Chicago Med Season 1 Episode 12 Review: Guilty
Elizabeth Harlow
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Talk about commitment to your job.
Maggie's arrest on Chicago Med Season 1 Episode 12 was out of the blue, but honestly, nothing shocked me quite as much as Will and Connor reaching a detente.
Even Dr. Charles' disclosure couldn't top that.
Maggie being arrested seemed a little outside of the realm of reality, sure, but sometimes you just have to roll with TV plots like that. I did like how we got a little bit of a highlight of how capable Maggie is at her job. I just wish the story could have featured more of her instead of just being about her.
It also would have been nice to see a little bit more of how April ended up handling her temporary duties as charge nurse. But with the Chicago universe being procedural in nature and so many other cases already taking up time, that just wasn't going to happen.
Hopefully, this will be the first of many Maggie centric stories. I'd love to see more of her outside of the hospital...or Molly's for that matter.
Maggie: I was doing my job.
Sharon: You handled the situation exactly as I would have. That blood draw would have left the hospital open for litigation.
Maggie: Yeah, yeah. Next time I have to fill out a credit application, that's what I'll tell them when they ask me, "Have you ever been arrested?"
A quick little side-gripe: I love Molly's. I want to drink at Molly's. To be a regular. But the problem with having it as a shared space for #OneChicago is that it's limiting. These shows actually film in Chicago. But Med, especially, doesn't take advantage of this. Granted it's the first season. There's plenty of time to improve.
There was one nice exception to my above rant, and it was a wonder setting for a great wrap up. The promenade along Upper Wacker is picturesque, and Dr. Charles talking about something as intimate and secret as his depression in the middle of the city really struck me.
I actually didn't find his depression to be all that shocking, especially since there were so many heavy-handed clues dropped within "Guilty." I do think it adds a nice depth of character and made him more human. Who hasn't been guilty of viewing him the way that Sarah did? That's a heavy load to carry.
We'll all have to remember that he's only human, even if he is one of the wisest people we could ever hope to meet.
Daniel: You don't like Chicago style popcorn?
Shrink: Mixing caramel and cheese flavors?
Daniel: Sweet and salty. It's the greatest duo.
Hopefully he'll be back on top of his game quickly, because the ED staff could really use his guidance.
I was a little surprised Nat was having to call in CPS so soon after the last time. By all means, as a pediatric emergency physician, I'd expect her interactions with the hospital social workers and CPS to be pretty routine, but this is television, and it seemed too soon to repeat a story like that.
I wasn't overly thrilled with this story. I found Sharon's final pronouncement of the case to be unsatisfyingly forthright. It felt like the depressingly honest information we get from Law & Order: SVU than the hopeful outcomes I'm accustomed to on Chicago shows.
The other problem was that it wrapped up so quickly at the end. Nat had some guilt about the situation, but I didn't come away feeling like she just learned A Very Valuable Lesson that will change the way she treats future patients, which really, she should have.
You know there are, maybe, 17 different agencies ready to jump in when they suspect abuse. But who jumps in to help when it's a single mother who's struggling?
Sharon
Speaking of people who just can't learn... Okay, I know, some people are sick of my so-called bias against Will. But honestly, if he (the writers) would stop lining up the shots so perfectly, I'd love to stop taking them.
At this point, I'm starting to think he honestly does not know what the words "I'm sorry" really mean. I think Zoe's starting to realize what a bullet she dodged with him after his behavior tonight.
Sharon really should have mandated some discreet couch time with Charles for him. I mean, I get he has all this guilt about his mother, but his willingness to tank a drug study and delay the release of medicine that could help hundreds, maybe thousands of people is not normal or healthy.
Being unable to see your own value without getting into a physical confrontation isn't a great sign either.
You're a good doctor. The world needs good doctors, you ass.
Connor [to Will]
Chicago Med Season 1 Episode 13 (airing April 5th) is going to take on a case of what appears to be Apotemnophilia or Body Integrity Identity Disorder, which are very real, very strange, very fascinating things. Having Dr. Choi on the case, with his military background and history with vets, is sure to make things super tense.
The controversy won't stop there though: a man wants Halstead to harvest his dead wife's eggs. You know that there's going to be some crazy twist to that.
You can watch Chicago Med online if you mixed up your calendar and missed "Guilty" after the long hiatus. As always, we'd love to hear your thoughts on the show down in the comments section!
Elizabeth Harlow was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She left the organization in October 2018.
