Sumith Prasad
In the seventh season of NBC’s medical series ‘Chicago Med,’ Dr. Stevie Hammer joins Gaffney Chicago Medical Center as a new attending physician. Upon arriving in Chicago from Michigan, Hammer focuses on the well-being of her mother Terri, who is homeless and struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. She also forms a connection with Dr. Will Halstead, whom she knows from her medical school days. While the viewers were expecting a romantic connection between Will and Hammer, the latter leaves Gaffney, paving the way for Kristen Hager’s departure from the show as well. If you are eager to know about the reason behind the actress’ departure and the prospects of her return to the medical drama, we have got you covered!
Kristen Hager’s Dr. Stevie Hammer Exit From Chicago Med
After arriving in Chicago, Stevie Hammer tries to be there for her homeless mother despite the latter’s repeated rejection of the medical help Hammer offers to her. In the fourteenth episode of the seventh season, Hammer resolves the predicament with Terri and the latter starts to receive adequate medical attention. After solving her concerns with Terri, Hammer leaves Gaffney and Chicago to move back to Michigan to give her marriage a second chance.
According to co-showrunner Andrew Schneider, the completion of Hammer’s story arc paved the way for Kristen Hager’s departure from the show. “We felt we had pretty much done her story regarding her mom and resolved that,” Schneider told Variety. “What’s happening with Stevie right now is she’s going back to try and reconnect with her husband and make that work,” added co-showrunner Diane Frolov to Variety in the same interview.
In March 2022, less than a month before Hager’s official departure from the show, the actress announced that she is pregnant. Even though neither the showrunners nor Hager had cited the actress’ pregnancy as the reason behind her exit, it would have been difficult to include the same in Hammer’s storyline if Hager had remained a part of the medical drama.
Will Kristen Hager’s Dr. Stevie Hammer Return to Chicago Med?
In the wake of Kristen Hager’s departure from the show, showrunners Diane Frolov and Andy Schneider confirmed that Hager’s return as Hammer is indeed a possibility in the future. “We all really liked Kristen and would welcome her character coming back in the future,” Frolov and Schneider told Deadline. Since Hammer is still alive in Michigan, a return to Gaffney cannot be entirely ruled out. “[…] the great thing about the ‘One Chicago’ series is if the character’s alive, the character can come back,” Schneider told Variety in the same interview.
Although Hammer leaves for Michigan to amend her married life with her estranged husband, the show hasn’t given any indication that she will succeed in doing the same. According to Frolov, the fate of Hammer and her husband’s marriage is “up in the air.” Frolov also revealed that Hammer is a character that has “the potential to return.” Since the showrunners haven’t revealed when it will happen, we may need to wait patiently to see Hammer back in Gaffney.
If Hammer and her husband’s marriage is beyond amendable, we may see her leaving Michigan to return to Chicago so that she can be with her mother Terri. If that happens, a return to Gaffney may turn out to be the next step in the attending physician’s career. Hager’s possible return may also pave the way for a romantic connection between Hammer and Will, a development the admirers of the show had wanted to happen badly in the seventh season.
Read More: Is Dr. Dylan Scott Leaving Chicago? Did Guy Lockard Leave Chicago Med?
