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The One Chicago franchise all ended with some major cliffhangers. Chicago Med is definitely saying goodbye to another OG character.

Caution: This post contains major spoilers from the Chicago Med Season 8 finale.

While the other two Chicago shows ended with major cliffhangers with lives on the line, Chicago Med brought us a big character exit. The writing was on the wall for a few episodes now as Will Halstead fought against the use of the AI in the ORs. He still believes that AI was the reason his patient died.

Maybe it was, but Will and Grace went the wrong way to prove it. They sabotaged the machine, leading to it looking faulty. Will took the blame as he handed over his resignation. After that, he flew to Seattle to see Natalie and her son.

It looked like a happy ending for them, right? Is that Will Halstead out of the series after eight seasons? Is another OG character gone?

Nick Gehlfuss is leaving Chicago Med

TVLine confirmed the exit shortly after the episode. Nick Gehlfuss is leaving the show after eight seasons. Will Halstead will no longer walk the halls of Med, causing trouble for a lot of doctors and nurses.

This wasn’t a creative decision. It turns out that Gehlfuss realized it was time to leave the show. He felt like he had taken the character of Halstead as far as he could go, and it was time to move onto other projects. The writers crafted a storyline that saw him reunite with his ex-fiancee, giving us a little closure along the way.

One thing he did ask for when leaving was keeping the door open for a return now and then. Not a full-time return, but something when it comes to the big events. That did mean not killing off the character, and it is something the writers honored, showing no hard feelings.

MORE: How many episodes are in Chicago Med Season 9?

What did you think of the Chicago Med Season 8 finale? Will you still watch with another OG character gone? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Chicago Med* is available to stream on Peacock in the U.S. and on CityTV+ in Canada.