Chicago Med went big for its milestone 200th episode with the return of none other than Nick Gehlfuss as Dr. Will Halstead, but the crisis at the end of that installment in the 2025 TV schedule means that Natalie (Torrey DeVitto) needs to return to the Windy City ASAP. That's great news for fans who have been missing the character since DeVitto's exit as a series regular back in 2021, but her son Owen being shot is a tragic way for her to come back. The actress spoke with CinemaBlend about Natalie's "fight" for Owen, working with Gehlfuss again, and what was "trippy."
Natalie made a cameo at the end of the previous episode when Goodwin (S. Epatha Merkerson) called her in Seattle with the terrible news that Owen had been shot, which was actually the third time that DeVitto made a brief surprise appearance since her exit as a regular. This was for a much more dramatic reason than for Will's departure at the end of Season 8, and she'll be back in the thick of the action in the new October 15 episode, called "Horseshoes and Hand Grenades." (You can stream the 200th episode with a Peacock subscription now.)
As if her 10-year-old son being shot thousands of miles away from home wasn't complicated enough for Natalie, she's also pregnant with her second child and returning to a hospital where she used to know everybody, but is now filled with many unfamiliar faces. When I spoke with Torrey DeVitto about her return, she shared what it's like for Natalie to return to Gaffney under such circumstances:
Natalie's been the kind of character that kind of takes things into her own hands anyways, so I feel like until she hears what she wants to hear, she's gonna fight for what needs to happen, regardless of who's treating. Somebody she knows, somebody she doesn't know. But I think there's definitely a comfort just overall being at Gaffney, because obviously she knows the hospital, she knows a lot of the people working in it. I don't think there's a ton of stress of that she doesn't know some of the doctors, because she does interact with some of them that she does have history with, and some new ones as well.
The promo for "Horseshoes and Hand Grenades" gives away some of who Natalie will be encountering in her return to Gaffney and the ED. A brief but emotional shot in the trailer also reveals a tearful Natalie reuniting with Dr. Charles (Oliver Platt), seemingly at the airport. DeVitto only had good things to say about the reunion with her former costar:
Yes, yes, yes! It was so lovely getting to work with Oliver again. He's such a warm person and a warm character. I don't think anybody could really console Natalie during this time, but I feel like if anybody could try, it would definitely be him.
Dr. Charles seems like a good candidate for a shoulder to lean on, especially since I'm very curious about what the Manstead relationship will be like in the big episode. While Will obviously didn't mean for anything bad to happen to Owen and they're expecting their first child together, it's not hard to imagine Natalie being frustrated with him while her son's life is in danger when they were just supposed to be on a bonding boys' trip.
What I can say with certainty is that Nick Gehlfuss and Torrey DeVitto still have a good working relationship, with DeVitto saying that it was "so great" and she loves "working with Nick," as they've "remained close and stayed in touch" over the years. The actress has also become a mom since leaving Med, with the birth of her daughter in November 2024. So, was playing a pregnant Natalie different this time around than when she'd been pregnant with Owen back in the first Season of Med? She shared:
For sure. I feel like I just understand a little bit more about playing a mom, having my own kid, versus not having my own kid. And it definitely made the stakes a lot higher, and I didn't have to emotionally prep as much at all, because it's such a dark, scary storyline. I definitely didn't want to really think about it too much until I had to on set, because as a new mom, you just don't want to imagine anything bad when it comes to kids. It's definitely hard, so I just feel like it was easier to understand the storyline a lot more now that I've had my own child.
It seems like a very long time ago that Torrey DeVitto was first wearing a pregnancy bump to play Natalie Manning, as the doctor was expecting for much of the medical drama's first season. Now, circa 2025, the infant Owen from Chicago Med Season 1 is in doubt digits and played by ten-year-old Frankie DeMaio, first seen in the 200th episode.
When I noted to the actress that it was interesting to see Frankie DeMaio as Owen and think back on the days when the character hadn't even been born yet, Torrey DeVitto responded:
I know! Isn't that so trippy? I mean, I even felt that way. I was like, 'Wait, the actor playing Owen is how old?!' I was confused. I was like, 'Holy crap!' Like, yeah, that makes sense, but oh my god.
Will Owen survive being shot on Chicago Med and go home to Seattle to become a big brother? Well, we can only hope that the medical drama didn't bring Will and Natalie back after years just to deliver the worst kind of news! Check out a brief taste of what to expect below:
Tune in to NBC on Wednesday, October 15 at 8 p.m. ET for the "Horseshoes and Hand Grenades" episode of Chicago Med, followed by Chicago Fire at 9 p.m. ET and Chicago P.D. at 10 p.m. ET. All three shows will also stream their newest episodes next day on Peacock.
