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Yaya DaCosta makes surprise return to Chicago Med in season eight premiere

The One Chicago show started off with a bang!


chicago med star return© Photo: Getty Images
Ahad Sanwari
Ahad Sanwari - New York
Senior WriterNew York
September 22, 2022
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Chicago Med returned with a bang on 21 September with the season eight premiere, and viewers were surprised and delighted to see the return of a former main player.

MORE: Exclusive: Chicago Med stars Nick Gehlfuss and Jessy Schram tease 'redirection of energies' in season 8

Yaya DaCosta made a surprise return to the show and, as showrunners have revealed, will play a recurring role in the season.

VIDEO: Chicago Med: Charles stops Archer from making a huge mistake

Yaya's character, April Sexton, returned to the show as she came face-to-face with her ex Ethan after she had left at the end of season six to join a nurse practitioner program.

Speaking with Variety, showrunners Andrew Schneider and Diane Frolov gushed about having April back and providing a resolution to her storyline.

MORE: Remembering the One Chicago stars who have sadly passed away

"We were talking about what we want it to do story-wise, particularly with Ethan and resolving that relationship," Diane added. 

"We never really got to finish it. We really wanted to, so we reached out to see if she would come back for this," clarifying that her arc would span several episodes.

"They're not sure where the other one stand, so they're gonna tread softly on that."

yaya dacosta chicago med© Photo: Getty Images

Yaya made her return as April Sexton

They also revealed that they were bidding adieu to two other characters, that being Dr. Dylan Scott and Dr. Pamela Blake, played by Guy Lockard and Sarah Rafferty respectively.

“We love Guy. He did a great job and was wonderful to work with. But what was sort of the cornerstone of his character was a doctor who had been a cop, and couldn’t escape his past — it becomes very evident in the premiere episode," Andrew said. 

MORE: Chicago Med's Kristen Hager reveals real reason behind exit with huge announcement

MORE: Chicago Med bosses sign Steven Weber as series regular for season eight

"So having really resolved that, we felt we had really covered his story arc, but Guy is so good and was such a wonderful character that we would welcome bringing him back in the future."

For Pamela, after complications following a surgery at the end of season seven, she made a brief appearance in the season eight premiere, but her fate remains uncertain.

sarah rafferty chicago med© Photo: Getty Images

Sarah Rafferty's character is not set to return for the rest of the season

"If the character’s alive, the character can and very often will come back," Diane said, with both showrunners noting that she might be in rehab over the course of the season.

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