Love Helps: Chicago Med "Mountains and Molehills"

Chicago Med returns as a doctor learns the difficulty of informing about a loss, a relationship is being acknowledged, and a mysterious illness baffles the staff.

When a mysterious illness comes to Med, a young girl who can't walk is brought to the ER with Halstead and Manning taking care of things after having a #Manstead nooner in the parking lot. Every test doesn't give any answers until Halstead starts showing signs of feeling in his legs. It wasn't until Manning thought, after glimpsing the young girl starting to walk and feel again, of a diagnosis of tick paralysis, which was easily be treated.

Noah works with Rhodes during a trauma and does what every young doctor would do, making promises he can't keep. After his patient seemed to be okay and had his family with him, the family needed to be somewhere, and Noah gave them the OK and would watch him. Later, Noah takes the patient out of the room, and soon he dies minutes.

Noah takes on the challenge of telling the family and gets a brother's reaction when he pushes Noah through the family room doors. But Noah understood that it was grief they were dealing with and didn't want to press charges.

Ethan, April, and Goodwin deal with a patient who shows signs of HIV/AIDS, but the patient wouldn't allow them to test her for it. But instead, to treat her for the flu. The challenge for them is that they couldn't tell the patient's aunt about her condition because of the laws. But Goodwin saves the day again with her stories of patients she's treated as a nurse dealing with HIV/AIDS when it was an unknown disease.

But between their case, April and Ethan, who are dealing with opening up their relationship with everyone, finally admits that Ethan is her boyfriend.

On the other hand, things with Reese aren't going as well as we would hope. Her car gets broken into, not to mention that she's not seeing any patients and that she freaked out when Noah got attacked by the patient's family member. She's suffering badly and, in the end, leaves us with her trying to buy a gun but instead gets pepper spray. 

"Mountains and Molehills" was an excellent episode to return to after the holiday break that brought exciting, frustrating, concerning, and pretty shocking moments. There was enough story to have me focus on what was going on, from Manstead dealing with the illness to Noah facing the deal of telling a loved one has died to even Reese, whose storyline has been quite emotional for the time. There was good character growth in this episode. The writing was excellent, and the performances from Rachel DiPillo and S. Epatha Merkerson were terrific. Overall, I give this episode an 8.5/10.


You can catch Chicago Med Tuesdays at 10/9c on NBC.

New Janet or Old Janet?/Uh Oh!: The Good Place "Chapter 20: Janet and Michael"/"Chapter 21: Derek"

"Chapter 20: Janet and Michael"

As Michael figures out why Janet is glitching, we learn how both Michael and Janet first met.

"Janet and Michael" might be one of the most humorist and emotional episode of the season as we learn about Michael and Janet's past while Michael figures out what is wrong with Janet and why she's glitching.

Michael puts it all together that Janet's glitches are caused from lying, mostly about her feelings for Jason. Janet tells Michael the only way to fix it was to have her self-destruct. Michael tries but comes up with excuses for doing so and doesn't. But Michael gives one of the best heartfelt moments as he tells Janet that he wouldn't do it because she's his friend.

Michael thinks of another way, this time sending Janet to Eleanor for her help. Eleanor advises Janet on a rebound relationship and turns out Janet made her own boyfriend, Derek, who happens to be not in a good mental state and gets easily distracted.

"Janet and Michael" was an excellent episode with such wit and emotions. Both Janet and Michael both shown a lot of character growth, mostly Michael in this episode, as he opens up his true feels for Janet as a friend. The writing of this episode was solid along with the performances from Danson and Carden. Overall, I give this episode a 9/10.

"Chapter 21: "Derek"

In the fall finale, Michael tries to fix the Janet and Derek issue, but comes with another surprise.

After meeting Derek, Michael gets Tahani and Jason away on a nice vacation, but later decides to get married. When news comes from Janet about the wedding to Michael, Eleanor and Chidi, they try to stop it and get Derek and Jason mad at each other.

After things were resolved, Janet takes care of Derek and is gone. Later, Eleanor, who still has the tape of her and Chidi sleeping together, finally decides to tell Chidi about it, but he response that he doesn't love her in this iteration.

