Chicago Med continued its tradition of Halloween episodes, blending real-life cases with a little ghostly humor.
And honestly, shoutout to the new nurse in the rotation, who delivered some fantastic levity to Chicago Med Season 11 Episode 5 with her comments about treatment room 5 being haunted by the ghost of Mr. Crowley. It was worth it solely for Dr. Archer’s expressions.
It was also worth it to see Ripley in a Tiger costume while trick-or-treating with Sadie and her daughter, which also brought audiences more depth to the relationship. While it initially seemed as though Sadie didn’t fully trust Ripley with her daughter, the truth ended up being a lot less dramatic and vulnerable. After the little girl fell into a well—a traumatizing event, undoubtedly, but one that brought Sadie and Ripley together in the first place—she turned into a helicopter parent, monitoring her daughter’s every move. Ripley assured her that she wouldn’t be a bad mom for loosening the reins a little bit and allowing the help. And it seems as though this relationship is flourishing nicely.
The same can’t be said for Archer and Hannah’s co-parenting approach. The baby isn’t here yet, but there seems to be a lot that they disagree on, including finding out the gender of the baby. While Archer did come off a little strong at the initial doctor visit, in the end, it seems as though Hannah can semi-relate to her patient in accepting the pregnancy means that it’s real. While her situation was way different than her patients’, finding out the sex made it real, and she wasn’t ready to come to terms with it just yet, so she ended up pushing Archer away.
Hannah is always her own worst enemy. She did, however, help her patient, Jenny, who came in with “severe period pains,” which eventually ended up being an infection from giving birth to a stillborn baby. The case hit a little close to home, considering we’ve seen this play out in real life not too long ago. It was heartbreaking, as Jenny, who denied ever giving birth at first, finally confessed to burying her baby after giving birth and realizing that she wasn’t breathing. She harbored plenty of guilt as Hannah assured her that she died in utero weeks prior, and there was nothing she could’ve done, though Burgess (a little cameo from Chicago PD’s Marina Squerciati) suggested that the patient lawyer up, even if they could remove the most serious charge.
Elsewhere, Dr. Charles dealt with a pediatric patient who took a fall at school and ended up confessing that he’s haunted by demons. The demons, however, were part of a neurological disorder, which was caused by migraines. Once Charles was able to get to the bottom of what was happening, he brought the boy a pair of greenlight glasses, which reduced the symptoms of PMO (Prosopometamorphopsia), otherwise known as Demon Face Syndrome (the things you learn, right)? When the boy was able to see everyone normally again, his fear went away, and they were able to get to the bottom of the migraines and sleepless nights—he found out that his biological parents, who were addicts and mistreated him as a child, wanted to regain custody of him, which stressed him out. Once he confessed to the horrors he endured while living with them, Charles petitioned the courts, who paused the process and allowed the boy to safely remain with his foster parents.
Dr. Charles also celebrated his 65th birthday, but there wasn’t much celebrating. Instead of reframing the way he looked at the milestone—that he was lucky enough to reach it and that it could be his third act- he spent more time sulking. But Goodwin was onto something, especially as she spent time with Bert in the nursing facility as he navigated his dementia diagnosis. The situation wasn’t just hard on him; it was taking a toll on her, too. And when Bert’s anger manifested towards her, she also lost her cool. She regretted it immediately, but she’s human, and there’s only so much one person can take on. Unfortunately, because of Bert’s unexpected fall that rendered him unconscious, it’s possible the last interaction Goodwin had with Bert was a negative one, and the guilt of that would consume her.
So yeah, maybe Charles should appreciate that he’s reached 65 and is still able to work and help others and excel in his field with a sharp mind.
Meanwhile, we’re continuing to see a new side of Dr. Lenox ever since her positive diagnosis for the GSS prion, which means she’s likely set to suffer the same fate as her mother. The diagnosis has caused her to live her life a little more recklessly and without care, but for someone who has always put so much stock into appearances and public image, it’s actually a wonderful thing for her. As for her brother, a negative diagnosis finally allowed him to live his life without the constant fear hovering over him like a cloud. He finally got a job that requires him to wear a suit and found a woman that he wants to spend the rest of his life with. The test results, with two completely different outcomes, are having a similar effect on the siblings, allowing them to move forward and live their lives to the fullest.
Halloween at Gaffney is never dull. Honestly, there’s never a dull moment at Gaffney period. But I do love that they get into the spirit. The only thing missing was Dr. Frost, though the promo for the upcoming week focuses fully on him, giving the people what they want and allowing everyone—on-screen and off—to thirst over him.
That being said, we’ll see you back here next Wednesday.
