Why I’m So Disappointed That Dominic Rains Is Leaving Chicago Med

Summary

• Dominic Rains’ departure from Chicago Med leaves a gap and missed opportunity for character development.
• Marcel’s exit marks the latest in a series of character departures from the show, impacting audience investment.
• Chicago Med must regain audience trust and fill the void left by Marcel with engaging new characters.

There are several reasons I’m disappointed that Dominic Rains is leaving Chicago Med ahead of season 10. Rains has played Crockett Marcel since season 5, when he was brought on board to replace departing actor Colin Donnel. Rains is far from the only actor to have left Med in recent years; the series has been somewhat of a revolving door since season 8. His departure is also not the only major change for the aging series, as Chicago Med showrunners exited after season 9, making room for a new writing team for season 10.

I’m not entirely surprised by this latest Chicago Med season 10 update because the season 9 finale seemed to be setting things up for Marcel to walk away from Med. His final scene was a rooftop conversation with Maggie in which Marcel confided in her that the recent deaths of two patients triggered his memories of losing his infant daughter to leukemia. Although the conversation ended with Marcel promising he’d be back the next day, I doubted he would remain for season 10. Still, the confirmation that Dominic Rains is leaving as a series regular hit me hard.

Chicago Med’s Crockett Marcel’s Potential Season 10 Storyline Would Have Brought His Character Full Circle

His Tragic Backstory Will Never Get Closure Now

One of the things I found most fascinating about Marcel was his tragic backstory. His daughter’s death contributed to his closed-off behavior during the first part of his run, and he only began to talk about it when he became serious about dating Natalie Manning. Although he hadn’t talked as much about his personal tragedy in recent seasons, Marcel mentioned something to Maggie that opened the door for a new storyline involving his grief, and I had hoped the resurgence of his heartbreak would lead in a new creative direction for him.

Marcel’s backstory was similar to that of
Chicago Hope
‘s Dr. Jeffrey Geiger (Mandy Patinkin), who I also thought was one of the most compelling medical characters in TV history.

Marcel told Maggie that he had been able to move forward by throwing himself into work, but that was no longer working. It’s logical after this comment for him to take a leave of absence; however, it would have been a moving storyline for him to continue working while dealing with his grief, showing him going through therapy and making changes in how he approaches work. The news that Dominic Rains is leaving Chicago Med represents a missed opportunity. I and other fans of this character will never get to see his healing on-screen now.

Marcel’s Exit Leaves a Gap That Will Be Hard To Fill

He Was One Of Chicago Med’s Longest-Running Characters

Although Marcel wasn’t part of the original cast, he was closely associated with the show, and in recent seasons he had many strong storylines. I especially loved the season-long arc involving his relationship with tech mogul Jack Dayton, who took over hospital ownership and pushed the use of his technology during season 8. Marcel also was in important storylines featuring his desire to become a transplant surgeon, his dislike of hospital politics, and his relationship with rebellious new resident Zola Ahmad.

Marcel’s exit comes just a year after Will Halstead’s (Nick Gehlfuss), which makes me twice as disappointed at his leaving. Will was the central figure from day one, and after Marcel’s introduction, many stories revolved around Will and Marcel butting heads professionally and personally. After Will left, Marcel became the center of many storylines, although he struggled with confidence issues all season long. While his entire arc in season 9 might have been a set-up for him to leave Med, it also solidified him as the new lead.

I hope that a new character will come in instead of elevating Ripley to this role because this story is the least interesting of everything going on in Med.

Who will replace Marcel in that role now? The plan may be for Ripley to step up since he has a big story involving Pawel accusing him of assault. I hope that a new character will come in instead of elevating Ripley to this role because this story is the least interesting of everything going on in Med. An expanded role for Ripley might also mean more screen time for Pawel, who is an unpopular character, so this would not be the best direction for the new showrunners to take the series.

Too Many Characters Come And Go In Chicago Med

Marcel Is The Latest Character to Fall Victim To a Disturbing Trend

Chicago Med, like the other shows in the One Chicago franchise, has suffered from the loss of too many characters recently. Four main characters have left over the series’ ten seasons and there have been at least two characters who have lasted less than half a season. All of this turnover makes it hard to invest in characters because you never know how long they’re staying.

I don’t understand the point of bringing Zola in as a “new Will,” only for her to be fired after her third infraction of the rules, and other characters have come and gone without rhyme or reason. Any show that has been on for a decade will have some turnover; I’ve covered this industry for long enough to understand that actors want to move on after several years with the same series. However, the amount of turnover in this series is staggering, and it makes it even more heartbreaking to lose an appealing character like Marcel who has been part of the series for years.

Chicago Med will have to work hard to win back audience trust after all of these exits. Dr. Marcel’s exit is especially disappointing. Long-running shows can bounce back when actors leave, but it’s hard to believe the series will be as compelling, especially if it doesn’t bring in a new, interesting character rather than using less popular characters to fill the space Marcel leaves behind him.