“Please, Not Them Too.” — The One Chicago Goodbyes That Still Hurt — And the New Exit Rumors Sending Fans Into Panic
For more than a decade, the One Chicago universe — Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, and Chicago P.D. — has built a world of heroes who save lives, break hearts, and remind us that courage always comes with a cost. But as much as fans celebrate every rescue, surgery, and victory, they also remember the moments that shattered them — the exits that came too soon, the goodbyes that still sting, and the rumors that now threaten to reopen those old wounds.
Below, we look back at the most unforgettable One Chicago departures — and the whispers about who might be next.
1. Leslie Shay (Chicago Fire) — The Death That Started It All
When Chicago Fire first broke fans’ hearts, it was through Leslie Shay. Smart, fearless, and fiercely loyal, Shay was the soul of Firehouse 51. Her shocking death in the Season 2 premiere didn’t just kill a character — it set the emotional tone for the franchise. Shay’s loss still haunts the show, especially in the quiet moments when her name is mentioned or her old locker appears in the background.
2. Dr. Connor Rhodes (Chicago Med) — The Exit Nobody Saw Coming
Connor Rhodes was the surgeon who made the impossible possible. When he walked away from Chicago Med in Season 5 after Ava’s tragic death, it felt like losing the heart of Gaffney Chicago Medical Center. His blend of compassion and defiance made him unforgettable, and his quiet goodbye remains one of the show’s most painful moments.
3. Detective Erin Lindsay (Chicago P.D.) — The Goodbye That Broke Voight’s Heart
Erin Lindsay’s departure hit P.D. like a gut punch. Her relationship with Voight was one of the show’s deepest emotional threads, and when she left for a job in New York, it wasn’t just a career move — it was a family breaking apart. Fans still hold out hope for her return, a reunion that could heal both Voight’s heart and our own.
4. Captain Matthew Casey (Chicago Fire) — The Leader Who Carried 51
Jesse Spencer’s exit after nearly ten seasons left a hole no one can fill. Casey wasn’t just a captain — he was Firehouse 51’s conscience. His farewell, leaving Chicago to raise his late friend’s children, brought the series to a standstill. Even after his return for Sylvie Brett’s wedding, it’s hard to imagine the show ever feeling the same.
5. Dr. Natalie Manning (Chicago Med) — The Farewell That Broke Every Rule
Natalie’s emotional confession — stealing drugs to save her mother — sealed her fate. But when she left the hospital in Season 7, she walked away as one of Med’s most layered and human characters. Her chemistry with Dr. Halstead defined the show’s emotional core, and her absence still leaves the ER feeling just a little colder.
6. Detective Jay Halstead (Chicago P.D.) — The Goodbye That Shattered Hailey Upton
When Jesse Lee Soffer announced his exit, fans braced for heartbreak — and they got it. Jay Halstead’s quiet, devastating farewell to Hailey (“I need to find myself”) remains one of P.D.’s most gut-wrenching moments. His departure ripped the moral center out of Intelligence, and even now, Upton’s lingering grief keeps his memory alive.
7. Gabriela Dawson (Chicago Fire) — The Flame That Never Faded
Monica Raymund’s Gabriela Dawson wasn’t just a firefighter — she was the spark that ignited the show. Her exit to pursue humanitarian work in Puerto Rico ended her love story with Casey, but her spirit never left. Every glance Casey gives toward an empty locker is a quiet reminder: some loves never truly burn out.
8. Dr. Ethan Choi (Chicago Med) — The Soldier Who Found Peace
After years of turmoil and loss, Ethan Choi finally got the closure he deserved. His decision to open a veterans’ clinic — and his rekindled romance with April Sexton — gave fans a rare gift: a happy ending. His departure was calm, reflective, and deeply earned, proof that sometimes heroes do get peace.