Connor Rhodes

**Dr. Connor Rhodes** is a former double-certified Attending Physician specializing in trauma surgery and cardiothoracic surgery at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center. He was portrayed by Colin Donnell.

## Biography

Connor was born in Chicago to Cornelius Rhodes and his wife Elizabeth, with a younger sister named Claire. His family is the very wealthy owner of Dolan Rhodes Department Store, started by Connor's grandfather. When Connor was ten, his mother killed herself by throwing herself off the roof of their home. Although she was severely depressed, Connor always knew there was more to the story, remarking to his father that there are things he knows that he has not told his sister. After Elizabeth died, Connor left Chicago and his sister grew bitter towards him for abandoning her and leaving her with their father.

The summer before starting college, Connor and a friend were arrested for attempting to buy drugs from an undercover cop. While Cornelius pulled some strings and got Connor off, his friend did not and died of an overdose before Connor could make amends.

Cornelius never accepted Connor's refusal to participate in the family business and criticized his son's medical skills as often as possible. This led to Connor leaving Chicago and attending medical school in Guadalajara, Mexico and spending the year after his residency in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he treated injured oil workers. After his time in Riyadh, he returned home to Chicago to start his trauma surgery fellowship at *Med*.

His father was killed by Ava Bekker in Who Can You Trust, which caused him to decide to leave Chicago.

## Season One

    In season 1, Connor is introduced as a new surgeon at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center. On his first day, the elevated train that he is riding in, on his way to work, derails. Connor provides medical assistance on the spot, and arrives at the E.R. to start treating patients right away. He clashes with Dr. Will Halstead, who tries to take over as the senior resident in the E.R., but is overruled by Connor, who introduces himself as the new trauma surgery fellow, overriding him ("Derailed"). Connor also meets the rest of the Chicago Med staff, including April Sexton, Sharon Goodwin, Dr. Daniel Charles, Dr. Natalie Manning, and Maggie Lockwood.

Connor initially has a hostile relationship with Dr. Will Halstead, following their first meeting. In "Malignant" Connor attends to a colleague of Will's brother, Jay Halstead, and both Jay and Will question Connor's competence and judgment, leading Will and Connor to argue. Later, however, when Connor saves the patient, they both accept that he is a good surgeon. In the same episode, Connor prevents Will from ruining his career by stopping him from disclosing to a patient in a drug trial that she is only receiving a placebo. Physically restraining him in the elevator, Connor tells Will not to make stupid decisions, as he is a good doctor, and the world needs good doctors. Later, Connor and Will go drinking at Molly's bar together, and after that, they have a good working relationship.

Through the season, Connor clashes occasionally with his wealthy businessman father, Cornelius Rhodes, and rejects his attempts to reconcile. Cornelius in turn does not hide his disappointment that Connor chose not to follow in the family business, and often dismisses his son's abilities and career, once going over Connor's head to try and have him removed from attending to a patient ("Fallback").It is revealed that Connor left his father and sister to study medicine in Mexico, and later practice in Riyadh, and that his sister, Claire Rhodes, resents his departure. Connor blames his father for his mother Elizabeth Rhodes' suicide when Connor was ten, and in an attempt to control him, Cornelius funds a new psychiatric ward at Chicago Med, earning a position on their board. Connor later partly reconciles with his sister, after a mutual friend and his father's employee, Russel, is injured at work, and Connor is the attending surgeon. In "Guilty" Connor tells Maggie Lockwood that he once was arrested with a friend for drugs, but that his father used his influence to get him released. Unfortunately, his friend died of an overdose, without the right connections to pull, and Connor has felt guilt that he never made amends.

