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Clocking back in: NBC's medical drama 'The Night Shift' returns

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Author: 
Mary Fournier / TV Media
Eoin Macken stars in "The Night Shift"

Eoin Macken stars in "The Night Shift"

Oh cliffhangers, how we love to hate you. Even though many shows employ the season finale cliffhanger in order to ensure maximum viewership for their next season, we TV fans never seem to get used to being left hanging. 

"The Night Shift" fans have been waiting since last summer to find out what happens to the staff of their favorite fictional hospital, and the wait is finally over. Find out the fate of San Antonio Memorial Hospital when season 4 of "The Night Shift" premieres Thursday, June 22, on NBC.

The fast-paced medical drama follows the lives of the staff who work the overnight shift in the emergency room at the aforementioned hospital. The show takes on a "MASH"-esque quality by showcasing the lifestyles of a handful of former military doctors, and addressing the impact that combat has had on their lives.

Leading the cast is surgeon and army doctor Thomas Charles "TC" Callahan (Eoin Macken, "Merlin"), whose troubled love life and thrill-seeking personality are a main focus of the series. His best friend and former brother-in-arms, Topher Zia, is played by Ken Leung ("Lost"), who shines as the sassy and uber-competent head of the ER. Brendan Fehr ("CSI: Miami") stars as Dr. Drew Alister, another former army medic who has just started a family with his husband.

As for the non-army docs, Jill Flint ("Royal Pains") plays Dr. Jordan Alexander, an incredible doctor who used to date TC (viewers should expect some on-again, off-again romance from these two). Robert Bailey Jr. ("Coraline," 2009) is lovable as Paul Cummings, an awkward newbie living in the shadow of his famous father and just beginning to discover the true extent of his talent. 

Viewers are likely to recognize Scott Wolf (from the now-classic series "Party of Five"), who plays the troubled Dr. Scott Clemmens, who is working hard to outrun his demons and make a fresh start after hitting rock bottom in season 1. In my opinion, Tanaya Beatty ("Arctic Air") is the real gem of the series as the young Dr. Shannon Rivera, whose spunk may not sit well with everyone but has certainly helped her climb to her current position. Finally, JR Lemon ("Shadow Love") plays Kenny Fournette, a skilled nurse who knows how to keep the doctors focused and get the job done.

The season 3 finale left the fates of all of these beloved characters up in the air. Most of the staff resigned after Paul's wealthy father (James McDaniel, "NYPD Blue") bought the ER and fired Topher, while TC was caught in a missile strike at the Syrian-Turkish border while aiding refugees.  

As fans waited and waited for a resolution to the cliffhanger, they also had some uncertainty to deal with -- it was unclear whether "The Night Shift" would be back for season 4. Showrunner Jeff Judah never lost faith, though, telling interviewers: "We think there's going to be a next season ... if it's not [NBC], then it's going to be someone." The show was finally renewed in November.

Tanaya Beatty in a scene from "The Night Shift"

Tanaya Beatty in a scene from "The Night Shift"

While fans are ecstatic about the show's return, they also mourn the loss of Leung, who has departed the series to star in ABC's upcoming Marvel Universe series "Inhumans." The show will adjust to his absence by developing new characters, though, including one played by Mark Consuelos ("Nine Lives," 2016), who has landed a recurring role as Cain, a highly confident and aggressive travel nurse who was a doctor for 10 years in Mexico but had to start over as a resident when he came to the U.S. 

The show has been said to carry the spirit of one of the most popular and successful shows of its genre, "ER." What makes it stand out among all the other medical series on television is the depth of its characters; their background stories and struggles are compelling and make the show about much more than just the medical emergency of the week. In season 4, viewers can expect to see the military side of things ramp up, which means lots of action and, in all likelihood, lots of heartbreak for the characters.

"It's one of those shows where the characters need to have those complex backgrounds and relationships because then a lot of the banter and a lot of the stuff works," Macken said. "Because a lot of that has now been established. You know the patterns of what's going to happen. ... Now it feels like everyone knows what they're doing and is allowed to breathe a bit more." 

Tune in to season 4 of "The Night Shift" to find out how that breathing room plays out for the summer's top medical drama. It premieres Thursday, June 22, on NBC.