Chicago Med Showrunners Andrew Schneider And Diane Frolov Tease New Characters And Storylines - Exclusive
This article contains spoilers for Episode 1 of "Chicago Med" Season 8.
Just in the last season alone, "Chicago Med" has seen a lot of action. The series — which airs Wednesday nights on NBC — lost Dr. Natalie Manning (Torrey DeVitto), and Dr. Stevie Hammer (Kristen Hager) came and went. Dr. Hannah Asher (Jessy Schram) returned, and Dr. Dylan Scott (Guy Lockard) was added.
Now, as Season 8 gets into the swing of things, there are definitely more changes to come. In the season premiere, Dr. Scott exited the show, and Lilah Richcreek Estrada made her debut as psych fellow Nellie Cuevas. Meanwhile, Dr. Crockett Marcel (Dominic Rains) moved up the transplant ladder after accidentally sidelining his superior, Dr. Pamela Blake (Sarah Rafferty), and Dr. Dean Archer (Steven Weber) seemingly reconnected with his estranged son.
It's a lot to take in, but then again, "Chicago Med" is a complicated show. In an exclusive interview with Looper, showrunners Andrew Schneider and Diane Frolov gave some preview teasers of what else to expect from the current season.
There will be 'emotional fallout' for more than one character
Despite Steven Weber still being billed as a special guest star, the veteran actor will be "a regular" during Season 8 of "Chicago Med." "He is going to be around," Diane Frolov said. "You will see softening [of his character] and come to more understanding of why he is the way he is."
"You'll see his vulnerability," Andrew Schneider added. "The storyline which we set up with Dean Archer will continue to be a recurring story this season as he tries to reconnect with his son."
As for Crockett, he'll have to keep dealing with the fallout from permanently injuring Dr. Blake, who has exited the show for the time being. Whether he made the right decision while she was on the operating table is "going to haunt him," said Frolov.
Also on Crockett's horizon is "a new aspect of his medical career," added Schneider. Enter actor Sasha Roiz, whom Frolov says will play "a very wealthy entrepreneur who Crockett rescues," causing the handsomely chiseled doctor to become a "celebrity."
Fellow new entry Lilah Richcreek Estrada will be an ongoing character, according to Schneider, who also cryptically noted that her psych supervisor, Dr. Daniel Charles (Oliver Platt), will gain a new love interest this season. "We're also going to see him searching for a new therapist because he lost his, and that's a little bit of a journey," said Frolov. "Dr. Charles will be dealing with the state of psychiatry at the moment and the conflicts between the way that he practices and other people practice."
Last but definitely not least, Dr. Will Halstead (Nick Gehlfuss) will face "emotional fallout" from his younger brother, Detective Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer), exiting "Chicago P.D." this season. "He's very close to his brother, and we will certainly reference that and it will have an effect on him," said Schneider. However, there are currently no plans for Soffer to appear on "Chicago Med" before his departure.
Season 8 of "Chicago Med" airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.