Connor also dates Samantha Zanetti, a trauma surgeon at Chicago Med, but their relationship ends when she accepts a job at Johns Hopkins. Towards the end of the season, his work is noticed by Dr. David Downey, a famous and leading cardiothoracic surgeon, who wants Connor to follow in his footsteps and learn from him. While Connor is initially reluctant, he agrees, after Zanetti urges him on, calling him a coward for hesitating. He also learns that Downey has liver cancer, and wants to pass on as much of his knowledge to Connor before dying. Downey becomes Connor's mentor, and in "Timing," Connor operates on him in an effort to save him after the cancer worsens. On learning that his condition is terminal, Downey refuses treatment. He and Connor have a long heart-to-heart conversation, during which Downey asks Connor to assist him in euthanizing himself. Connor refuses, but later is seen saying goodbye to Downey before Downey codes, and dies. Later, Connor goes to Hawaii, a place that Downey loved, and scatters his ashes in the ocean.

## Season 2

In Season 2, Connor starts as a fellow in cardiothoracic surgery at Chicago Med, working with Dr. Downey's replacement, Dr. Isidore Latham. Connor initially struggles with this, as Dr. Latham tells Connor that Connor was not his first choice for the position, but that he was outvoted. Connor finds Latham's style to be abrupt, rigid, and difficult to understand ("Soul Care"). Connor continues to take shifts in the emergency room as a trauma surgeon, filling in while they work to rebuild Chicago Med's reputation as a destination for cardiac surgery after his mentor, Dr. Downey's death. Connor initially struggles with taking on ambitious surgeries, often without Latham's express consent or while disagreeing with him, requiring Latham to intervene to help him out when gets in over his head ("Natural History"). Connor struggles with the realization that Latham's skill allows him to make diagnoses that Connor can't follow, but is told by Dr. Natalie Manning, a friend of Dr. Latham's, that the skill is in part natural talent, but also in part, just a great deal of effort. Following this, Connor spends more time studying, in order to improve his skills. ("Alternative Medicine"). In "Graveyard Shift," Dr. Latham is diagnosed with Asperger's, and later shares his diagnosis with Connor. He overhears Connor defending him when his behaviour upsets some nurses, which results in a turn in their relationship, allowing them to become friends. In "Theseus' Ship" Connor and Dr. Latham travel outside Chicago to attend to an urgent case, and Connor helps Dr. Latham socialize at a bar, rescuing him when he someone tries to scam him out of his wallet. Connor often provides Dr. Latham with explanations for social situations that he cannot understand, and encourages him to socialize with their department's staff, inviting him out for drinks. In "Natural History" he tells Sharon Goodwin that Latham is a genius, urging her to feature Latham as the focus of their publicity campaign, instead of Connor.

Connor also works closely with the hospital administrator, Sharon Goodwin, taking her to a Hawaiian bar to console her after her separation from her husband ("Extreme Measures"). Sharon, in turn, helps promote Connor publicly as a rising surgical star, having him featured on a magazine cover despite his protests ("Natural History"), helping him manage P.R. during a high-profile surgery ("Lose Yourself,"), and assigning him to operate on a panda from the Chicago Zoo, in an effort to maintain diplomatic relations with the Chinese government, which had loaned the panda to the zoo ("Graveyard Shift").

Connor also starts dating Dr. Robin Charles, an epidemiologist, and the daughter of Dr. Daniel Charles, the Head of Psychiatry at Chicago Med ("Inherent Bias"). Dr. Daniel Charles initially disapproves of the relationship and unsuccessfully attempts to break them up, citing Connor's complicated personal history as a negative factor ("Free Will"). After dating for a while, Robin begins behaving erratically ("Ctrl Alt") which concerns Connor enough to raise the matter with Dr. Daniel Charles ("Generation Gap"). On Dr. Daniel Charles' urging, Robin undergoes a psychiatric evaluation and is initially diagnosed with schizophrenia by Dr. David Kwon and Dr. Sarah Reese ("Deliver Us"). When Dr. Daniel Charles has Robin committed against her will, Connor approaches the hospital administration, who agree to release her. She returns home to Connor's house, but experiences a psychotic break which places herself and Connor both in danger, and is once again institutionalized ("White Butterflies"). Dr. Daniel Charles correctly diagnoses the problem not as schizophrenia, but as a tumor causing encephalitis, which in turn caused Robin's symptoms. Dr. Latham successfully removes the tumor, leaving her in a much more stable condition. Dr. Daniel Charles and Connor talk and eventually reconcile, admitting that they both made mistakes, but deeply care about Robin ("Love Hurts"). Through the season, Connor repeatedly expresses his commitment to Robin, and references his mother's mental illness, vowing to take better care of Robin than his father took, of his mother. ("White Butterflies")

