Chicago Med season 4 character review: Will Halstead

Our prognosis

It’s a bit frustrating to say, but Will’s outlook for the next season of Chicago Med depends entirely on what happens to Natalie. If Natalie dies (which doesn’t seem likely), Will is going to be crushed. If she lives, then Will’s future depends on whatever she says or said to Phillip’s marriage proposal.

Ideally, one character’s development should never be dependent on another; you want each one to be able to stand on their own. But so much of Will is tied up in Natalie, and what happened behind the scenes this season may also affect where he goes. Manstead has always been the show’s top couple, and with Connor gone, Will’s now the definite male lead of the entire series.

Hopefully Natalie’s drama will be resolved quickly, which then gives Will some clarity about his personal life. But since he spent so much time this season dealing with things other than his job, it’d be excellent to see Chicago Med season 5 focus on his work in the ED. Give him some cool cases, let him work with other doctors—how about a team-up with Dr. Ethan Choi (Brian Tee)?

Last but not least, let’s hope the writers don’t sweep what happened to him this season under the rug. They definitely dragged out the “Will may have PTSD” storyline longer than necessary, but it’d be an equal mistake to just pretend like everything’s okay now. If the events affected him so much it’d be reasonable if he was a little more cynical, a little more outspoken next season.

It doesn’t have to be a huge change, but it’s an opportunity for emotional growth, and with Connor no longer around, somebody needs to be that doctor who isn’t afraid to push buttons.

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