But after another warming moment for Michael, learning that he's becoming a human being from Eleanor, he gets a surprise visit from Shawn.

"Derek" was another really strong episode. Great performance from the cast and even the writing was so strong and witty and not to mention leaving with a nice surprise visit from Shawn. Overall, I give this episode a 8.5/10.

You can catch The Good Place Thursdays at 8:30/7:30c on NBC.

New episodes returns Thursday, Jan. 4th at 8:30/7:30c on NBC.

Riding the Ethic Express!!: The Good Place "Chapter 19: The Trolley Problem"

As Chidi tries hard to teach Michael ethics, Tahani and Jason seek help about their relationship.

Just as Chidi teaches the trolley problem for the class, Michael isn't getting it at all. Michael puts Chidi on the spot of the trolley problem by putting Chidi, Eleanor and himself into a running train with Chidi making the decision on who to save and not and it lead to more and more. But even though Michael was just torching Chidi once again, but Chidi wasn't playing and shows his real frustration towards Michael by kicking him out of the class.

Michael tells Chidi how that it was "my bad" to Chidi but he wasn't taking it. Even Eleanor tries to fix things but it all came down to Michael showing his human emotional side and really apologize to Chidi and this time really accepted it.

Meanwhile, Tahani and Jason seek therapist help about their relationship and the one person they go to is Janet. After talking to Janet about how much they love each other and grown, Janet suffers from set backs from thumb popping off and floating away to frog coming out of her mouth to even an earthquake in the area. Janet comes to Michael to tell him that she's glitching and asks him how he is.

"The Torrey Problem" was such an amazing episode and probably one of my favorites (again) of this season. William Jackson Harper shines in this episode as Chidi in this episode, showing sides of emotions we never seen him before do. The writing was so so good and solid. Overall, I give this episode a 9/10.

You can catch The Good Place Thursdays at 8:30/7:30c on NBC.

Chicago PD "Politics"/"Monster (Fall Finale)"

"Politics"

The Intelligence Unit goes against the FBI in a case in this episode.

When a powerful congressman found unconscious with a dead young woman in his hotel room, Voight and the team thinks that the congressman might be set up. But here comes when the case gets really interesting as Burgess' new boyfriend, who happens to be a prosecutor for the FBI, makes things rocky for the unit to investigate and causes tension between Burgess, Voight and the boyfriend.

After learning that the congressman was set up and was drugged, they find a suspect, who happens to be on the FBI list for a while and they don't want Voight and his unit to mess it up. But Voight and Burgess play the FBI and get their suspect.

Meanwhile for a few weeks now, Ruzek has been the snitch that's trying to take Voight down under Woods' orders. Threatening to put his sister away to jail, Ruzek is running out of time to get something on Voight and has one last shot to get it.

"Politics" was a real thrilling and good drama. Watching Burgess and Voight's professional relationship on the FBI and Burgess' boyfriend. The writing was solid in the episode. Overall, I give this episode a 8/10.

"Monster" Fall Finale

In the fall finale, Ruzek makes a tough decision.

As the Intelligence Unit investigates a string of opioid overdose, that includes a daughter of a well respected Chicago Judge and a former officer that worked with Voight.

The deaths lead to an epidemic as it spreads into the family neighborhoods of Chicago. The case leads to one suspect but gets gunned down that happens to be from the judge, whose daughter overdose on opioids. Voight confronted the judge and got a confession, but instead of arresting him, he asked for a favor.

Meanwhile, its not or never for Ruzek to find something on Voight and he got something that'll take Voight down. Will or or won't he is the question and everything seemed to be leaning towards turning a video of Voight taking cash until he tells Woods to go screw himself and drives back to the house. There's where Ruzek and Al talk about the good old days (Four and a half years still seems long) and asked to join him on an intell. But that ride took a detour and drives to an abandon warehouse where, who else, Voight is comes out and walks up to Ruzek.

"Monster" was a very good fall finale episode that thrilling from the beginning to the end with a cliffhanger that's one to remember. I was stunned that Ruzek didn't turn Voight to Woods, thinking that he would put his family before his working family. But now might be paying a big price when coming face to face with Voight. The writing was strong and solid. Overall, I give this episode a 9/10.

