Chicago Med Season 11, Episode 3 is an effective resolution to the 200th episode cliffhanger. It delivers everything that fans of the NBC show would want, including the return of Torrey DeVitto as Dr. Natalie Manning. But it also revisits a few elements that aren’t as effective.
Natalie’s return and the fate of her son Owen are naturally the centerpieces of “Horseshoes and Hand Grenades.” Longtime viewers—especially Manstead shippers—will be pleased by the storyline. It follows the expected path of a main character making a risky choice to save their loved one, a complication happening and then the happy ending.
However, this plot also a reminder of why Natalie was a polarizing character during her time on Chicago Med. She tended to rush to judgment and block out anything she didn’t want to hear. That happens again in this episode. Even considering that she’s a mother worried about her son, she becomes antagonistic both to Will and to Dr. Hannah Asher. When Natalie brings up Will and Hannah’s former relationship, that feels like the definition of a cheap shot.
