Chicago Med - Malignant - Review
8 Jan 2016
Chicago Med MR ReviewsWelcome back!
The newest of the Chicago shows is back as part of the three-hour crossover event. The second hour of the crossover (Chicago Med) seamlessly picks up after Chicago Fire, with firefighter Christopher Herrmann being rushed into the OR. More on Herrmann later…
Aside from Herrmann, the case that ties all three shows together for the crossover event begins with Jessica Pope. Jessica was rescued from a burning building by Chicago Fire’s Dawson and Casey and her case was initially ruled an attempted suicide. Something’s not quite adding up though, so Chicago PD’s Jay Halstead and Erin Lindsay are on scene to investigate.
Dr. Daniel Charles takes a particular interest in the case and is convinced Jessica Pope did not attempt suicide, despite what Jay and Erin say. The case is all but closed as a suicide, but as a request from Dr. Charles, Will asks Jay to turn over one more stone.
Meanwhile, an elderly woman, Mrs. Shepherd, a supposed cancer survivor, has symptoms Dr. Natalie Manning can’t quite figure out. Mrs. Shepherd’s son isn’t much help, and something about him seems off to me. Nothing comes of that though, so I suppose I’ll leave it alone. Natalie’s frustration grows as she can’t figure out what’s wrong with Mrs. Shepherd, and I’m afraid she’s going to induce labor. She’s close, right? Are we just about at nine months?
Later, Jay finds a sketchy suicide note from Jessica. It seems there was some sort of betrayal, and with Dr. Ethan Choi’s interjection of a chemo overdose for cancer Jessica didn’t have, things take a criminal turn. And when Connor and Will lose a patient with a history of chemo treatment and no cancer, Dr. Charles launches an investigation. Will mentions Natalie’s patient to Dr. Charles, who suspects the connection between the first two victims extends to Mrs. Shepherd as well.
Elsewhere…
Dr. Connor Rhodes works to repair Herrmann’s liver with the help of Dr. Sam Zanetti, who questions his decisions for treatment. Connor is understandably frustrated, as his treatment was previously questioned by Dawson and Severide.
Later, Jay asks his brother, Dr. Will Halstead, if he would have made the same call(s) Connor did regarding Herrmann’s treatment. Will says he would’ve done things differently, and like middle school girls, Jay tells Severide, who tells Connor, who accuses Sam, who gets angry. Come on, boys. Do better! He later apologizes, and it’s a surprisingly revealing moment for Connor’s past. We all know he doesn’t have a good relationship with his father, but it clearly goes deeper than we knew. Sam and Connor make up, but I can’t say that I’m rooting for these two as a couple.
One of my favorite relationships on the show (I know, I say that about all of them) is between Connor and Will. Their dynamic is fiery and I’m sure we’ll see many heated moments between the two. It’s an alpha male battle, and I don’t mind those in the slightest. The two disagree when a car crash victim comes in, but unfortunately it’s all for nothing as the patient doesn’t make it. The two do “make-up” near the end of the hour, but the battle between these two is just getting started.
Ethan treats a gunshot victim while Noah watches. This scene was one reason I think Noah might be a dud. To his credit, he is just a med student and doesn’t have anything near the experience Ethan does. But, Ethan was such a badass and Noah…was not.
Sarah Reese, the med student, accidentally (but not so accidentally) takes an adorable tech guy’s Splenda and all I want now is to see an adorably awkward date between these two. Tech Guy is clearly crushing on Sarah, but I’m not sure she feels the same.
I’m still not entirely sure what Sarah’s role will be on the show or who she is. Out of the main cast, she’s the only one I’m not fully invested in yet. She’s sweet and intelligent, but sometimes I think she’s too fragile, too timid for this job. But, perhaps that’s just her inexperience. With the longevity this show could have though, what will her role be? Will she conveniently end up as a resident at Chicago Med? I suppose only time will tell.
April’s younger brother Noah is a soon-to-be doctor starting at the hospital. Sarah shows Noah around, and while I liked him at first, he seems to be a dud. He might have potential, but he is not starting off strong. Severide seems to agree! He and April have a brief rekindling of their romance, but she cancels their date to help her brother study. Severide tells April she is much smarter than Noah and shouldn’t keep sacrificing what she wants for him. Apparently, she gave up med school for him! This was an interesting Dawson-esque twist. Might we see April work to become a doctor much like Dawson worked to become a firefighter?
Now back to this Severide thing. I’m hoping this canceled date is the end of this romance, because I hate cross-show romances. For fans who don’t watch both shows, key moments of the relationship are always being missed. I won’t get into Severide’s romantic life here, but I would really like to see April with Connor. Is it wishful thinking? Maybe. But these two had some chemistry in the first episode and while we haven’t seen them together since, there’s definite potential.
Dr. Natalie Manning is quickly becoming one of my favorites, something I didn’t expect. Full disclosure, I will call all of these characters my favorites because out of the three Chicago shows, I think this might be the best cast (which is again tough because they really are all fantastic). Deal with it.
I can’t talk about Natalie without talking about Will, because come on, they are going to be a thing. There has been unbelievable chemistry between these two from the start, and this episode was no exception. I love that Will has evidently talked to Jay about Natalie, that scene was so cute! I don’t know how soon anything will happen, as Natalie is still grieving over the loss of her husband, but something will definitely happen in the future. And I can hardly wait.
My favorite scene of the night was Nurse Maggie and Natalie at the birthing class. I love Maggie and find her much more interesting than Sarah and hope that she sees more screen time. Anyway, Natalie and Maggie’s friendship is definitely a highlight of the show, and the two against this crazy birthing class lady was so fun!
What did you think of the episode? Will we see April become a doctor? Will Connor and Will’s hostile relationship have serious consequences? Share your thoughts below!
If you didn’t tune in to the crossover conclusion on Chicago PD, make sure you do as the case takes a personal turn for Voight and the Intelligence Unit.
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