## Season 3

In Season 3, Connor continues to attempt balancing his work with caring for his girlfriend, Robin Charles. Robin has been discharged from hospital after her psychotic break, which was identified as being caused by a tumor that was later removed. Robin is concerned that Connor is motivated by a desire to take care of her, and not love ("Speak Your Truth"). Connor and Robin are both warned that the medication that Robin takes to manage her condition may cause side effects like reckless and impulsive behavior, irritability, and forgetfulness. Connor is troubled by the evidence of these symptoms, including Robin forgetting about food in the oven, being unable to find her belongings, making impulse purchases, and so on ("Nothing to Fear"). Connor is often forced to leave work to address these issues, leading Robin to feel guilty, and Connor to feel upset. While Robin returns to work ("Naughty or Nice,") she continues to struggle with the side effects, and is detained at the Dolan Rhodes Department Store after she is caught shoplifting ("Ties that Bind,"). Although Connor's father, Cornelius Rhodes (the owner of the store) declines to press charges against her for Connor's sake, he tells Connor to break up with her as she is either unstable or a criminal. Connor, in turn, tells his father that he has no grounds to intervene after Connor's mother committed suicide, something that he blames Cornelius for. While Connor tells Robin that he loves her, Robin tells Connor she feels like a burden to him, and leaves Chicago without telling Connor, to go stay with her mother and continue her recovery independently. Connor initially plans on following her, and is ultimately discouraged from doing so by Dr. Daniel Charles, who urges him to respect Robin's decision ""Ties that Bind". Connor and Robin effectively break up. Following the end of their relationship, Connor engages in reckless behavior, buying a new sports car on impulse (""Ties that Bind,"),paying patients' medical bills with his own funds ("Lemons and Lemonade"), and engaging in casual sex, with one of his partners ending up in hospital when Connor also diagnoses her with a heart problem. ("Folie à Deux").

Through the episode, Connor also has an antagonistic relationship with Dr. Ava Bekker, a new cardiothoracic surgical fellow that Dr. Latham brings on. Connor initially refuses to engage with Ava despite her effects to whip up a rivalry between the two of them, although he is often provoked by her disparaging comments about his relationship with Robin Charles. They begin competing for complex surgeries, and Dr. Latham is often put the position of mediating between the two in their rivalry. In "Down By Law" Connor vouches for Ava's skill as a surgeon when she is disparaged by her mentor, as he undergoes surgery in their hospital. In " ("Folie à Deux"), Ava and Connor sleep together, but she tells him the next day that it was a mistake that should not be repeated, as they work together. In "Devil in Disguise" Connor and Ava work with Dr. Latham to manage a complex surgery to separate conjoined twins. Although the team agrees on an approach to treat a preliminary heart issue that the twins are facing, Connor convinces the parents to adopt his own, riskier method that the team had earlier rejected. With Dr. Latham's support, they perform the procedure successfully, but later Dr. Latham picks Ava for the separation surgery, telling Connor that he is not a team player and cannot be relied upon to work well with others ("Devil in Disguise"). Connor eventually does assist on the separation, and is later offered an attending position at the Mayo Clinic, as a consequence of his work ("The Tipping Point").

## Season 4

In season 4, Connor decides to stay on at Chicago Med and head up the new hybrid ICU.

In "Heavy is the Head," Ava attempts to intervene when Connor performs an exceptionally risky surgery in the new cardiac hybrid ICU before it has formally opened. Although he is warned by both, Maggie and Ava, that the team isn't trained and the equipment isn't ready, he goes ahead, experiencing equipment failures and other challenges during the operation. Maggie ends up scrubbing in to help out, and when Ava enters to stop Connor, he throws her out of the ICU, focusing on his surgery. Later, Connor apologizes to Ava for throwing her out, telling her that the patient made it, and offering to buy her a drink. Ava refuses, telling Connor that she doesn't care if Connor threw her out, but she is disgusted that he placed the entire hybrid ICU program at risk by being reckless.

