Cast shake-ups are nothing new for the One Chicago franchise, but every now and then one comes about that leaves fans feeling particularly shocked. That was the case for the cast last year when news broke that Marlyne Barrett was exiting Chicago Med after 10 seasons playing Maggie Lockwood on NBC’s beloved medical drama.
When Deadline first broke the news, details about Barrett’s exit were limited, with the trade reporting that it was Barrett’s decision to step back from the series for personal reasons. Interestingly, at the time the news broke, it was hinted that this was envisioned as a “temporary leave” with the hope that Barrett would return at some point in the season. Sadly, that would not be the case.
Maggie was written out of the show off-screen in the season 11 premiere with little information provided about the circumstances of her exit from Gaffney and few updates on Maggie beyond the premiere. As the season went by, fans continued to hold out hope for an appearance from Maggie, but that sadly never came to fruition with Barrett absent for the entirety of season 11.
Fans have been eager to know whether we could perhaps see Maggie back for season 12; however, a return from the beloved original cast member does not appear to be in the cards.
Chicago Med boss reveals there are no plans for Marlyne Barrett to return in season 12
While the door has been left open for Marlyne Barrett to return as Maggie, Chicago Med showrunner Allen MacDonald has confirmed we will not be seeing Maggie in the show’s upcoming season—or at least, there are no current plans for her to return.
“There will be references made to Maggie, but there are no plans for Marlyne to come back this season,” MacDonald told Give Me My Remote.
MacDonald did not elaborate further, but it’s clear by his candor that fans should not expect to see Maggie in the upcoming season. Of course, things could change as the industry moves quickly, but at the moment it seems Maggie’s presence will only be felt in references to her character and not via an on-screen return.
It’s certainly disappointing to know that we won’t be seeing Maggie back again, but that’s simply because of how much we love the character and miss having Barrett on our screens. The main thing we hope is that Barrett is doing well, as there has been a lot of speculation about the reasons for her exit.
Barrett publicly spoke about her battle with uterine and ovarian cancer back in 2022. After undergoing multiple rounds of chemotherapy and surgery, Barrett confirmed to People in 2024 that the cancer was in remission. Given what Barrett has shared about her health journey, it’s understandable that fans may have questions and concerns, but ultimately, her health and well-being are far more important than seeing a particular character return. We’ll simply continue to wish Barrett the very best and hope she’s doing well.
Chicago Med showrunner hints we've seen the last of one of the show's most disliked characters
The final episodes of Chicago Med season 11 took an unexpectedly darker turn for Dr. John Frost as the season revisited his traumatic experiences growing up as a child actor and his rocky relationship with his parents, who failed to protect him. It all began when Frost’s parents, James and Celeste, showed up in town hoping to reconnect with their understandably estranged son.
Frost would eventually agree to meet with his parents, and he came to learn that his father’s health was in decline due to his MS diagnosis. As the season progressed, Frost would come to learn that his father was not suffering from MS, but rather he had a tumor on his spine which was causing MS-like symptoms. He’d also come to learn that his dad knew about the tumor but didn’t explore treatment out of fear.
By the time Frost found out the truth, his father was no longer eligible for a medical trial which could provide treatment designed to shrink the tumor. Despite their fractured relationship, Frost didn’t want to give up on his dad and agreed to sign on for a Nick of Time reboot series in order to make the money needed to pay for his father’s expensive treatment.
It was clear from the start that Frost did not want to return to acting, but it was a means to an end to make the money needed for his father’s treatment. He was all set to proceed with the project until the reboot’s producer surprised him at lunch with the news that Ainsley, the woman who played his mom on the show and took advantage of Frost as a teen, had been added to the cast.
Upon learning the news, Frost chose to walk away from the reboot which was when he’d come to find out that his father knew about his relationship with Ainsley and never stepped in to protect him. Instead, he turned a blind eye. This led to another fallout between Frost and his father, one that was short-lived as Frost would learn in the penultimate episode of the season that his dad’s treatments were not working and he’d been moved to hospice care.
The season finale saw Frost make peace with his father as he stayed with him through his final hours and remained at his side until his father passed as the finale came to a close.
Jessalyn Gilsig not expected to return for Chicago Med season 12
Needless to say, the back half of the season was particularly trying for Frost in many ways, but it was one that allowed the show to close the book on the past as the show focuses on how Frost will move forward. With the closing of this book, Chicago Med showrunner Allen MacDonald seemed to indicate that we’ve seen the last of a character that quickly became one of the show’s most disliked characters: Ainsley.
While you can truly never say never in the world of television, MacDonald appears to have all but confirmed we’ve seen the last of Ainsley on Chicago Med. In speaking with Parade following the finale, MacDonald noted that while they’ll always make reference to Frost’s past and to Nick of Time and Ainsley, specifically, they’ve closed the book on that—seeming to hint that while Ainsley might come up in conversation, she won’t be popping back up on the show directly.
“There’s a weight lifted off his shoulders. I think the past has always been something he’s run away from, that he thought he didn’t need to deal with it but it was actually weighing him down more because he wasn’t. We’ve spent the last two seasons with him slowly confronting the past and growing from the processing of it, and now I believe next season he’s going to move on,” MacDonald revealed. “There will be other challenges next season for Dr. John Frost, but as far as the past and Nick of Time and Ainsley, those are things we’ll always make reference to, but I feel like we’re closing the book on that, on the past, and now he’s going to move forward.”
As much as we love Jessalyn Gilsig, who was phenomenal in the role of Ainsley, it does make sense for her appearance in season 11, episode 19, “Exit Strategies," to serve as her final episode on the show.
Frost will surely continue to unpack the events of his past in the new season as he works on his relationship with his mom following his father’s death, but we don’t need to see Ainsley back again as it’s time the show began to allow Frost to reclaim his future and move forward. Thankfully, that seems to be the plan, and we’re certainly eager to see what season 12 will bring for Frost as he begins this new chapter in his story!
Be the first to comment on this article!