Chicago Med
Chicago Med Review – Interns and Doctors (8×02)
After eight seasons, Chicago Med hasn’t run out of creative storyline ideas, and for that, I’m thankful.
On Chicago Med Season 8 Episode 2, the hospital’s most stubborn doctors, Halstead and Archer, once again allowed their personal situations and opinions to cloud their judgment and impact patient care. It’s so frustrating that we keep going in circles with these two, but it did seem as though there was a resolution towards the end of the episode. Maybe this is the turning point after all?
Halstead was clinging to what could’ve been with his apartment complex rather than taking the loss as everyone advised him. I believe Hannah Asher’s exact words were that he was enjoying playing the martyr a little too much, and honestly, it’s been a while since anyone has ever been that blunt with him. The truth is, Halstead was simply in denial, but his case of the week, involving a young boy named Henry and his mother, seemed to help him change his mind.
Unlike Jenny, who turned into a butterfly just like Henry’s chrysalis after she was properly diagnosed with a tumor that was causing her a psychotic break, Halstead’s building did not have a happy ending in sight. It wasn’t an easy fix, and so he needed to be just as brave as Henry and do the right thing—allow the city to drive a wrecking ball right through it. It definitely seems like the series is against giving Halstead any sliver of happiness, but sometimes, I’m fine with it considering he’s so arrogant when it comes to his patients.
Instead of trying to find a solution to help Jenny the way that Hannah and Dr. Charles did, he immediately wrote her off as insane and kept pressuring Charles to get a court order so he could treat the boy. Yes, Henry’s broken arm needed to be tended to, but without knowing Jenny’s condition, it seemed premature to loop in DCFS. Once they are called, it’s difficult to walk that back. And Henry seemed to truly care about his mother while believing that she would get better in time.
I’m glad that Hannah didn’t give up even when it seemed as though they exhausted all of their options. She knows just how necessary a proper diagnosis is. And if they had given up, it would’ve torn a family apart and never given Jenny a shot at redemption.
Similarly, Archer couldn’t compartmentalize his personal feelings when treating Al, a patient he diagnosed with MS a few years ago. Al was adamant about not getting intubated as his biggest fear was living out the rest of his life on the vent. When assured him that he was fine with dying, Arche was triggered. Having just met with his son who was content with staying in prison, Al’s acceptance sounded like he was just giving up. He chose to fight for Al since his son didn’t allow him to fight for him, and when Choi attempted to sway Archer to honor Al’s wishes, he pushed him aside. The ego is so powerful with this one. Whereas Will passes judgment on patients, Archer is stubborn and wants to override their decisions because he knows better or can’t accept the outcome that they already have. Pushing Al to go under sedation sealed his fate with the incubator. It’s an unfortunate turn of events, but at the very least, it helped Archer recognize a core issue within himself so that he could mend his relationship with his son.
Archer was also pretty rude to the new intern, Zach, and while I understand everyone’s frustration with the younger generation that’s just learning the ropes, if they don’t help them out and teach it to them, who will?
It was sweet of Choi to extend his help to Zach, who was only behind because of COVID. Since the pandemic, everything was online, which meant he didn’t have a chance to practice medicine in person, which isn’t ideal. Instead of writing him off for his lack of experience, Choi was determined to help Zach excel. We need more people like Choi in this world!
Of course, not all interns are created equal, and Kai came in with an attitude that didn’t sit right with anyone. Who is this man thinking he can get away with talking to Crockett like that? Crockett is one of Med’s best doctors, and Kai would do wise by shutting his mouth and learning a thing or two. I don’t even know how Kai was able to take their patient to get an angio—did he override Crockett?
Kai’s presence is a shake-up for Med as we’ve never had someone with his gusto for being better and right than the tenured staff, and it’s going to be fun to see how he works alongside Crockett now that he’s filed a complaint with HR. Also, HR, really? Oh boy. The man is truly too full of himself. It’s ballsy for a guy who almost killed a patient with his poor decision. Crockett could’ve filed a countercomplaint, but that would be too easy. Instead, he’s going to make sure that Kai learns his lesson and becomes the kind of person that plays nice with others.
And then there was Maggie’s whole dilemma with Grant. Grant is obviously interested in forming some kind of relationship with her, but she’s also being a little too intense. She’s projecting all her feelings and worries onto the situation instead of just letting it unfold. What if Grant isn’t interested in her? What if he just wants to get to know Vanessa and experience it with Maggie? By not telling Ben the truth about Grant for over a month, Maggie made it worse than it was. Ben wasn’t even phased when she initially told him, but when she started explaining herself, it became obvious that Grant’s presence is bringing up some old feelings, which didn’t sit well with Ben. Maggie would’ve been better off just introducing the two gentlemen to each other and having a big family lunch.
There was a lot of personal growth for each of the characters that was brought to light through the patients they treated making this a highly compelling installment.
What did you think of the episode?
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?
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