The newest doctor at Gaffney is charming, driven, easy on the eyes, and has a past with Dr. Daniel Charles.
Any Chicago Med fan knows it takes immense skill to land within the elite ranks of Gaffney Medical Center, but no one has set out to prove themselves more than the talented Dr. Mitch Ripley, played by Luke Mitchell.
From the moment Ripley arrived at Gaffney Medical Center in Season 9, all eyes were on the bright young doctor to see how he would take to his post. It turned out that he was a natural with patients, partially thanks to his own complicated history with healthcare.
Ripley’s tumultuous past and skill for treating patients have been a winning combo as he effortlessly acclimated to Med’s hectic day-to-day. Dr. Ripley boasts all of the charms of Dr. Connor Rhodes (Colin Donnell) while delivering the rpassion of Gaffney’s recently departed Dr. Will Halstead (Nick Gehlfuss). As Med’s newest heartthrob and dedicated doctor, Ripley continues to tantalize as Chi-Hards dive into his character and past.
When did Dr. Mitch Ripley first appear on Chicago Med?
Ripley made his way to Gaffney Medical Center in the Season 9 premiere of Chicago Med (“Row Row Row Your Boat on a Rocky Sea”), introduced as the hospital’s newest attending physician in the Emergency Department.
From his first impression, Ripley’s passion for patient care stole the spotlight as he settled into his new surroundings. He is charming and confident, approaching each case with tenacity, but his eagerness to help others has occasionally led to a slip of protocol.
What happened between Dr. Mitch Ripley and Dr. Daniel Charles on Chicago Med?
As soon as Ripley crossed paths with Dr. Daniel Charles (Oliver Platt) in the Season 9 premiere, it was abundantly clear the charming doctor had a lot of animosity toward Gaffney’s affable Head of Psychiatry.
After rummaging through his case files, Dr. Charles realized that, as a younger doctor working impatient care at the Cook County juvenile facility, he had treated Ripley for an impulse control disorder after he committed violence against another child. To that point, the boy had been excessively restrained and heavily sedated, and Dr. Charles had tried to help. But he then left the clinic as soon as his rotation ended, leading Ripley to resent him.
His troubling experiences led to Ripley’s passion for helping others — as well as his clear aversion to restraining or overly medicating his patients.
It also led to increased tensions with Dr. Charles: On his first day, Ripley opted to take a patient off his meds, and Dr. Charles questioned the choice. Ripley shot back that he wasn’t the same boy the psychiatrist had known 20 years ago and that he shouldn’t be questioned, refusing to hear Dr. Charles’ apology or his support for the person Ripley had become.
The push and pull between Ripley and Dr. Charles continued as they frequently found themselves in disagreement over patient care.
But in Episode 5 (“I Make a Promise, I Will Never Leave You”), Ripley was left rattled after treating an elderly patient who had been forcibly lobotomized as a child. Dr. Charles both lent his support and apologized again. Ripley was a tad more receptive, but it’s clear Dr. Charles still had a lot of work to do.
What is Dr. Mitch Ripley’s relationship with Dr. Hannah Asher on Chicago Med?
Dr. Ripley and Gaffney OBGYN Dr. Hannah Asher (Jessy Schram) ended Season 9 romantically involved.
In Season 9, Episode 3 (“What Happens in the Dark Always Comes to Light”), Hannah was waiting at a bar for a man she met on a dating app when she ran into Ripley. Before they could chat for long, two patrons passed out from laced drinks, launching the doctors into action and putting Hannah’s date on hold. Later, when it was revealed Hannah’s date had lied about being single, Ripley encouraged her to stay positive, telling her that if she continued with the dating apps she just might miss someone standing right in front of her.
The chemistry between Ripley and Hannah quickly escalated. It seemed like the pair would share their first kiss in Season 9, Episode 8 (“A Penny for Your Thoughts, Dollar for Your Dreams”), but coworker walked into the room before any magic happened. They made plans to get tea later that night, but a bogus lawsuit ultimately took up Ripley’s time (more on that later).
