Chicago Med returns with its season 11 premiere, and everything is (almost) business as usual at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center. Well, there are a couple of changes. For starters, Maggie is gone, and Doris has taken her place as the ED’s Charge Nurse. Meanwhile, Asher is dealing with her surprise pregnancy and Lenox is avoiding talking about her Prion diagnosis.
Overall, Chicago Med season 11, episode 1, is uneventful. Yes, we learn who the father of Asher’s baby is and witness how Lenox is coping with her disease. But the hour feels more like an average episode instead of a premiere. It still has its pluses, though. The cases are captivating and emotional, and the premiere perfectly sets up Lenox’s season 11 arc.
Asher & Archer’s Baby Journey Is Disappointingly Predictable
Chicago Med Season 11, Episode 1 Fails To Make Asher & Archer’s Storyline Exciting
The season 11 premiere wastes no time in letting the audience know that Archer is in fact the father of Asher’s baby. The episode opens with the two of them in Archer’s house after Asher knocked on his door at the end of Chicago Med season 10. There, Asher tells Archer that she’s pregnant, and he’s the father (to no one’s surprise).
The two Chicago Med characters agree to co-parent, but they don’t tell anyone else that Asher is pregnant. What comes next is highly predictable. Asher is worried about people knowing that she’s pregnant, while Archer is there to support her. Ripley later accidentally learns that Asher’s pregnant and thinks he’s the father, and in a heartbreaking scene, Asher tells him the truth.
Other than that, though, there is nothing special about Asher and Archer’s baby arc in the Chicago Med season 11 premiere. Every “development” feels inconsiquential and inevitable. Of course, Asher would want to delay announcing that she’s pregnant, given that it was a surprise, and she doesn’t want to hurt her sister (who wants to but can’t get pregnant).
We also already saw Ripley confronting Asher about the pregnancy in the Chicago Med season 11 trailer. Perhaps the only semi-surprising information that arise from that scene is that Ripley wants to be a father. Other than that, though, Asher and Archer’s baby plot fails to garner much intrigue in the premiere. Hopefully, that changes as the season continues.
The Season 11 Premiere Perfectly Handles Lenox’s Prion Storyline
Lenox’s Character Arc Is Undoubtedly The Most Intriguing & Complex
On the plus side, Lenox’s screen time in Chicago Med season 11, episode 1 is well-used and a highlight of the premiere. As we all remember from the season 10 finale, Lenox tested herself for Prion and received a positive result. She lied about it, though, and as of the season 11 premiere, only one other person knows about it — Dr. Abrams.
Abrams is the perfect pick to be the only person who knows that Lenox is positive for Prion. The two Chicago Med characters have a lot in common, with their cold demeanors and straightforward nature, meaning that if anyone can understand Lenox, it’s Abrams. As such, he’s constantly trying to get her to open up about her diagnosis and talk to a therapist.
Unfortunately, because it’s Lenox, she refuses to acknowledge her imminent death, and Abrams can’t tell anyone else about it because of doctor-patient confidentiality. So, Lenox throws herself into her work and is more blunt than usual with patients. In particular, she tells two best friends that they might want to say their goodbyes in case one of them dies.
Lenox knows that time is precious. However, instead of taking her own advice, she’s living in a blissful state of ignorance (and even sleeps with a stranger at a bar rather than call the therapist Abrams suggested she talk to). Ultimately, Lenox’s storyline in the Chicago Med premiere is well-thought-out and perfectly lays the groundwork for her season 11 arc.
Chicago Med Fails Maggie With Her Ambiguous Exit
Doris Still Steps Up To The Plate In Maggie’s Absence
One of the most frustrating parts of “We All Fall Down” is how the episode handles Maggie’s exit. Marlyne Barrett, who plays Maggie, is taking a leave of absence in Chicago Med season 11, meaning she’s expected to return but will remain gone for the time being. While her temporary departure is disappointing on the surface, the premiere makes it much worse.
Chicago Med simply refuses to acknowledge the reason behind Maggie’s leave in season 11. Goodwin comments that she is gone and will return. However, it’s unclear why Maggie left. All the audience knows is that the NBC medical drama’s head nurse is gone, and Doris is stepping up to the plate in her absence.
Although the show is failing Maggie, it’s great to finally see Doris getting her flowers. She has been around since the series’ very beginning, and Maggie’s exit has opened the door for her to step into the spotlight (albeit tentatively). Hopefully, Chicago Med won’t shove Doris back to the background once Maggie returns, but we don’t even know when that will happen.
