Chicago Fire is about to sever ties with two adored characters: Darren Ritter (Daniel Kyri) and Sam Carver (Jake Lockett). At the very least, these two have multiple seasons to develop their personas and establish fanbases. The same can't be said for some of their predecessors.
Sometimes, things happen, and characters leave shows before it feels like their arcs have come to a proper close. One Chicago has over a dozen seasons in the books, so there are plenty of examples to choose from, but we decided to focus on the ones that only lasted a season (or less).
These are the cops, firefighters and doctors we would've liked more time with.
Dr. Pamela Blake (Chicago Med)
Dr. Pamela Blake (Sarah Rafferty) made a splash at a crucial point in Chicago Med history. The show lost two core cast members during season 6, and Blake helped to fill the void with a season 7 run that resulted in some of the show's most exciting storylines. She was a jolt of energy, between her cutting delivery and her complicated relationship with Dr. Marcel (Dominic Rains).
There was a sense that Blake could be sustainable fuel for lots of Med stories in the future, but the character left during the season 8 premiere. A complicated medical procedure led to a fracturing of the Marcel relationship, and next thing we knew, the doctor was clocking in with another hospital. It's a bummer, really.
Derrick Gibson (Chicago Fire)
We had high hopes for Derrick Gibson (Rome Flynn) when he joined Chicago Fire in season 12. The character had an intriguing past as a boxer, and natural instincts in emergency situations that would have made him an incredible asset. Then, six episodes later, he was gone. A year removed, and it's like Gibson never existed.
The character had personal demons, which manifested in a pill addiction, and the episode "All the Dark" saw him admit that he needed to step away in order to focus on himself. It was a sad turn of events, and one that felt like a case of the writers changing their mind on a character after hooking viewers. An odd blip.
Vanessa Rojas (Chicago PD)
Vanessa Rojas (Lisseth Chavez) is another character, like Gibson, who seemed tailor made to be an exciting addition to the One Chicago franchise. She melded well the Chicago PD ensemble while still bringing a distinct personality to the table. She was all over season 7, and she also played a vital role in the franchise's "Infection" crossover in 2019.
Sadly, Rojas never made it to Chicago PD season 8. The character was written off between seasons, and an explanation was never given as to why. Former showrunner Rick Eid told TV Line that the show did have plans to address Rojas' exit, but it ultimately "felt forced," and was scrapped for time. Tough.
Dr. Dylan Scott (Chicago Med)
Dr. Scott (Guy Lockard) was added to Chicago Med shortly before the aforementioned Dr. Blake in season 7. He was a former police officer, which not only made his approach to medical treatment unique, but it gave him connections that his peers did not.
We barely scratched the surface of these connections, sadly, as one of them proved to be Dr. Scott's undoing. The character tried to help an undercover cop, only to indirectly bring about her death when a case went south in the season 7 finale. Dylan Scott needed a fresh start somewhere, but man would we have loved to get more screen time with him.
Especially when it came time for Chicago Med and PD to cross paths.
Gianna Mackey (Chicago Fire)
Chicago Fire had a revolving door of medics in the wake of Gabriela Dawson's departure. There was Emily Foster (Annie Ilonzeh), who occupied the role during Chicago Fire seasons 7 and 8, then there was Gianna Mackey (Adriyan Rae), who was only around for 9 episodes in season 9.
Mackie seemed like a fun addition, especially given how quickly she established connections with firefighters like Joe Cruz (Joe Minoso) and Blake Gallo (Alberto Rosende), but the character opts to take a job as lead paramedic with Firehouse 33 in the episode "Double Red." A shame, but it meant that Violet Mikami (Hanako Greensmith) got more of the medic spotlight, so we can't complain too much.