## Season Five

### Never Going To Go Back To Normal

Connor is interviewed by Kevin Atwater in the case of his father's suspicious death. Dr Latham decides to test the insulin which caused Cornelius Rhodes' death and finds that it was tainted with chromium and is traceable to Ava Bekker. When confronted, Ava begs him to let her get away. When he refuses she tells him that she killed Cornelius in order for them to be together. She slashes her carotid artery in front of him and is taken to surgery but dies on the table. Connor thanks Dr. Latham for all his help, but says that he's decided to leave Chicago to get a fresh start elsewhere. Latham, in a rare display of affection, says that he doesn't want his friend to go, but Connor shakes his head and leaves anyway. He asks Goodwin to say goodbye to everyone, before walking out and leaving *Gaffney* for the last time.

## Personality

Due to his upbringing, Connor initially is seen arrogant, overconfident and somewhat bossy with his fellow doctors. However, Connor is actually more noble and kind than he seems to be. He carries on many scars and feelings from his past that are still unresolved like his estranged relationship with his family after his mother's suicide. This tragic past made Connor a person who never gives up on helping others and does whatever it takes to avoid another tragedy like when he was a child.

Connor can be very stubborn and go as far as defying his superiors's orders in order to treat a patient. Despite his stubbornness, Connor is down-to-earth and knows when your actions make terrible consequences, like when he stopped Will from telling a patient about the truth of her treatment se he does not lose his license. He admits that current system pisses him off and often tries his best to no let the system affect others.

He is very emotional when it comes about personal relationships. He is very devoted with those he deeply cares for.

## Relationships

### Family

#### Cornelius Rhodes (father)

Connor has a difficult relationship with his father, and blames him for his mother, Elizabeth Rhodes's suicide when Connor was ten. In Season 1, he rejects efforts by his father to rebuild their relationship. Cornelius Rhodes is disappointed that Connor chose not to join his business, and repeatedly questions Connor's competence as a doctor, criticizes his career, attempting to have him removed from a case in Fallback. Cornelius also makes large donations to Chicago Med to secure a position on their board, in an attempt to control him. While helping treating Dr. Will Halstead's father, he tells Will that he envies their relationship, because it is still loving despite occasional conflicts, unlike his own relationship with Cornelius. In season 5, Connor becomes involved in caring for his father after he becomes unwell. Cornelius dies of an insulin overdose, and Connor grows suspicious that Dr. Ava Bekker is involved in his death. Ultimately, Dr. Latham is able to prove that Ava caused Cornelius' death, resulting in Ava committing suicide.

#### Claire Rhodes (sister)

Claire is Connor's younger sister, and works with their father, Cornelius Rhodes, to manage their business, the Dolan Rhodes Department Store. Claire initially resents Connor for leaving her with their father, when he went to medical school, but attempts to reach out again to Connor after he helps to treat a mutual friend of theirs, Russell, who works for the department store. They are briefly united in opposing their father, who refuses to allow the business to pay for Russell's injuries. Although Connor avoids taking his sister's calls for a while after that, and refuses to meet her, he eventually speaks with her in Inheritance. Claire tells Connor that he may be wrong in blaming their father for their mother's suicide, telling him that there are things he doesn't know. Although they initially fight, later Connor goes to the Dolan Rhodes Department Store and asks Claire to have dinner with him, indicating a wish to rebuild their relationship.

#### Elizabeth Rhodes (mother)

Connor's mother, Elizabeth Rhodes, completed suicide when he was ten years old, and Connor blames his father, Cornelius Rhodes, for her death.

