Chicago Med producers discuss shaking things up in season 5

Chicago Med season 5 is shaking up the hospital, and producers Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider explained what’s coming up and why.

Major changes are coming to Chicago Med this season. The hospital, and the series, are getting a shakeup when Chicago Med season 5 premieres on Wednesday—so what can One Chicago fans expect?

Executive producers and showrunners Andrew Schneider and Diane Frolov joined us to preview the upcoming season, starting with the high-stakes season premiere, entitled “Never Going Back To Normal.”

They also explained why they’ve made some of these changes that fans are about to see, giving some insight into where the show is going from here.

Get ready for the season premiere in our interview with Diane and Andrew below, then don’t miss the Chicago Med premiere this Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 8 p.m. on NBC.

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One Chicago Center: Last season, it seemed like there was a shift to concentrate more on the Emergency Department. Is that Chicago Med‘s focus this season?

Diane Frolov: It is actually more in the ED this season. We’ll be doing less heart [procedures], and our new doctor is in the ED, he’s a trauma surgeon. So that’s right.

Andrew Schneider: Also, we’ve sped up a lot of interesting interpersonal and emotional dynamics
from the end of last season and the beginning of this season, so those will be playing out. We have these big emotional stories for our main characters.

You had a major cast overhaul. Dr. Sarah Reese (Rachel DiPillo), Dr. Ava Bekker (Norma Kuhling) and Dr. Connor Rhodes (Colin Donnell) are all not returning as regulars this season. Can you discuss the thought process behind those changes?

DF: There are discussions about that and are we finished with the storyline on a character? Would it be a good idea to shake things up a little bit, freshen things up a little bit?

AS: We felt with Connor’s storyline that we’d really played it out last season, and that it was time to bring it to a conclusion. We love both actors, they’re terrific, but we just felt like it would be hard to keep that going.

The premiere introduces a new character, Dr. Crockett Marcel, played by Dominic Rains. What do you want fans to know about Dr. Marcel going into the new season?

DF: He’s a very different character than Connor. He’s a much more easygoing guy. He has a different perspective on things [and a] very different background. He’s from New Orleans; he has a sense of humor about things. Not that the character of Connor didn’t, but [Crockett’s] worldview is very different. Connor came from this wealthy family that he was always trying to get away from.

AS: He came from tragedy. It gave him a certain quality that you’re not going to see in Crockett.

DF: And Crockett is going to disturb things a lot more.

The business side of the hospital has been a huge part of Chicago Med‘s last two seasons. With a board member having died, and Gwen Garrett’s (Heather Headley) contract expiring, is that a topic that will continue in season 5?

DF: We will be dealing with that. Not so much right in the beginning, but we’re coming back to that again.

AS: Gwen is still around.

For the latest Chicago Med season 5 spoilers and news, plus more on the entire series, follow the Chicago Med category at One Chicago Center.