Chicago Med
Chicago Med 100th Episode Review – April Comes Clean to Choi, Maggie Gets Married (5×17)
The 100th episode of Chicago Med is upon us and that is a huge accomplishment. Congrats to the cast, crew, and everyone at Dick Wolf productions!
That being said, I expected just a teensy-bit more from the episode. The final few minutes really brought the action and packed us with happiness (though it really made me want to go bowling and considering the state of the world, it’s impossible right now), but the rest of the hour unraveled at a slow pace.
Dr. Charles’ storyline focused on his 13-year-old daughter Anna, and I’ll be honest, I totally forgot he had another daughter outside of Robin. It took me aback, so it made sense that Anna and her mother were both upset with Charles because they felt like he’d “forgotten” about her following CiCi’s death. The keyword being forgotten.
While Dr. Charles started off as an estranged father, he mended his relationship with Robin rather quickly, so I feel like the same will happen here. Plus, he’s now aware that Anna is craving attention because it’s obvious her vaping incident was simply done so that her father would care about her.
It all came to head when Anna snuck out of his office and saw Charles trying to take a mother away from her daughter. The two entered into a heated argument where he accepted his responsibility and promised he’d step up and be there for her.
Charles was dealing with family drama both his and involving a mother and the daughter, who were almost separated because of a wrong diagnosis. The mother was flagged for Munchausen by proxy when she was really suffering from PTSD after giving birth to a premature daughter.
If it hadn’t been for caring doctors like Charles and Natalie, the mother would have had DCFS called on her and her daughter taken away.
It’s incredibly sad how some health care providers are so eager to expect the worst. The mother never exhibited any signs of wanting to hurt her daughter, she simply needed help herself.
April has been bottling up a huge secret and it finally exploded following a health scare. A secret like that will really get you.
While nothing was seriously wrong with April — it was a consequence of doubling up her hormones to force in-vitro — she took it as a sign that she needed to come clean to Choi before the secret destroyed her.
She has been trying so hard to get pregnant and give Ethan the family she wants because she’s guilty, and the guilt was consuming her.
Of course, Ethan’s reaction to finding out that April kissed Crockett was anything but subtle. He physically attacked the man he was slowly befriending for making moves on his girl right there in the ED.
Honestly, I’m torn about this. Choi acknowledged to Sharon Goodwin that he was so desperate to have a baby that he ignored the red flags with April, sure, but upon finding out the truth, he never blamed her.
His reaction was immediately to pick a fight with Crockett. And while Crockett definitely overstepped, he also wasn’t close to Ethan and pursued April because she gave him the green light.
It takes two to tango, and April is just as at fault as Crockett is.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B95IVTanwdQ/
Crockett also never said anything because he respected April’s wishes and what she wanted, which was to keep what happened a secret. It was unfair for Crockett to get the brunt of Choi’s anger.
April felt well enough to attend Maggie’s nuptials, and though Ethan didn’t show up, she couldn’t help continue pining for Crockett.
Personally, I haven’t been able to figure Crockett out. At first, he seemed like an ego-drive doctor who was full of himself, but over time, we saw that he was level-headed, never led with emotion, and had a dark past.
He seemed like a good guy. I thought so, and apparently Nat thought so, but when she confronted him about “making moves” on April and thinking he was a “decent guy,” his response was weird and scummy: “what gave you that idea.”
It could be an act to keep people at bay since he’s clearly still pining for April as well. It’s unclear if he feels guilty, but he definitely respected April’s wishes and her relationship after she made it clear that nothing would happen between them, so that must count for something.
The fact that April was still drawn to Crockett after Ethan was there for her and clearly in love with her proves that she never deserved that relationship.
As it stands, Crockett and April deserve each other.
Ethan and Crockett also worked side-by-side treating a gunshot patient who refused to come clean about the fact that he had been shot before.
It’s interesting that they dealt with a case that involved secrets as Crockett and April were keeping a major one from Ethan.
Shoutout to Trudy for her guest appearance and breaking up the playground fight between Ethan and Crockett!
April’s medical case also involved the return of Dr. Hannah Asher, who was scrutinized by her fellow doctors and nurses who couldn’t see past her drug addiction.
Halstead’s had his fair share of questionable moments, but I have to hand it to him for really vouching for Hannah and wanting to help her.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B9mDnIWgfIQ/
When everyone else scoffed at the sight of her and questioned her medical judgment, he stuck his neck out for her because he believed she was more than the disease.
Ethan also came at Hannah with disgust, which reminded me why I’m not usually his biggest fan.
However, April was also caring and sweet and didn’t judge Hannah based on one mistake.
Initially, Hannah couldn’t stand the sight of Halstead, but after he stood behind his decision to out her publicly and said he wouldn’t change anything about how he handled it because she would’ve originally denied it, he came around.
