Welcome to TV Guide's 12 Days of Chris-Mas, a festive celebration of famous dudes named Chris. Every day leading up to Dec. 25, we will honor a single Chris, counting down to the best Chris of the year. Today, that honor goes to Chris Wood, the 12th best Chris.
Official sources might tell you that The CW stands for CBS and Warner Bros., the two studios that produce the network's slate of programming primarily aimed at young viewers and filled with ridiculously attractive stars. But this source is here to say The CW actually stands for Chris Wood, the man candy with the most impressive teen drama resume of any Chris.
Wood began his career as The CW's favorite Chris in 2013, when he booked a recurring role on The Carrie Diaries, a high school-set prequel to Sex and the City. He played Weaver, the arrogant charmer who romanced Carrie (AnnaSophia Robb) in Season 2. While Weaver wasn't the guy you wanted Carrie to end up with, you couldn't deny that Wood was someone you wanted to lay eyes on on a regular basis.
12 Days of Chris-Mas, Explained
Thankfully, The Vampire Diariescreator Julie Plec stepped in to fulfill that wish. A few months after The Carrie Diaries wrapped up, Wood made his debut as the mischievous, somewhat evil witch, Kai, on the supernatural CW drama. It was there that Wood's charm was somehow able to outshine his abs. Kai may have done terrible things and was a real pain for the Salvatores, but he did it all with such smarm and wit that he became a fan-favorite character over the course of his single season on the show.
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Wood was so engaging as Kai that Plec cast him as the lead in her 2016 medical epidemic drama Containment. As Officer Jake Riley, Wood was first able to show off his chops as a CW leading man. And wouldn't you know, he does angst really well, too? However, Containment's grim tone and heightened gore didn't resonate with The CW's audience and Containment was canceled after one season.
The CW's love affair with Wood was far from over, though. His next foray was into the superhero universe as Kara's (Melissa Benoist) alien love interest Mon-El on Supergirl. Wood was able to infuse his effortless humor into the character, a newcomer to Earth who struggled to pick up on many human customs. Though he certainly learned to jump over railings in an inexplicably hypnotic fashion.
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While Containment featured Wood in the middle of a serious romantic entanglement, it wasn't until Supergirl that he truly showed what he could do as a romantic lead. (The chemistry between him and Benoist was so potent, it catalyzed an off-screen romance between the two as well). However, Supergirl apparently had other plans for Kara and Wood's tenure on the show ended after two seasons, with Mon-El jettisoning off to save the world in the future.
Even though Wood displayed his multitude of talents on The CW, this hasn't turned him into a household name like some of the other Chrises, and now we are in a Chris Wood void. For the first time in five years, The CW is Chris Wood-less. Even though Plec has extended an open invitation for Wood to rejoin the TVD universe on Legacies, he currently doesn't have a series on The CW -- or any network -- to show off those great abs, and it seems he's at a career crossroads. Will there be a space for him in The CW's upcoming fall slate or will Wood embark on a journey outside of the network that made him a teen dream?
Wood has showed what a multifaceted leading man he can be, whether it's a rebel, a brooding guy with a dark past, or the charming dude next door you just want to cuddle up on the couch and eat wontons with. He could continue to do all these things on The CW, or he may try to follow in the footsteps of former CW stars like Ricky Whittle and Paul Wesley and graduate to more adult fare.
With his next steps unknown, there's a chance that the Chris Wood era on The CW may be over, but we'll always be grateful for the five years he spent as The CW's Chris.
(Full disclosure: TV Guide is owned by CBS, one of The CW's parent companies.)
