Chicago Med
Chicago Med Review – A Good Day in the ED (6×06)
It’s always a welcome surprise when there’s good news in the ED.
And there was no shortage on Chicago Med Season 6 Episode 6, which tackled many of the issues introduced the week prior including Anna’s unexpected pregnancy, Choi’s decision to fire Noah, and Auggie’s need for a liver transplant.
While things seemed bleak at first, by the end of the hour, everyone’s luck was looking up.
Dr. Charles accidentally stumbled upon family planning pamphlets that fell out of Anna’s coat, which was probably for the best because Anna really needed her dad more than she realized. That was especially true when she began bleeding and learned that she had a chemical pregnancy.
This was obviously a relief for someone Anna’s age, but it’s likely going to lead to a pretty nasty fight between Dr. Charles and his ex-wife, whose need to be in control seems to be alienating her family, particularly her daughter.
Anna didn’t even want Charles to tell her mom the truth because she was afraid of her reaction. And just imagine what that reaction will be when she thinks that Charles has been deliberately keeping something this big from her.
I love that Dr. Charles didn’t freak out on Anna even though every bone in his body was probably telling him to. Anna was already scared as it is, so it was reassuring that her dad kept a cool head and approached the situation as though she were an adult. She realized she made a careless mistake — she didn’t need to be punished for it even more.
I’m also happy that Charles didn’t seem to blame Nat at all. Would he have liked a heads up? Yes. But he also understands the situation Natalie was placed in and that HIPA required full confidentiality on her part.
Rules as rules. Some rules, however, don’t have the patient’s best interest at heart.
With his liver failing, Auggie was running out of time.
While Maggie may not be his legal mother, she is his caretaker and should have been able to sign off on a liver transplant, especially since he doesn’t have any other family around to fight for him.
It’s crazy to think that a child that has someone in his corner still might not get the necessary help because of legalities. Why is the system set up to fail those who rely on it?
The liver may have been compromised, but it assured that he had a fighting chance to deal with any problems down the line.
I can’t understand how DCFS would stand behind a rule that basically gave the A-OK to leave a dying child without any options.
Auggie is lucky to have such a firecracker like Maggie by his side. She never gave up and wasn’t willing to take no for an answer. It was sweet to see him call her “mom” and prompted her decision to legally adopt him. After all, they’re already acting like his parents!
Sharon Goodwin signed off on the surgery, which was risky, but what would it say about her if she stood by and let an innocent boy die because of some blanket rule? In this case, the rule was meant to be bent. And she’s right — DCFS doesn’t want that kind of bad PR. The public would not be kind if they found out that they stood by idly and let a child die.
Still, I don’t think she’s in the clear just yet. She’ll eventually have to answer for signing off on the life-saving surgery and overriding the rules. But for now, let’s just rejoice in the fact that Auggie is thriving!
Dr. Halstead has always been a great ED doctor, but following the rules, well, that’s not his strong suit.
CHICAGO MED — “Don’t Want To Face This Now” Episode 606 — Pictured: Nick Gehlfuss as Dr. Will Halstead — (Photo by: Elizabeth Sisson/NBC)
When Choi went back on his word and told him he wouldn’t give him time for his presentation, Dr. Halstead blatantly disregarded his orders. He’s never been happy to have lost out on the promotion to Choi, but in this case, he also understood that he made a commitment to the trial.
I can’t say that I disagree with Halstead’s decision either. He’s passionate about saving lives and that includes getting the word out about the trial and its potential effectiveness. And as he mentioned, the trial is sanctioned by the hospital, so it indirectly benefits Choi.
Dr. Choi also wasn’t being fair to Halstead; he knew how important the presentation was to him and refused to be flexible. There was obviously a way to staff the ED and give Halstead the hour since he managed to sneak out anyway and all of his patients were covered.
I’m into Halstead considering a transition from the ED to a full-time gig with clinical trials. Maybe it really is time for a change. However, I can’t shake the feeling that Sabina is trying to rope him into something. Could it be because Halstead is always being roped into weird situations?
Also, are they ever going to go on a date? It’s so obvious that they’re into each other, let’s get this romance moving!
Choi’s been having a tough time wrangling his staff, which is only making his job harder.
The fact that he hasn’t slept and has just been running on coffee is concerning and a sign of how rigorous the job of Chief of the ED truly is.
I figured that because of the “no sleep” situation, Choi would end up fumbling and putting a patient at risk, which would question his ability to handle the job responsibilities but that wasn’t the case.
Even with an empty tank, Choi remained committed to his patients and helped the Bowmans figure out a health issue plaguing Mr. Bowman for over a year.
Bowman was continuously misdiagnosed by other doctors, which explained the aggression, irritability, and disregard for the profession, but once Choi put his mind to it, he figured it out. Isn’t it great that Mr. Bowman no longer has to suffer?
Also, how awesome is Dr. Abrams and his blunt responses?
This was also the first time in a while that April not only acknowledged Choi’s hard work but also understood how difficult his new role must be since he can’t please everyone. She saw firsthand the toll it was taking on him and likely realized she’s only been making things harder on him.
It’s unclear if the series wants to get these two back together, but their storylines continue to revolve around each other months after their split. What gives?
Manning and Crockett treated a patient who became dizzy and fell, and while it wasn’t evident on her CT, the young woman, Cindy, had a malignant tumor in her stomach.
She chose not to get it removed, which didn’t sit well with either of the doctors, but sadly, there wasn’t much they could do; Cindy made her choice, which was to live with a deadly tumor as she didn’t want to undergo all the painful treatments she’d seen her mom undergo only to pass away anyway.
Eventually, Crockett realized he needed to make it personal if he had any shot of convincing Cindy.
His speech about his one-year-old daughter being a fighter pulled at the heartstrings. You could tell it took a lot out of Crockett to relive the past and be open about it, especially since he tends to keep his personal matters under wraps.
However, it worked and Cindy agreed to fight for her life. It’s better to die trying than to not try at all.
This connected back to his visit from his ex, who left him a box of belongings and memories after she sold the house. The one box, in particular, held all of his daughter, Harper’s, things, and though he thought maybe he’d finally be able to face it, he broke down crying looking at the memories.
At this point, Crockett is my favorite character. It’s been enjoyable and revealing to peel back his layers and learn more about his past.
The episode also saw the return of Kelly Bisset, the kidnapping victim who was reunited with her mother on Chicago Med Season 6 Episode 3.
In my review of that episode, I noted that the case wrapped up too quickly and left so many questions unanswered.
There was a lot of promise in revisiting the case, but sadly, it didn’t provide audiences with any of the answers like what happened to her prior to getting to the hospital, how she got to the hospital, where was she held, and who kidnapped her.
We did, however, see the aftermath and shock that Kelly endured upon returning to her childhood home, which was welcome.
She was having a hard time adjusting as she didn’t have any of the “happy memories” that her mother kept referring to and reminding her of.
The fact that she couldn’t connect or be that girl for her mother made her feel inadequate and she decided to jump out of a moving vehicle to make the feelings go away.
While talking with both Kelly and her mom, Dr. Charles realized that neither of them remembered much about Kelly’s childhood and that’s because her mother was making a lot of it up. She felt guilty for not being more present when Kelly was a child.
It was heartbreaking, but at least Dr. Charles helped both of them realize that the key to bonding now was to do less and make new memories. They could never change or recapture the past, but the future was theirs for the taking.
It wasn’t the best use of the hour, but it was nice to see the series return to a previous case and build on it.
What did you think of the episode? Let us know in the comments below!
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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