Chicago Med
Chicago Med – Lemons and Lemonade
They always say money doesn’t solve your problems, but that doesn’t ring true for Will and Connor on this week’s Chicago Med.
After Connor splurged on a Porsche last week, he was really feelin’ himself. Hey, for an episode name “Lemons and Lemonade,” I can make as many Beyonce jokes as I want.
The car didn’t help him move on from Robin the way he’d hoped, although it did score im a date, not with Dr. Ava who actually seemed unimpressed with the impulsive buy.
Admittedly, the scene of him driving down LSD was bizarre and very out of character; Connor isn’t the type of guy to flaunt his wealth around and act like a badass who’s defined by his choice of car.
By the end of the episode, he tried to put his money to better use, but while a noble gesture, Sharon is right in advising him that he’s getting into deep.
No matter how thick your checkbook is, you cannot help everyone. Eventually, you will run out of funds…. but you’ll never run out of patients that you wish to help. Do you think she likes making these calls?
Sure, Astrid was a hilarious patient and one of the first people to ever suffer at the hands of Gaffney’s money woes, but I’m not sure why Connor decided SHE was the patient he was going to help. He’s dealt with many patients who could have benefitted.
Maybe he just needed to do something that gave him meaning? Or it finally dawned on him how corrupt the world of medicine really is. The doctors are there to help people and make a difference, but the hospital will refuse a person treatment simply because they don’t have the funds for certain treatments.
Connor is the ultimate definition of dedication to his craft. Not only does he make money by helping patients, but he in turn uses that money to continue helping them.
You’d expect doctors to make some of the most logical decisions, but that isn’t always the case.
Will was so set on trying to make Nat’s son like him, he resorted to bribing him. It would have been sweet if he really did care about the tyke liking him, but his motivations were completely selfish — he didn’t want his non-existent relationship with Owen to ruin his relationship.
This is the first time we’re seeing an older Owen, but I’d imagine that Will has known this child since birth. After all, he was there when he was born. Wouldn’t he already have some kind of working relationship with him?? I’d imagine this isn’t the first time he’s meeting him.
Nat’s dismissal of Owen’s behavior was far more concerning than Will’s does-he-hate-me dilemma.
The child threw blocks at someone, not once, but twice, and she casually laughed it off as if it’s some kind of phase.
How will he know the difference between right and wrong if he doesn’t get scolded, put in time-out, or simply told “no.”
What if Owen does this to another child? That’s a behavioral issue. Will was walking around the ED as if he’d gotten jumped in the parking lot after work.
It’s disappointing, especially since Nat predominately deals with kids.
Seeing them out of the hospital was a nice change of pace. Aside from Connor and Robin’s relationship, we rarely see the cast doing anything but their job. Do we actually know them other than who they are when they’re on the clock or drinking at Molly’s?
April and Choi’s relationship is flatter than that 3-week old bottle of Coke in my fridge. There are no sparks, no chemistry and the whole “opposites attract” that they keep trying to convince me of, seems rather pointless because they don’t benefit from each other’s differences.
They don’t give each other anything except comfort, especially as Choi repeats the same mistakes over and over again.
His moral dilemma of the week came in the as a very anorexic woman, who he tried to convince into treatment against her will. The problem with Choi is that he thinks he knows better than everyone.
How many times has he gone against what Dr. Charles has advised? There’s a reason why doctors need to consult psychologists on various matters; they aren’t equipped to fully understand how someone interprets a situation, what their thinking, or how they’ll react.
Yes, seeing an anorexia patient that’s as thin as paper is hard, especially because ideally, the fix should be simple: give her a feeding tube and plump her back up.
But the issue is deeply rooted in the psychological. This woman is so used to her way of thinking, she doesn’t want the treatment. And legally, you cannot GIVE IT TO HER.
Many times, the right decision and the moral decision are two different things but Choi struggles discerning between the two.
His intentions are in the right place, but he should have learned by now that intentions don’t save lives.
Recently, in The Resident, Dr. Devin forcibly saved a woman and Dr. Conrad informed him that he may have brought back her heartbeat, but she was now braindead. Instinct will tell you to fight till the end, but logic will tell you that it’s time to let go because you’re only making things worse. Choi needs to learn this lesson ASAP.
Some of the toughest cases are the ones that you simply cannot diagnose. That’s the issue Nat and April kept running into with their patient (hey, Corbin Bleu from High School Musical!) until they eventually pinpointed the root of his sickness: his girlfriend. She’d contracted a virus from a stay at the hospital a decade ago and infected him. And she could keep infecting him since she was now a carrier.
The situation was manageable but the girlfriend chose to leave instead. “I love him, I can’t put him at risk.” Natalie was dumbfounded, but April completely understood seeing as she went through something similar with Tate. The pressure became too much and it wasn’t fair to ask the other person to give up their dreams or change their lifestyle.
While I wasn’t a fan of that relationship because he wanted to make her a housewife, at least there was some spunk to it. Unlike this vanilla stuff Choi and April are dealing.
When it was announced that an actress would be leaving the show, I was convinced that it was Robin. I mean, she moved back home to get the proper treatment and left Connor to pick up the pieces. Now, I’m thinking it might be Reese.
She’s back under Dr. Charles’ care, but she’s still a bit delusional. She wants the therapy to be working so badly so that she can continue her residency, she convinced herself that it is.
This is part of a bigger problem, however. Her inability to get near a patient leads to an improper diagnosis on a patient that was otherwise irrelevant.
Finally, she breaks down on the rooftop; she tells Dr. Charles that the anorexic woman wouldn’t change but she has to.
“You have to help me,” she says almost begging. He agrees but to me, there was this unspoken understanding that she was now his patient.
If Dr. Charles is focusing on helping her and she’s focusing on getting better, who is focusing on the patients?
She’s unstable and without a clear head and her heart in it, how is she going to actually do her job?
I didn’t expect it to be an immediate fix, but I also didn’t expect Reese to use Charles as her crutch yet again.
He seems to be accepting of it because he likes being needed. And without Robin in the picture, Reese is his new “daughter.”
Their relationship has always been the most solid and developed at Med, so hopefully they find their footing soon because together, they are the strongest force the hospital has.
Let’s all give a warm welcome to a new doctor coming to Gaffney!
Chicago Med is adding Luke Mitchell to the cast, according to Deadline.
The Originals and Blindspot actor will reportedly appear as a character named Dr. Mitch Ripley, described as an “early thirtysomething male Emergency Department doctor” with a past connection to Dr. Charles, played by Oliver Platt.
Word on the street is Ripley has a “troubled background,” which is why he crossed paths with Charles back in the day… and it seems like it might lead to some friction for the two.
He will recur on the medical drama with the potential of being upgraded to a series-regular come season 10, likely pending the reaction from fans.
The former Big Sky star is set to make his debut in the premiere episode of season 9 airing on January 17.
Of course, his addition is necessary as Chicago Med said goodbye to a handful of major cast members over the course of the previous seasons, including Brain Tee who played Ethan Choi, Nick Gehlfuss who starred as Will Halstead, Guy Lockard as Dr. Dylan Scott and Asjha Cooper in the role of Vanessa Taylor.
As of now, the returning cast includes S. Epatha Merkerson (hospital head Sharon Goodwin), Marlyne Barrett (charge nurse Maggie Lockwood), Dominic Rains (Dr. Crockett Marcel), Steven Weber (Dr. Dean Archer) and Jessy Schram (Dr. Hannah Asher).
Season 9 will consist of a 13-episode season, shortened due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
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?
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