### Romantic

#### Dr. Samantha Zanetti

In season 1, Connor dates Dr. Samantha Zanetti, an attending trauma surgeon at Chicago Med. They work together on a number of cases, and their relationship faces friction when Dr. David Downey, the head of cardiothoracic surgery, takes on Connor as his protege, forcing Samantha to take over his case load in the emergency department. In Intervention, she leaves Chicago Med to take up a position as Head of Trauma Surgery at Johns Hopkins, effectively ending their relationship. Their relationship is largely casual.

#### Dr. Robin Charles

In Season 2, episode 7 ("Inherent Bias") Connor starts dating Robin Charles, an epidemiologist at Chicago Med. Robin's father, Dr. Daniel Charles, the head of psychiatry at Chicago Med, initially disapproves of their relationship, and discourages Robin from dating Connor. Connor clashes with Daniel over this. Their relationship initially progresses well, but faces challenges in episode 19, "Ctrl Alt", when Robin starts showing symptoms of psychosis, including hallucinating rats. Robin is diagnosed by Dr. David Kwon and Dr. Sarah Reese with schizophrenia, and Robin is institutionalized against her will, after Dr. Daniel Charles arranges for her to be committed. When Connor objects, Dr. Charles warns him that his judgment may be clouded, referring to Connor's mother, who suffered from mental illness and completed suicide when Connor was a child. Connor, ignoring Dr. Charles' advice, has Robin released. Robin stays with Connor, but suffers a relapse of her psychosis, resulting in her violently assaulting him and placing herself at risk by locking herself out onto Connor's high rise balcony apartment. Later, Dr. Charles correctly identifies the cause of Robin's symptoms as a teratoma, and not schizophrenia, which has in turn caused encephalitis, which resulted in the psychosis. Robin's teratoma is surgically removed, and she is released from hospital while continuing to take medications.

In Season 3, Robin continues to struggle with managing the side-effects of her medication. Connor attempts to take care of Robin along with his full-time surgical responsibilities, but is warned by several people that he is not managing well. In episode 6, "Ties that Bind," Robin, who is experiencing lowered inhibitions and impulse control because the medication. She is caught attempting to shoplift at the Dolan Rhodes Department Store, which is owned by Connor's father, Cornelius Rhodes. As Cornelius Rhodes intervenes, Robin is not arrested, but Connor is infuriated when Cornelius tells him that he should break up with her as she is either unstable or a criminal. Robin, overhearing, ultimately decides to leave Chicago, telling her father that she feels like she is a burden on Connor, and needs space to recover independently. She writes Connor a note, and does not tell him she is leaving. Connor initially blames Dr. Daniel Charles for separating them, telling him he plans to track Robin down, but later admits to Dr. Charles that he needs to let her go, and decide her future for herself. Connor behaves recklessly after their break up, buying an expensive sports car on an impulse, driving very fast, and engaging in casual sex.

#### Dr. Ava Bekker

Dr. Ava Bekker, a cardiothoracic surgeon, joins Chicago Med in Season 2 finale, and flirts with Connor from the time they meet. Their relationship is initially antagonistic, with Ava and Connor competing for surgeries, and attempting to manipulate Dr. Latham, their attending surgeon, to grant herself more impressive surgeries. In "Folie à Deux", Ava and Connor sleep together, but she tells him the next day that it was a mistake that should not be repeated, as they work together. In "Lock It Down" Ava meets Connor's father, Cornelius Rhodes, at a charity event that they are both attending. Cornelius flirts with Ava, and she initially meets him to discuss donations for the hospital, but rebuffs his romantic overtures to her. In "Devil in Disguise," Connor finds out that his father has been sending Ava flowers, and Ava deliberately misleads Connor into believing she is dating his father, upsetting him. Later, she tells Connor she isn't dating his father, and Connor admits that he would prefer if Ava was not dating anyone. At the end of season 3, in The Tipping Point, Connor accepts a job offer to work at the Mayo Clinic. Ava tells him he is making the right career move, but admits she doesn't want him to go when Connor tells her they could have had something.

