'Chicago' Franchise: Top 5 favorite character exits from 'PD', 'Med' and 'Fire' that left fans in tears
Collectively, the three shows from Dick Wolf's 'Chicago' franchise on NBC have been going strong for 20 seasons. 'Chicago Fire' first debuted in 2012, a year later so did 'Chicago PD' and two years after the cop drama came Chicago's medical drama, 'Chicago Med'. All three shows were announced to have been renewed for three additional seasons each earlier this year and their new seasons are set to premiere on NBC in November.
Of course, what makes these shows very dear is the fact that they have some very compelling characters. Be it Matthew Casey (Jesse Spencer) or Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) from 'Chicago Fire', or Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer) or Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati) from 'Chicago PD', or Will Halstead (Nick Gehlfuss) or April Sexton (Yaya DaCosta) from 'Chicago' franchise — this Dick Wolf franchise boasts excellent characterization. Of course, there have been misses but that's for another time.
This is why it hits us hard when characters we have grown and loved suddenly exit the show. Across all three 'Chicago' shows, fan-favorite characters have left, only to never return — with certain exceptions. Even now, the absence of these characters are felt on the show and there's nothing more we would like than for them to return, if only for one last time. Here are the five characters whose exits upset us the most.
Erin Lindsay (Sophia Bush)
If we had to use one word to describe Sophia Bush's Detective Erin Lindsay, it is that she was a badass. Right from the moment we met her in the first season of 'Chicago Fire', Lindsay has been one of the most compelling characters in the 'Chicago' franchise. She was bold, intelligent, shrewd and incredibly charismatic. It is no wonder that her fellow Intelligence Unit detective Jay Halstead fell for her.
While we were hoping for a Linstead happy ending, those dreams were dashed when Bush left the show over difficult on-set conditions and abusive behavior from another actor. While we understand that Bush would not want to return to a difficult working environment, we hope somewhere down the line Erin Lindsay can come back for a little bit so that fans can see her one last time.
Gabby Dawson (Monica Raymund)
Gabriela "Gabby" Dawson was to 'Chicago Fire' what Erin Lindsay was to 'Chicago PD'. Played by Monica Raymund, the paramedic at one time was training to be a firefighter, but circumstances forced her to continue being a paramedic. Dawson was always excellent at her job and passionate about helping people — which is probably why she headed to Puerto Rico when the character was written out at the beginning of Season 7.
We did get a Gabby cameo in Season 8 of 'Chicago Fire' when Raymund returned for one episode. While that one-episode return was enough to fill our hearts, it still hurts to see a Firehouse 51 without Gabby.
Connor Rhodes (Colin Donnell)
Dr. Connor Rhodes was the viewers' entry into the 'Chicago Med' universe. Sure, we had Will Halstead before that, but it was Connor Rhodes who made us truly fall in love with the then-new medical drama. During his four seasons on the show, Connor had undoubtedly been through a lot, including a very regrettable relationship with a fellow doctor.
We will be honest, the writers truly dropped the ball with that story and while Ava Bekker (Norma Kuhling) was a character we'd love to hate, her characterization was abysmal and offensive. Nevertheless, Connor Rhodes was given a more or less respectable exit when he chose to leave the hospital to escape the trauma. We hope to see Connor again but we would completely understand if we don't.
Antonio Dawson (Jon Seda)
Now this one is particularly hurtful, because Jon Seda did not leave 'Chicago PD' once, but twice. The first time Jon Seda left 'Chicago PD' was to be a part of the fourth 'Chicago' show, 'Chicago Justice', which unfortunately failed to succeed. His return to 'Chicago PD' was short-lived and he left the show at the end of the sixth season.
Seda's Detective Antonio Dawson (brother to 'Chicago Fire's' Gabby Dawson) was the perfect mix of the young and the old on 'Chicago PD'. He had Hank Voight's (Jason Beghe) fierceness but also Adam Ruzek's (Patrick John Flueger) charm. Seda was a compelling character and we were disappointed to see his run end the way it did. We hope Antonio's story is revisited sometime later so that fans can know that he is doing well.
Leslie Shay (Lauren German)
To be fair, this is a (spoiler alert) death that still upsets us very much. Lauren German's Leslie Shay, a paramedic at Firehouse 51 on 'Chicago Fire', was one of the franchise's original characters, and her friendship with Kelly Severide is still one of the best relationships on the franchise. Shay was also a queer character -- perhaps the only major LGBTQ+ representation till Darren Ritter (Daniel Kyri) came along. We still feel her death was absolutely, and unnecessarily heartbreaking.
Are there any characters we missed out that you feel should be on the list? If so, comment below. The new seasons of 'Chicago Med', 'Chicago Fire' and 'Chicago Fire' will premiere on Wednesday, November 11, from 8 pm ET.