What an intriguing and powerful installment of Chicago Med Season 8 Episode 16. 

“What You See Isn’t Always What You Get” honed in on that theme to the fullest. The episode drew audiences in with striking visuals of a man pinned up against an MRI machine with scissors lodged in his neck as the doctors emphasized that his odds of survival were abysmal (because sensationalized storylines sell), however, the heart of the storyline was in those deeper, more emotional moments—with the man’s diagnosis following the near-fatal event, with the Spanish teen who came in with an unknown illness whose family would do anything to get her life-saving care, and finally, with Dr. Cueva’s poignant realization about her own immigrant status. 

All of those smaller—yet arguably more powerful moments—made for a compelling episode, but don’t get me wrong, Quentin’s situation was also one of the craziest incidents to occur at Gaffney no doubt, so there’s a reason it was a huge draw. His life was literally hanging in the balance, and one wrong move could’ve ended in disaster. His survival really speaks volumes to all the skilled men and women from all departments, including Chicago Fire, who rallied together and devised a plan to save him. There was no guarantee that it would work, but they tried their best. It was an all-hands-on-deck situation. 

And no one even held what happened against him as it was an unfortunate accident stemming from a psychotic break triggered by the birth of his first son, Trevor. After being given some antipsychotics, Quentin didn’t even fully understand what transpired, but there was plenty of relief to know that he was safe and that they did find a physical diagnosis that would help him manage. 

While the stakes were high with Quentin’s case, I’m so glad he survived the freak situation. All the odds were against him, but he deserved a chance to meet his son and bask in the joy of fatherhood. It would’ve been extremely depressing if he died, not to mention the toll would have taken on his wife, who realized that though it was a genetic condition, the psychosis that he experienced was triggered by a change of diet that he undertook due to the pregnancy. In short, she would’ve blamed herself for what happened, and that’s a lot for any person, especially a new mother, to live with. 

Maria’s parents brought her into the ED basically begging Halstead and Cuevas for help, but they weren’t able to identify the disease that was causing her symptoms. All they knew is that if it went untreated, it would kill her, just like it killed their son, Hugo. The fact that they were still grieving a loss made their current urgency understandable. Hugo died from brain swelling, but no one, even the doctors treating him, knew what led to it, and they were afraid history would repeat itself with Maria, who was displaying similar symptoms. 

Unfortunately, it wasn’t exactly clear to Dr. Halstead and Cuevas what was happening to Maria either, and when the insurance company informed Goodwin that they refused to cover any of the treatment unless the family went back to Oakview Community, the hospital where Maria was initially admitted, Med’s doctors basically had no say in what happened next. That is until they smelled a maple syrup scent in her urine, which allowed them to properly identify the very rare and easily missable disease. Maria was going to make it! And while not every case is a win, it sure feels good when it happens. 

CHICAGO MED — “What You See Isn’t Always What You Get” Episode 816 — Pictured: (l-r) Nick Gehlfuss as Will Halstead, Lilah Richcreek Estrada as Nellie Cuevas — (Photo by: George Burns Jr/NBC)

Cuevas felt personally connected to Maria’s case because she understood the many levels to it—namely the struggle and sacrifice that immigrant families endure and make. All Maria’s parents wanted was to help their daughter—they were willing to sell all of their possessions and take on extra jobs to make it happen—however, Maria also understood all that they’d done for her and her siblings, and she was willing to sacrifice herself so that the rest of them would ha a better life. Maria was willing to get transferred back to Oakview and likely die so that her family wouldn’t have to endure major debt on her account.

At the end of the day, she didn’t have to, but the moment stayed with Cuevas, who then informed Goodwin during her DACA renewal discussion that Maria’s bravery inspired her to continue fighting for her career since her parents gave up so much to make this life a possibility for her. It was a very moving moment, particularly with Cuevas divulging that she hasn’t hugged her parents in a decade. Can you imagine how that feels? Can you imagine not being able to see your family because they live in a different country and you risk being denied entry back into your country if you leave to see them? It’s such a sad reality for so many individuals—and it’s important that shows like Chicago Med underscore it and shine a light on it. 

Selfishly, I’m also happy that Cuevas decided to stay as she’s been a great addition to the series, which has lost too many people over the course of the past seasons.

As for Dr. Charles, in addition to his very hectic day in the ED treating Quentin, he also had some personal developments with Liliana, namely feeling embarrassed that he left his office a mess the night before and she had to clean it up. Liliana is doing far better with juggling the power dynamics between them, though Charles is trying his best to make sure she feels appreciated and respected. It would be better if he didn’t make such a big deal of it and stopped emphasizing it, but I applaud Charles for dealing in his own way and being transparent with his feelings whenever something does bother him.

Quentin’s case took such a toll on the doctors that Neil completely forgot to drink his water, which made him feel dizzy and weak (thankfully after he successfully clamped down on Quentin’s artery). A quick visit from the nephrologist confirmed his worst fears—his kidneys were failing and dialysis was necessary. How will it affect his work? The good news is that he seems to have Asher in his corner supporting and looking out for him. Maybe the situation will bring them even closer together. 

We also got a glimpse of Tanaka Reed’s personal life when the resident became the patient following a diaphragmatic hernia exasperated by his fitness routine. Despite Reed’s overinflated ego, which kind of makes him a pain to be around, Crockett went the extra mile to help him figure out what was going on and treat it properly. And honestly, the fact that he’s now the farting doctor does kind of make him slightly more approachable. Maybe he’ll finally lighten up a bit. 

What did you think of the episode? Let us know in the comments, Cravers! 

One Chicago fans are likely itching for new episodes of their favorite dramas, but unfortunately, you’ll have to wait just a smidge longer. 

