Hannah’s baby story made me nervous.
I didn’t like the idea of Hannah and Ripley possibly being intertwined forever, and this story screamed soap opera.
Fortunately, Chicago Med Season 11 Episode 1 defied expectations, even if there were some soapy twists in its main stories.
Hannah’s Pregancy Story Is Better Than I Expected
I prefer my medical dramas to focus on medicine, rather than personal storylines.
If I want a hospital-based soap, I’ll go for my daily dose of General Hospital, thanks.
That’s why I was against this Hannah pregnancy plot.
But I was wrong, for the most part. This is a compelling story that impacts Hannah both professionally and personally.
I’m not sure how I feel about Archer being the father of Hannah’s baby.
On the one hand, it’s no secret that I completely hated Hannah and Ripley as a couple. Putting those together tempted me to have the drinks Hannah couldn’t risk indulging in.
On the other hand, I loved the idea of Hannah and Archer as platonic soulmates.
We don’t get enough of that on TV. For some reason, every time a straight couple develops a strong friendship, sooner or later, they jump into bed with each other.
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Now, Hannah and Archer not only slept together, but they are also going to be parents, so there’s no going back to the platonic soulmate thing, even if Hannah did call them friends who were having a baby.
I know these two have their fans, but I’m not thrilled with that development.
Ripley Would Have Been Worse — And Nurse Trini Should Mind Her Own Business
Several potentially interesting storylines are emerging from Hannah’s surprise pregnancy.
For one thing, I can’t remember whether her sister closed the door on surrogacy during their last big fight, so she could always come around demanding the baby.
That would be weak sauce, though, especially with so many better story possibilities.
I’d love for Hannah to have a high-risk pregnancy.
She’s an OBGYN who delivers news about risks and how to mitigate them to other pregnant women, so it’s compelling for her to be on the other side of that conversation.
But you know what we don’t need? Nurses spreading gossip that the baby is Ripley’s.
I groaned when Trini took it upon herself to spill the beans to Ripley.
First of all, even if the baby had been Ripley’s, it wasn’t her news to tell. It was Hannah’s.
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Reproductive rights aren’t only about abortion and birth control. They also include the right to control who knows your pregnancy status.
Trini violated that, and for what? To prop up the worst couple Chicago Med has ever had?
Fortunately, all that happened was that Ripley admitted he was sad not to be a father before moving on to potential stepfather-dom with his new girlfriend’s daughter.
The Less Ripley The Better, But Maggie Deserved a Better Exit
During Chicago Med Season 10, Maggie considered taking another job and resented Sharon for being on the wrong side of the nurses’ strike.
That was a perfect setup to write her out if need be, but as usual for this show, Med ignored all of that in favor of her randomly disappearing during Chicago Med Season 11 Episode 1.
To be fair, Maggie’s exit was only recently announced, so it may have been a last-minute decision.
Still, Maggie didn’t even get a new location. Sharon’s throwaway line was just that she hadn’t heard from Maggie since she left.
Dr. Marcel’s exit at the beginning of Season 10 was bad enough, but at least we know he’s supposed to be in Boston. Maggie is just… gone.
Surely a charge nurse who has been part of the series since the beginning deserves better than that.
Chicago Med Is At Its Best When Doctors Beat Impossible Odds
We had three medical stories, and two of them were winners.
I didn’t care all that much about the woman who learned her dying husband was having an affair at the time the fire broke out.
I kept expecting a reveal that someone set that fire on purpose, which would have made it a lot less predictable.
We could have at least had a Chicago Fire cameo with this one. Just saying.
The other two stories were stronger, especially Lenox’s.
When Abrams Criticizes Your Bedside Manner, You’ve Totally Lost The Plot
I agreed with Abrams that Lenox’s bedside manner needed a lot of work, but I couldn’t help laughing at the irony.
Sam Abrams is one of my favorite characters because he often straddles the line between arrogant and entirely obnoxious.
Of course, he reserves his acid tongue mostly for his fellow doctors, but he’s been known to be harsh with patients, too.
Still, Lenox’s responses to patients only demoralized them.
Lenox’s behavior wasn’t about her patients. It was about her own belief that her fate was sealed.
That was a compelling storyline for her, and I loved that she got her miracle in the OR even if it didn’t seem particularly realistic.
I didn’t love her final scene, though. Isn’t there any other way to depict someone becoming a risk-taker to the point of recklessness other than having them have random sex?
As for Dr. Charles, I especially liked that his patient was struggling with survivor’s guilt.
Chicago Med Still Stands Out Because of the (Mostly) Respectful Way It Handles Mental Health Issues
This show normalized having a psychiatrist on call in the ER, and eleven years later, it is still a pioneer in this area.
The other doctors should have realized that a kid blurting out every three seconds that he wants to die means he is likely suicidal, but at least that was an opening for Daniel to talk to him about his issues, including survivor’s guilt.
This is a topic that is not discussed often enough on TV.
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When someone survives a disaster that others do not, often the survivor is left feeling that it’s unfair or even somehow their fault that others lost their lives while they didn’t.
The patient discussing these feelings honestly with Daniel elevated the story above the stereotypical teenager with suicidal feelings that we so often see on other shows.
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If you enjoy medical dramas like Chicago Med, check out our coverage of other hospital-based shows like Brilliant Minds and Grey’s Anatomy.
Chicago Med airs on NBC on Wednesdays at 8/7c and streams on Peacock on Thursdays.
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