Chicago Med Season 2 Episode 3 Review: Natural History
Elizabeth Harlow
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Your history is always a part of who you are, no matter how much you wish it weren't.
And as we saw on Chicago Med Season 2 Episode 3, ignoring that can have dire consequences. That doesn't mean that we don't try to evolve and grow, even when it seems crazy or futile.
Every once in a while, show of the same genre will basically have the same story line in the same week. It's hard not to compare the execution when this happens.
Coming on the heels of Code Black's swing at the trans patient case, Med was at a disadvantage merely by coming second. Except that they really are coming in third fourth...look, the point is that this is nothing new. Grey's Anatomy's Ben has a trans sister, and ER was dealing with trans patients all the way back in 1994.
Still, while it not have been as "groundbreaking" as intended, or as normalized as one could hope, it's a step in the right direction. And Will handled the situation with far more class than I (or other characters) would have expected.
Other than his noun faux pas, he didn't ask awkward questions, and he got the pronouns right from the get-go. His earnestness was endearing.
Will: She wouldn't let me examine her, she's leaving.
Maggie: What?
Will: Did you know it was offensive to use the word "transgender" as a noun? [pause] I-I'm sorry. I didn't know.
But besides the progressive stance that this arc takes, I'm excited because it's a step toward the cast having lives outside of the hospital. Sure, Nat has a baby and Choi has a bird, but if we were to track how much time was spent on medical cases and the hospital vs the personal lives of the staff, we all know the hospital would win, hands down.
Med has an uphill battle to create the fleshed out worlds of it's #OneChicago compatriots. And while I personally love a good (gory) medical mystery, fully dimensional characters are what make medical shows great.
I'm also loving that this will bring Maggie back to the forefront, with something more to do than offering advice to others and assigning trauma rooms. She's good at her job, but I'd like to see her in the thick of things more. Hopefully the dynamic of her being the little sister will get some play.
Nat: Do you think it's weird?
Maggie: What, you hooking up with your late husband's best friend?
Nat and Jeff might have been stuck in the ED, but that doesn't mean that the sparks weren't flying. Even their non-English speaking, high fever suffering patient picked up on their vibe. Despite my contention that it's a little soon after her husbands death for Nat to be in a relationship, these two are adorable together.
It's still the early days, but they could easily be the power couple of Med. I am curious about what's going to happen when one of the higher-ups finds out though. Pretty sure "hooking up" with a med student isn't the kind of behavior that impresses hiring committees, even if you did know him before.
Hopefully Will's fascination with Nina will keep him from spilling the beans, and from interfering with Jeff's education. Of course, until Nina gets to leave the basement based pathology department for something more than food and beverages, I won't hold my breath.
Will: I could kill for a bag of Vitner's.
Nina: Don't over think it. Go for the next best thing.
Is anybody else hoping that the "40 Under 40" article pops up across the franchise? I mean, Casey seems like a good bet for Chicago Fire, and certainly somebody on the upcoming Chicago Justice could make the cut.
The article was actually an effective way to bring Connor down to earth. His embarrassment about the piece in contrast to his over confidence in the OR told anybody new to Med all they need to know about the character. His bashfulness was adorable, and I loved that Sharon was the one to authorize the piece.
As for his relationship with Dr. Latham, I'm not surprised that he quickly came around to trying to work his new superior. While things are better on his end, I hope that Latham doesn't do a 180 and become sweet and cuddly. A little internal friction is a good thing.
Ethan: You think he hired a publicist?
Will: Doesn't need to. He's a Rhodes.
April: Plus, he looks like that.
We'll get to know Dr. Charles a little better when his daughter gets called in to a case in the ED on Chicago Med Season 2 Episode 4 ("Brother's Keeper," airing October 13th). No, his adorable 10 year old isn't some kind of prodigy, rather her heretofore unmentioned big sister, played by Mekia Cox.
While the outbreak looms, there's still plenty of other crises to be dealt with. Reese tries to help a drug addict, and we can only hope she's successful because I don't know how many knocks that girl can take in a row. She could really use a confidence booster about now.
We'd love to hear your thoughts on "Natural History" in our comments section. Don't worry if you missed something; you can always watch Chicago Med online!
Elizabeth Harlow was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She left the organization in October 2018.
