To call Chicago Med a soap opera wouldn’t be a far stretch, given its various complicated love stories over its nine seasons, but an upcoming love rectangle is a frustrating new development for the show. The NBC medical drama series, created by Dick Wolf and Matt Olmstead, premiered as a spin-off of Chicago Fire and Chicago PD and became the third television show in the One Chicago franchise. The doctor-focused offshoot of the franchise certainly isn’t the best one, but it’s dramatic and entertaining, albeit occasionally unbelievable. Unfortunately, an upcoming Chicago Med season 9 storyline is the opposite of exciting.
The Chicago Med season 9 premiere featured a six-month time jump, so it had been a while since Nick Gehlfuss’ Will Halstead left the show. However, when one doctor exits, another takes their place, and the producers ultimately chose Luke Mitchell to replace Gehlfuss. Mitchell’s character, Dr. Mitchell Ripley, was introduced during season 9, episode 1, as an ED Attending Physician who shares a complicated history with Dr. Daniel Charles. Aside from that drama, Ripley has been growing close to Dr. Hannah Asher, who has also developed a strong relationship with another doctor at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center.
A Love Rectangle Is Brewing Between Hannah, Dean, Ripley, & An Unknown Woman
Hannah formed a deep bond with Dr. Dean Archer throughout both characters’ time on Chicago Med, and while it appeared as if their dynamic was strictly a friendship at first, that might all change in the upcoming season 9 episodes. The season’s beginning has seemingly hinted at a possible romance between Hannah and Dean. Even though there has been no concrete evidence that either of them have feelings for one another or are aware of possible feelings, the showrunners, Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider, confirmed that a romance between Hannah and Dean is looming during an interview with TVLine. Frolov said:
“[Hannah’s] going to continue to be very close to Archer. That’s still going to be going forward.”
Schneider added:
“Friendships can turn into romantic relationships. I think they both have feelings, but they’re very sublimated.”
However, Hannah has been dating other people in Chicago Med season 9, and new doctor Mitchell Ripley is undoubtedly on her radar. The two share chemistry, and based on their interactions in the episodes and the showrunners’ comments, Hannah and Ripley may take their relationship to the next level soon. Schneider teased:
“Hannah and Ripley are developing a friendship which might well turn into something more romantic. Archer can’t but help feel a little jealous, but he wouldn’t show it because he’s generous … He has his own romance going.”
According to this interview with Frolov and Schneider, a love rectangle is brewing in Chicago Med season 9 between Hannah, Dean, Ripley, and a female character yet to be introduced. A love triangle is already complicated enough, but adding a fourth party makes it even more frustrating. Of course, only time will tell how this love rectangle storyline plays out, but its premise is far from enticing.
Chicago Med Already Tried A Love Triangle Involving Hannah & Dean In Season 8 (And Failed)
Chicago Med shortly teased the possibility of a romance between Hannah and Dean when Dean’s son, Sean Archer, believed something romantic was going on between them. Meanwhile, Sean had feelings for Hannah, and a brief love triangle ensued in Chicago Med season 8. Thankfully, it ended as quickly as it started, with Dean and Hannah clearing up the misunderstanding and Hannah informing Sean that she didn’t have feelings for him.
The first Chicago Med love triangle was a failure, and a new love rectangle featuring two of the same players is surely doomed, as well.
Nevertheless, the love triangle featuring a father, his son, and his colleague was a stretch, even for the NBC medical drama. It simply didn’t work and was quite cringeworthy to witness, which is probably why the writers ended the story before it got too out of hand or stretched on for too long. So, it doesn’t make sense why the season 9 writers are circling back to a prospective relationship between Hannah and Dean. The first Chicago Med love triangle was a failure, and a new love rectangle featuring two of the same players is surely doomed, as well.
Chicago Med Season 9 Should Avoid A Romance Between Hannah & Dean Altogether
It seems as though the love triangle in Chicago Med season 8 and the upcoming love rectangle in season 9 are just building to an inevitable romance between Hannah and Dean. However, that’s a bad idea for numerous reasons, including the fact that Hannah and Dean’s friendship is one of the best dynamics on the television show. Not every friendship between a man and a woman has to turn romantic, and the two doctors don’t have strong enough chemistry to justify a non-platonic relationship.
New episodes of Chicago Med season 9 premiere on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
Additionally, Dean is much older than Hannah. While age is just a number, and they are two consenting adults, the Hollywood trope of a romance between an older man and a younger woman is wildly overdone. It would be boring and predictable if Hannah and Dean started dating in Chicago Med season 9 when they could remain friends and Hannah could pursue a relationship with Ripley (someone she actually has chemistry with).
