Chicago Med
Chicago Med Season Premiere Review – Out With the Old, In With the New (7×01)
Something felt off about the season 7 premiere of Chicago Med.
It wasn’t just the fact that Gaffney welcomed a slew of new faces, but more so that the time jump was so forced as it abruptly sent Natalie packing and reinstated Will as a doctor.
I know that the series tried their best to give fans closure following Torrey Devito’s departure, but since she already agreed to an appearance, couldn’t they have at least made the most of those few minutes of screentime?
Where was she going? Did it have something to do with her mother? And why was Will the one seeing her off? Is it because he covered for her and the stolen pills? The whole scene, much like her exit, felt rushed.
After her exit, Will decided to ask Goodwin for a second chance since Nat confessed to stealing the trial meds, and Goodwin agreed under the condition that he’d basically become a mole and corner the new doctor, Matt Cooper (Michael Rady), for upselling an unnecessarily expensive and dangerous device called the Vask Comp in order to receive kickbacks.
It definitely sounds like Goodwin is asking Halstead to just take a plunge into boiling hot water here, but what choice does he have? If he wants his old job back, he has to prove his loyalty.
And, in a way, the good outweighs the bad as the hope is that his intel will help them pull a potentially dangerous device off the market.
But why Will? Aside from the fact that he always makes absolutely nonsensical choices, he is said to have a past with Cooper, who used to date his cousin.
There’s definitely some tension between Cooper and Halstead from the getgo when the latter propositions catching up over drinks. There’s also a weird line about Cooper being a “good boy” in his marriage, which alludes to the fact that he likely cheated on Halstead’s cousin.
And considering that he’s flirting with the lady working the counter, I’d say he isn’t as reformed as he’d like people to believe.
Just what we need — another frenemy for Halstead!
The fallout of the Kinder trial has really derailed his career, and his return to the ED isn’t necessarily welcomed with open arms, particularly by Crockett, another doctor who hasn’t seen eye-to-eye with Will in the past.
Crockett was forced to rely on his former colleague when he accepted a former Kinder trial patient whose filed was locked. Halstead was the only person who had any insight into the patient’s history, but even when he tried to advise, Crockett hesitated to believe him and went with his gut instead.
It’s a valid reaction considering Halstead’s murky past, but it was also a battle of the egos.
This time, however, Halstead was right.
And while Crockett’s ego may have been bruised, he was able to own up to his mistake. Call me crazy, but I think these two just might become friends after all.
The biggest obstacle standing in the way of their friendship was Natalie, and since she left both of them in her dust, there’s really no reason to continue this feud.
I’m willing to bet that if they work together, they can do great things.
Cooper wasn’t nearly as problematic as Dr. Asher, who somehow, despite crossing every single doctor at Gaffney, snagged the Chief of ED position after Ethan’s shooting.
Not only are Nat and April gone, but Ethan’s absence from the premiere was reduced to a one-liner about how he’s in rehab recovering.
I was kind of hoping Asher wasn’t going to stick around, but with all the recent departures, Med kind of needs him.
His disdain for Dr. Charles and the field of psychology, in general, was at an all-time high. Asher is a vet, so his approach to mental health is rather old school. He doesn’t really respect any Dr. Charles’ calls, particularly when they interfere with his ability to treat a patient. Asher continued to not be impressed that Charles indulged a patient’s fantasies or delusions, though it’s clear he also doesn’t really understand the science behind psychology.
At the kickstart of the episode, they both made snarky comments to each other about the mishandling of Neil’s case, the man who believed he was living in a simulation and shot Ethan after Asher treated him against his will. The tension between them amplified when Asher treated two identical twins, one of whom needed her ovary removed. Since Jemma and Emma grew up without developing a sense of identity, they were convinced they had to do everything together in order to remain “one person.” Thus, the healthy twin also wanted Asher to remove her ovary, which was obviously unethical.