In Season 4, Connor suggests to Sharon Goodwin that the E.R. needs a hybrid cardiac ICU operating room, after they he and Ava lose a patient while bringing them to the cardiac ward from the ICU. Sharon supports the idea after Connor writes a detailed proposal, but it is shot down by Gwen Garrett, the new hospital COO, as it is too expensive. Sharon tells Connor that if they had managed to secure funding for the new hybrid ICU, she would have liked him to head the new project, as he is ideally suited for the job, with a background in both, cardiac surgery as well as trauma. On hearing this, Ava approaches Connor's father, Cornelius Rhodes, to ask if he will fund Connor's proposal, allowing Connor to stay. She is seen accepting Cornelius' invitation to dinner, after which Sharon informs Connor that Cornelius has agreed to provide funding for the ICU, on the condition that Connor stays and runs the project. Connor accepts, and stays ("Be My Better Half"). Connor and Ava continue to flirt and argue, with Ava warning Connor about his propensity to take on very risky surgeries ("When to Let Go).

In Season 4, Connor rejects Ava's efforts to resume their relationship, and is disturbed by her persistence in devising schemes to win him back. In Season 5, Connor suspects Ava of contaminating his father's insulin dose, causing Cornelius Rhodes' death. His theory is proved by Dr. Isidore Latham, who proves that Ava tainted the insulin with chromium. This causes Ava to slash her carotid arteries in front of Connor. Deeply disturbed, Connor decides to leave Chicago Med soon after, looking for a new start.

### Professional and Personal

#### Dr. David Downey (mentor)

Dr. David Downey, a leading surgeon and the head of cardiothoracic surgery at Chicago Med, invites Connor to work with him in Season 1, after being impressed with his work in the emergency room, where Connor is a fellow in trauma surgery. Connor, after initial hesitation, decides to switch specialties, taking up cardio-thoracic surgery under Downey's supervision. His decision is partly motivated by the fact that Connor discovers Downey is suffering from liver cancer, and doesn't have long to live. When Downey tells Connor he wants to share as much experience and knowledge as he can before he goes, Connor agrees to work with him. Connor develops a close working relationship with Downey, and often spends time with him outside work, including at a Hawaiian bar owned by Keoni, which Downey introduced him to. Downey shares with Connor that he has no family or close friends, and often talks of his abiding love for Hawaii, where he lived for a few years. Dr. Downey frequently provides Connor with advice and encouragement on becoming a cardio-thoracic surgeon, including warning him about the importance of respecting patients' wishes even if he feels that they should make a different decision, as a doctor ("Withdrawal"). In "Disorder", Downey tells Connor that he likes Connor's confidence, but it is important not to let it cross over into arrogance, and that "Great surgeons know the balance." In "Timing", Downey is brought into the emergency room after collapsing, and is informed by Dr. Sam Asher and Rhodes that his cancer is terminal. Downey refuses treatment, despite Connor's objections. They have a long conversation, during which Downey asks Connor to help euthanize, but is understanding when Connor says he cannot do so, and tells Connor that he has left instructions to be cremated, describing his suffering as "God's medicine." At the end of the episode, Connor brings Downey a lei, honoring his love of Hawaii. They hold hands, and say goodbye, and Connor cries. As he leaves the room, Downey starts coding, and when nurses go to resuscitate him, Connor tells them that Downey signed a Do Not Resuscitate order. It is implied that Connor may have had a hand in Downey's death by administering a lethal dose of morphine, as several other characters, including Dr. Ava Bekker and Dr. Isidore Latham, frequently refer to rumors about this. However, Connor does not face any consequences, or mention this, and he later flies to Hawaii to scatter Downey's ashes in the sea.