You can catch Chicago PD as they return tonight at 10/9c on NBC.

Chicago PD "Fallen"/"Care Under Fire"

"Fallen"

"Fallen" was a well written story about Upton's past and confronting an issue that she and Voight will have to keep for the rest of their lives.

When there's a multiple homicide, Upton is forced to work with a detective that she has a past with, but when they worked together and about to meet, he turns up dead after found shot in the head. Voight not happy how Upton wasn't there at the time. But when they dig deep in the case it takes a real turn when in fact that Upton's former partner actually killed himself and used a gun that was in evidence lockup.

Voight and Upton didn't tell anyone else about what really happen, not even to the the widow or the rest of the Intelligence Unit.

This was a really good episode that really enjoying the character of Hailey Upton, after not connecting with her since she was partnered up with the team since the end of last season. Tracy Sprindakos was amazing in this episode. Overall, I give this episode a 8.5/10

"Care Under Fire"

When Halstead goes undercover to stop an ex-military kidnapping crew from killing an innocent child. In order to get to the crew, he must befriends with one of the members, who happens to be an ex-military, along side with his sister as well. 

"Care Under Fire" was a strong emotional episode for Jesse Lee Soffer as it was one of his best performance episode in a while. The episode opened up well of Jay Halstead's background in the military and not to mention the relationship between him and Upton as I feel that they could be the next couple in this series. #Upstead?

Overall, I give this episode a 8.5/10.

You can catch Chicago PD Wednesdays at 10/9c on NBC.

Chicago PD "Home"

Another week, another really good episode of Chicago PD.

When the Intelligence Unit busted a meth lab that's run by the gang leader Marshall Carter. But they soon uncover what is known as a re-homing scam for children that are adopted from foreign countries that are abandoned and then sold online. For one member of the unit, it gets personal as Atwater not only connects with the one child that was saved from the scam but it also has him making a decision about moving his siblings, Jordan and Vinessa, to a safer place outside of Chicago.

Meanwhile, Voight is still thinking that Antonio is still the one member of the team that might be snitching. But that isn't the case what so ever after what they've gone through the last time.

"Home" was a very good, emotional driven episode. It really had a god case of the week and gave a good story for Atwater to work out not only professional but also personally. The writing was really good and the performance from LaRoyce Hawkins was really good. Overall, I give this episode a 8.5/10.

You can catch Chicago PD Wednesdays at 10/9c on NBC.

Chicago PD "Promise"/"Snitch"

"Promise: 

With Jon Seda back on PD this season, this is one of his best performed and well written story so far.

"Promise" was a well written character development for Antonio Dawson, as he takes a case that involves a brutal murder of a young Latina woman, who might be suspected as a drug mule. When Dawson's daughter sees the body, she asked him if he was going to help her and his response was indeed he will.

Now with a case like this, you would think that Intelligence would want to take it but as they investigate the case it just leads to roadblock after roadblock that even had Voight telling Dawson that enough is enough.

But when they get a suspect, they couldn't get one witness to speak out, and the case was dropped. But this is Chicago PD and you know if there was a strong lead that this suspect was the guy, you know he would be taken down some way, some how. And that happened with Voight confronting a gang, who happened to lose someone from the suspect and gave the address of the suspect's house. Dawson soon catches up and goes to the suspect's house to find him dead on his table with his stomach sliced.

This episode was one of Seda's best performed episodes. The writing was so good and the character development was good as well. Overall, I give this episode a 9/10.

"Snitch"

From a series of murders to even a suspect of a snitch on the team, this episode was one hour of can't miss drama.

"Snitch" was a well written, intense episode that really open a can of worms for what might be a long story arc of good television.  The case of the week as the Intelligence unit investigates a series of murders that has a personal connection to Atwater that points to his younger brother involvement. It was a good story that really had some emotions.

Meanwhile, Voight suspects that Dawson might be going behind his back once again. But I really don't suspect that Dawson is redoing what he did last time when he got Voight arrested.

The episode was really good with really good performances from the cast. Overall, I give this episode a 8/10.

You can catch Chicago PD Wednesdays at 10/9c on NBC.