CHICAGO MED — “You Can’t Always Trust What You See” Episode 701 — Pictured: (l-r) Kristin Hager as Dr. Stevie Hammer — (Photo by: George Burns Jr/NBC)
The whole relationship between the twins was borderline disturbing, and I kind of wish the series tapped into that more. However, I was impressed that Charles found a way to convince them to go through with the life-saving procedure without dismissing their feelings or beliefs.
But despite emphasizing that he’s never seen a case quite like this one in his 40 years on the job, he probably should’ve anticipated the old switcheroo.
Maybe Asher and Charkes will find a way to put their difference aside and learn from each other?
In addition to Cooper, there were two new faces making the rounds at Gaffney: Dylan Scott (Guy Lockard) and Stevie Hammer (Kristen Hager).
Scott’s a former cop-turned-doctor who loves to share that tidbit with his patients, including a young boy who was bitten by a rattlesnake as part of a gang initiation. My guess is there’s going to be some tie-in to Chicago PD at some point as he told Will that he knew his brother Jay Halstead.
Hammer, on the other hand, reminds me of Dr. Elsa Curry at times. She’s an emergency room attending that seems very perceptive.
She also has a connection to Halstead as they attended med school together, so you can probably tack her onto his long list of love interests. Sparks will fly sooner rather than later, I’m sure.
And since Halstead is a sucker for taking on his romantic partner’s burdens, it won’t be long before he gets involved with trying to help her homeless mother.
Neither of these characters have hooked me just yet, nor are they filling the Natalie and April-sized voids, but I’m not writing them off either.
Scott, in particular, has the ability to offer a unique perspective as there hasn’t been a doctor that has also been on the other side of the coin and worked the streets of Chicago.
Maggie’s storyline with her daughter, Taylor, is going to be a bigger focus this season. If I were to put my money on it, they’ll have a decent relationship by the time the season is over.
Though, I’m glad that Maggie is pulling back and following Taylor’s lead on this. Despite wanting to do what was best for Taylor, it was pretty manipulative of Maggie to get close to her daughter and withhold the truth about her identity.
Taylor deserves all the space she needs, and my hope is that the series doesn’t force this storyline.
Taylor can be curious about her mother while also resenting her for how she’s handled things up until now. And it’s not a surprise that she wants to focus on her career and not have this secret overshadow all the work that she’s doing.
What did you think of the Chicago Med Season 7 premiere?
Did you find it struggled to find its footing with the new characters or did it make you excited for what’s to come this season?
Sound off in the comments below!
Chicago Med returned for its 12th season with major changes on the horizon for all of the doctors at Gaffney.
And it wasted absolutely no time throwing us all back into the chaos of the E.D. with a mass shooting situation at a wedding that initially seemed random, before the bride revealed her jealous ex-boyfriend, Henry, was responsible.
The victims began overwhelming the E.D., which was already understaffed thanks to Sharon Goodwin’s (hopefully temporary) replacement, Ms. Sloane, who cut plenty of the staff due to budget constraints.
Since Goodwin was the heart and soul of Gaffney, it’s no surprise that not a single soul has taken kindly to Sloane’s arrival.
Audiences learn that Goodwin willingly stepped down after being accused of leaking Dr. Rabari’s medical records, though she’s not pleased about any of it, as a fight between her and Miranda heats up. Goodwin is encouraged to take a sizable payout with the promise that the hospital won’t press charges, but she assures them she’s not guilty, despite Miranda claiming to have evidence. We don’t know what that evidence is just yet, but she seems pretty confident that it’ll incriminate Goodwin, who also seems kind of nervous about everything. At first, I thought maybe that was an admission of guilt, but I think it’s just that everything she’s ever worked for is on the line, and she doesn’t have anyone from leadership in her corner.
The final few moments of the episode reveal Doris showing up at Sharon’s door and admitting that she was the one who leaked the records, which is a plot twist I didn’t see coming. Sweet Doris?! Of course, we know Sharon will always protect her own, so it’s possible she’ll take the plea deal to prevent this going to trial—or she’ll find another way out of it, since she, of all people, knows how to work the system in her favor. I know Sharon will not go down without a fight, and Miranda is absolutely naive to think otherwise.
