Since the #OneChicago franchise launched in 2012 with the series premiere of Chicago Fire, plenty of stars have bid adieu to the Windy City — and several of them have also come back for a visit.
Among the alums who’ve checked back in following their exits are Chicago Fire’s Jesse Spencer and Monica Raymund, Chicago Med‘s Yaya DaCosta and Torrey DeVitto, and Chicago P.D.’s Brian Geraghty. But there’s many others who have stayed away for far too long, leaving viewers to wonder what their characters are up to now. We can’t help craving closure, especially for people like Med’s Dr. Connor Rhodes and P.D.’s Jay Halstead, who left under dramatic circumstances or with many loose ends that need tying up.
Then there’s the fan favorites whom we lost in far more permanent fashion, but that’s not stopping us from imagining up a dream scenario under which we could see two fallen Fire vets again. (However, we had a far more difficult time coming up with a plausible way that P.D.’s Olinsky could rise again, but feel free to hit the comments with your ideas!)
Below, TVLine presents our wish list of 10 #OneChicago characters that we’d like to see return to the franchise. (Before you get up in arms, we did not include Gabby Dawson because nothing can top her last visit to Chicago. Unless she wanted to surprise us by… well, see Slide #9.)
Last Appearance: Season 6, Episode 22
When Monica Raymund briefly returned to Chicago Fire in 2019, Gabby Dawson gave viewers a welcome update on her brother Antonio, revealing that he’s doing well and working with her organization’s crisis response team in the Bahamas. But we’d like to see Jon Seda in the flesh on P.D., so that Antonio’s former Intelligence colleagues can witness for themselves just how far he has come in his drug recovery.
Last Appearance: Season 5, Episode 1
Since Colin Donnell’s character exited the hospital in 2019 in dramatic fashion to likely go work at the Mayo Clinic, we’ve heard nary a peep about how the doctor is doing. Given the traumatic note he left on — his ex-girlfriend Ava admitted to killing his father, then took her own life in front of him! — a check-in feels appropriate. Plus, the charismatic Donnell, who was a fan favorite, told TVLine in 2022 that it would “be fun to revisit” the character and that there’s “still some stuff left to explore” with Connor.
Last Appearance: Season 8, Episode 20
Annie Ilonzeh’s paramedic announced that she was leaving the firehouse to return to medical school, so she could, theoretically, resurface as a doctor on Chicago Med. (Gaffney always seems to be in need of new docs.) Or perhaps Firehouse 51’s ambulance could cross paths with her at another Windy City hospital while dropping off a patient.
Last Appearance: Season 4, Episode 23
The abrupt departure of Sophia Bush’s character left us with a lot of unanswered questions that still plague us to this day: Did Lindsay take that job with the FBI’s counter-terrorism unit in New York City? How does she feel about her ex-boyfriend Halstead, whom she left without a goodbye? And where do things stand with her and Voight, who was a surrogate father to her?
It’s unlikely that Bush will return to the series given the conditions under which she left (“I was miserable,” she said during Refinery 29’s Unstyled podcast), but we still long for closure for Lindsay and her relationships back in Chicago.
Last Appearance: Season 10, Episode 3
Compared to others on this list, it hasn’t been too long since we last saw Jesse Lee Soffer. But with Tracy Spiridakos set to exit the NBC cop drama as Hailey Upton later this season, Halstead’s return would give much-needed resolution to the “Upstead” relationship rollercoaster that fans have been on ever since Halstead left his wife behind to work abroad.
Last Episode: Season 2, Episode 22
After getting his start as a firefighter on Chicago Fire, Jeff Hephner transitioned to Chicago Med, where his character pursued medicine and won us over as Natalie Manning’s boyfriend. Alas, Clarke left to work in emergency medicine in Maui, but maybe he’s tired of the gorgeous Hawaiian views and wants to transfer back to the Windy City? (Yeah, we didn’t think so.)
Last Appearance: Season 2, Episode 22
It’s been a decade since Lauren German’s beloved paramedic died, and we’re still not over it. While the death, obviously, makes it impossible for her to come back in the present, flashbacks are a possibility. In fact, an episode about the early days of the original Firehouse 51 crew would also allow for other families faces to return, like…
Last Appearance: Season 8, Episode 1
Admit it, you’re really into our flashback episode idea now that you realize it means we’d get to see Shay and Yuri Sardarov’s sweet Otis again!
Last Appearance: Season 3, Episode 20
There have been more episodes without Peter Mills than with him, and yet, the affable Charlie Barnett is still at the top of our wish list of comebacks. The firefighter left the Windy City on a positive note to open a restaurant in North Carolina with his family, so the firehouse would no doubt welcome him back with open arms. And should he return back together with his ex-girlfriend Gabby Dawson, for whom he was still harboring feelings when he left Chicago, well, that would certainly be an interesting twist! (Sorry, “Dawsey” ‘shippers, Casey is taken.)
