Chicago Med Season 12 premiered on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, and the hospital drama is running for 21 episodes this year. The season opened with a three-month time jump that left Sharon Goodwin suspended, a new interim director running Gaffney, and a mass shooting at a wedding filling the emergency department. A familiar face is also coming back: Colin Donnell returns as Dr. Connor Rhodes for two episodes in December, his first appearance on the show since 2019.
The season airs every Wednesday at 8 PM ET/PT on NBC and streams the next day on Peacock. The full schedule, cast changes, and production details below cover what is confirmed so far.
Full Episode Schedule for Chicago Med Season 12
The season carries 21 episodes, according to NBC and multiple listings. Each episode runs about 42 minutes, matching the show’s usual format.
- Episode 2 — “Third Rails”: Wednesday, October 14, 2026. Subway surfers arrive with serious injuries, and Dr. Charles works a mysterious case.
- Episode 3: Wednesday, October 21, 2026.
- Episode 4: Wednesday, October 28, 2026.
- Episode 5: Wednesday, November 4, 2026.
- Fall finale: Wednesday, December 9, 2026. This is also the episode where Colin Donnell first returns as Dr. Connor Rhodes.
- Winter premiere: January 2027, with the exact date to be confirmed by NBC.
The show takes its usual holiday break after the December 9 episode and returns in the new year. NBC has not released titles for episodes beyond the first two.
New Doctors and Cast Changes in Season 12
Two new series regulars joined the cast in the premiere. An-Li Bogan plays Dr. Annie Wu, a skilled but headstrong resident who clashes with Dr. Mitch Ripley during a high-pressure case. Rebecca Breeds plays Mallory Sloan, the interim director installed by board member Miranda Lewis. Sloan’s focus on budget cuts puts her at odds with Dr. Dean Archer, who is now chief of the emergency department.
“She is Miranda Lewis’ right-hand person, basically,” showrunner Allen MacDonald told Give Me My Remote. “She was hired by Miranda.”
The season also says goodbye to Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut, who played Dr. Naomi Howard since Season 9. MacDonald confirmed she chose to leave for other opportunities.
“We were initially planning for Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut to return as Dr. Naomi Howard this season, but she elected to move on because she has a lot of opportunities,” MacDonald said.
Sarah Ramos, who plays Dr. Caitlin Lenox, is absent for the first five episodes due to maternity leave. The show wrote her character into a prion disease drug trial in Zurich, and she appears via video call in the premiere. Ramos returns full-time in Episode 6.
Colin Donnell Returns as Dr. Connor Rhodes
Colin Donnell last appeared in the Season 5 premiere in 2019, when his character left Gaffney after a dark chapter involving his father’s death. He returns for two episodes starting with the December 9 fall finale. The story brings Dr. Rhodes back to help Sharon Goodwin with a young heart patient.
His second episode is the winter premiere in January 2027. Donnell is the latest original cast member to return for a guest arc, following Nick Gehlfuss, Torrey DeVitto, and Rachel DiPillo in earlier seasons.
Where the Story Picks Up After the Season 11 Finale
The premiere picks up three months after the Season 11 finale. Hannah Asher and Dean Archer are living together and raising their newborn daughter, Mabel, but they are avoiding any real conversation about their romantic status.
“The problem with Dean and Hannah right now is they are just as confused about their relationship as you are about it,” MacDonald told People. “They’re very much in that cocoon of intimacy with this beautiful baby girl, but I also think the baby girl is an excuse for them not to talk about what’s going on between them.”
Sharon Goodwin is on voluntary paid leave while the hospital investigates whether she leaked Dr. Theo Rabari’s medical files. The premiere reveals that Doris, the charge nurse, was the one who leaked the file, not Goodwin. Goodwin is fighting to get her job back from Mallory Sloan, and the conflict with Miranda Lewis is a major season storyline.
Dr. Charles and Goodwin are at odds because she shuts him out, knowing he will keep pushing her about the leak. Dr. Ripley is navigating Lenox’s absence and her terminal diagnosis, while Dr. Frost is reeling from Naomi Howard’s sudden departure.
Behind-the-Scenes Details About Filming and Production
Most hospital interiors are filmed at Cinespace Chicago Film Studios, where the production keeps three permanent medical sets across three stages. The sets cover the ICU, the surgical floor, and the emergency room. Rush University Medical Center in Chicago inspired the fictional Gaffney Medical Center and appears in exterior shots.
The show switched to filming seven days per episode instead of the usual eight, according to Reel Chicago. Exterior scenes are shot around Chicago, giving the series its grounded city look.
The season’s theme, according to MacDonald, is “moving into the unknown.” The premiere was designed to feel disorienting, with Goodwin gone, Sloan in charge, Archer running the ED, and a new doctor who does not even know who Sharon Goodwin is.
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Where to Watch Chicago Med Season 12 Around the World
NBC airs new episodes in the United States every Wednesday at 8 PM ET/PT. Peacock streams each episode the next day, usually around 6 AM ET/3 AM PT on Thursdays.
Canada gets the show on Citytv every Wednesday at 8 PM ET, day-and-date with the U.S. broadcast.
UK viewers watch the series on Sky Witness. Season 11 aired in August 2026, and Season 12 is expected to follow on a delay, likely in 2027. Sky has confirmed that the new seasons of the One Chicago franchise will arrive on the platform, though a specific date for Season 12 has not been announced.
Australia carries the show on Nine and Prime Video, with episodes arriving after the U.S. broadcast.
India and other markets should check Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV, where previous seasons have been available, though local availability varies by region.
Also Read: Chicago Med Season 12 Episode 1 Cast and Characters: Who Brought the NBC Medical Drama Back to Life
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