It’s going to be a bit until we catch up with our friends at Gaffney Medical. The last Chicago Med episode aired on March 1, and Chicago Med Season 8 Episode 16 won’t be back on the air until Wednesday, March 22, 2023.

However, it will be worth the wait as the episode, which is currently untitled, finds the 2.0 causing quite a bit of trouble in the ED. 

As evidenced by the teaser trailer, the hospital spearheads a “rescue situation” after a patient is pinned against the machine with a pair of scissors lodged in his neck.

“The magnet is holding everything in place,” Hannah Asher can be heard saying, adding that “when gravity takes over, we’ll have 20 seconds until he bleeds out.” 

As the tense situation unfolds, the patient looks rather concerned, asking Neil Archer if he’s going to die. 

Can Gaffney’s finest pull this off and save him in time?

You can watch the gut-wrenching promo below:

In the meantime, check out our gallery of One Chicago stars who have left the series. 

Is ‘Chicago PD’ New Tonight? Everything We Know About Season 10 Episode 13

A janitor’s strike made for quite a mess at Gaffney on Chicago Med Season 8 Episode 15. 

The strike has been a few episodes in the making, with this installment resulting in a direct impact on patient care.

All of the nurses on staff were forced to pitch in and help out with cleaning the rooms to pick up the slack from the scabs, and even then they couldn’t prevent a full-on bed bug outbreak. And honestly, it was gross. 

No patient deserves to walk into an ER seeking help only to end up getting a rash. I’m not surprised that Will’s patient Walter was upset with the service he received. And it’s actually quite embarrassing for a respected hospital like Gaffney. The place has a 2.0 AI machine to help with surgeries yet they can’t pay their janitorial staff a livable wage. I understand not wanting to cave in and set a precedent for all the other unions, but as evidenced, the janitors are essential to the hospital as without clean rooms they are unable to deliver the standard of care that’s necessary. 

Someone like Jack Dayton should honestly understand that better than anyone. 

Eventually, the board and the union were able to come to an agreement, but it did come at the expense of some longtime patients who once believed Med was a good and reliable hospital. 

Crockett was once again caught up with 2.0, though this time, he embraced his skills and knowledge rather than following the AI blindly. While treating his patient, an 11-year-old whose leg was brutally injured by a machine on her family farm, 2.0 suggested that the blood flow to the leg was only 7% which would warrant an amputation. It pained Crockett to perform this procedure, and right before going through with it, he realized that the foot was getting its color back. When he re-ran the tests, 2.0 agreed that the leg was likely salvageable. It’s nice to see him using the machine in the way it’s intended—as an aid rather than as an end all be all. 

Crockett’s one misstep, however, was calling in DCFS for the situation that was far from abuse. While he might not agree with children working on a family farm, it’s simply the reality for too many people. It’s a good thing Maggie stepped in and talked some sense into him because DCFS is permanent and can do a lot of damage. And in this case, Crockett was too blinded by his anger to get the full picture—Abby’s father warned her not to get too close to the machine but she didn’t listen because she wanted to help. It was all her fault, and Crockett almost made it worse for everyone involved. I love how much he cares about his patients, but sometimes, you have to take a step back. 

Dr. Johnson was a good addition and seems like he’d be a great fit at Med. I mean, why else would they even introduce Abby’s personal doctor if he wasn’t going to stick around? The series could use some fresh blood. 

Dr. Charles was on the front lines of the protest supporting Liliana, which was sweet. It’s been a tough situation to manage as he wanted to be supportive of his girlfriend while also supporting Sharon Goodwin, who is siding with the hospital. I thought things there’d be more tension between them, but that wasn’t the case as Goodwin understood why Charles needed to extend his support. Instead, Goodwin fought to convince the board to do the right thing by the janitors, while Charles was called in to assist with a case involving a former patient, David. 

CHICAGO MED — “Some Problems Require a Shock to the System” Episode 815 — Pictured: (l-r) Karin Anglin as Patty Sullivan, Madison Durks as Eric Sullivan, John Henry Ward as David Sullivan, Oliver Platt as Daniel Charles — (Photo by: George Burns Jr/NBC)

In a prior episode, David was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, and despite taking his meds, his parents brought him in because they were concerned that their son was convinced he was dead. Worst of all—he thought Dr. Cuevas was the reason he died because she gave him medication. It seems as though he was simply not jiving with the drugs, but Charles had another solution—electroshock therapy. We’ve never seen him suggest this type of treatment to anyone, but in David’s case, it was their only option that seemed to have the desired effect. David was a little more receptive after being treated, he had a more emotional reaction to his parents, and he no longer heard voices. A psychiatrist’s shift is never really over, and it’s a good thing because Charles knows what he’s doing. 

Cuevas assisted Archer with his patient, a woman who came into the ED after experiencing debilitating stomach pain that ended up being a result of her compulsion to eat hair otherwise known as trichophagia. After Archer removed a huge hairball from her stomach, she initially denied it, but when her daughter, who was undergoing chemo for breast cancer, came to visit, she finally admitted that she was eating her daughter’s hair as it was falling out because it made her feel better and numbed the pain. It was quite a surprising twist, but I’m just glad they got to the bottom of it and were able to get her help. 

Archer also had a big moment with his son Sean, who was making amends with his father as part of his recovery program. Archer dismissed Sean’s apology initially because he felt so bad for not being there for him and his mother when they needed him the most and for pushing them away. It was truly heartbreaking to see, but it’s also nice that Archer is finally breaking down those walls, admitting his faults, and opening up in a way that makes his character more dimensional. 

What did you think of the episode?