If there’s one thing these episodes managed to do, it would be to tug on your heartstrings. How could you not feel for the abused spouse on Chicago Med who couldn’t leave her husband for fear of deportation? Or when Severide arrived at the hospital on Chicago Fire after learning his father had a stroke to be told Benny had already died? Or when we and Ruzek learned that Upton had been beaten by her alcoholic father on on Chicago P.D.? There were plenty of tearful moments to go around, but thankfully, they were balanced by dramatic and comedic elements, so we didn’t have to run through three separate boxes of tissues.
Chicago Med
ACT FIRST, THINK LATER | We’re four seasons in, and Will and Natalie are still making impulsive decisions. This week saw the pair faking their patient’s death. Yes, you read that right. A woman was admitted to the ED after being in a car accident, and it was discovered that she was being abused by her husband. However, the woman felt she couldn’t report him for fear of being deported back to the Ukraine, as she was in the country illegally. So instead of attempting to pursue Goodwin’s more rational approach of getting the woman an immigration attorney, Will and Natalie decide to take matters into their hands and fake her death, believing it’s the only option. While there were extraneous circumstances that tugged on your heartstrings, I’m not sure what the right approach was here. I can’t say whether Will and Natalie were right or wrong, but I will say I’m really confused how both of them still have a job. Goodwin said they would be fired if they pulled another stunt like this, but they pull stunts like this all the time. During the first few seasons, Will was more likely to go off on some sort of suicide mission, breaking all sorts of protocol, than Natalie, yet the past season or so has seen Dr. Manning making more than her fair share of reckless decisions. These decisions are always made with good intentions in mind, but there doesn’t seem to be any consequences to these actions, especially when things blow up in their faces. The woman’s husband could have very well requested an autopsy. Sure, it was unlikely given the circumstances, but it still could have happened. We’ve seen the duo make these impulsive medical decisions time and time again, yet there’s never any professional repercussions. Hell, even Will hasn’t faced any blowback so far from working as an informant for the Feds, though his time may be running out on that front. Despite being told by Jay at the beginning of the episode to stop treating Ray Burke, Will decided to defy his brother’s warning and plans on bringing Ray into the hospital. Will could potentially face criminal charges if he blows the undercover operation, but I doubt the show would let one of their leads rot behind bars for long. What’s more likely is his relationship with Natalie will come crashing down when all of this finally comes to a head. But who knows? These two seems to have more than nine lives, so maybe Will will get lucky.
THOSE WHO CAN’T DO, TEACH | We’ve already established that Gwen Garrett is the worst, but Dr. Lanik, the new ED chief, is pretty bad as well. Who would have thought we would miss Dr. Stohl after all? Lanik may be head of the ED and holds the power to reprimand his staff accordingly, but his actions with McNeal were pretty messed up. First, Lanik uses medical student Terry McNeal as a coffee gopher, then coerces him into performing a medical procedure he’s not ready for, and subsequently ices McNeal out after he screws up. You essentially forced him into performing a procedure he wasn’t ready for, and then yell at him when he screws up. Isn’t this supposed to be a teaching hospital? Why don’t you try teaching the med students for a change? And as if that wasn’t bad enough, he’s actually happy when the patient is braindead, as the patient’s cause of death can be attributed to the injuries the individual suffered from the motor vehicle accident rather than McNeal’s mistake, for which Lanik would be on the hook for. I mean, what kind of person is happy that his or her patient died, just so they avoid the liability of a lawsuit? Lanik’s behavior and actions this episode just further prove that Chicago Med is seriously in need of a complete rehaul when it comes to certain hospital personnel. Is there any way we can get Cornelius Rhodes to step in and have them fired? That would certainly be a good use of his power. Despite everything McNeal goes through in this episode, he at least has one doctor in his corner: Connor. Most of Connor’s subplots this season have revolved around Ava and his new hybrid OR, so it was refreshing to see him involved in something else entirely, and even more exciting to see him going toe-to-toe with Lanik. It was also nice to see Connor taking on this sort of mentorship role with McNeal, as the pair had several heart-to-hearts throughout the episode. From giving McNeal a pep talk to explaining that the medical student has to leave everything at the door, Connor helped McNeal get through a pretty rough experience. If not for Connor, McNeal may have given up on medicine right then and there. Of the two medical students introduced this season, McNeal is obviously the more likeable one. Curry has managed to essentially piss off every doctor in the ED, so McNeal sort of wins by default, though this episode did provide more insight into the medical student, which I didn’t mind too much. Mostly because it was worked into the background as Lanik and Connor sparred. I definitely wouldn’t mind watching these two doctors duke it out in the future.
