Chicago Med – Judge Not, for You Will Be Judged – Review

Well this was another exciting episode where we were able to see how some of our characters are changing and growing, both personally and professionally. There is never a dull moment around Chicago Med, and this episode delivered all the usual excitement as only our One Chicago Writers can.

Dr. Charles, Goodwin, Tara, Dr. Asher and Dr. Archer

Goodwin’s daughter Tara is visiting and they are very excited about her impending birth in a few months. Sharon expresses concerns about her not delivering in a hospital, and she says she wants a home birth and that is what she is doing. She says she understands that getting pregnant and having the baby alone is unconventional but it has all been thoroughly thought out and planned. She goes to get up to the bathroom, and she is bleeding and Goodwin calls for help.

Dr. Asher is asking questions and Goodwin is trying to answer but she finds out her daughter has not been telling her everything. She has had some bleeding prior to today but nothing this bad, and she has a fibroid pushing on her uterine lining. Goodwin is upset that Tara did not tell her. She says it has been monitored and has not been growing. Dr. Asher tells Goodwin they have her, and prepare for an ultrasound.

The ultrasound shows the fibroid is degenerating and becoming necrotic, making her high risk for pre-term labor and sepsis, and Dr. Archer wants to give her steroids and antibiotics. Dr. Asher says the fibroid has grown since the last scan and Dr. Archer says that is a conversation for another day, but Dr. Asher says it is a conversation for today because if it continues it can lead to fetal growth restriction. Dr. Archer says they cannot do anything but watch and wait, but Dr. Asher wants to present the option to Tara of a myomectomy, and Dr. Archer says there is no way it can be done for a pregnant person because the risk of bleeding is too high. Dr. Asher however feels the benefit would outweigh the risk, as it would prevent sepsis and organ damage in mom, and it is an unorthodox approach but Tara deserves to know all her options.

Tara asks without the surgery what the baby’s prognosis is, and Dr. Archer says that many women go on to have uncomplicated births, but Dr. Asher adds that in Tara’s case, the fibroid has grown and is impinging on the uterine cap. It is only a matter of time before it prevents the fetus from being able to grow and develop. Goodwin asks for some time for her and Tara to talk it over but Tara says she wants Dr. Asher to do the surgery. Goodwin tries to review the risks if she started to bleed severely and says she cannot jeopardize her own health but Tara says she knows the risks, but she wants to proceed, and tells Sharon she can support her decision or go.

Daniel goes to sit with Sharon while she waits for an update on Tara. Dr. Asher finds a second fibroid that is necrotic and Dr. Archer tells the team to close. Dr. Archer says this is not the procedure Tara consented to, and Dr. Asher says the presence of the second fibroid makes the surgery more pressing and she feels she can confidently remove both the fibroids, and Dr. Archer tells her to pack and wait for him, and Dr. Asher follows him out of the OR.

Dr. Archer is talking to Sharon and Daniel about Tara’s surgery and Dean tells them he thinks the second fibroid is parasitic and that is why it was hiding behind the first one. He says they have already lost about a liter of blood at this point and Dr. Asher joins as Dr. Archer suggests to Sharon as the substitute decision maker to close, and she advises against it and says that she feels Tara will become septic if she does not remove the fibroids. Dr. Asher feels Tara and her baby will be better off if they proceed, but Sharon feels it is too risky and wants them to close, and Dr. Asher says that she is not comfortable with this decision to abandon her patients wishes and asks for an emergency ethics committee review.

Sharon meets Daniel at the elevator. She is upset as the ethics committee ruled in Dr. Asher’s favor and she is able to complete the surgery. Daniel asks Sharon what her plan is, and she says she is going to urge them to reconsider. Daniel reminds Sharon that she brought Dr. Asher back because she believes in her and her judgement and skill, and he says this is the time to trust that decision.

Dr. Asher completes the surgery with Dr. Archer, who is very critical of her work. Tara begins to bleed and becomes hypotensive, and they work frantically to control the bleeding. They find the bleeder, clamp, and repair it.

Goodwin goes to see Tara and she tells Sharon Dr. Asher came by and that the baby is going to be okay. Sharon tells her what happened, and Tara tells her that she understands, and that she knows she needs to remember she is Sharon’s baby too. Sharon tells her she is in awe of her fearlessness. Daniel comes in and brings her flowers and says he is glad she is alright.

Dr. Asher confronts Dr. Archer in the doctors’ lounge and says she thought they were past all this questioning of her decision-making. She says she gets it that she is a recovering addict and has to earn her reputation back with everyone at the hospital, but it seems like with him it will never happen. She says whatever crap he is putting on her, he needs to figure it out because she will not be undermined again. At this point, Dr. Asher gets called to Goodwin’s office and leaves, and you see Dean pull out a picture of his son and look at it.

Dr. Asher goes into Goodwin’s office and immediately states that while she is sure she is upset, her first responsibility will always be to her patient. Goodwin tells her she honored Tara’s trust and that she owes her an apology. She says she knows how much Hannah cares about this job, and she stood up to a parent and her boss today, which was a very bold move, but she made sure her patient’s voice was heard, and thanks her.

