How the Chicago Med season 9 finale will play into season 10 (and more to know)

Chicago Med, like all NBC shows, had a shortened season 9 due to the Hollywood strikes. It did wrap up in May and season 10 should restore it to its usual 22 episode length. The finale had some big turns so here’s what to remember before season 10 hits and what to expect in the new year!

What happened in the Chicago Med season 9 finale?

Riley and Charles argued over a mentally ill patient, with Charles still distracted by how his girlfriend Liliana’s brother Pawel launched an obviously fraudulent lawsuit against the hospital. Goodwin finally accepted her father Burt was too mentally infirm to remain at home and put him into an assisted living facility. Archer took on a recovering drug addict who’d relapsed, which brought up some bad memories while Maggie and Dr. Johnson were getting closer. 

The bigger turn was Crockett distress when a man committed suicide after the doctor failed to save the man's son in surgery. It brought up old trauma for Crockett as he had to bail on a surgery. The final scene had Pawel being brought into the hospital, having been beaten and literally pointing to Ripley as the attacker with Ripley refusing to speak up. 

Who isn't returning?

The big departure is that Dominic Rains has left the series. This does make sense for the show, as Crockett was clearly shaken by those deaths and needs a break from the hospital. Thus, his departure will be easy to explain as either resigning or taking a long leave of absence. 

There’s also a behind-the-scenes change as showrunners Diane Frolov and Andy Schneider, who had overseen the show since its debut, have stepped down, with Allen MacDonald becoming the new showrunner. 

Who’s joining Chicago Med?

The season premiere will introduce two big faces. Sarah Ramos joins as Dr. Caitlin Lenox, who’s coming over from a recently closed hospital. MacDonald told TVLine that the character is more by the book and “does what she can to assume control of a lot of aspects of the ED, which Dr. Archer is not pleased with.”

Meanwhile, Darren Barnet will play Dr. John Frost, a pediatrician from the closed hospital who will bring one of his patients over to work with Maggie. Also, Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut is back as Dr. Naomi Howard, who continues as Archer’s intern. Finally, expect to see more of John Earl Jelks as Sharon’s boyfriend, Dr. Dennis Washington. 

What’s coming for season 10? 

The season kicks off with a big disaster as a boat crash occurs at Chicago’s famed Navy Pier. Dr. Lenox will have a tough first day handling the casualties with the hospital already dealing with the overflow of patients from the closed hospital. 

Ripley is still tight-lipped on what happened with Pawel, which may mar his relationship with Hannah and Charles. Maggie and Loren are now dating but might face bumps in the road while Sharon adjusts to Burt’s absence and luckily has Washington to give her some support. 

Expect the usual mix of drama and medical emergencies as Chicago Med is ready for a landmark 10th season that continues its great run.

Chicago Med season 10 premieres Wednesday, September 24 at 8/7c on NBC.