Chicago Med Season 8 Episode 6, titled “Mama Said There Would Be Days Like This,” was a fantastic episode that tackled taboo topics surrounding pregnancy and postpartum depression.
Dr. Choi, Dr. Charles, and Goodwin were tasked with the case of Penelope, a woman who walked into the ED and handed over her baby after she had thoughts of harming him. It was a terrifying situation all around, but thankfully, the doctors didn’t jump the gun and call DCFS right away. While statements like that are not to be ignored or taken lightly, it’s also a big deal to get child protective services involved—once you do, you can never take it back.
The fact that Penelope asked about her newborn Edison—and even tried to give Dr. Charles the expressed milk that the baby drinks—was proof that she cared about her son. After a brief chat with Charles, he was certain postpartum was involved, but it wasn’t the cause of the tinnitus that Penelope said made Edison’s cries unbearable.
Choi was hesitant to let Penelope hold Edison, but both Charles and Goodwin wanted to see her interact with the baby in order to better understand the connection and bond. And again, it was clear that Penelope wanted to be a good mom, but the moment he started crying the way a normal baby does, it set her off and she became frantic, which then led to a medical situation that caused facial paralysis. Once they ruled out a stroke, Choi diagnosed Penelope with Bell’s Palsy, but that was just one piece of the puzzle. When he went to talk to her about the intrusive thoughts—triggering thoughts that haunt your mind but ones you don’t act on—Penelope was adamant that the thought of wanting to throw her baby felt so real. She was traumatized and terrified, plus pretty tired from the lack of sleep and lack of support.
Charles realized this needed another approach—a heartfelt and honest conversation from mom to mom. And Goodwin was just the woman to help Penelope understand that it’s normal to feel overwhelmed by parenthood because… it’s hard.
It was such a beautiful scene with Goodwin guiding Penelope in a way that she needed. It touched on all the topics that are rarely talked about when it comes to new moms, especially the ones that don’t have the “village” that’s always referenced when talking about raising kids. You have good days that are filled with all the joy and love that is emphasized frequently, particularly on social media, and then you have the bad days where you just don’t know if you can do this anymore. Sometimes, the good and the bad go hand in hand. But Penelope’s decision to seek out help was proof that she was a good mom who was simply under a lot of stress.
The storyline also touched upon the absolutely lacking parental leave in America, which is so unfortunate. Being a new mom is difficult enough because newborns, and kids in general, are needy. But moms, particularly ones without a support system, have to work to pay the bills, get insurance, afford healthcare costs, etc. Not only are they juggling their daily workload, but they are also juggling childcare. It’s honestly unrealistic and heartbreaking when compared to other countries.
The first step to helping Penelope feel more confident was to assure her that everything she was going through was normal, followed by setting her up with some mommy groups and organizations so that she didn’t feel alone and had a support system. Plus, the encouragement from another mom who has gone through this herself went a long way.
There was another pregnancy storyline with Dr. Asher’s patient Caitlin, an expecting mother who had an ectopic pregnancy (not viable) and couldn’t get the medical help that she needed because she worked an hourly job that didn’t allow for sick time. Thankfully, Asher and Archer both respected Caitlin’s wishes and performed a laparoscopic surgery so that she wouldn’t be out of commission for long.
But the decision was a bit dangerous and maybe not as sound as it should’ve been. Due to those supply chain issues, Asher didn’t have the tools she needed to do the noninvasive surgery, and when Caitlin’s fallopian tube ruptured and they ran out of time, Archer assured the patient they would get it done using dated techniques. The problem? He was the only one who knew how to do it without a camera visual. And though he began the procedure, the pain from getting his ribs crushed by a high patient in the previous episode prevented him from finishing, and Asher had to take over and learn on the go. There’s nothing wrong with that since she was being guided by a professional, but it wasn’t a fair decision for Archer to make knowing he would put his colleague in such a tough predicament.
Asher later confronted Archer about the pain, as it was evident it was severe, and urged him to get seen by someone, but he simply brushed her off before turning the corner and popping some painkillers. I was hoping that they wouldn’t be leaning into the addiction storyline, but it makes sense as Archer was so hard on Asher for her addiction yet he’s now slipping and realizing just how easy it is to go down the rabbit hole. The only thing that interests me about this is that Asher will likely be a source of support for him as she’s gone through this before and knows the process all too well.
The focus of the episode was supposed to be Crockett’s newfound fame after the heroics of saving Dayton’s train conductor and jerry-rigging a liver transplant, but I honestly found it to be the weakest storyline, especially when Halstead was visibly triggered by all the attention Crockett was getting and flung it back in his face when his patient, Maria, developed post-surgical complications. The issue was never Crockett, though, he did admit to letting the fame get to his head (I never saw it), but it was Will’s insecurities and desire to control the narrative forever and always.
Will continues to ride his high horse as if he’s never been in a situation where the hospital wanted to boost its own credibility while riding the coattails of his success. Crockett left Maria, the owner of a popular Italian joint that Will and his family used to frequent. after he successfully completed the surgery and at the urgency of the hospital board. He didn’t really have much of a choice, but at no point did he just leave Maria hanging.
Thankfully, Halstead eventually came to his senses, informing Crockett that he was out of line and acknowledging that he’s a good doctor that wants to help everyone. It’s nice to see grown men handle issues like adults.
The most interesting storyline of the night was Vanessa treating her patient, Samir, who presented with some strange symptoms that didn’t have a known cause. Vanessa and Samir had an immediate connection and their conversation flowed naturally, likely because she was a huge fan of his work of setting up clinics for in-need patients around the world.
Samir, on the other hand, was impressed with Vanessa’s composed approach while treating him. Despite his unusual symptoms, she wasn’t phased at all, simply trusting her judgment as a doctor and going above and beyond to help figure out what was wrong with him. Turns out, he was lacking the necessary nutrients due to his poor diet, and his body was basically punishing him for it.
At the end of the episode, she walked in and handed Maggie a list of necessary vaccinations for travel. It was evident that the moment Samir asked Vanessa to hang back so he could ask her a question, he was going to offer her a job with his new clinic in the Phillippines. What I didn’t expect is for her to actually accept and act on it—and it seems like Maggie didn’t see her daughter’s decision coming either.
How is Vanessa leaving when she just got here? I know it’s been two seasons already, but her dynamic with Maggie, and the storyline about getting to know her birth father, have been so good.
Vanessa, however, had a good reason for wanting to take the leap, noting that after risking it all to buy drugs to help a patient, she felt reenergized and resourceful. Being that kind of doctor reminded her why she wanted to be a doctor in the first place. She knew this was her calling. I can’t blame her either—I’ve never seen anyone so sure about a decision before.
But is Vanessa Taylor, played by Asjha Cooper, really leaving Chicago Med just as Brian Tee’s (Dr. Choi) exit was announced? The unfortunate answer is yes.
What’s worse is that TVLine reports this was Vanessa’s final episode. And while it’s abrupt and unfortunate (especially since she was just getting to know her father), at least she went out on a high note!
We’ll miss you, Vanessa.