An original cast member is making his return to Chicago Med for the first time in seven seasons. Colin Donnell will reprise his role as Dr. Connor Rhodes in Season 12, returning to Gaffney Chicago Medical Center for a two-episode arc.
Donnell’s comeback will happen in the fall finale. As per the plot, Sharon Goodwin, played by S. Epatha Merkerson, calls on Rhodes to help a young heart patient who needs a complicated, high-risk surgery.
Showrunner Allen MacDonald confirmed the return, saying Rhodes has remained one of his favorite characters from the medical drama. Donnell originally left the series in 2019, making his upcoming appearance his first since the Season 5 premiere.
When will Dr. Rhodes return?
Dr. Connor Rhodes will return in the Chicago Med Season 12 fall finale on December 9. His comeback will continue into a second episode, although further details about the character’s storyline have not been revealed.
Rhodes left Gaffney after discovering that his former girlfriend, Dr. Ava Bekker, played by Norma Kuhling, had murdered his father. After he refused to let her escape accountability, Ava died by suicide. Rhodes subsequently resigned from the hospital, seeking a fresh start away from the tragedy.
MacDonald told People that bringing Donnell back had been a priority since he joined the show. He also praised the actor for bringing “warmth, intelligence and complexity” to Rhodes, adding, “Both Colin and Connor have been missed.”
The return comes as MacDonald continues to bring familiar faces back to the medical drama. Season 11 featured Nick Gehlfuss as Dr. Will Halstead and Torrey DeVitto as Dr. Natalie Manning, while Rachel DiPillo reprised her role as Dr. Sarah Reese in Season 10.
S. Epatha Merkerson’s Sharon Goodwin and Oliver Platt’s Dr. Daniel Charles remain the only original cast members still appearing as show regulars. Chicago Med airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
