Chicago Med
Chicago Med Review – April and Choi’s Big Decision (808)
Chicago Med Season 8 Episode 8 is starting to prepare audiences for Ethan Choi’s exit from the series.
At the kickstart of the episode, Gaffney’s finest received cream colored envelopes in their lockers, which, upon opening, revealed that a wedding is on the horizon! While it feels like April and Ethan just got back together, the truth is, when you know you know.
Choi told Charles that the second time around, their relationship is much more solid, which is largely due to the fact that following his father’s death, Choi grew up and became the man that April always needed him to be. As he realized how short life is, he didn’t want to waste anymore time. And honestly, I think that’s beautiful and realistic. Most of the time, you get wiser with age and realize just how much time was spent on things that didn’t matter.
Choi and April always had a special connection that was unfortunately ruined by the show’s need for drama. The drama was necessary, but with their relationship continuing off-screen, they can finally ride off into marital bliss!
Of course, Choi needs to have a compelling reason for leaving behind his job, and I think he’s going to try to take on a very flawed and broken system. He was especially triggered by Buddy’s case, the homeless man who was brought in after someone from the neighborhood realized that he was in need of medical attention. Buddy was, sadly, a victim of Medicaid fraud as a recruiter took him to a hospital in Wisconsin to undergo a procedure that he didn’t need for kickbacks. And once it was done, she dropped him back off without a care in the world knowing damn well that he didn’t have the resources to go to any follow up appointments or to heal properly from the procedure. All the while, Buddy was also in advanced stage prostate cancer, which is one of the most curable and treatable cancers, and no one did a thing about it. He could’ve survived and lived for many years but he was brushed off and ignored. He was failed by so many people simply because he didn’t have the means to seek out help on his own or advocate for himself. I’m not surprised that Choi was so angered by the realization. And while I don’t know what Choi is going to do to bring about the much-needed change, I know that the first step is simply acknowledging that it’s necessary. If losing Choi is inevitable, I’m just glad it’s going to be a worthy send off that remains true to his character that’s become so beloved over these eight seasons.
There was a bit of a shakeup with Asher and Nellie Cuevas teaming up together to help Gloria, a young woman who walked into the ER looking to get some clarity on what happened to her at a warehouse party. Gloria explained that she blacked out after a single drink and had no memory of the evening aside from waking up in a room alone and with her undergarments missing. The care that Asher and Nellie extended was truly remarkable as they both felt a personal connection to Nellie—Asher having lost a college roommate who was sexually assaulted and Nellie being an undocumented immigrant who knew the dangers and the realities of the failed system all too well.
Gloria was in good hands, even though this is a situation that no woman ever wants to experience. Upon confirming that there was evidence of sexual assault, Gloria decided against reporting it or doing anything about it, which proved Nellie’s suspicions that she was undocumented herself.
When Asher wanted to encourage her to change her mind, Nellie shut down the conversation and reiterated the fears going through Gloria’s mind as an immigrant. And everything Nellie said was totally valid, however, there’s always more sides to a story or situation. When Chicago PD’s Hailey Upton came in with another sexual assault survivor who also blacked out at a warehouse party, Asher stood her ground in her efforts to convince Gloria as she knew just how important her case could be to finding the person who did this.
Asher revealed that her college roommate experienced a sexual assault that ended with her untimely death, and after seeing the firsthand effects of what that kind of trauma can do to a person that represses it and tries their very best to “forget it ever happened,” she couldn’t stand by and watch Gloria make those some mistakes.
Asher’s story helped Nellie see the situation in a different light, and while she remained cautious and respectful of Gloria’s undocumented status, she revealed that she was a DACA recipient to assure her that if she did decide to file a report, they would protect her as they knew what she was going through. The relatability was comforting to Gloria, who eventually spoke with Upton, another agent who was in no way going to put Gloria in harm’s way. As I said before, despite the truly devastating circumstance, Gloria was in good hands.
Halstead teamed up with a new intern, Justin Leiu (The Cleaning Lady fans will recognize him as Marco!), who honestly feels like he’s going to be a really great addition to the team. Justin was sharp and on his game, and even went along with Halstead’s plan to do a trans organ exchange to help out his patient, a 15-year-old girl in advanced liver stage from a rare condition. The truth is that Halstead will do just about anything to help his patients, but this time, he was determined to keep it above board. And with a little help from Crockett, they were able to provide a solution that helped two patients in one. Crockett realized that “quid pro quo” doesn’t always have to be a bad thing if it’s done for the greater good, which convinced him to attend the executive dinner with Goodwin and billionaire Jack. Crockett really got caught up in the optics of asking someone he previously helped out of the goodness of his heart (and because he took an oath) for money, however, a few million is just another drop in the bucket for Jack. And, as it turns out, he was already expecting the ask and was even willing to go way above what they wanted because he saw value in helping Med and investing in the doctors there. At the end of the day, it’s a charitable write off for Jack, which he surely knows, and it helps so many people in the process.
Maggie got a little too caught up taking a ride through her past with Grant, which landed them both in the ED. While it was sweet of Grant to want to show off the high school ride that he restored with Maggie, the truth is, these two can’t just be friends. There’s history and chemistry there that only spells trouble. Ben wouldn’t even be happy with the idea of Maggie riding shotgun in the car with her ex boyfriend, so I’m not surprised that she hesitated to tell him about the car accident as it will cause more unnecessary problems in her marriage. Sharon encouraged Maggie to take time and think it through, and while I would typically say that she should trust in her connection to Ben, we all saw how he reacted the last time Grant came around. I don’t think he’ll be understanding in the slightest.
The storyline with Grant really only made sense when Vanessa was still around, but now that she’s off living her best and most authentic life, the truth is, Grant and Maggie have no reason to exist in each other’s orbit anymore. It’s probably for the best that they don’t see each other again.
And then there’s Neil, whose painful condition following his broken ribs is clearly going to pose a problem down the line. He’s been keeping his colleagues in the dark about what’s been going on, but it’s bound to get worse and eventually, it won’t be something that he can ignore. I feel like he was trying to tell Choi about it, but when he saw how impassioned his friend was about fixing the system, he just let his problems take a backseat.
What did you think about the episode? Are you excited for Choi and April’s wedding? Do you like seeing different doctors in the ED pair up and work together?
The fall finale of Chicago Med will air on Dec. 7, so get ready and we’ll touch base then!
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?
The Santa Clauses3 weeks agoThe Santa Clauses Season 2 Episode 4 Recap – Miracle on Dead Creek
Sullivan's Crossing2 weeks agoSullivan’s Crossing Season 1 Episode 8 Review – Aftershock
Netflix1 week agoVirgin River Holiday Episodes Season 5 Episode 11 and 12 Review – Father Christmas
Found2 weeks agoFound Season 1 Episode 9 Review – Missing While Scamming
The Santa Clauses1 week agoThe Santa Clauses Season 2 Episode 5 Review – B-E-T-T-Y
Chicago P.D3 weeks agoOne Chicago Shows Announce 2024 Premiere Dates
Found3 weeks agoFound Season 1 Episode 8 Review – Missing While Homeless
The Buccaneers2 weeks agoThe Buccaneers Season 1 Episode 5 Review – Failed Betrayal
1 Comment