Chicago Med - Choices - Review

Well, it’s happened. I’ve absolutely loved every episode of this series so far…until now. Here’s why: the obligatory DNR episode makes its appearance.

Natalie and Will take the main case this week—a woman with cancer comes to the ER after fainting. When her husband and young daughter arrive, he informs Natalie and Will that his wife has a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) in place. This is about the time I groaned and rolled my eyes. I feel like every single medical drama has an episode that goes a little something like this:

1) Patient with a DNR in place enters ER
2) Doctor with emotional connection to said patient takes the case
3) Patient codes and Doctor blatantly ignores DNR
4) Patient and/or family sue hospital (after Patient is successfully revived)
5) Lawsuit magically works itself out
6) Doctor gets a slap on the wrist, nothing more
7) The end.

Unfortunately, this episode of Chicago Med is no exception. Will takes an emotional interest in the case because his mom died of cancer. While I absolutely want to know about that part of his past, tying it to this patient with a DNR was not the way to open that door. I believe (correct me if I’m wrong, please) we know that Will and Chicago PD’s Jay were not home when their mom passed away. I’m sure he carries around a lot of guilt because of it, as his frantic behavior and complete disregard for the law was focus of the hour. He desperately wants his patient to enter into a drug trial for cancer, where some patients have seen remission. He admits later in the hour that if his mom had been given access to such a drug, she might still be alive.

Of course, Natalie is vehemently against Will’s actions in the episode. This does cause a rift between the two, but it goes a bit deeper than just this episode. Natalie says, “Why do you dismiss me? You say you respect me, you say I’m your friend…things can’t just always be on your terms, Will. I’m tired of this.” She’s not wrong, and he’ll have to work on that before these two start any sort of romantic relationship. And they will, obviously.

In the end, Natalie is given the lead on the case, while Will is instructed by Sharon to stay away. The family is filing a lawsuit (see number four above) but oh, Will’s not suspended or anything. Not yet, at least. I’m sure we’ll see the result of the lawsuit in the next episode, but my guess is that numbers five and six above will play out.

The pharmaceutical representative who bears a striking resemblance to Rachel McAdams is back this week. I forgot about her crush on Will, but it was clear at the top of the hour that the case would cause problems between Natalie and Will, inevitably ending with Will taking Not Rachel McAdams up on her offer for drinks. We’ll probably see more of her. I don’t know yet how I feel about it.



Elsewhere (where the subplots were MUCH better than the main)…

Patient satisfaction forms…yuck. Just more meaningless paperwork. After Maggie gives the announcement, Sarah and April care for a homeless man who needs to be scrubbed and have some sort of medical cream applied over every inch of his body. He’s a nice man, and has an instant connection with Sarah. Just a side note, I didn’t like Sarah at first. But she’s gotten some great material the past few weeks and I’m loving not only her character development, but the budding friendship with April.

After the scrubbing and medical cream application, Sarah gives the man clothes and the new patient satisfaction form. Later, he asks if he can stay a little longer, to which Sarah obviously replies with a yes. But later when Maggie tells Sarah he has to go, they find him dead. But, he left Sarah a patient satisfaction form—a perfect score with, “A great doctor!” written on the back. Now that’s something she’ll remember for quite a while.

Last week we speculated that Dr. Downey, the King of Chicago Med, was looking to pass on the torch. Connor is the lucky winner, which causes friction between Connor and Sam. Downey continues to take an interest in Connor this week, and offers to be a mentor. I loved this scene! We know that Colin Donnell is talented, but how about Gregg Henry (who will always be Mitchum Huntzberger to me). Incredible. Initially, Connor turns down the offer. He’s a trauma surgeon and doesn’t feel the need to fine tune his cardiothoracic skills. Sam calls Connor a coward for turning down Downey’s offer, and I’m still not sure how I feel about her. She’s very competitive, and I think borderline obsessive about it. Downey choosing Connor over her is definitely going to cause a rift between the two, and I can’t say that I’ll mind.

Near the end of the hour, Connor is back in the ER when a car crash victim—no other than Dr. Downey—is brought in. His injuries aren’t major, but for treatment purposes, Sharon tells Connor that Dr. Downey has liver cancer and doesn’t have long to live. Everything clicks for Connor. He realizes (with the help of Sharon) Dr. Downey wants to pass on his knowledge before he dies. Out of all the surgeons to choose from, he chose Connor. The final scene between the two was touching, and I hope we see more of the relationship between Downey and Connor before he passes away.

Performance of the week goes to Ethan, who opened the episode beating the snot out of a punching bag. While I definitely didn’t mind watching the scene, it was troubling to see Ethan in what is clearly a lot of emotional pain.

Later, he takes on a case treating a woman with Bipolar Disorder. Daniel is on the case as well after the patient has an episode. Ethan seems to have some issue with the patient’s Bipolar Disorder. Daniel asks if Ethan’s had much experience with Bipolar Disorder and though he says no, I don’t believe him.

The patient, a very likable, bubbly professor, ultimately decides to stay on her lithium medication, even though it’s causing significant damage to her kidneys. Ethan doesn’t agree and tells Daniel she needs to “learn how to cope with her condition…buck up.” Yikes. There’s definitely something he’s not saying.

Ethan later breaks down in Daniel’s office, telling him a story from his time in the military. In Afghanistan, Ethan treated a woman who had walked miles from her village, holding her three-year-old child, dead from an explosive device. The scene haunts Ethan still; he has nightmares and can’t sleep. While it was an emotional and beautifully performed scene, I’m not sure how that tied in with Ethan’s patient, other than his line about learning to cope was meant for himself. Regardless, Ethan is a standout character on this show and I hope we continue to learn more about his background.


What did you think of the episode? What kind of trouble will Will face? Will the rifts between Will and Natalie and Connor and Sam resolve anytime soon? Will we hear more about Ethan’s time in the military, perhaps see a flashback? Share your thoughts below!

About the Author - Meghan Reynolds

A Colorado native, Meghan was born a raised a Denver Broncos fan. Aside from football, she loves television and some might say watches too much of it. Some of her favorite shows of the past and present include Galavant, The Blacklist, The Office, Veronica Mars, The 100, and Gilmore Girls. She reviews Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, and Chicago Med for SpoilerTV.