And obviously, the hospital functions more smoothly when she’s in charge.
The mass shooting event ensured that it was an all-hands-on-deck situation, with Hannah even coming out of her maternity leave early to help the bride, who was 23 weeks pregnant and had a bullet lodged in her uterus. Thankfully, she was able to successfully remove it without having to deliver the baby early.
We also got to see Hannah and Archer’s baby girl, Mabel, as Doris asked the question we all wanted to know—are they “co-parents with benefits?” Obviously, new parents are extremely tired, but that is the elephant in the room after Archer declared his love for Hannah after Mabel was born. By the way they look at each other, there’s clearly something more there, even if she hasn’t admitted it yet.
The bride’s situation was taken straight out of a soap opera, as it was revealed that her fiancé, Dexter, didn’t know about the baby. And they couldn’t find him after the shooting, leaving her to believe the worst. On top of all of that, her ex was responsible for this disaster, and her soon-to-be mother-in-law was adamant that she was only marrying her son for money, which prompted Dexter to get cold feet and not even show up to the church where the tragedy occurred, ultimately saving his life but potentially putting his marriage in jeopardy.
When he finally got wind of what happened, he arrived at the hospital full of regret. Dr. Charles told him the best course of action was to apologize and come clean to Tamar. Dexter realized the root of all his problems was his mother, so he finally did the right thing and put his family—along with the unborn child he just found out about—ahead of whatever it is his mother was trying to do.
Their wedding day didn’t pan out as they expected it to, and came with plenty of hurt and loss, but the couple still managed to find a semblance of a happy ending.
The most heartbreaking plot, however, was with the flower girl, Dakota, who came to the hospital with a head wound after her mother pushed her under the pews when the shooting erupted. She couldn’t find her mom in the aftermath, but the wedding’s guitar player, Bruno, stayed by her side to make sure she was okay, and they formed a sweet little bond. The trauma of the day led to Dakota losing her eyesight temporarily, while everyone else searched for her mother, Edith.
Dr. Frost’s reaction to learning that both Edith and Bruno were dead mirrored mine because how could they put this little girl through so much pain? The nerve!
Not only do they have to tell her that her mom died, but Bruno, who survived a mass shooting event and walked away barely unscathed, was then killed while he was being discharged by the shooter as he drove his car through the reception area?
And this whole time, the shooter survived? Ripley was in sheer disbelief as Bruno’s body flew through the air on impact. And honestly, same.
CHICAGO MED — “Shots Fired” Episode 1201 — Pictured: (l-r) Luke Mitchell as Dr. Mitch Ripley, Michael Alix as Bruno — (Photo by: George Burns Jr/NBC)
It’s a reminder that not only is life super fragile and unexpected, but it’s also completely unfair. Thankfully, Mitch Ripley later revealed that they got their wires crossed and Edith was actually alive, so at least the little girl didn’t have to grow up without a mother, and this tragic day didn’t put a permanent stain on her life. And she’ll always have Bruno as her guardian angel!
Ripley had a tough day, no doubt, as he also had to lay down the law with a new 4th-year resident, Anna Wu, who Archer described as “smart, cocky and a pain in the ass.” Sound familiar?
Why do I feel like those are the personality traits they give every single new character? There have been so many Wus throughout the years.
Ripley was pissed that she undermined his call with a patient, accusing her of deliberately making the shooter suffer, which she said wasn’t the case, as she did what she had to do to keep the patient alive. However, she then made another bold move and called Ripley out for projecting onto her, suggesting that maybe he enjoyed seeing him suffer after all the pain he’d caused.
Doctors take an oath, but they’re still human, and watching innocent people die all around you while the person responsible survives could take a toll on anyone, even if it’s only subconsciously.
