There are always choices that we make in life that we think are the best, even if it goes against someone's wishes or practically anything that we face. This week's episode of Chicago Med takes on risky, challenging career choices.
Halstead and Manning treat a patient in the end stages of cancer, but she comes in for a fall she had suffered. Trying to get her heart going, they finally get her back. In comes the patient's husband, who informs them that she is a DNR.
But for Halstead, a signed document that no heroic measures are to be taken isn't going to be taken lightly. When he learns of a new drug that has shown results, he asks Zoey, the drug rep, for help. After getting the okay from her boss, Halstead informs the patient about it, but she doesn't want it.
In defense of what he's trying to do, Halstead wants to give his patient the best chance to have a second chance in life, a choice, but still, she doesn't like it after what she has gone through.
When it came time for her to stop breathing, Halstead sprang into action and brought her back. There are so many ways to describe that scene, but the one word that comes to my mind from it is a nervous shock. In that spare moment, it's hard to believe that a doctor who knows the patient's wishes goes against it, and the outcome will be messy.
Goodwin, of course, wasn't happy, and so was Manning. The family is suing the hospital for what happened, and Halstead could face termination. But if there's any doubt that what Zoey says to Halstead near the end, that if she does take the trail drug, she'll thank him for it.
Rhodes has been spending some time with Dr. Downey, who wants him to help him in surgery. Could he have been looking for someone to replace him? Does Downey think that Rhodes has a gift for surgery instead of trauma? Rhodes gets to the bottom of it, and after declining Downey's offer, he learns why Downey comes into the ER from an accident.
Downey has cancer and only has a couple of months. After learning about that, Rhodes reconsiders his offer after Downey wakes up. Rhodes, who doesn't want it because he's a trauma doctor and that's what he's best at, doesn't think that maybe getting the lessons from Downey would help him in the long run that no other doctor in the ER has,
One of the best storylines in this episode is Dr. Choi, as we see him working out at 3 a.m., punching the boxing bag with rage. He gets a patient, a professor, who comes in unconscious. After trying to figure out what's wrong with her, Dr. Charles receives a page that Choi's patient is going out of control.
Charles sees that the patient is suffering from Bipolar and that she has been taking a drug that has been damaging her kidneys. Choi doesn't think that giving her the drug will help and that she should get the courage to control it. Charles questions until Choi comes in and tells him about his experience on a tour of treating patients for 48 hours and that a mother coming in with a child, who had no injuries shown from the blast, died in her arms looking so peaceful. The image of that kid has been stuck in his head ever since, and he loses sleep.
Brian Tee gave an excellent performance in this episode and opened up a bit of his character background. I was moved and heartbroken by what he had gone through in that last scene with Charlie. Another is Reese, who had to take care of a homeless man. After cleaning and giving him fresh clothes, the guy dies, but not after he gives her a perfect score on the patient sanctification card.
I enjoyed this episode. This show has shown much growth in the writing since its premiere, and the characters have been unique.
Overall, I give this episode an 8/10.
You can catch Chicago Med Tuesday nights at 9/8c on NBC.
