Chicago Med Season 1 Episode 9 Review: Choices
Elizabeth Harlow
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Will's really mucked things up this time.
His interference with a patient's wishes on Chicago Med Season 1 Episode 9 has him facing some serious consequences, both professionally and personally.
Choi also had some problems understanding and honoring a patient's decision, in large part due to his own problems.
Meanwhile Sarah managed to be be a better doctor than either resident, and Connor's star is on the rise in the surgical department. At least some of the doctors in the ED are practicing good medicine.
Will was clearly struggling with some counter-transference in addition to his chronic arrogance. The explanation about his mother's diagnosis and death gave us a partial explanation for his behavior, although it would have been nice if that had been explored more. Something about his guilt for not being around for her maybe.
Even with his personal experience, I found the story a little hard to believe at times. Granted, Will probably didn't have anything like this come up in his plastic surgery practice back in New York, but he's been working in an ER for a while now. I was especially dumbfounded that the nurses assisted him.
The upside to his behavior is that Nat finally woke up and read him the riot act. I wish I could say I thought this would be his wake-up call and that we'd see Will change his ways, but despite his initial reaction to Sharon's news and Nat's reprimand, the way he walked off with Zoe was not reassuring.
Will: I don't dismiss you.
Natalie: Yes, you do. And not just today. All the time. Look, things can't just always be on your terms, Will. I'm tired of this.
Choi's reaction to bipolar Olivia worked paired nice with Will's story in a thematic sense, but I wish that it had been the A-plot for a different episode. The case itself wasn't anything too exciting, but Brian Tee's performance throughout was amazing. allotting him more time and a more fleshed out story very well could have garnered an Emmy nod.
Even with his broodiness throughout, I didn't exactly see Choi's own PTSD coming until he was breaking down in Charles' office. I was shocked by his archaic view on mental illnesses, but figured it had something to do with a parent or a sibling or some buried family trauma.
Daniel: That's a trade-off she's willing to make. She can't be who she wants to be, or live the life she wants to live without lithium
Ethan: Here's a novel idea. How about she learns to cope with her condition?
Daniel: Cope?
Ethan: Learns to control it. Buck up. People can do that.
It's too bad that Sarah and Maggie's stories weren't incorporated into the other plots tonight. Specifically, I would have liked to have seen Choi and Will attend the little speech about the satisfaction cards. There was a lot of subtext about treating the whole patient, and that would have reinforced their failures to do so.
Sarah, on the other hand, rocked it. It's amazing how far she's come in so short a period of time. Remember how she just wanted to get through this rotation and work in pathology? Now she's placing central line's like nobody's business.
Her interest in pathology hasn't gone away, and is only going to (continue) to make her a great diagnostician, but she's really grown in terms of empathy. I don't know if it's the writers or Rachel DiPillo or both, but Sarah Reese is doing a great job of evoking the best of ER's John Carter. NBC knows what works.
Maggie: He came here to die.
Sarah: Really?
Maggie: People do that sometimes. They sense they're at the end and they just want to die in a clean bed.
I'm really intrigued with where this Dewey plot line is going to end up. It's more than a little reminiscent of Geena Davis' stint on Grey's Anatomy Season 11, except Dewey isn't as mean and Connor isn't as willing. Is this a ploy to open up more of the hospital on the show? Or just basic character development?
I do foresee some friction resulting between Sam and Connor as a result of Dewey's preference. While she was pissed at his declining the invitation, it's obvious that she's also more than a little jealous.
We haven't seen that this relationship is based on much more than sex so far, which makes it hard to believe that it could survive any real trials.
And Connor's golden-boy status will only exacerbate the situation with Will, and other's who focus on his privileged upbringing. I'd actually like to see more explanation for Will's animosity to the trauma fellow – disliking someone for coming from money is pretty thin. Could it be professional jealousy?
Sharon [about Dewey]: When he realized the seriousness of his condition, he decided to find someone he could teach. Someone who had the ability to do what he does.
Connor: So what do I have that all the other surgeons in this place don't?
Sharon: He saw something. You'll have to ask him when he wakes up.
Chicago Med Season 1 Episode 10, "Clarity," will air on February 16th, and Sarah will have some decisions to make. With the end of the school year approaching, it's time to decide on a specialty – and a residency program. Meanwhile, it looks like Connor will be taken Dewey up on his offer of mentorship, but their first case together isn't going to go smoothly.
As for Will facing the consequences of his actions...we'll have to wait and see.
If you missed out on "Choices," you should catch up and watch Chicago Med online. This was a pivotal episode, and you you'll want to keep up with everyone's thought's in the comments section!
Elizabeth Harlow was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She left the organization in October 2018.