Either way—it seems like Ripley and Wu are off to a rocky start, which may set a precedent for their working environment moving forward.
As for Caitlin Lennox’s absence, she’s on a “3-month sabbatical” for a drug trial for her prion disease, which will hopefully buy her some extra time, though, as Ripley noted, nothing is ever guaranteed, even with a clean bill of health.
What did you think of the premiere episode? Do you think Chicago Med has started veering too much into soap territory, or do you enjoy the overly dramatic storylines?
Chicago
One Chicago Shows Finally Get 2026 Fall Premiere Dates—Here’s When ‘Chicago Fire,’ ‘Chicago P.D.’, and ‘Chicago Med’ Return
Summer may have just started a few days ago, but NBC is already looking to the fall, specifically, its fall premieres.
On Wed, June 24, the network set return dates for its fan-favorite shows, including all of the One Chicago franchises.
When Will Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D. and Chicago Med Return for Fall 2026/2027
One Chicago will stick with its Wednesday night time slots, which is great for fans who have gotten used to the schedule.
The 2026/2027 Fall TV schedule will see all One Chicago shows returning with new seasons on Oct. 7, 2026.
Chicago Fire will return for Season 15, Chicago P.D. will kick off Season 14 and Chicago Med will be back for Season 12!
Full NBC Fall 2026/2027 Schedule
Wednesday, September 9
7-8:20 P.M. – Football Night In America
8:20-11:30 P.M. – NFL Kickoff Game (New England at Seattle)
Sunday, September 13
7-8:20 P.M. – Football Night In America
8:20-11:30 P.M. – Sunday Night Football (Dallas at N.Y. Giants)
Thursday, September 17
8-10 p.m. – THE TRAITORS: NEW BLOOD
Monday, September 21
8-10 p.m. – The Voice
10-11 p.m. – LINE OF FIRE
Tuesday, September 22
8-9 p.m. – The Voice
9-11 p.m. – America’s Got Talent
Wednesday, September 23
8-9 p.m. – The Voice
9-11 p.m. – America’s Got Talent season finale
Friday, September 25
9-11 p.m. – Dateline NBC
Wednesday, October 7
8-9 p.m. – Chicago Med
9-10 p.m. – Chicago Fire
10-11 p.m. – Chicago P.D.
Thursday, October 8
9-10 p.m. – Law & Order: SVU
10-11 p.m. – Law & Order
Friday, October 23
8-8:30 p.m. – Happy’s Place
8:30-9 p.m. – NEWLYWEDS
Monday, November 2
8-8:30 p.m. – St. Denis Medical
8:30-9 p.m. – The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins
Chicago Med Season 11 Episode 21, titled “Heaven Help Us,” left fans pretty concerned over the future of one character—Sharon Goodwin (S Epatha Merkerson).
While Sharon’s position at Gaffney wasn’t in jeopardy at the start of the season finale, nor was she put in the line of danger with the gun-wielding escaped convict that put the hospital on lockdown, it was a decision to spare Charles’ job from Dr. Theo Rabari that may be her undoing after all this time.
Now, if there’s one thing we know about Sharon, it’s that she’s willing to go bat for her team, especially Dr. Charles.
When his job was in question, as Rabari was gunning for his position, Sharon made it very clear that they didn’t have many options, suggesting that Charles use Theo’s sociopathy against him.
Charles understood the risks that Rabari was posing, but he couldn’t, in good faith, do that to someone in his profession—it went against every single one of his beliefs.
And honestly, it wouldn’t make him any better than Theo to use his medical diagnosis against him.
If Charles wasn’t sure about his decision, his very emotional meeting with inpatient Scott, whom he knew as Gio, the young man who called the suicide hotline earlier this season, affirmed it, admitting that Theo had helped him greatly as a therapist.
Charles knew he couldn’t destroy Rabari’s career simply to save his own, but did Sharon?
When Charles expressed to Rabari that he would not stoop to his level to save the department he built from the ground up—though that didn’t mean he was backing down—Rabari realized that he needed to be the one to stand down; he could never be the doctor that Charles was.
