Chicago Fire Season 13 Immediately Explained Why Archer’s Big Med Meltdown Felt Emotionally Empty

Chicago Fire season 13, episode 17, “A Beast Like This,” quickly explains why Archer’s (Steven Weber) meltdown in Chicago Med season 10, episode 17, “Book of Archer,” falls flat. “Book of Archer” follows the crusty physician through his workday, which begins minutes after learning his ex-wife has had a fatal accident. This story offers yet another great role for Steven Weber, as it allows him to explore Archer’s grief and anger while he tries to hold everything together.

Meanwhile, in “A Beast Like This,” Pascal again loses control of his emotions while at the scene of an accident that leaves a young girl injured, going off on the driver who he believes caused the accident for being reckless. This is the last episode before Chief Boden returns to Chicago Fire, suggesting that Pascal’s continued difficulties after his wife’s death may contribute to Boden’s need to visit Firehouse 51.

Both Pascal & Archer Lash Out Because Of Their Personal Grief In One Chicago

Archer’s Grief Is More About The Past Than Pascal’s

Pascal and Archer have similar storylines in their respective shows. Archer’s begins when he gets a call from Sean (Luigi Sottile), who tells him that Archer’s ex-wife passed away after tripping while drunk and hitting her head on a counter. When his initial plans to go to Florida to support Sean are derailed because he’s needed in the hospital, he throws himself into his work — however, Archer continually explodes at patients whose behavior reminds him of his own when Sean was younger.

Archer’s grief seems to be mostly about the things he wished he’d done differently while his ex-wife was alive, especially when they were together and Sean was little. Conversely, Pascal’s grief over Monica’s death in Chicago Fire is fresh in his mind. Thus, when he goes to a call involving a car accident, it triggers his anger, and he lashes out at the driver, who caused a little girl to become seriously injured.

Pascal’s Grief Was Set Up Properly, Highlighting Why Archer’s Meltdown Felt Like It Came Out Of Nowhere

Archer’s Relationship With His Ex-Wife Was Long Over

Archer’s grief story should have been far more powerful than it was, but it wasn’t set up properly — instead, it was written as a one-off incident that came out of the blue. The writers likely wanted it that way to illustrate how the sudden, unexpected nature of this death impacts Archer. However, the more careful way Pascal’s grief story has been handled in Chicago Fire underscores how little sense Archer’s story makes.

Chicago Fire used Pascal’s reaction to the accident as only one part of an ongoing story. Later, he is seen packing Monica’s things while continuing to grieve. Earlier at Gaffney, however, Archer’s grief is part of a standalone story about his emotional difficulties while trying to work soon after getting the news. Had Archer been actively healing his relationship with his ex-wife throughout Chicago Med season 10, his grief would have hit as hard as Pascal’s grief over Monica does, but as it is, it feels like a plot point rather than a full story.