Chicago Med Season 3 Episode 13 Review: Best Laid Plans
Elizabeth Harlow
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I'm starting to think that Gaffney's ED might not be my first choice for treatment.
Between all the misdiagnoses, surgeons manipulating UNOS, and doctors calling cops on the families of patients, the events on Chicago Med Season 3 Episode 13 were a PR nightmare waiting to break.
On the upside, Nat finally broke free of the babies and the pregnant women! It's a miracle!
Landing an adult patient didn't free her from ethical issues or fighting with her boyfriend. The honeymoon period is definitely over for those two.
Nat's certainly not always in the right when she comes up against these ethical challenges, but she's at least usually more deliberative than Will.
I'm definitely team Nat for this case. At the very least, Will could have waited to call the police after giving social services or, I don't know, Dr. Charles a chance to weigh in.
It was a little bit of a sticky wicket because there were legal options available to the mother if she wanted to withdraw support from her son. But I suppose that doesn't take into account the shame and guilt she was feeling.
Really, this case is a good reminder at the very least have an explicit discussion about your wishes with the person who would be in a position to make decisions for you. Better yet, write out a living will.
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After all, you never know when some killer wave is going to chew you up and spit you out. We make plans, and God laughs.
That was the completely unsubtle point of this episode. You know what else was lacking? Competent differentials from the doctors.
First year resident, projectile vomit is a rite of passage.
April
The whole sleeping woman "mystery" flat out pissed me off. Any woman who has been prescribed birth control knew a blood clot was the culprit as soon as Maggie pulled cigarettes and a pill pack out of that woman's purse.
And it's not like Choi (or Stohl for that matter) even learned some kind of lesson of the letter of preconceptions about patients. It's almost too bad she didn't die -- then Choi would at least have had to present a Morbidity & Mortality report.
An aside: who carries their birth control with them all the time? It's not aspirin. You take it at the Same. Time. Every. Day. With rare exception, you're probably home at that time, because that's just easier.
Meanwhile, Noah's running around still making yet another misdiagnosis. Well, maybe that's not fair. It's not like he actually diagnosed her with anything; he just kept treating her symptoms.
His case was a little harder, to be fair. You don't expect a 55-year-old post-menopausal woman to be in labor, even if she does tell you that she's on hormone replacement therapy.
Despite Noah's continued incompetence, I really loved this case.
I canceled our trip. They asked if I wanted to re-book for a later date. I said "Sure, in about eighteen years."
Greg [father of the surprise baby]
Mostly because of Greg and Tessa, the surprised parents.
You probably recognized both of them, but if you weren't able to place them, Reed Birney (from House of Cards, The Blacklist, and a million other things) was Greg and Julie White (from Go On, Nurse Jackie, Alpha House, and a million other things) are the names you were grasping for.
Both are superb actors that I wish could have been cast as regulars, even though I loved them in these roles.
It's not just that they've got great comedic timing, or wonderful chemistry, but they both go above and beyond what we usually see on TV.
For example, White was awkwardly grasping Yaya DeCosta's hand while worrying about how much wine she drank when she was unknowingly pregnant.
It's those thoughtful additions that elevate a performance.
Plus, the stumper of a surprise geriatric pregnancy was less stupid than the attempts to manipulate the UNOS list.
Overall, the whole case fell flat for me -- unlike Norma Kuhling's majestic hair as she was stomping around the ICU.
Oh, the actors brought plenty of passion and intense brooding, don't get me wrong.
But what was the point, medically speaking?
Obviously, from a storytelling perspective, the case was about increasing the tension between these two so that Ava eventually leaves or they develop a completely unhealthy but hot relationship.
But we didn't find out if Ava was right, and Connor's patient rejected the heart. I doubt we'll ever see him again to find out either.
Ava: You've got it all covered, huh?
Connor: Look, I did what I had to for my patient.
Ava: At the expense of mine! So do me a favor, okay, and save your self-righteous hero speech for someone else.
And Ava's patient wasn't saved by the very obvious solution of the TBI kid's death providing a heart. That was a bit of surprise, I'll admit.
#OneChicago is known for it's tidy happy endings. Redemption and hope and all that.
Someone has to be a real monster to avoid being saved. Like Dr. Haywood.
Thank god Sarah's starting to figure it out. What happened to the girl who saw psychoses in everyone?
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Even with her obvious desire for her father's affection, I'm surprised he so easily duped her into believing the worst of Dr. Charles.
Ava: Actually, not new. Just the first time you've noticed. I thought I'd made more of an impression on you.
Connor: The way you can turn a compliment into a dig is quite the skill, Dr. Bekker.
Ava: Don't be so sensitive, Dr. Rhodes.
Sure, he may have paternal affections for her that aren't strictly appropriate given their working relationship, but that road goes both ways.
Besides, he single-handedly saved her career. Twice. That should earn him all of her trust.
I just hope that Sharon's question about Sarah being in danger wasn't ominous foreshadowing. Normally, I'd say that's too obvious, but this hasn't been the most nuanced season so far.
At the very least, Sarah doesn't seem to be in immediate danger from her psychopath father -- promotional photos for Chicago Med Season 3 Episode 14 show her in the ED with Dr. Charles.
But Will and Nat will still be at odds, but it's another work-related spat. They should probably reach out to some of the other #OneChicago couples for advice on romance in the workplace.
Or maybe Nat will realize that while Will has improved, he's still a tool at heart.
Three hours and twenty toddlers; do you have *any* idea how many boogers that is?
Nat
But the heart of "Lock It Down" is the disappearance of an infant. Somebody cracked a baby Lo-Jack, and now the whole hospital is locked down.
But as we've seen on other shows, even a well-intentioned lockdown can cause lots of problems. Resources and staff are limited -- Connor even gets shut out of the OR where he's desperately needed.
But locked room scenarios also force characters to confront issues so that we may get some clarity on ambiguous storylines. You'll have to tune in to find out.
You look so good in a suit. I can't wait to tear it off later.
April [to Ethan]
So what did you think of "Best Laid Plans"? Was Will right to call the cops? How will Robert react to Sarah's rejection? Are Nat and Will headed for splitsville?
Share your thoughts in our comment section! You can catch up on past Chicago Med reviews anytime, or watch Chicago Med online.
Elizabeth Harlow was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She left the organization in October 2018.
