The fifth season of Chicago Med, an American medical drama television series with executive producer Dick Wolf, and producers Michael Brandt, Peter Jankowski, Andrew Schneider and René Balcer (uncredited), was ordered on February 26, 2019. This season marks the death of cardiothoracic surgeon Ava Bekker portrayed by Norma Kuhling, and the departure of surgeon Connor Rhodes portrayed by Colin Donnell as well as the arrival of Trauma Surgeon Crockett Marcel portrayed by Dominic Rains The season premiered on September 25, 2019.
On March 13, 2020, the production of the fifth season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This season also includes the series' 100th episode
Cast
Main characters
Nick Gehlfuss as Dr. Will Halstead, Supervising Attending Emergency Physician
Yaya DaCosta as Emergency Department Nurse April Sexton
Torrey DeVitto as Dr. Natalie Manning, Emergency Medicine/Pediatrics Attending
Colin Donnell as Dr. Conor Rhodes, Attending Trauma Surgeon (Until episode 1) Brian Tee as LCDR Dr. Ethan Choi, Attending Emergency Physician Marlyne Barrett as Maggie Lockwood, RN, ED Charge Nurse Norma Kuhling as Dr. Ava Bekker, Cardiothoracic Surgery Attending (Until episode 1) S. Epatha Merkerson as Sharon Goodwin, Chief of Services Oliver Platt as Dr. Daniel Charles, Chief of Psychiatry Dominic Rains as Dr. Crockett Marcel (episode 2 onwards; guest, episode 1)
Recurring characters
Brennan Brown as Dr. Sam Abrams, Attending Neurosurgeon
Ato Essandoh as Dr. Isidore Latham, Cardiothoracic Surgeon
Molly Bernard as Elsa Curry, Student Doctor
Nate Santana as Dr. James Lanik, Chief of Trauma
Roland Buck III as Dr. Noah Sexton, resident
Jeremy Shouldis as Dr. Marty Peterson, Anesthesiologist
Casey Tutton as Emergency Department Nurse Monique Lawson
Lorena Diaz as Emergency Department Nurse Doris
Marie Tredway as Emergency Department Nurse Trinidad “Trini” Campos
Mia Park as Operating Room Nurse Beth Cole
Marc Grapey as Peter Kalmick
Adam Petchel as Tim Burke
Paula Newsome as Caroline Charles
Ian Harding as Phillip Davis
Charles Malik Whitfield as Ben Campbell
Jessy Schram as Dr. Hannah Asher, Obstetrics and Gynecology
Crossover guest stars
LaRoyce Hawkins as Officer Kevin Atwater
Jesse Spencer as Captain Matthew Casey
Randy Flagler as Firefighter Harold Capp
Anthony Ferraris as Firefighter Tony Ferraris
Tracy Spiridakos as Detective Hailey Upton
Jason Beghe as Sergeant Hank Voight
Taylor Kinney as Lieutenant Kelly Severide
Kara Killmer as Paramedic in Charge Sylvie Brett
David Eigenberg as Lieutenant Christopher Hermann
Annie Ilonzeh as Paramedic Emily Foster
Eamonn Walker as Battalion Chief Wallace Boden
Jesse Lee Soffer as Detective Jay Halstead
Patrick John Flueger as Officer Adam Ruzek
Marina Squerciati as Officer Kim Burgess
Lisseth Chavez as Officer Vanessa Rojas
Amy Morton as Desk Sergeant Trudy Platt
Episodes
Production
On April 19, 2019, NBC announced that Colin Donnell (Dr. Connor Rhodes) and Norma Kuhling (Dr. Ava Bekker) would be departing the series due to creative reasons, but they would both appear in the season 5 premiere to wrap up their characters' storyline. The episode sees Connor depart Med after Ava kills herself in front of him. Series showrunners Andy Schneider and Diane Frolov said the scene in which Dr. Bekker takes her own life was the "ultimate revenge against the man that had rejected her." Her death pushes Connor to leave Med, as he will always be reminded of everything that happened. Schneider and Frolov confirmed that the ending means Donnell could return to the show in the future.
The season premiere also begins several ongoing storylines for the show's regulars. Dr. Natalie Manning (Torrey DeVitto) will be dealing with a traumatic brain injury she sustained in the season 4 finale. A time gap occurs between the first and second episodes, in which Dr. Manning recovers and returns to work. Schneider and Frolov said the injury would prompt questions about Dr. Manning's ability to do her job well. They also confirmed that Dr. Manning's memory will return and the audience will find out what she was planning on telling Dr. Halstead before the crash.