline was going to be, and that I would be coming back to support Nick and his journey on his way out, it was just a no-brainer for me," she said.
"I do feel like the fans never got what they wanted with Natalie and Will, and to be honest with you, Nick and I never even got the ending that we felt we deserved for our two characters. To be able to come back and give that to not just the viewers that love the show so much and really rooted for these characters, but also to give it to me and Nick, who really wanted this ending for our characters was really so beautiful. He's like a brother to me, so to be able to come back and support him in this way was just so much fun."
Nick Gehlfuss has also spoken about the romantic conclusion, as well as his reasons for leaving the show. "Well, it was a difficult decision, but I felt, maybe like a few months ago, that I was getting to the point of taking Dr Halstead as far as I could go with him," he told TV Line.
While his time on the show has come to an end, Nick couldn't be happier with Will's ending, which he agrees "makes so much sense."
Speaking to Deadline, he explained: "I think that the relationship has come full circle but of course, it wasn't the only reason Will decided to leave Med. I think Will had been seeking elements of Natalie in every relationship; I don't think he ever really got over her. It was really so great to see Torrey, too. She called me to let me know she was coming."
Nick added: "We fell right back into our work rhythm as if we hadn't had any time off. It was a beautiful moment at the end of the episode that I hope brings some closure to the fans."
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