‘Chicago Med’ Bosses Tease Winter Finale Surprises, Ethan’s Return & More

There’s a big reason to look forward to the Christmas party at the end of Chicago Med‘s winter finale, and it’s not just because Dr. Abrams (Brennan Brown) is dressed as Santa.

After all, there’s a lot going on in “Secret Santa Has a Gift for You,” executive producers Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider tease: Dr. Will Halstead (Nick Gehlfuss) has his and Sharon Goodwin’s (S. Epatha Merkerson) VasCom investigation on his mind (after she’d told him to put it on hold); Dr. Stevie Hammer (Kristin Hager) and Dr. Vanessa Taylor (Asjha Cooper) are both trying to keep secrets; and among the patients are a four-month-old as well as a man who needs a liver transplant, which has Dr. Crockett Marcel (Dominic Rains), Dr. Pamela Blake (Sarah Rafferty), and Abrams working together.

Frolov and Schneider hint at what to expect, reveal when Dr. Ethan Choi (Brian Tee) will be seen again, and more.

How is the investigation going to affect the Will we see going forward?

Diane Frolov: It’s going to have a very big ending [and] come to a real head in the [winter] finale. After we come back from the break, there’s going to be repercussions from what happens in the finale.

Andrew Schneider: Particularly for Will and Goodwin.

Speaking of Goodwin, there’s the fact that it’s been affecting her health. How worried should we be about her? Especially given that stress was a matter of concern and she’s in a very stressful position.

Frolov: It’s going to continue to be a problem for her. And it’s something we are going to play out in the latter half of the season.

Schneider: Stabilizing her diabetes is an issue.

Stevie and Vanessa are both struggling to keep their secrets. Who has a harder time?

Frolov: Stevie is really more about the past in the sense of how she grew up and keeping that from other people as we’ve seen. But Vanessa’s is at the present.

Schneider: She’s really at a crossroads with her secret.

It seems like Vanessa is starting to lean on [her biological mother] Maggie [Marlyne Barrett] and accept Maggie’s role in her life.

Schneider: That’s a fair assessment.

Frolov: She’s starting to kind of welcome Maggie into her life.

Schneider: And the relationship between Maggie and Vanessa will deepen as we get into the back half of the season.

Frolov: But we have another surprise about it as well in the finale.

At the beginning of the season, Stevie and Will mentioned their past. Is that going to be coming up more?

Schneider: Oh, yeah. Their relationship is deepening and will continue to deepen after the break.

Last we heard, Ethan needed at least two months rehab after his next surgery. Is there a return date for when we’ll see him again?

Frolov: Yes, there is. We are going to check in with him. He’s still going to be in therapy, but he’ll be post-surgery in Episode 12 and we have a really lovely story with him and Dr. Charles [Oliver Platt] in Episode 12, but he still is not returning. He returns in Episode 18.

Are we going to see a different Ethan as a doctor going forward now?

Frolov: Yeah, he’s been changed. It’s been a very traumatic event for him to be shot like this and he’s been reevaluating himself because of it. We’re going to play that out with Dr. Charles.

What’s Ethan and April’s [Yaya DaCosta] status?

Schneider: They’re very close.

Frolov: They parted on good terms, but they’ve really gone their separate ways.

Schneider: But that isn’t to say she wouldn’t come back, couldn’t come back. She’s healthy, she’s pursuing her degree as a nurse practitioner. So we would certainly entertain bringing her back. Everybody loves Yaya.

Marcel seems to be in a very complicated situation with Blake and her daughter, possibly dating Avery [Johanna Braddy] while also figuring out what he wants to do career-wise. What’s coming up there?

Frolov: Those are all questions for him at the moment. [Laughs] All dilemmas.

Schneider: Very awkward situation.

Frolov: Yeah, and that awkward situation gets even more awkward in the finale.

Schneider: And then continues to play coming back after the break.

What can you say about the dynamic for Marcel, Blake, and Abrams? I imagine that’s going to be so much fun.

Schneider: Abrams is always fun. He’s a contrarian and it becomes kind of Blake and Crockett versus Abrams vis-à-vis a patient.

Frolov: But we can say that Abrams plays a surprise Santa ­—

Schneider: In the hospital Christmas party.

I saw the photos. It looks like it’s going to be a fun party.

Schneider: Fun party with a couple of big surprises.

What can we expect from the party? It looks like Maggie’s concerned about something.

Schneider: She is, and rightfully so. But a lot happens at that party that’s not expected.

Is that the end of the episode or is something after that?

Schneider: That’s the end of the episode to [propel] us into the rest of the season.

Which romantic relationships can we expect to see explored going forward?

Frolov: The Marcel/Blake/Avery triangle, that is definitely something we’re exploring.

Schneider: And we’re going to see a romantic relationship for Dr. Scott [Guy Lockard] later, we’re building [that]. And what would you think about Dr. Charles having a romantic relationship later?

It’s about time.

Schneider: That’s in the works.

Speaking of Scott, how much more are we going to see his PD past come up and maybe someone from P.D. come over? He did mention Jay [Halstead, played by Jesse Lee Soffer].

Frolov: Yes, we are going to. After break, we’re going to be doing a storyline that will involve him having been a cop.

Which character or characters are left in the most interesting places after the winter finale?

Schneider: Everybody. We have a whole new relationship between Dr. Charles and Dr. Archer [Steven Weber], which happens in the winter finale. We learn a lot more about Dean Archer and who he is and where he’s coming from, and it changes his relationship with Dr. Charles.

Are there any plans to see any past cast members this season?

Schneider: Yes, but we’re not going to tell you who.

Is there anything that happened in this first group of episodes that fans should be keeping in mind going into the next group of episodes?

Schneider: There’s a storyline in the finale which then plays out later on in the season.

Are there any new major characters coming in the second half?

Frolov: Yes, there is.

Schneider: But we’re not going to tell you yet. [Both laugh]

Are there any plans for any major crossovers with Fire or P.D.?

Frolov: At this point, we don’t have a major crossover planned but we do have minor ones.

Schneider: So you’ll see the Fire and P.D. people on our show and vice versa.

Frolov: Our people are going over to their shows.

Are there any major emergencies in the hospital coming up?

Schneider: Oh my God, Episode 12 has a major emergency, but we can’t tell you what it is.

Chicago Med, Wednesdays, 8/7c, NBC