It is wonderful to see a hospital leader like Sharon Goodwin, who believes in and supports her staff, and can admit when she is wrong and apologize. Chicago Med is lucky to have a leader like her, and if only she her leadership style could rub off on a few others. It is also wonderful to see the confidence and skill Dr. Asher is bringing as she returns, and how she is proving herself and how she is a perfect choice to advocate for patients at Gaffney. Time will only tell if she will win everyone over though.

Dr. Halstead, Maggie, Dr. Choi, Dr. Shentu and Lia

Dr. Choi is back and Maggie is upset that she can’t make a fuss. Dr. Choi thanks Dr. Archer for his help and Dean says he is happy to stay on as chief a little longer. Will and Ethan receive a patient into the ED who was hit by a car. She is about 35 and will not give her name. Maggie tries to help calm her, and she keeps saying she cannot stay there. She says she does not have papers and Dr. Choi says that does not matter. She tells them to call her Lia, and she has abdominal tenderness and so they are going to give her some scans. They see marks on her arm that she covers quickly, and they get her ready to go for her scans.

Will goes to talk to Ethan because Lia is anxious to get out of there and leave, and Ethan tells him she has a crack in a part of her liver and radiology cannot rule out a bleed, so they are going to observe and decide together to send her to angio. Doris comes to tell Will that Dr. Shentu wants to see him in his office.

Dr. Halstead goes to see Dr. Shentu, who tells him the Legal department was contacted by local authorities, who are looking for someone named Petra Kastner, who is 35 years old and in the country illegally. Will says they are not obligated to comply with reporting undocumented patients, and Shentu says there are some undocumented patients in the hospital and he sees Will is treating one in the ED, He asks if she sounds like this woman and Will says no. Dr. Halstead says the hospital is a safe haven, but Dr. Shentu says this is a case of international kidnapping and that she took her son and fled Germany. He says if anyone turns up matching the description to please let him know, and Will agrees.

Maggie and Will talk to Lia, and if she is running from someone they need to know. She tells them she took her son and he is with friends and safe. She says she had no choice because her husband has been violent with her and threatened her son. If she tries to get away from him, he is powerful and would kill her. Maggie asks her about filing for asylum, and Lia says getting asylum is very hard and that her chances are not good. She says that she was too frightened to file a report back home and she has no records, and if she loses her request, she would be deported. She says she has to leave because the authorities are looking for her, and she cannot have an operation.

Will and Maggie check out her story and her husband is very powerful and a partner at a big firm with a lot of capital, and has been charged multiple times with assault of other people, but the charges were always dropped. Maggie says she does not know what they should do, as she wants to leave against medical advice (AMA), and Will says they may have to let her, because it is not safe for her to stay here. Maggie says she really wants to help her but can they not notify Dr. Shentu and Will says they are under no obligation, but they decide not to tell Ethan what is going on as he tends to be a stickler for rules.

Lia is hypotensive and Will gets Maggie to order some blood for her. Dr. Choi arrives as Dr. Halstead asks Maggie to get her back on the angio schedule and he asks why it was cancelled. Lia is insisting she wants to leave and Will tells her without the surgery she could die so she consents. As they are taking her to surgery, Ethan asks Will and Maggie what is going on. Ethan gets angry and wants to know why they did not bring him in from the start, and were they planning to discharge her from under his nose. Suddenly Shentu arrives and confronts Will about treating Lia. Will says that Ethan and Maggie did not know and this is on him, and Dr. Shentu says Will is benched and Dr. Choi is now running point.

Dr. Halstead asks Maggie if there are any updates on Lia, and they see Dr. Shentu walking through the department with authorities to go to her room. They get up to the room and see Ethan yelling at what appears to be an OR nurse about the patient leaving and that they should have been watching her, just as Shentu and the authorities arrive. Ethan sends the nurse away and as she walks out and past, Will and Maggie realize it is Lia.

Ethan tells Will and Maggie that he had a friend waiting for her outside who is an immigration attorney. He offered to review her case pro-bono. Dr. Halstead apologizes and says they should have pulled him in from the start, but Maggie says given his history, and Will asks what is going on. Ethan says a lot has changed for him in the past few months and he would like to leave it at that for a while.

Ethan catches Dean and thanks him for staying on a chief a bit longer. It is clear that having to fight his way back to wellness and losing his father have had major impacts on Ethan and it will be wonderful to see how this may improve his dynamic with the other staff and his overall patient care as he returns to being the staff and Chief of the ED.

Dr. Marcel, Dr. Scott, Zora and Gavin Wells

We open on Dr. Scott and Milena in bed together. Milena is getting dressed and leaving. She tells Dylan they cannot keep this up, and then reconsiders her statement as she stares into his eyes and says as long as they are careful. Dylan gets up to make her some coffee and her alarm is ringing on her phone in her bag. He sees she has a lot of money in her bag. She says it is money she was given by the department to flash, as she is dealing with people who move weight.

