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Chicago Med Review Better is the New Enemy of Good Season 6 Episode 7 Chicago Med Review Better is the New Enemy of Good Season 6 Episode 7

Chicago Med

Chicago Med Review – Choi and Halstead Never Learn (6×07)

CHICAGO MED -- "Better Is The New Enemy Of Good" Episode 607 -- Pictured: (l-r) Yaya DeCosta as April Sexton, Nick Gehlfuss as Dr. Will Halstead -- (Photo by: Elizabeth Sisson/NBC)

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Dr. Choi and Dr. Halstead simply never learn. 

On Chicago Med Season 6 Episode 7, they both broke hospital protocol (nothing new for them) and found every way to justify their actions. 

When Vera, the first patient Halstead enrolled in his experimental clinical drug trial, came in experiencing strange symptoms, the immediate assumption was that medication was to blame.

However, Dr. Halstead didn’t want to unbind Vera to see if she was on the drug or a placebo, nor did he want to report the situation to Kender’s medical board without checking off all the other boxes first because he knew that would mean they’d pull the drug trial completely. 

While it seemed like Halstead cared more about the trial initially, he made it clear that he didn’t want to hurt all the other patients currently benefitting from the drug, which was fair.

When they kept mentioning how great Mr. Booker was doing because of the trial, I was convinced he would waltz into the ED halfway through the episode experiencing similar symptoms. 

But since no one else in the trial had these responses, Halstead was led to believe it was something entirely unrelated. 

To be absolutely sure that he could rule out the medication, Halstead went behind Sabeena and the company’s back to unbind Vera, which is unethical. 

Of course, when Halstead figured out that Vera’s symptoms were caused by a tumor that was pressing on Vera’s pituitary gland, he figured that his actions didn’t really matter because the end-result protected the trial. 

But the simple fact that he almost came clean to Sabeena means that he’s aware, even subconsciously, that his behavior is shady. 

He broke her trust, and he knew that telling her would ruin their working relationship and potential future relationship. 

Sabeena would never trust Halstead if she knew what he did, but now that he asked her out, it’ll be even worse if she finds out later on when they’ve grown closer in their personal lives.

Halstead can’t ever get it right. 

The worst part is that he roped April into it and now, she’s forced to keep this secret.

Dr. Choi was equally as bad because he came into work after having his gallbladder removed that very morning. Doctors, aka the people who are supposed to know better, are their own worst enemies sometimes!

After collapsing in the middle of his own ED, Choi explained that he didn’t want to shirk his responsibilities, but truthfully, he put himself and his colleagues in danger. 

With a fever of 102,  there was no way he was making sound decisions or performing his best. It would have been better for everyone if he simply took the time to heal. 

The role has taken quite a toll on him, and I thought that his aches and fever were due to exhaustion, which would have jived with the previous storyline introduced on Chicago Med Season 6 Episode 6 where he barely left the hospital and drank way too much coffee in order to stay awake.

The most interesting part of Choi’s situation was that he wasn’t just trying to do a good job like he told himself and others. Instead, he was trying to prove himself just like Dr. Charles’ patient Dr. Cohen. 

Since taking on the role of Chief, Choi seems to have Imposter Syndrome. He’s qualified, he’s dedicated, he does a good job, but he constantly feels inadequate, so he pushes himself to do more and do better, which ultimately ends up in burnout. 

Thankfully, his case wasn’t as bad as Dr. Cohen’s, who was an example of a worst-case scenario. The man was having delusions and competing with a dead guy simply to prove he was the best and deserved his spot in the department.

It’s illuminating to see the stock and value we put into careers in this country; so many people turn into workaholics because without a successful career they deem themselves worthless.

Where do we draw the line? When do we realize we shouldn’t value ourselves based on the jobs we have?

Crockett’s storyline continues to be heartbreaking. As he deals with cancer patient after cancer patient, it’s become clear that he has to finally come to terms with the past, which he’s been putting off and internalizing all this time.

Thankfully, he has Natalie. And she has him. 

You know, I think Natalie got it right this time. They not only make a great team, but they’re such a great couple. 

Natalie has been supportive from the beginning and never pushed him to share his story until he was ready. 

Crockett was initially standoffish and very protective about his past, but he’s since opened up to the point where he allowed her to be by his side when he opened the box of his daughter’s belongings. It was a huge and touching moment. 

There’s never going to be a time where it’s easy for Crockett to deal with cancer cases, especially malignant ones that have metastasized and come with a timeline.

Breaking the news to patients is never easy, and standing by as a witness to a rushed wedding isn’t either because he of all people knows the pain and suffering that will follow in a few months to a year. 

Sharon Goodwin dealt with her son, who she felt overstepped in the OR by trying to upsell medical parts. It was a bland storyline, and at this point, I don’t think Chicago Med really knows what to do with Michael’s character.

As for Maggie, she continues to get pushed down every time she tries to pick herself back up. After successfully finding Auggie a liver donor, she and Ben filed to officially adopt the young boy, who is already calling them “mom and dad.”

Everything was perfect, but then the ancestry site she used hoping to find a match for Auggie turned up a brother and the adoptive parents reached out to see if the boys could meet. 

While it’s great that Auggie has a biological family member, it’s obviously scary for Maggie because there’s a chance that Kenshaw’s parents will want to adopt Auggie or that Auggie will want to live with his brother. And I don’t know much about the adoption system, but is it possible they’d want to place Auggie with his brother?