Miranda informed Charles and Sharon that Rabari had removed himself from the equation, which should’ve been a joyous moment, however, she then revealed that Sharon would be stepping down, which shocked them both.
She then suggested that Sharon Goodwin leaked Rabari’s medical diagnosis anonymously, which Sharon denied. Miranda’s ultimatum remained—either Sharon walked away or she would have to face the board and her reputation would be on the line.
When Charles questioned whether or not Miranda was telling the truth, Sharon gave a vague answer, expressing that he knew her well enough to know the answer for himself.
Usually, I’d think Sharon was telling the truth, holding steadfast in her morals, but this time, I’m not so sure.
Sharon’s reaction in her office, as she angrily knocked over everything from her desk and started into the camera, made it pretty clear that there’s some truth to Miranda’s accusations.
It seems Sharon thought no one would catch onto her, and she didn’t trust Charles when he said he would find a different way to handle it.
We went from one mess to an even bigger one.
Will Sharon leave Chicago Med?
A Labor of Love During a Lockdown
Elsewhere at Gaffney, a lockdown was taking place, though I cannot understand for the life of me why the lockdown was lifted before they found the suspect in question. Everyone was just galavanting around the ED while there was an escaped convict somewhere on the premises.
Also, why did Hannah perform a C-section while in active labor with no one around to help her, but shortly after, everyone was in the room? I guess this is one of those moments where you just accept the plot errors and move on for the sake of entertainment.
You can’t say it wasn’t a memorable delivery, as up until the final moments, it wasn’t clear if they’d find the baby daddy, who was held up at gunpoint.
Though Archer eventually made it in time to see the birth of his daughter, Mabel, before finally confessing his feelings for Hannah, which she seemingly returned. At least I think that’s what the kiss meant? Admittedly, the moment fell kind of flat for me, as Hannah simply thanked Archer for telling her before kissing him in a way that almost felt platonic. Maybe it’s the fact that these two don’t have that much chemistry anymore? I want to root for them, and I’m so happy they are getting their happy ending, but something was missing.
Seeing them in their parenting phase of life, especially co-parenting while juggling whatever it is their relationship status will be, is something I look forward to seeing next season.
The whole escaped convict plotline also fell a bit flat, with the threat almost an afterthought to everything else happening in the ED. At times, it felt like the show itself forgot that they had a murderer with a gun roaming the halls somewhere.
As fo the inmate’s motivation for the prison break, it also fell apart when he realized the other inmate he wanted to escape with suffered a brain bleed and ended up brain dead.
Lennox Finally Comes Clean
Lennox may finally be pushed toward confronting her feelings and even feeling them for once thanks to Ripley, who realized she lied about her GSS Pryon result and held her accountable. She couldn’t take her way out of this one, nor could she fake indifference, because he already picked up on her act and he wasn’t falling for it. So, she finally had to sit with the consequences of her actions—she couldn’t hide the fact that she loved Ripley, nor could she continue lying to her brother Kip that she wasn’t sick.
Kip didn’t take it well, but the truth is always better than being lied to, even if it hurts more, In the long run, she was only protecting herself from the pain. And Ripley wasn’t going to let her pretend she wasn’t sick, so she had to come to terms with the reality. She tried to offer him a clean break, but the truth is, Ripley was also madly in love with her and chose to stick around, positive diagnosis and all. I’m eager to see how these two will challenge each other moving forward.
Forgiveness and Goodbye
John Frost also had to face the hard feelings, as his father lay on his death bed, While John had a complicated relationship with his parents, none of that mattered in his father’s final moments. All he needed was forgiveness, which Frost gave him, realizing that his parents simply did the best that they could. And he never stopped loving them, even through the hurt. It didn’t minimize the pain, but it was a step in moving forward with love and empathy. Losing a parent is never easy, regardless of the mistakes they made.
What did you think of the episode?
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