Hannah was in denial and if it hadn’t been for Halstead pushing her into mandatory rehab, she would have never gotten the help she needed.
“You gave me my life back,” she told him right before he asked her to be his date to the wedding.
Natalie clearly acknowledged Will’s new relationship and didn’t seem to mind, so hopefully, this marks the end of trying to make Will and Nat happen.
Amidst all the drama, there was a happy ending as Maggie and Ben tied the knot in the most perfect way.
Maggie turned into a bit of a bridezilla and didn’t allow Ben to have much of a say in the wedding prep (which miraculously only took her 2-weeks to plan), but all of that went to hell once the venue began having an issue.
Ben rescued the day by first telling Maggie that she cannot be approaching her life like a cancer survivor and thinking she has to control everything now before pulling together a last-minute wedding that blew her mind.
Ben and Maggie’s relationship has been unconventional since day one, so it only made sense that their wedding was just as unique and quirky.
The bowling theme fits into their relationship since Ben is on a bowling league, and it was so refreshing to see the staff at Med, that’s usually so uptight and ready to save the world, just let loose and enjoy themselves.
Also, how beautiful did Maggie look? She deserves this moment so much.
It may have been a wedding celebration, but it definitely also seemed like a 100th episode celebration. Though let me be perfectly honest, I couldn’t help but wonder who was working in the ED since they were all enjoying themselves!
What did you think of the 100th episode? Did you expect more? Did it hit the mark?
Sound off in the comments.
It’s finally happening—our favorite One Chicago shows are coming home to us!
Chihards, mark your calendars and get ready to sit down in front of the TV on January 17 because that’s when Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, and Chicago PD will make their highly-anticipated and long-awaited premieres!
It’s truly beginning to feel a lot like Christmas… though I hope that turning around new episodes doesn’t mean that the actors will have to work through the holidays.
one chicago wednesdays return January 17 on @nbc and streaming on @peacock!!!
— Top 1% of Burzek shippers (@NBCOneChicago) November 20, 2023
Chicago Med returns for season 9, Fire for season 12, and Med for season 11.
Of course, the full NBC 2024 lineup will kick off on Jan 1 with America’s Got Talent: Fantasy League, which means they are wasting no time getting back into the swing of things following the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike delays.
Law & Order franchises will have their moment on Thursday, Jan 18 with Law & Order: SVU and Law & Order: Organized Crime.
Part 1 of The Voice returns on Feb. 26, along with BC’s new Deal or No Deal spinoff, Deal or No Deal Island.
La Brea will air its final season on Jan 9, leading into the final two episodes of Found. The Irrational will also air its final four episodes starting Monday, Jan. 29.
Quantum Leap and Magnum P.I., Lopez vs. Lopez, The Weakest Link, Password, That’s My Jam and The Wall currently don’t have a premiere date.
It’s the end of an era. The Chicago Med Season 8 finale saw Will Halstead saying his final goodbye to Gaffney Medical.
And the best part is that you don’t even have to wonder where he’s going!
After realizing that his time at the hospital had come to an end, Will thanked his colleagues and friends who have been like family for all these years and made a swift departure to Seattle to be with his one true love, Natalie Manning!
Chicago Med pulled off the ultimate surprise by bringing back Torrey Devito for a brief yet emotional cameo. She greeted Halstead outside of the airport along with her son, Owen, and they made it very clear that this time they were going to make things work. “I’m never letting you go,” Natalie told Halstead as they embarked on their new chapter together.
CHICAGO MED — “Does One Door Close and Another One Open?” Episode 822 — Pictured: (l-r) Ari Morgan as Owen, Torrey DeVitto as Natalie — (Photo by: George Burns Jr/NBC)
While I usually wouldn’t recommend going back to a relationship that didn’t work in the past, in this case, it just makes sense. They both had a clean break to find themselves and figure things out and yet their paths crossed once again. Timing is everything, and without the setting of Gaffney, I think they may actually be able to work things out this time around.
And that’s a wrap on Will Halstead. Thank you so much to Nick Gehlfuss for bringing such an “irritating” yet “inspirational” character to life for eight seasons. Sharon Goodwin was right on the money with that comment.
He even went out in such Will style by going off the rails and doing something that only Will could ever justify as a good idea.
Halstead was very triggered by 2.0’s glitch, and when he realized no one was going to do anything about it, the took matters into his own hands without realizing the larger implications of his decision.
By reprogramming 2.0 to go completely haywire during Jack Dayton’s hernia resection, he not only destroyed the product by setting in plenty of doubt, but he also ensured that 2.0 would never see the light of day again as it tarnished Dayton’s reputation in the process.