I truly hope that isn’t the case because Maggie’s new family makes my heart melt every time they’re on the screen. They belong together. 

What do you think will happen with Auggie?

What did you think of the episode? Sound off in the comments section below! 

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Lizzy Buczak is the founder of CraveYouTV. What started off as a silly blog in her sophomore year at Columbia College Chicago turned her passion for watching TV into an opportunity! She has been in charge of CraveYou since 2011, writing reviews and news content for a wide variety of shows. Lizzy is a Music Business and Journalism major who has written for RADIO.COM, TV Fanatic, Time Out Chicago, Innerview, Pop’stache and Family Time.

Chicago Med

Chicago Med Season Finale Review – [SPOILER] Exits the Series (822)

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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 Season 8 Finale Review Episode 22 Does One Door Close Another One Open

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 Season 8 Finale Review Episode 22 Does One Door Close Another One Open

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?

5 Characters Who Exited ‘Chicago Med’ in 2022

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Chicago Med

Chicago Med Review – Might Feel Like It’s Time for a Change (821)

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Chicago Med Review Season 8 Episode 21 Might Feel Like It’s Time For Change

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?

 

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Chicago Med

Chicago Med Review – The Winds of Change Are Starting to Blow (820)

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Chicago Med Review Season 8 episode 20 The Winds Of Change Are Starting To Blow

Everyone is starting to feel the brunt of Jack Dayton’s decision to turn Gaffney into a for-profit hospital. 

When the board voted to support Dayton’s money-hungry decision, the writing was on the wall, but Chicago Med Season 8 Episode 20 honed in on the aftermath revealing that everyone is suffering–from patients seeking treatment to doctors wanting to help. 

Halstead couldn’t fathom seeing uninsured patients get turned away, so he found a loophole (classic Halstead), meanwhile, Crockett decided to act first and apologize later by booking 2.0 for a prior patient whose cancer metastasized. If I’m being honest, Richard should’ve been a VIP member since he was the first person to use 2.0 and, essentially, a test dummy for the program. 

Crockett made up his mind, and he was backed by Goodwin, who agreed that Richard was going for a “necessary follow-up” and that they would forgive the bill. Unfortunately, it seems as though Dayton didn’t exactly agree because 2.0 glitched halfway through the procedure and Richard didn’t wake up from the anesthesia, falling victim to a stroke despite showing absolutely no signs of distress. 

Goodwin assured Crockett that these things happen, but he wasn’t convinced, and based on the teaser trailer for the upcoming episode, we can’t exclude the possibility that Dayton retaliated and purposefully glitched 2.0 to put Crockett’s patient in danger. If that’s the case, we’re talking about a much larger issue than just turning non-paying patients away. We’ll have to wait until next week to find out how this will pan out and if Dayton brings a new meaning to the word “villain.”

Dr. Charles and Maggie teamed up to deal with a paranoid patient with a phobia of hospitals. Jan was spewing all of the conspiracy theories she’d read online verbatim, which prompted her to refuse the necessary care following her car wreck. The dynamic duo did their best to quell Jan’s concerns and prove to her that they didn’t mean her any harm, but in the end, they couldn’t get through to her and she refused to provide any bloodwork so they could check out why she was experiencing jaundice. 

This wasn’t a straightforward case for psychology because Jan was simply gullible and fearful as she experienced a traumatic incident where her sister walked into a hospital as a healthy person and was diagnosed with cancer that took her life in less than a month. Jan is still processing all that trauma, so Charles had to believe that she’d deal with it when she was ready and on her own terms. There’s no forcing someone to seek out help when they don’t want it, especially if they seem to be of sound mind. Hopefully, her storyline will circle back around in the future and they will be able to give her the proper care she needs. 

Meanwhile, the Archer boys and Hannah Asher once again found themselves rotating in each other’s orbit. Dean came around to the idea of Sean donating a kidney to him, though he definitely chewed out Hannah for clueing his son in on his waning health. 

Dean dealt with a patient with a 6-foot-long tapeworm in his intestines—yeah, suddenly, we’re not hungry either—while Hannah and Sean assisted the patient’s wife, who shockingly went into labor without even knowing she was pregnant. The two scenes mirrored each other in that Dean was removing the tapeworm while Hannah was removing a baby. Gruesome and brilliant at the same time! And Sean fit in perfectly by stepping in for the father to help Pam during the delivery process, which also gave him a front-row seat to Hannah’s skilled labor and delivery.  

He was in awe seeing her in action, which just confirmed that he has feelings for her, but when he told his father, Dean shut it down by suggesting that it was too early to get into a relationship as they are both focusing on their recovery. Of course, the admission threw Dean off, especially because we know he has a soft spot for Hannah, which was evident when she trolled him in the doctor’s lounge and helped him clean up his coffee off of his medical coat. Sean witnessed the moment, and though it definitely looked more romantic than it was, you can’t deny there’s chemistry there. I smell a love triangle brewing—not a first for Med. And while I want Sean to find someone, I think it’s written in the stars for Hannah and Dean!

Lastly, and I won’t say much about this, I’m genuinely disliking the storyline between Dr. Charles and Lilliana’s brother, Pawel. I get that he’s going through a tough time in terms of finding himself in a new country, but I continue to cringe at the way immigrants are being represented on this show. We’ll see how things escalate and if the storyline can be salvaged in my eyes. 

What did you think of the episode? Is Maggie really considering leaving Med? Are we on the brink of a Crockett and Dayton face-off? How will Sharon figure this out to once again save Med? 

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