Chicago Med Season 10, Episode 14, “Acid Test” is the death knell for a couple that has been on life support for a while, with Dr. Hannah Asher finally breaking up with Dr. Mitch Ripley (Luke Mitchell). If the devastating split — which came right as Ripley realized he was actually in love with Asher — wasn’t enough, the show also set up a possible rebound between Asher and her ex, Dr. Dean Archer. And thus a love triangle was born.
Before Chicago Med can even introduce the possibility of Archer and Asher getting back together, the show first makes sure the relationship between Asher and Ripley is over… at least for now. By the time the split happens, it feels like a long time coming, with Ripley’s spiral after the death of Sully leading to an impasse between the two of them. This hour also sees Sully’s ex kiss Ripley, and though he awkwardly steps away from her, it’s clear the mess there isn’t anywhere near over.
So when Ripley has a whole epiphany about what’s important to him after talking to a nun — the same one he helped save a few episodes ago — it makes sense that all roads lead back to Asher. But it’s too late; Asher has had enough. She tried to support Ripley after the incident with Pavel, through everything that happened with Sully and then the grief of losing him. But after a while, it seemed like he didn’t want help. He just wanted to spiral. And she’s putting herself first.
But, it’s important to mention, that the reason she seems to come to this decision is a very peculiar conversation with someone who, at some point, fans thought might end up with Asher: Dean Archer. Archer ends up accidentally high after a patient puts a laced sticker on him, and the drugs apparently make him honest — and very, very nice, as he also helps Gaffney avoid a bad review by being very encouraging to the man doing the inspection.
The moment with Asher and Archer is a callback to the relationship they had before Ripley and Asher became a thing, and it makes it clear that there’s still a possibility there. It might take a while to materialize, but with Ripley telling Asher that he loves her and Hannah responding “it’s not enough,” it seems clear that she’s ready to move on from the pain that relationship caused her.
Whether she actually moves on with Archer or if he just ends up being a temporary roadblock on the way back to Ripley remains to be seen. But for now, it seems like Chicago Med is finally ready to pay off the chemistry between these two characters once and for all.
Chicago Med is available to stream on Peacock.