“We have joked about building our own little Chicago spinoff, where Dawson and Mills find their way to Puerto Rico and start their own firehouse down there,” Barnett previously told TVLine.
Last Appearance: Season 4, Episode 1
Five seasons ago, Dr. Charles’ former protégé (played by Rachel DiPillo) left the hospital, feeling betrayed by her mentor after he almost let her serial-killer father die. Has Sarah forgiven Charles? What choice words might she have for him after all these years? Let Sarah and Charles come face-to-face and hash things out!
I think they should bring back Evan from Chicago Fire. As a different character, or on one of the other Chicagos as a different character.
Evil twin?
Alvin Olinsky is the person I miss the most out of all the characters in all of the the Chicago series. Chicago PD has not been the same with him gone. Sometimes I do not even watch it, I has gotten so boring.
He used to make the show so much more interesting, He could be tough but also has so much sympathy with victims family’s.
I liked Alvin, too.
I love the idea of a flashback episode so we can see Shay and Otis again! Maybe have it be related to a case and have Al stop by. :)
I’ve always wanted Connor & Sarah return to Chicago Med. I stopped watching after Colin Donnell left the show. I also would love for Peter Mills return to Fire.
The only people that I want back from this list are Connor Rhodes and Otis. Peter Mills was insufferable. I believe the actress that played Sarah’s no longer acts anymore.
I have a whole idea in my head where Shay can comeback. She had to go into WITSEC because of the arsonist (since she was technically a victim) and he death was faked. Severide uncovers it now that he’s working on arson and she can comeback. It works for me. Also, Dawson can come home from PR to be on 61 with her.
Who Was the Arsonist Gish?
If we’re gonna bring back Dr. Connor Rhodes then let’s also bring back Dr. Nina Shore since she was played by Colin Donnell’s actual wife, Patti Murin. Then let’s sneak in some sort of fantasy dream scene where they sing a duet since they are both Broadway musical stars.
I would definitely be interested in seeing how Reese has been since she left.
I mean, if Erin Lindsay did take an FBI job… She could show up in one of the FBI Shows instead of the Chicago Franchise?
Jaye, I like the say you think!
I mean, the Chicago, FBI, Law & Order, and Homicide Franchises are all connected to each other.
NO Erin Lindsey
NO Antonio Dawson
😊😊😊
Would love to see Otis and Brian Gerahty back!
The only one out of this list for me would be Connor Rhodes. I would also put Erin Lindsey except that the actress said she was miserable.
I have always wondered if Voight will ever see his grandson again. With his son dead that’s the only blood relative he has left and I would think that he may want to establish some kind of relationship with him.
Also they need to give Jimmy Nicholas his own show. I loved him and it’s a shame that he’s not getting cast in a comedy. I light up everytime his car commercial comes on.
Med is my favorite out of the three shows. Seeing Colin Donnell come back would be amazing!
Erin Lindsey & Shay 2 Tough Good Looking Women
RIP Bunny
In my mind, Sarah and Connor are now a couple (always felt like a missed opurtunity not to put them together), as are Gaby and Mills. And yes, Otis and Shay!! The show lost a lot by losing the frienship dynamics between Shay and Kelly and Cruz and Otis.
Bring back Doctor Rhodes and Evan Hawkins!
I would love for Antonio Dawson, Otis and Peter Mills to come back. I really liked their characters.
They have the perfect opportunity to bring back Dr. Rhodes. His sister ran their online furniture business to great success so that it was acquired for $5 billion. His sister and Dr. Rhodes then buy the hospital. His sister is the new CEO of Med and Rhodes returns to the ED. It would have been perfect for the start of this season, but I would take starting next season.
Al Olinsky has a twin he told no one about because they didn’t grow up together.
Calvin Olinsky?
I honestly thought when they killed off Olinsky, that we would get hit with a “he was in witness protection and they faked his death” return from him eventually. Sad it never came to pass…
I would love to see Connor back on Med hated when he left. And Halstead 100% needs to be back!!
I do not miss Gabby Dawson on Chicago Fire or Erin Lindsey on Chicago PD. Both can stay gone. The shows got much better after their departures.
Froster, Mills, and Antonio Dawson most definitely needs to comeback. And this is called Chicago Series not Wake the Dead so I don’t want to see those dead people to comeback how would you explain if they comeback the hospital made a mistake on their deaths they didn’t really died. That wouldn’t been a great idea. And as for Monica Dawson coming back like you’ve said Casey is taken and Brett is the better picked for him.
Dr Scott, and Vanessa most definitely needs to comeback
Doctor Rhodes and Otis a definite YES!! COME BACK. THEY WERE BEAUTIFUL CHARACTERS THAT ADDED DEPTH AND HUMOR