Chicago Fire
PLAYING WITH FIRE | Up until now Gorsch has been more of an inconvenience than anything else, but “All The Proof” saw the guy completely deranged as he tried to take the reins of the firehouse from Boden. In what scenario does Boden let a completely unqualified person, one who literally failed at being a firefighter, command a scene? It was one thing for Boden to let Gorsch play boss during the morning briefing, but to let him command Firehouse 51 at an active fire was completely insane. Besides being completely unqualified and having no experience battling blazes, he didn’t know the first thing about proper procedure or how to even call for Hazmat. If not for the expertise of Casey and Severide, Gorsch, who literally had no idea what he was doing, could have gotten somebody killed. Like there was a very real possibility of either a victim or someone from 51 dying because of Gorsch’s lack of experience. And then to have the audacity to bust in Boden’s office, wanting to write everyone up for reckless insubordination was just laughable. The only reason these firefighters had to be insubordinate, if that, was because they had an incompetent superior who had no idea what he was doing. If they hadn’t taken things into their own hands, the people trapped in the hotel would have died. Also, is Gorsch deluded enough to think the firefighters at 51 would welcome him with open arms? Not only is he Grissom’s lackey, but he has practically no experience being a firefighter and none at commanding others. He’s also openly trying to out their very beloved fire chief. What exactly did he think would happen? That they would get on their knees and offer up their eternal servitude? Yeah, right. To make matters worse, Boden can’t really fight Gorsch on the alleged wrongdoings as the battalion chief wasn’t at the scene. A light should have gone off for Boden, as he now realizes why Gorsch didn’t want him in the field in the first place. But seriously, Boden never should have rolled over and let Gorsch be in charge during an active fire. If Gorsch wants to play fire chief at the firehouse, then that’s fine, but to let him actively command a scene? What was Boden thinking? Boden’s the one who wrote Gorsch up in the first place all those years ago. He knows firsthand that Gorsch isn’t a capable firefighter. So I really have to question Boden’s reasoning on this call. I get that Gorsch was applying the pressure, but this was the wrong decision.
THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING | Thankfully, Boden won’t be put in that position in the future, as Firehouse 51 is rid of Gorsch, at least for the time being. I’d thank Benny Severide, but that’s a little hard to do from beyond the grave. When we last left off, things were pretty strained between Severide and Benny, after Kelly let it slip that Boden was more of a father to him than Benny in “A Volatile Mixture.” Following that blowout, Severide received a message from Benny in “All the Proof” to meet his father after shift about help with the Gorsch problem. However, when Benny doesn’t show at the restaurant, Severide is left believing his father hasn’t come through for him, yet again. By the end of the hour, Severide is probably wishing that were the truth as the actual events that followed are much worse. As it turns out, Benny had a stroke the night before and was admitted to Chicago Med. But before Severide was able to get to the hospital and exchange a tearful goodbye with his father, it was too late; Benny had already passed away. Cue the waterworks. What makes this especially sad is that the show didn’t allow Severide to have one last moment with his father. The Chicago-verse is no stranger to killing off our favorite characters’ loved ones, but most of the time, these characters at least get to say goodbye. Not only did Severide not get to say goodbye, but he has to live with the guilt of their last conversation, because as it turns out Benny came through in the end. As we learn from Boden, Benny worked every connection and goodwill he had built up over the years to get Grissom to remove Gorsch from Firehouse 51, citing Severide as all the proof Grissom needed to trust in Boden’s leadership ability. I can’t even imagine the pain Severide must be in, as he replays his final conversation with his father on an endless loop. We never really know when we’ll have our last conversation with a loved one, but that is going to be a tough one for Severide to come back from. You always think you’ll have more time and will find a way to get through this, but Severide is stuck living with the knowledge that his last moments he spent with his father were contentious. We’re probably going to see him spin out over the next couple of episodes, and his relationship with Stella will be put to test. We already saw some of the cracks forming when Stella’s high school bestie visited for the weekend, so this will be an extremely trying time for the couple, and they may not be able to come back from this.
TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT | With the return of Naomi this episode, it’s almost certain the journalist is going to be Casey’s new love interest. This would have been true, even if they didn’t almost kiss. I’m not exactly sure what it was that drove Naomi to randomly show up at 51. Was really just trying to find some good stories from a firefighter she knew or did she have ulterior motives? As a reporter who has covered crime before, I can verify that journalists do call up their police, fire, or emergency personnel sources to see if there’s anything of interest happening. I have never personally gone down to a fire station with the express purpose of looking for a story, but it probably does happen. However, when Naomi asks to take Casey to dinner to thank him, that’s when it becomes clear she’s interested, and not solely at 51 to uncover some big wrongdoing. I feel like some sort of alarm system should have gone off, as everyone knows that a dinner leads to kissing which leads to dating on television. Can’t Casey read between the lines, or at least my frustration while watching? Again, I think it’s way too soon for Casey to be thinking about dating, and thankfully, he at least seems to realize this, given his undefined relationship status with Dawson. While I know that there are some fans who are happy Dawson left the series, Dawsey will always be a OTP for me, which means Dawson needs to be present, by default. Yes, I’m fully aware the couple is most likely getting divorced at some point, but I want to hold off on accepting that reality for as long as possible. Can’t I just pretend they’re in a long-distance relationship for the foreseeable future, and all their romantic reunions take place off screen? Denial is totally healthy, right? So, as you can probably guess, I’m so not onboard with this burgeoning romance. It’s nothing against Naomi. I was actually glad when the series decided to introduce an ethical journalist, as it seems the only ones portrayed nowadays cross every line there is. I think what really bugs me is how taken Casey is with her right away. I mean, he told Naomi she reminded him of someone else? Is he really comparing the fierce and fiery firefighter we got to know over six seasons to some slightly motivated reporter he just met? That’s just insulting, to what he had with Dawson and the fans who rooted for them. Maybe my feelings will change in the long run, but right now, I’m choosing to head back into my bubble of denial.
Chicago P.D.
BEATEN AND BRUISED | So after a season and a half, Upton gets her first real story arc. Yes, I remember that she was heavily featured in the episode “Ghosts” last season, but viewers still didn’t know that much about her afterward. All we really learned was that she was in love with her partner who got killed and was assaulted during an attempted rape that put her in the hospital. While those are traumatic incidents, they didn’t really give us that much insight into who Upton is as a person, not like “True or False” did. Those two episodes taken together paint a much fuller picture of who the newest addition to Intelligence is. While it didn’t take an actual detective to realize that Upton was abused as a child, it was hard to swallow nonetheless. It wasn’t immediately clear what was what when she told Ruzek that she doesn’t do yelling and banging, but all the pieces came together when she interviewed the suspected shooter. The way she was able to connect with the suspect and realize he had been abused, when no one else from Intelligence did was the first clue that maybe she had some experience in that area. At that point, it could have been the incident from “Ghosts” had given her some insight, or something else, as revealed by the bombshell when she admitted her father was an alcoholic that beat her, her mother, and her brothers growing up. Voight and Atwater just thought that Upton gave a great performance, with Atwater even commenting that she should think about acting if this whole police officer thing didn’t work out. Yet, those details and connection with the suspect were too real for it to have been an act. Upton had to have been drawing from something within her life to get coax that confession, albeit false, from the suspect. Unlike his colleagues, Ruzek picked up that there may have been more truth to Upton’s story than she led on, as both he and the audience were privy to that morning’s events. Even though he initially asked Upton about her interrogation tactics, he let it be when she denied the abuse. Ruzek is an extremely flawed character, whether it be in his professional or personal life, but I felt that he handled this situation with grace. We and Ruzek knew what the truth was, but instead of pressing her about her past, he let her reveal the truth to him when she was ready, which happened at the end of the episode. It was a heartfelt moment between the pair, as Ruzek comforted a still sad Upton, and made me believe that this thing between them is looking more like a real relationship as the season progresses.
