Season 8 of Chicago Med premiered on Wednesday, and it was certain to delight fans after a surprise appearance from Yaya DaCosta.
The actor, 39, portrayed ED nurse April Sexton on the show from seasons 1 to 6, also taking on the role in Chicago Fire and in crossovers with Chicago P.D.
DaCosta had left Chicago Med at the end of season 6, but season 8 has marked her return to the franchise, and showrunners Andrew Schneider and Diane Frolov have revealed what this means for the character’s future.
In the season 8 premiere, DaCosta’s April returned when Dr. Ethan Choi (Brian Tee) came across her paying respects at his father’s grave.
The exes were civil with one another, discussing how neither of them had married since parting ways in season 6, and April said she now works as a nurse practitioner in Chicago. In season 6, April had left Gaffney Chicago Medical Center to pursue a new career opportunity after she was accepted into a nurse practitioners’ program.
Schneider and Frolov have said that the season 8 premiere won’t be the last time that fans see DaCosta’s character on the show.
In an interview with TVLine, the showrunners said that DaCosta would be returning as April in Chicago Med, though they did not specify if she was returning as a regular cast member or just making guest appearances.
DaCosta led the show Our Kind of People after departing Chicago Med, but the show was canceled after one season. Schneider and Frolov said that the Fox show’s cancellation was not related to DaCosta’s return.
Schneider said: “That wasn’t why. It was an idea that we had last season to bring her back for Dr. Choi, and [DaCosta] was amenable to come back. It wasn’t like we were waiting for her series to get cancelled. The timing happened to work out well for us.”
Frolov added: “And she will be back in a couple more episodes. She will have a big storyline.
When asked when fans might expect DaCosta to reappear on the show, Frolov said that she would be back in episode 5, while Schneider said that viewers’ questions about the character, including her relationship with Ethan, will “be answered” in future episodes.
Reflecting on April’s growth since becoming a nurse practitioner, Schneider said: “She’s really different. She’s grown, professionally and emotionally, and it really compliments the changes that have occurred in Ethan’s emotional life.”
Chicago Med airs on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