#### Dr. Isidore Latham

Dr. Isidore Latham takes over as Head of Cardio-thoracic Surgery following Dr. Downey's death, just as Connor joins the department as a fellow. Dr. Latham tells Connor initially that he was not Latham's first choice, but that he hopes they will work well together ("Soul Care"). Connor initially struggles to work with Dr. Latham, finding that he is often unpredictable, very rigid in his habits, extremely methodical and particular, and has a very direct, abrupt way of speaking. However, Connor defends Dr. Latham's conduct to nurses and others who are offended by him, arguing that despite his peculiarities, Dr. Latham is an excellent surgeon who cares about his patients. After Latham shares with Connor that he has been diagnosed with Asperger's, Connor supports Latham as he seeks treatment and therapy, and helps him socialize, including rescuing Latham after he is scammed out of his wallet at a bar. With Connor's encouragement, Latham starts attending social events with their co-workers, and eventually, Latham tells Connor that despite his initial hesitation, he is very pleased to work with Connor, whom he considers a good surgeon. In Season 3, Latham hires Dr. Ava Bekker, who was originally his first choice for the fellowship before he hired Connor. He often has to mediate between Ava and Connor during their initial competitive conflicts, and later because of their conflicts after their romantic relationship ends. When Connor accuses Ava of having killed his father by contaminating a dose of insulin, Dr. Latham decides to test the insulin to end the arguments between them. He finds that the insulin was contaminated and informs them both, which results in Ava slashing her wrists, admitting to the murder, and eventually dying. When Connor decides to leave Chicago Med, in "Never Going To Go Back To Normal," Latham tells Connor that he will miss him, as he considers Connor to be not only a colleague, but also a friend.

#### Sharon Goodwin

Connor shares a good relationship with Sharon Goodwin, the hospital administrator, although they occasionally come into conflict over how to manage some patients' treatments. In "Extreme Measures," Connor talks to Sharon about over scheduling at the hospital, and she tells him to get some rest, praising his work. At the end of the day, seeing Sharon looking upset over paperwork concerning her separation from her husband Bert, Connor asks her if she would like to do something fun instead of going home alone, and takes her to a Hawaiian restaurant introduced to him by his mentor, Dr. David Downey, for dinner, to cheer her up. Connor encourages her to cheer up, and gets her a lei, which makes Sharon laugh. In "Natural History" Connor is taken aback to see himself featured in a magazine as one of Chicago's "40 under 40" people to watch. He tells Sharon that he did not authorise it, but is surprised to learn that she was the one who gave permission to the magazine to feature him. When Connor suggests that it would have been better to feature Dr. Latham, Sharon tells him that the magazine wanted a younger surgeon, and that he should be patient, as his time will come. In "Graveyard Shift" Sharon is involved in convincing Connor to operate on a panda, which he does so successfully, and in "Lose Yourself," she helps Connor to manage the fallout when he takes up a widely-publicized case of a window cleaner who fell thirty stories and survived, before dying in surgery. In "Lemons and Lemonade" Sharon warns Connor to be careful when he pays for a patient's treatment out of his own pocket, telling him that the number of patients who need help exceed his financial resources.

#### Dr. Will Halstead

Connor initially has an antagonistic relationship with Dr. Will Halstead, who is a senior resident at Chicago Med when Connor joins as a trauma fellow, but later they become friends and colleagues, and grow to trust each other's judgment. Connor and Will initially disagree on treating patients, and Will often mocks Connor for his privileged and wealthy upbringing, calling him arrogant ("Derailed", "Bound") and refusing his offers to pay for everyone's food ("Mistaken"). Connor treats Christopher Herrmann, but clashes with Will's brother, Chicago P.D. detective Jay Halstead, who thinks Connor has failed to treat Herrman correctly. Will agrees with Jay that he would have done things differently, leading Jay to confront Connor, and Connor, in turn, to confront Will. Later, Connor saves Herrman's life, and Will apologises to Connor. ("Malignant"). Will jeopardises his career when he ignores a patient's wishes to not be rescuscitated, giving her life-saving treatment against her will ("Choices"). Despite facing serious consequences, including a lawsuit, he asks Connor for permission to check the patient's progress using Connor's credentials. Connor allows him to do so, but refuses to discuss the matter with Will, telling him he doesn't want to hear anything about it ("Guilty"). Later, Zoe Roth, a pharmaceutical rep that Will is dating, tells Connor that Will intends to inform the same patient that she is receiving a placebo, and not a life-saving drug, in a drug trial that he encouraged her to enter. Connor chases Will into an elevator and confronts him, telling him that his actions are wrong and could cost Will his medical license. They come to blows, and Connor eventually pins Will to the wall, telling him he is a good doctor, and the world needs good doctors like him. Will does not inform the patient, and later, he and Connor have a drink together in Molly's bar, in silence ("Guilty").

