When it comes to skill at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center’s emergency department in the popular medical drama series, Chicago Med, it is fair to say that Steven Weber, who stars as Dr. Dean Archer, is one of the very best. However, it is equally right to point out that Archer does have his failings as well, predominantly a deficiency in people skills when relating with colleagues. Season 10 of Chicago Med has already put Archer in the spotlight, as the doctor previously clashed with colleague, Dr. Lennox (Sarah Ramos), but fans can strap in for more insight into the doctor.
Archer has been busy lately. His spate with Lennox almost led to the trauma doctor resigning from his job. That was before he had a hand in saving the life of Director of Patient Services Sharon Goodwin (S. Epatha Merkerson). Speaking in an interview with TV Line, Med showrunner Allen MacDonald has revealed that later this season, the trauma surgeon will have the spotlight in a special installment of the medical drama. “Episode 17 is a huge episode for Archer. It’s called ‘The Book of Archer,’” showrunner MacDonald tells the outlet. “The whole episode is from Archer’s point of view, so he’s, literally, in every scene… We’ll do a deep dive into his character.”
Given how controversial some of Archer’s behavior can become, an Archer-centric episode might help audiences better understand the root causes of what we see. One of the strongest bonds in Archer’s life is the relationship he shares with his friend and colleague, Dr. Hannah Asher (Jessy Schram). MacDonald confirms that given the close nature of the pair, the episode will also feature Asher heavily. “Their friendship is a really strong, foundational dramatic thing on the show. There is a tension there between them,” MacDonald says, adding, “You’ll see more of Hannah and Archer in that episode.”
Weber Has a Few Ideas About Which Directions His Character Should Tread
There are those who have long desired the relationship between Archer and Asher to morph into something more. Something more romantic. However, Weber does not share the same enthusiasm, saying previously, “I think the writers are smarter than that. Not smarter because it’s not that it’s dumb, but they’re trying to do something else with it.” There is one area that Weber wouldn’t mind seeing a change to his character. After all the drama of the past couple of episodes, Weber has revealed that an emotionally evolving Archer is something he would most definitely get on board with. “I like having a person who’s able to evolve emotionally. I like to think I’m personally capable of that,” Weber said. “I think it’s good to show that Archer can without losing his strengths. Even the things that define him as being irascible or even a bit of a d*ck can come in handy,” adding, “I think it would be to his benefit to understand that he’s not a bad person.”
Tune in to NBC on Wednesdays at 8 pm. ET to catch new episodes of Chicago Med. Catch up with past episodes on Peacock.
