What does [SPOILER]'s unexpected appearance in Wednesday's season opener mean for the future? ET breaks it down.
Spoiler alert! Do not proceed if you haven't watched Wednesday's season 8 premiere of Chicago Med.
Chicago Med pulled off a big surprise in the season 8 premiere when a major character returned, leaving open the possibility that their reappearance could potentially be a permanent(-ish) one.
In the final minutes of Wednesday's season opener, "How Do You Begin to Count the Losses," the OneChicago series welcomed back former series regular Yaya DaCosta, who plays Dr. April Sexton. DaCosta's onscreen appearance on Med came as her character visited the grave of her estranged ex, Ethan's (Brian Tee), late father to pay her respects after hearing about his death.
In the scene, the exes shared a distant, but illuminating conversation as their past history and unresolved feelings came back to the surface.
"April?" Ethan called out after seeing her at the cemetery.
"I saw your dad's obituary. I would've come to the service, but I wasn't sure... I mean, I didn't want it to be awkward," April explained her sudden presence.
"Are you back in Chicago?" he said, not really beating around the bush.
April confirmed that she was, revealing that she finished the M.P. program and relocated back to the Windy City where she's working with a local medical group. She asked him for an update on his life and if he's recovered from his surgery after suffering a near-fatal gunshot wound, even checking in on his family.
"You didn't get married or anything, did you?" April asked, the tension between the two palpable.
"No," Ethan said, shaking his head, before asking the same question.
"No," she answered, leaving a lot of room for the possibility for the former couple to potentially reconcile down the line and maybe rekindle their old flame.
But before the awkward moment got even more, well, awkward, April decided to leave and give Ethan space to digest what just happened. "Well, I will see you around," she said, leaving the door open for a future reunion.
DaCosta abruptly exited the medical drama at the end of the sixth season in 2021, later transitioning to headline Fox's since-canceled soap, Our Kind of People. DaCosta's unexpected departure, who left at the same time as Torrey DeVitto, left many loose threads for the writers to tie up in season 7.
"We had to make sure that their arcs last season set them both up for surprising but understandable departures from the show," co-showrunner Diane Frolov told ET last September of the challenges in wrapping up their arcs. "We also had to set up that the characters they were closest to -- Will, Crockett and Ethan -- were emotionally poised to rebuild their lives after Natalie and April had left."
"Ethan misses April and will always have feelings for her, but that won't impede him from having strong romantic relationships in the future," co-showrunner Andy Schneider said.
Judging from their tension-filled reunion in the season 8 premiere, their story may not be over just yet.
Chicago Med airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
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