Connor frequently questions Will for making impulsive decisions in treatment, telling him that he takes gambles and relies too much on intuition. Nonetheless, Connor trusts Will judgments and often undertakes risky procedures at Will's urging, usually to successful outcomes. In "Extreme Measures" Connor questions Will for using a portable bypass machine when tending to a patient at the Chicago Marathon, telling Will that he forgot to account for the possibility of neurological damage. He calls Will "one hell of a poker player," but takes the patient on for surgery. When Will has second thoughts, Connor reassures him, and the patient eventually recovers successfully through their efforts. In "Alternative Medicine" Will convince Connor to operate on a patient after telling him that he diagnosed the patient's condition through touch, even though tests results were inconclusive. Connor is initially reluctant, but eventually trusts Will, telling him he had better be right for both their sakes. When Will turns out to be right, Connor asks him how he knew, and Will tells Connor he was taught by a brilliant mentor, Dr. Rowan. Motivated partly by this, and by Dr. Latham's ability to diagnose heart conditions by sound, Connor is motivated to refine his diagnostic skills. In "Generation Gap" Connor operates on Will's father, Pat Halstead, for a heart problem, and Pat Halstead confides in Connor that he is proud of Will, and doesn't know how to say it to him, often demeaning and criticizing him instead. Connor later tells Will that he envies his relationship with his father, as they clearly love each other despite their differences, unlike Connor's own relationship with his father. In "Hearts" after Connor loses a patient who unexpectedly wakes up from anaesthesia while being operated on, Will commiserates and offers to buy him a drink. However, Connor encounters the patient's family grieving on his way out and ends up struggling to deal with the situation while sitting in his car, standing up Will.

#### Sarah Reese

Connor doesn't have many interactions with Sarah, however they seem to have a good relationship. Whenever Sarah doubts of herself as a doctor, Connor is always there to give Sarah reassurance. When he first arrived Connor tried to be nice with her paying some snacks for her in the morning. When Robin is suffering from a disease Sarah takes care of her and is a great support for Connor to help Robin in her diagnosis.

#### Ethan Choi

Connor and Ethan have a rocky relationship at the beginning. In INO they have a disagreement about a surgery performed by Ethan breaking the protocole. However over the course of the series they quickly develop a close friendship. They usually share heart-to-heart conversations in which bothe express their thoughts about how the system works since they are against about it and have suffered traumas that still haunt them. They have even shared some jokes and smiles between them.

## Memorable Quotes

(to Will): "*You're a good doctor... The world needs good doctors you ass!*"

(to Ethan): *"And what will I transfuse? Is there panda plasma in the blood bank?"*

(to Sharon Goodwin): *"Yeah? Did he charm you?"*

## Notes and Trivia

* Connor can speak and read Spanish fluently, and has an advanced understanding of Arabic, likely due to his time in Guadalajara and Riyadh;
* Scotch on the rocks is his preferred alcoholic beverage.

## Gallery

*For a full gallery of Connor Rhodes, see Connor Rhodes/Gallery.*

## Videos

Chicago Med - Is Robin OK? (Episode Highlight)Chicago Med - Rhodes Loses Control (Episode Highlight)
## Appearances

 It's All in the Family
 The Ground Shifts Beneath Us
 Who Should Be the Judge

### Chicago Fire

* S4E10 The Beating Heart
* S4E15 Bad for the Soul
* S6E7 A Man's Legacy
* S7E13 The Plunge

### Chicago PD

* S3E18 Kasual With a K
* S3E21 Justice
* S4E3 All Cylinders Firing
* S4E14 Seven Indicments