11 Shows Returning Fall 2021 Without Major Characters
The fall 2021 season is officially kicking off on Monday, September 21, but fans won’t be welcoming back all of their favorite characters when some of the shows return.
In some cases, we already said goodbye to some characters in the previous season’s finale. For example, The Blacklist said goodbye to one of its leads, leaving fans wondering just what that means for the show going forward, and Chicago Med lost two of its original staff. The Good Doctor returned home from a medical mission without one of its doctors. An Arrowverse show, Legends of Tomorrow, bid adieu to a character but not a cast member; we’ll have to see just how that’s explained when he makes his debut.
However, for others, it wasn’t until between seasons that we learned cast members wouldn’t be returning. For example, Bull, Law & Order: SVU, and The Resident are among the dramas that have to write out main characters when the new seasons begin.
Scroll down as we take a look at 11 TV shows that will be without at least one major character for the 2021-2022 season.
Batwoman
Dougray Scott, who played Jacob Kane — Kate (Ruby Rose, then Wallis Day), Alice (Rachel Skarsten), and Mary’s (Nicole Kang) father — will not be returning for Season 3. He was last seen locked up after disbanding the Crows. And speaking of Kate, that character, too, has left, heading to see if she can find her cousin Bruce Wayne.
The Blacklist
The NBC drama is down one of its leads, with Megan Boone leaving at the end of Season 8. Her character, Elizabeth Keen, may or may not have been killed off in the finale’s last moments, without learning the truth about just who Raymond “Red” Reddington (James Spader) is to her.
Bull
When Bull returns, it will be without the lawyer who served as TAC’s in-house counsel: Benny Colón (Freddy Rodriguez), also Jason’s (Michael Weatherly) brother-in-law.
Chicago Med
The Season 6 finale was the last episode for original cast members Torrey DeVitto (Dr. Natalie Manning) and Yaya DaCosta (nurse April Sexton). With Natalie taking responsibility for stealing clinical trial drugs for her mom, we can assume she will be fired (as Nick Gehlfuss’ Dr. Will Halstead was when he covered for her). And April got into the nurse practitioners program.
The Flash
The CW superhero drama said goodbye to Cisco Ramon (Carlos Valdes) and Harrison Wells (Tom Cavanagh) in Season 7 — the former to a new gig at ARGUS in Star City, (a version of) the latter to earlier in the timeline — though both returned after their farewells. (Cavanagh is also set to reprise his role as Reverse Flash in the upcoming “Armageddon” event to kick off Season 8.)
The Good Doctor
Fans saw Dr. Claire Browne (Antonia Thomas) say goodbye as she decided to stay in Guatemala for a new job opportunity in the Season 4 finale.
Law & Order: SVU
Demore Barnes and Jamie Gray Hyder are returning for the SVU Season 23 premiere to wrap up their characters’ storylines, but after that, we’ll have to say goodbye to Deputy Chief Christian Garland and Detective Katriona “Kat” Azar Tamin.
Legends of Tomorrow
Legends of Tomorrow said goodbye to John Constantine — he got in over his head in his pursuit of magic — but not Matt Ryan in the Season 6 finale. Ryan isn’t going anywhere, but he’s taking on a new character: eccentric scientist Dr. Gwyn Davies. But it is goodbye for now for Mick Rory, with Dominic Purcell departing, as he leaves behind the Waverider for Kayla and their alien kids.
NCIS
After saying goodbye to Maria Bello’s forensic psychologist Jack Sloane earlier in the season – she stayed in Afghanistan after a mission — the Season 18 finale saw another of the team, Emily Wickersham‘s Ellie Bishop, say goodbye to her “will they/won’t they” love interest with a kiss goodbye. She’s off on an undercover mission which necessitated her being labeled a disgraced NCIS agent.
NCIS: Los Angeles
Eric Beale (Barrett Foa) and Nell Jones (Renée Felice Smith) have officially said goodbye to NCIS, leaving behind Los Angeles to run the new Tokyo office of his tech firm.
The Resident
Emily VanCamp‘s nurse practitioner Nic Nevin will be written out when Season 5 begins — and while the finale ended happily for her, her husband Dr. Conrad Hawkins (Matt Czuchry), and their baby girl, previews suggest a tragic explanation.