Dayton could no longer go through with the IPO, which meant that he couldn’t secure the funding to make 2.0 a better and more reliable product, which in turn meant that Jack Dayton had to sell Med, putting everyone’s fate up in the air.
As much as I want to praise Halstead for trying to do the wrong thing, his decision was very costly, especially because, as Crockett pointed out, 2.0 did a lot of good. With the right improvements, it could be a very useful tool in the future, but Halstead ensured that said future would never happen.
However, on the other hand, maybe selling the hospital isn’t the worst idea as it will likely put the power back in the hands of someone who cares about the patients over profits. Turning Med into a for-profit hospital has not been a welcome change for the doctors as they are limited in who they can treat, and it’s also a terrible experience for patients who don’t have the best insurance and can’t pay exorbitant prices.
Turning away patients is never ideal, especially patients who need critical care. One of Archer’s patients, Rachel, was admitted to Med with terrible stomach pains, and by waiting for an ambo transfer to a hospital that would have accepted her insurance, she likely would’ve died in the process.
The doctors took it upon themselves to do the surgery under the radar so as to not put her in debt for life, but that was a risky move. If anyone from upper management found out, it would not be pretty. Though, it’s nice to see Archer coming around and doing what needs to be done to save lives.
CHICAGO MED — “Does One Door Close and Another One Open?” Episode 822 — Pictured: (l-r) Luigi Sottile as Sean Archer, Steven Weber as Dean Archer — (Photo by: George Burns Jr/NBC)
During the surgery, which Hannah Asher assisted, Archer became very weak, and he realized he had another infection from his “DIY dialysis.” At this point, Asher insisted he start at a proper dialysis clinic, which he was against because of the time commitment, and when Sean suggested they just go through with the surgery as he was approved as his father’s donor, Archer and Asher had to inform him that he was no longer eligible after falling off the wagon.
It was honestly heartbreaking to see Sean come to terms with what his relapse meant. It was one misstep—that stemmed from a misunderstanding in the first place—and yet, it set back his plans to help his father for at least six months.
Hopefully, this doesn’t set Sean back even further because I can see how he’d deal with thinking that he’s a “disappointment” by turning to drugs and alcohol yet again.
CHICAGO MED — “Does One Door Close and Another One Open?” Episode 822 — Pictured: (l-r) Jessy Schram as Hannah Asher, Steven Weber as Dean Archer — (Photo by: George Burns Jr/NBC)
Archer, however, cannot blame himself for what happened, nor can he blame the fact that he allowed his son to be a donor as the relapse had nothing to do with the pressure of the situation. Sean was set off after seeing his father and Hannah getting “close,” and while there may have been some flirtation happening, when he finally addressed it with the two of them, they were both quite shocked.
I honestly think that Asher and Archer are good friends, and though there may be underlying feelings there, they’ve never considered them because they’ve never thought about going there. Could this be what convinces them to give things a try? Or did it cement them in the friend’s zone forever? I’m not surprised the romance hasn’t gotten the spotlight as Archer’s health is definitely a priority.
Hannah also seems pretty adamant about keeping her personal life and professional life separate, so I could see her shutting any possibility of a romance with either of the Archer men down.
Dr. Charles dealt with two patients that Dr. Loren Johsnton brought in via ambo. There was also a misunderstanding there as the wife, Janice, thought her husband Fred was trying to kill her, when in reality, Fred was fighting with his body impulsively doing things he couldn’t control. Turns out, he had a small stroke that resulted in a rare neurological called alien hand syndrome. With everything cleared up, the couple was back on track, and it put Charles’ relationship with Liliana in perspective. He realized that he had to clear up the misunderstanding by simply being vulnerable and honest with her about his feelings—he didn’t think of her as a charity case, and just because he has a fancy title doesn’t mean he doesn’t share the same insecurities as other people.
And Liliana, for her part, realized she’d put up a wall because she’s so used to being independent. Of course, there’s still the issue of her overbearing brother Pawel, who, quite frankly, needs to be told to get his own life. I understand siblings being there for each other and helping each other out, but he’s constantly bossing her around, talking down to her, and being kind of emotionally abusive.
Also, I truly hope Dr. Loren becomes a new addition to Med next season!
With Maggie interviewing at other hospitals, I was certain she’d be the person leaving Med at the end of the season, but Halstead’s problematic heroics make so much more sense.
I’m just glad it isn’t Crockett because I was just getting invested in the character, while Archer and Asher have been the best duo this season.
What did you think of the Chicago Med Season 8 finale? Are you pleased with how Halstead’s storyline ended?
What do you want to see next season?
Chicago Med Season 8 Episode 21 mostly focused on Jack Dayton’s continuing efforts to ruin Gaffney at every turn.
It’s starting to become a little exhausting to constantly write about Jack, but he’s the main focus this season, with the latest storyline focused on the impending 2.0 IPO launch that would propel Med into a destination hospital, naturally, at the cost of all the other patients needing healthcare services.