After several episodes of will-they-won’t-they tension, the reason for Ripley’s nervousness and apprehension came to light. Ripley was concerned that his tumultuous past and psych diagnosis would be too much baggage for Hannah. But, after getting a pep talk from a childhood friend, Ripley told Hannah about his past and his feelings for her.
“Look, the truth is, I was an angry kid,” Ripley explained. “I spent some time in juvie. Lots of mandated therapy. Even got myself a diagnosis of impulse control disorder. All of this is just to say, I really like you.”
“And if I haven’t completely scared you off…,” Ripley added, but before he could continue, Hannah kissed him.
“I’m not concerned with who you were, Mitch Ripley. I like who you are,” Hannah told him. Ripley went in for another kiss, but before the pair could lock lips again, their elevator opened and Ripley was whisked away to help a patient.
What is the status of the malpractice lawsuit against Dr. Mitch Ripley on Chicago Med?
Ripley spent a decent chunk of his inaugural season navigating a deceptive malpractice lawsuit filed by Pawel Wapniarski (Kristof Konrad), the shady brother of Dr. Charles’ girlfriend Liliana Wapniarsk (Alet Taylor).
In Episode 8, Pawel had complained of a dislocated shoulder from slipping on ice and visited Med, where Dr. Charles asked Ripley to treat him. Ripley completed the X-rays and reduced the dislocation but Pawel later claimed he couldn’t make a fist and that it hadn’t felt like that when he arrived. Ripley assured the patient that the symptoms would improve as the swelling stopped and said that, if he didn’t feel better in a week, he should come back.
Later, however, Ripley was handed a manila envelope by a process server, detailing that he was being sued by Pawel for malpractice.
In Episode 11 (“I Think There Is Something You’re Not Telling Me”) Ripley debriefed by Gaffney’s lawyer on what to expect during the disposition — and that his troubled past would come into play during the trial.
Eventually, the hospital lawyers recommended a settlement because, although Ripley did nothing wrong, juries are unpredictable. He was hesitant to settle, but the hospital chose for him.
What happened between Mitch Ripley and his friend Sully on Chicago Med?
In Season 9, Episode 6 (“I Thought I Was Done With You”), Ripley’s childhood best friend, Robert “Sully” Sullivan (Daniel Dorr), visited the hospital. Sully was boisterous, prompting an annoyed Ripley to tease that he’d drop him off at jail if he didn’t calm down.
He was complaining of a cough, but after bloodwork and an X-ray, Ripley diagnosed his friend with lung cancer. Sully was in denial and furious, refusing treatment. After arguing, the friends eventually came to blows, and security was called.
Ripley eventually realized the aggression wasn’t going to help his friend accept his diagnosis and met him at the bar with an inhaler as an olive branch.
With Ripley’s encouragement, Sully eventually returned to the hospital in Episode 11 (“I Think There Is Something You’re Not Telling Me”) to get his lungs checked out. This time, Sully brought another friend from Ripley’s childhood, Lynne (Hope Lauren) — who was also Sully’s pregnant girlfriend.That’s when Ripley learned Sully was struggling to tell Lynne about his diagnosis, and he helped him summon to share the truth and accept chemotherapy.
In Season 9, Episode 12 (“Get By With A Little Help From My Friends”), it was all hands on deck as Lynne suddenly went into labor, and Ripley and Hannah delibered the baby.
In the Season 9 finale (“I Think I Know You, but Do I Really?”), Ripley visited Sully during chemo, with the patient giving the doctor a hard time for not retaliating against Pawel for the lawsuit.
At the end of the episode, Pawel was wheeled into the ED, claiming he was assaulted by a masked assailant with a baseball bat and accusing Ripley of being responsible.
The cops questioned Ripley but he left the hospital without answering.