Dr. Marcel receives a patient with a gunshot wound to the chest. Gavin Wells had an unknown down time in the field. It appears it was a home invasion. Dr. Scott’s sister arrives as they are working on him.

His family arrives and his wife Darlene and her sister Crystal arrive with his two children and Doris takes them to the day care. They let them know that he is having a lot of bleeding from his chest and they may have to take him to the OR to see where the bleeding is coming from. Crystal is upset and says she should have let him come with her, and Darlene wants to know if he has surgery will he be okay. Dr. Scott and Dr. Marcel tell her that they will not know until Gavin wakes up if he suffered any cognitive impairments. Darlene says Gavin would not want to live like that, and she does not think he would want to be resuscitated. Dylan asks if he put that in writing anywhere and she says no but he told her. Dr. Marcel and Dr. Scott let her know that because he is unconscious, she can make decisions on his behalf and Dr. Marcel says they can put a DNR on his chart so that he will not be resuscitated if his heart stops again. Darlene goes to get her son’s blanket and Crystal tells them things have been rough between them for a while now. She tells them Gavin is a gambler and he bankrupted the family and she has been riding Darlene to divorce him, and she said he was not welcome at her house this weekend, which is why he was home alone.

Dylan’s sister Zora returns to check in on Gavin, and they let her know that he is still unconscious and Dylan asks if there are any leads on the rifle and she says it was his. They think that perhaps he confronted the offender and a struggle ensued, but Dylan says he did not see any defensive wounds on Gavin, and Crockett agrees. They discuss that perhaps he knew the offender and that his wife was stoic earlier, and they tell Zorra they will let her know the minute he wakes up. As she is leaving, Dylan pulls her aside and asks if flash money for undercover would be a lot of money and she says maybe ten thousand in small bills, and when he asks if forty or fifty thousand would be a lot, she says with that kind of money they would be a sitting duck.

Dylan fills Crockett in on the fact that Zora found out Gavin recently got a life insurance policy, and that for what the family is going through, that money would go a long way. Marcel asks if the police think Darlene is the shooter and Dylan says they do suspect her. Suddenly Gavin starts to code, and is in V-Fib. They begin to resuscitate him, and Dr. Scott says the hospital is assuming decision-making capacity for Gavin and they shock him and get him back and they head to the OR. Darlene is upset.

Peter Kalmick from the Legal Department comes to talk to Dr. Scott and ask about their decision to override the DNR. He says the DNR was only in place for a few hours, and that he had Intel from the police that he cannot share, as it is part of an ongoing police investigation. He tells Dylan he will have to share it when Darlene’s lawyer deposes him as she has every right to file suit against the hospital. Dr. Scott reveals that Darlene is a person of interest in the investigation, and he says he could not legally or morally let her finish the job.

Zora returns and Dylan asks if they processed the scene and if the street cams gave them anything, and she says the cameras are busted but Darlene’s alibi checks out. She and Dr. Scott wait outside the OR, and Dr. Marcel comes out and updates them that it was touch and go but the surgery went well. Hopefully Gavin will be awake in a few hours and then they will know if he suffered any deficits. Dr. Marcel tells them he noticed when moving him to recovery that he has a nasty bruise on his toe that he did not see before. Dr. Scott asks if it was his big toe and he says yes. Dylan asks Zorra if a new insurance policy would pay for suicide and she says no, not in the first 2 years. Dr. Marcel and Dr. Scott get an x-ray of his foot and Zorra gets a kit to swab for gunshot residue.

The x-ray shows a fracture of his metatarsal and a dislocated big toe, and Dylan says the force of a gun like he had could definitely do that. Zora lets them know that Gavin has gunshot residue on his foot and leg, from trying to shoot himself. Gavin wakes up and seems to have no deficits and Darlene asks what he was doing, and he says he thought they would be better off without him and would have some money. The doctors give them some time alone. Zora says she needs to get his statement, but Crockett asks her to give them some time first, as it is a difficult situation all around. Dylan apologizes to Crockett for putting him in a difficult spot, and Crockett says they gave him a second chance at life and gave those kids their dad back, and he is glad he followed his lead.

Dylan meets up with Milena in a car and thanks her for meeting him, and she says she is not sure why she is there. He says he knows she lied to him and she says that yes she did, because he put her back up against the wall. Dylan says he is sorry and should not have pressed her, but he didn’t know if she was in danger or something else, and Milena says he wondered if she was a dirty cop. He said the thought crossed his mind but he realized no matter how things might look, there is probably more to the story. Milena says there is, and she does not want to jeopardize her investigation or put him in danger because he cannot handle being in the dark. He says he can handle it, and he cares about her, and they begin kissing again.

So it seems like the winds of change continue to blow through Gaffney, as we see new relationships bloom, past relationships change and we all wait anxiously to see what the One Chicago writing team has in store for us next.

What did you think of this episode of Chicago Med? Share your thoughts in the comments below.