THE BOYS IN BLUE | The episode may have been Upton-centric, but it also featured some of her relationships with the rest of Intelligence, namely Ruzek and Halstead. Upton and Ruzek have been hooking up for a few episodes, but if the past two episodes are any indication, things are definitely taking a turn for the more serious. Upton was there for Ruzek when his father was shot, waiting for him at the hospital, in “Fathers and Sons.” I’m not sure what the proper etiquette is when the father of the guy you’re sleeping with is hospitalized, but surely flowers and offers of condolences would suffice. However, Upton showing up for Ruzek without being asked meant that he does mean something to her. What that is, we can’t be sure, but Ruzek’s compassion and support this episode probably went a long way in helping Upton figure that out. Sure, she still may not everyone at the office knowing about them, not that you can really blame her, but Upton did trust Ruzek enough to confide in him. Telling him the truth about the trauma she suffered as a child at the hands of her father couldn’t have been an easy thing, and it’s definitely not something you share with just anyone. I don’t know if or when the pair will feel the need to define their relationship, but it has certainly surpassed the casual hookup. I wouldn’t go so far as to say they’re dating, but I do think they might be filling out that HR paperwork sooner rather than later. And then we have Halstead, who continues to be both a friend and partner to Upton. After an emotionally stressful day at the precinct, Halstead goes over to Upton’s and the pair talk about the day’s events over a couple of drinks. Nothing about that situation screams romantic overtures, but it also doesn’t dismiss the possibility of something happening between the pair down the line. We are all very aware of Upton’s teary reaction to realizing Halstead wasn’t dead on “Endings,” which was extremely suggestive of her having romantic feelings toward him. Even Halstead is aware of how the situation could look to others after Ruzek unexpectedly shows up at Upton’s place later that night. Halstead, not knowing Ruzek and Upton are sleeping together, wonders if Ruzek thinks he and Upton are a thing. Not the craziest theory out there, as it was first believed Upton would be a new love interest for Halstead when she was introduced. She may be involved with Ruzek right now, but I still think there’s something there between her and Halstead. I feel like it’s more of a slow burn that will happen in a season or two.
Some stray thoughts:
- So it only took the discovery that his patient’s parents had kidnapped their daughter from her drug addict of a birth mother for Ethan to realize his should respect Emily’s decisions. He doesn’t have to understand what she’s thinking, just accept she’s doing what she believes is the best for herself and the baby, which turns out to be moving to Las Vegas. This is such a sound decision for two addicts in recovery, one of whom has another family. Should we start taking bets on when she comes crawling back to Chicago?
- While I usually don’t care for the Firehouse 51 antics, I really liked the subplot of Cruz trying to teach the guys Spanish. Firstly, it’s so important for first responders to at least be conversational in Spanish, and I was glad the show finally addressed that. Secondly, it was hilarious how the guys got into learning Spanish after watching a few scenes of a sexy telenovela, and even more so when they were just watching the show without any prodding from Cruz.
- I’m not sure how to feel about Chaplain Orlovsky’s departure. Sure, he only popped up on occasion, but he’s been a present figure throughout the series. His retirement means the introduction of Kyle Sheffield, the new chaplain, who was obviously introduced as a new love interest for Brett. So it seems my vote for a Brett/Foster romance isn’t happening at the moment.
- Halstead’s proclamation that nothing good comes from a workplace romance seems like the final nail in the Linstead ship. Yes, I know Lindsay has been gone for more than a season, but I always thought in the back of my mind that she might appear in the series finale, allowing her and Halstead to reunite. Now, I’m less sure.
- With Ruzek being an officer in Intelligence, you’d think he could come up with a better reason why he and Upton arrived at the scene together. Could his excuse of her car being in the shop have been any lamer? I was nearly in tears laughing from that scene; it was just that funny, especially Voight’s responses.
So hit the comments below to let me know your thoughts. Are Will and Natalie ever going to face repercussions for their decisions? Is Lanik worse than Gwen Garrett? Is this the last we've seen of Gorsch? For how long will Severide be spiraling out? Should Casey be dating? How serious are Upton and Ruzek?
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