Sarah Reese (Rachel DiPillo) grew from a timid medical student into a prominent psychiatrist during her time at the Gaffney Chicago Medical Center in the show Chicago Med. Under Dr. Daniel Charles’ (Oliver Platt) wing, she treated patients and eventually dealt with her absent father returning to her life.
Revisit Reese’s full character arc on Med and why she ultimately decided to leave Chicago.
Who was Sarah Reese on Chicago Med?
At the very start of the show — Season 1, Episode 1 (“Derailed”) — Reese was a fourth-year medical student. She was nervous to practice medicine on real patients, as evidenced by her inability to perform CPR on a young child because she was afraid of breaking the girl’s ribs.
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Dr. Connor Rhodes (Colin Donnell) helped her warm up to the job and counseled her through sticking with the Emergency Department, even when she said she’d rather be in a role that was less patient-forward, like pathology.
What did Sarah Reese do on Chicago Med?
At the end of Season 1, Reese had pursued pathology enough to be offered a residency with that team, but she finally declined because she wanted to work with patients in the ED. This decision was in part due to a case she was on in Episode 18 (“Timing”), in which she helped Dr. Natalie Manning (Torrey DeVitto) save an infant with a rare diagnosis.
At the beginning of Season 2 (Episode 1, “Soul Care”), Reese was working at a coffee shop when Dr. Charles came in as a customer. “Med has a residency opening for you,” he said. “I’ll take it,” she replied before even hearing more about it. When he revealed that the spot was in Psychiatry, she was hesitant. “But, I don’t know how to talk to people,” she told him.
“How about you come spend the day with me and then see what you think?” Dr. Charles offered. After the rest of Med received her with open arms, and Reese got the chance to evaluate a patient’s mental health, she was sold on the gig.
Dr. Daniel Charles’ Shooting
Reese and Dr. Charles worked closely together throughout her residency up until one major issue tore them apart. In Season 2, Episode 23 (“Love Hurts”), Dr. Charles was shot on his way home from the hospital by an unstable patient, Jack Kellogg (Scott Morehead) who had been waiting for care.
The legal proceedings began in Season 3, Episode 1 (“Speak Your Truth”), and the court system was forced to decide if Kellogg should be prosecuted for the shooting or institutionalized. Dr. Charles claimed that the patient was clinically insane and therefore should receive medical health treatment instead of incarceration, but Reese appeared in court to testify against the perpetrator. Reese’s testimony resulted in Kellogg being put in jail, and Dr. Charles argued with her, angry that Kellogg was unable to get proper treatment.
Sharon Goodwin (S. Epatha Merkerson) interrupted their argument. “I think this is about your guilt and your ego, Daniel,” she said, telling him to let go of the Kellogg case and stop advocating for his shooter. He ultimately forgave Reese and the two moved on from the traumatic indicent.
What Happened with Sarah Reese’s Father on Chicago Med?
One of the biggest plots involving Reese was the reappearance of her estranged father, Robert Haywood (Michel Gill) in Season 3. Dr. Charles treated Robert when he came in for heart failure, but then discovered that that Robert’s brain scan showed signs of psychopathy and he was diagnosed with Antisocial Personality Disorder. Due to HIPAA laws, Dr. Charles could not tell Reese of her father’s diagnosis, but continually warned her to not get too close to him.
Throughout Robert’s treatment, Dr. Charles was not a fan of the man. He ultimately started piecing together a history of criminal behavior, leading to the discovery that Robert was a serial killer. Reese was still in the dark about these facts — but in Season 3, Episode 20 (“The Tipping Point”), she found Dr. Charles standing over her father’s lifeless body, not beginning CPR even though Robert was coding.
Sarah Reese’s Resignation from Chicago Med
Season 4, Episode 1 (“Be My Better Half”) began with Dr. Charles and Reese searching her father’s storage unit for evidence of his alleged serial killing. The mentor told Reese that she was doing the right thing by helping law enforcement, but she scowled at him. “You’re the last person to tell me what’s right,” she said to Dr. Charles.
Later, Dr. Charles asked around after her when she didn’t show up for work, and she finally came into his office to resign. “People here would always look at me and think, ‘Oh, there’s that doctor. The one whose father murdered those girls.’ I could live with that. What I can’t live with, is you,” she told him. “Every time I see your face, I would remember when I walked into that room and saw my father on the floor. I saw it in your eyes. You were gonna let him die.”
Catch up on Reese’s best moments by watching all of Chicago Med on Peacock.
