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Why Did Rachel DiPillo's Dr. Sarah Reese Leave Chicago Med?
Between a horrific serial killer and a shocking heart attack, Dr. Reese's Chicago Med exit was a gripping watch.
The Season 10 fall finale of Chicago Med is here, and Chi-Hards are perched for an exciting reunion with a former Gaffney fan favorite: Dr. Sarah Reese (Rachel DiPillo).
As DiPillo returns to guest star on Chicago Med as Dr. Reese, some fans may be wondering why she left the One Chicago franchise in the first place. Beginning as a timid medical student in Season 1 before joining Dr. Daniel Charles (Oliver Platt) as a psychiatry resident in Season 2 and beyond, Reese weighed in on dozens of cases throughout the early seasons of Chicago Med. Dr. Reese was dedicated and tenacious, leaning on Dr. Charles as her mentor and growing tremendously during her four-season arc on the show.
RELATED: What Happened to Dr. Sarah Reese on Chicago Med?
But why did Reese leave Chicago Med? Ahead of Rachel DiPillo's upcoming guest appearance in Chicago Med's Season 13 fall finale, we're looking back at the tragic circumstances surrounding Reese's departure.
Why did Dr. Sarah Reese leave Chicago Med?
The road to Reese's exit began when she reunited with her estranged father, Robert Haywood (Michel Gill), after 20 years of neglect. Robert became one of Dr. Charles' patients after he was admitted to Gaffney with heart failure. After a brain scan revealed that Robert had antisocial personality disorder, and Robert admitted that he mainly reconnected with Reese so that she could take care of him during his illness, Dr. Charles began spotting a mountain of red flags and signs of psychopathy. Robert was leveraging Reese's position to get on the transplant list, not reconnecting with his daughter.
Despite their steel-tight bond at the time, HIPAA laws prevented Dr. Charles from disclosing this information to Reese. Still, his protectiveness began rearing its head after he unveiled a history of criminal behavior and discovered that Robert was a serial killer responsible for killing numerous women. Dr. Charles cautioned Robert to stay away from Reese, leading Robert to claim to his daughter that Dr. Charles was blackmailing him.
As Dr. Charles swirled with concern over how to caution Reese about her father's horrific actions, it all came to a head in Season 3, Episode 20 ("The Tipping Point") after Robert's heart began failing during a conversation with Dr. Charles. As Robert suffered a heart attack and started coding, Dr. Charles stood over his body and hesitated to perform CPR.
The haunting moment was made all the more jaw-dropping after Reese entered the room and found Dr. Charles staring down at the helpless Robert. Reese launched into action, and her father was subsequently hospitalized and imprisoned after Dr. Charles came forth with evidence. Reese was safe, but the damage between Dr. Charles and his resident had been done.
Some time later, Dr. Reese cooperated with authorities to help them gather evidence from her father's storage unit in the Season 4 premiere ("Be My Better Half"). Dr. Charles attempted to make small talk and commend her for her actions, but Reese brushed him off. It didn't take long for Reese to visit Dr. Charles to inform him that she was officially resigning from Gaffney.
"People here would always look at me and think, 'Oh, there's that doctor. The one whose father murdered those girls.' I could live with that. What I can't live with is you..." Reese confessed to him while tearfully explaining her decision. "Every time I would see your face, I would remember when I walked into that room and saw my father on the floor. I saw it in your eyes. You were gonna let him die."
Dr. Charles was heartbroken to see Reese leave but understood that too much had come to pass between them. Reese couldn't trust him anymore, prompting her decision to leave Chicago for a position at a different hospital.
Dr. Reese and Dr. Charles haven't spoken in six years, but they will come face to face again in the fall finale. How will they break the tension? Find out by watching Chicago Med on Wednesdays at 8/7c on NBC. Catch up on Reese's best moments by watching all of Chicago Med on Peacock.