But even more concerning and daunting is the last-minute revelation that 2.0 may have been the reason for killing a man. Richard’s death in the prior episode was weighing heavily on Crockett and Halstead. Neither of them could truly understand what went wrong, and when they went to look for the data from 2.0, it was nowhere to be found. Once Crockett confronted Jack, he was given a flash drive that detailed a mistake he made during the procedure that ended up being deadly.
However, once Halstead gave the drive to Grace, she found that it wasn’t Crockett’s fault at all. 2.0 showed Crockett a phantom lesion that was never actually there, and if it wasn’t for that display, Crockett would’ve never operated and Richard would’ve still been alive. The machine is faulty, which isn’t something that looks good when you’re about to go public. As of now, it seems as though Jack wasn’t aware of the glitch on 2.0 and assumed he was genuinely protecting his star doctor, though, I wouldn’t be surprised if that was his cover to protect the integrity of the product. But if Jack really knew that 2.0 glitched, I don’t think he would entrust his life to it, especially on live television with the whole world watching.
At this point, it’s clear that while machines and AI can be great tools, they should complement doctors and their skills rather than replace them.
We’ll see what comes of this development.
One of the more intriguing plots included Sam Abrams, who found out he was going to be a father despite having a vasectomy years ago. Sam’s shocked reaction likely wasn’t what Michelle wanted, but for someone who is an empty nester and never expected to have more kids, it was genuine.
Hannah was able to intervene with a cervix surgery that assisted in Michelle’s pregnancy, but more importantly, the writers were able to humanize Sam a little bit, which is always nice to see. He pops in and out, but he’s always so blunt and stoic, so it was nice to see him get a little personality. Plus, we got to see a little heart-to-heart with Hannah, who, while encouraging Sam to embrace this opportunity life handed him, also decided to put herself out there in the dating world again. Can you believe she hasn’t dated anyone since Halstead?
Meanwhile, Archer learned that Sean was a donor match, much to his dismay, but any moment of happiness was fleeting as he also found out his son missed work and wasn’t picking up any calls. Naturally, his mind went to the worst-case scenario that Sean relapsed, and boy, I’m hoping that isn’t the case. Things were going so well for Sean and he was doing so well in his recovery. However, seeing his father cozying up to Hannah may have put him over the edge, or he simply decided to distance himself from his father’s world as he felt betrayed. Either or, I think we’re going to see Sean and Neil’s relationships with Hannah come to a head.
Elsewhere, Maggie interviewed for a new job spearheading the ED at a local hospital. While Sharon Goodwin wasn’t pleased as Maggie’s employer since she didn’t want to lose her best people due to Jack’s poor decisions, she was personally happy for her friend for putting herself first. I hope Maggie doesn’t end up leaving because she makes this whole place function!
As for Dr. Charles and Cuevas, they helped their patient, David, who has been a recurring guest on the series this season, navigate the normal fears and complexities of being a teenager, which was refreshing for a change. David thought he was hearing voices again, but it was simply his inner monologue and he needed to understand how to live with it and alongside it.
As for Charles’ relationship with Liliana, well, it’s not going in the right direction and that’s mostly because she has a very codependent and toxic relationship with her brother, Pawel, who we now know has a gambling problem that she’s going to pay off at the expense of buying her own house because “that’s her brother.” I feel like Charles needs to make a run for it before he’s dragged down too much, but I understand it isn’t that easy since he really loves Liliana and wants to help her. When he learned that she still needed to move out of her place, he asked her to move in with him, but it only backfired as she saw it as Charles thinking he needed to rescue her. The whole “charity case” mindset simply stems from the difference in their positions—if they don’t get over it, it’s always going to drive a wedge between them.
What did you think of the episode? Are you excited for the season finale next week?
Sullivan's Crossing3 weeks agoSullivan’s Crossing Season 1 Episode 6 Review – Boiling Point
Upload3 weeks agoUpload Season 3 Finale Recap Episodes 7 and 8 – Upload Day & Flesh and Blood
Found3 weeks agoFound Season 1 Episode 6 Review – Missing While Addicted
The Buccaneers2 weeks agoThe Buccaneers Season 1 Episode 4 Recap – Homecoming
Found2 weeks agoFound Season 1 Episode 7 Recap – Missing While Indigenous
Goosebumps3 weeks agoGoosebumps Season 1 Episode 9 Review – Night of the Living Dummy: Part 2
The Santa Clauses2 weeks agoThe Santa Clauses Season 2 Episode 3 Review – No Magic at the Dinner Table!
The Santa Clauses6 days agoThe Santa Clauses Season 2 Episode 4 Recap – Miracle on Dead Creek