In a big surprise for fans of Chicago Med, a relatively recent series regular has already left the series. Dr. Stevie Hammer, played by the wonderful Kristen Hager, is no longer a part of the long-running medical drama. Hager's last episode aired in March and Deadline confirmed that she had subsequently exited the show for good.
What makes the news shocking is that Hager was just introduced at the beginning of the current season. While many well loved characters such as April Sexton have left the One Chicago universe over the years, it's exceedingly soon for the character of Dr. Hammer to leave. She only lasted 14 episodes. So why did she disappear so suddenly?
Who Was Dr. Stevie Hammer on Chicago Med?
Dr. Stevie Hammer was introduced in the Chicago Med Season 7 premiere, "You Can't Always Trust What You See" as an attending physician in the Emergency Department, and it was clear that there was more to her than what was on the surface. Audiences were hooked by the ongoing arc with Dr. Hammer and her mother Terri. In the first episode, it was revealed that her mother was homeless and struggling with an addiction to drugs and alcohol.
Despite Dr. Hammer's best efforts, her mother regularly rejected the medical help she offered. It was a difficult road for Dr. Hammer as she tried her best to care for her mother and carry out her professional duties. In need of support, she developed a rapport with Dr. Will Halstead, whom the show revealed she had known from medical school. Dr. Halstead even helped Dr. Hammer look for her mother when Terri went missing.
In Season 7, Episode 14, "All The Things That Could Have Been," Dr. Hammer had fully resolved the situation between her and her mother. Now knowing Terri was in safe hands and getting the proper medical attention she needed, Dr. Hammer felt that it was time she moved back to Michigan and gave her marriage a second chance.
Why Kristen Hager Left Chicago Med
While Kristen Hager has not given an official statement on why Dr. Stevie Hammer is departing from Chicago Med, executive producers Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider have spoken out. The latter told Variety that "We felt we had pretty much done her story regarding her mom and resolved that."
That resolution of the character's story arc is a reasonable explanation for Dr. Hammer's exit. As both producers and showrunners, Frolov and Schneider have a strong idea of where they want their show and characters to go. If there's not another storyline for the character, then it makes sense that Kristen Hager was let go. Fans may be disappointed that the spark of a romance between Dr. Hammer and Dr. Halstead will be put on ice, but some might consider that fortunate given the return of Jessy Schram's Dr. Hannah Asher.
However, in a joint statement to Deadline, Frolov and Schneider did not rule out a possible return for Hager, saying that "We all really liked Kristen and would welcome her character coming back in the future." While Dr. Hammer is gone from Chicago Med for now, there's a chance she could return in the future. For now, she remains one of the shortest-tenured doctors that the hospital has ever seen.
New episodes of Chicago Med premiere Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
