‘Code Black' Season 2 Spoilers: EP Michael Seitzman Hints At New Installment Without Bonnie Somerville, Raza Jaffrey

“Code Black” Season 2 will feature a major shift not only in terms of characters, but also in storylines.

While speaking with TV Line, executive producer Michael Seitzman said that Christa Lorenson (Bonnie Somerville) and Neal Hudson’s (Raza Jaffrey) departure will not be addressed in the upcoming episodes. The exec admitted that it wasn’t an easy thing to do, especially since the ideas that they played around with didn’t give the characters justice. “We pride ourselves on the show on being as authentic as possible. By not mentioning it at all, it felt like the least offensive way to deal with it. We just never found a good way to address it,” he said.

Meanwhile, Seitzman said that there’s at least one upside to not explaining what happened to Christa and Neal. Both characters can return to the TV show whenever they want because they weren’t killed off. “You have to remember these are friends of ours. This is tough. Raza and I became good friends. We’re still good friends…” Seitzman said.

In other news, Seitzman was previously blasted by fans of “Code Black” after he announced Somerville and Jaffrey’s departure during a Q&A session in June. The exec also didn’t provide any explanation about why the co-stars were axed. “No answer I give will be satisfying. It sucks. Nobody – nobody – enjoyed this. Decisions like this aren’t easy and are very complex,” he said (via TV Line).

Following the announcement, “Code Black” Season 2 cast a slew of new characters, heightening speculation that Somerville and Jaffrey’s departure was due to budget cuts. “Heroes” alum Noah Gray-Cabey will play the role of Elliott Han, a sweet and smart doctor at Angels Memorial Hospital. Gray-Cabey will be joined by “Flesh and Bone” alum Emily Tyra as Dr. Noa Kean, and “One Life to Live” alum Nafessa Williams as Charlotte Piel, according to TV Line.

“Code Black” Season 2 will premiere on CBS on Sept. 28 at 10 p.m. ET.