The medical professionals at Gaffney walked away with some big lessons on Chicago Med Season 7 Episode 21.
There were some compelling cases in the penultimate episode, but a good chunk of it was also setting the scene for the upcoming season finale next week.
Dylan Scott and Milena’s story took an unexpected turn when a police-involved shooting connected to the case she has been working as an undercover.
Sam was shot while responding to a gang situation. His wife, Alice, was equally terrified as she was scared, and it became clear that she didn’t support his career in the slightest.
And on some level, I get it. Being a cop is dangerous. Every single call comes with its fair share of risk. However, how can you really love someone if you don’t support such a big part of their life? As Dylan pointed out, being a cop is in his nature, and it likely was in Sam’s as well.
When it was revealed that Sam endured complications from a previous shooting that he didn’t tell Alice about, the decision about his medical care fell on her.
Of course, she immediately gravitated towards the option that would end his career as a cop, but neither Dylan nor Ethan could go through with it as they both knew that Sam wouldn’t have wanted this.
They decided to appeal to Alice once more in hopes of changing her mind and showed her a video of the shooting. Right after being struck, Sam called out his wife’s name meaning that despite being a proud Chicago cop, he cared about her even more.
Alice knew in her heart that she couldn’t be selfish with this decision, so she reversed her decision and agreed to the thoracotomy.
As I mentioned previously, the case was connected to Milena’s undercover work. She sought out Dylan later in the evening to inform him that there was a mole within the CPD and she was made.
Dylan suggested that she crash in one of Halstead’s available units while laying low to thwart off any heat. It was also a breakthrough moment for them as she informed him that her real name was Jo. She’ll always be Freya Mikaelson to me, but I know, I know, different show.
While things seem to be safe for Jo and Dylan at the moment, I don’t believe they will stay that way. After all, one of the gang members saw her getting close to Dylan, so it’s safe to say that her cover was already burned ahead of time. Once she goes missing, I would imagine the Serbian gang would come after Dylan to get to her.
Halstead’s new apartment unit seems to be the saving grace for everyone, including Hannah Asher.
But I’m definitely on her side when it comes to all the coddling. I know Will means well because he wants to be a source of support for Hannah, but treating her like a china doll or some fragile little thing isn’t the answer.
Hannah is an independent woman who is committed to her sobriety. She can make sound decisions as a doctor, she can pay her rent, and she can speak for herself.
I swear, I go back and forth between liking Halstead and having so much resentment for his character.
I’m glad that he finally saw the error of his ways after witnessing a patient’s mother trust in her ability to care for herself and her newborn child.
It’s great when a patient also provides a teachable moment.
The patient in question was a 22-year-old hot yoga instructor who was pregnant. She was rushed to the ED by her overbearing mother after she collapsed. The mom naturally blamed the hot yoga but tests diagnosed her with a rare disease that essentially resulted in liver failure.
Asher had to deliver her 26-week-old child prematurely before rushing the young woman into a liver transplant.
Her mother immediately offered to donate a piece of her liver to save her daughter.
Crockett performed the surgery, and though it was rocky for a bit when he couldn’t stop the bleeding, Pamela was on hand to inspire him.
She was, however, sitting on the sidelines after being diagnosed with spinal compression.
CHICAGO MED — “Lying Doesn’t Protect You From The Truth” Episode 721 — Pictured: (l-r) Riley Voelkel as Milena Jovanavic, Guy Lockard as Dr. Dylan Scott — (Photo by: George Burns Jr./NBC)
Pamela initially refused to get surgery because she didn’t want to sit out for a few weeks and let her patients down, but Crockett stood his ground by telling her she couldn’t operate in this state.
Doctors really are their own worst patients. She wanted to cure herself with physical therapy, but she eventually came to terms with the fact that Crockett not only had her best interest in mind, but he also had the best interest of their patients.
And he was absolutely ready to step in and handle things in her absence.
I love their relationship because Crockett seems to ground her. It’s a good balance of personalities. Plus, he’s not afraid to stand up to her or speak his mind, and it makes things so interesting.
As for the new mom — she welcomed a beautiful baby into the world and found some common ground with her own mother. They were given a second shot at rehabilitating their fraught relationship, and nothing brings people closer than a new baby!
Speaking of babies… Maggie found herself torn by the idea of reaching out to Vanessa’s birth father.
Maggie didn’t want to spring this on him after 20 years, but she was also terrified of feelings resurfacing as she actually loved him at the time.
Sharon Goodwin suggested running the idea by Ben, but Maggie didn’t want to rock the boat and ruin the good thing they have going.
Of course, it’s obvious that Maggie will eventually reach out to Grant — she already looked him up — and it will likely cause a rift between her and Ben.
And honestly, I don’t know what Grant’s family situation is like in the present day, but I could see how this little family reunion could bubble up some feelings.
Ben is a good guy, though, so I hope Maggie doesn’t ruin anything. I do feel like it would be nice to see him have some kind of relationship with Vanessa.
Vanessa teamed up with Dr. Charles to help diagnose her patient, Lydia, who arrived at Gaffney after choking on her cereal.
Lydia explained that she had seen every specialist under the sun, but no one could properly diagnose her so she continued to feel off.
Two emotional and random outbursts led Vanessa to believe that it was a psych matter, but Dr. Charles actually realized that she had a rare form of ALS. It’s not an ideal diagnosis, but simply having one and finally having an answer after all these years gave Lydia some comfort and peace of mind.
Lydia’s talk also inspired Dr. Charles to tell his daughter, Anna, about his new relationship. Unfortunately, when he finally mustered up the courage, Anna was in a negative place because her boyfriend, Luke, broke up with her.
Yeah, no heartbroken teen wants to be put down even more with news that her father has a new girlfriend. It’s best to put that one away for another, sunnier day.
Ethan met up with the man that his late father was having a romance with for almost 50 years. And the fact that he had pictures of Choi’s whole family because he felt like he knew them was super emotional.
Choi’s father was in love, but he could never be honest about it, and they had to keep their relationship a secret for nearly five decades.
It must be such a relief to finally have Ethan over for a drink and a chat. And for Ethan, it’s a way to truly get to know his father and keep his memory alive.
On tap for next week is likely the trial against VAS-Com where Halstead plans to testify. It’s his moral obligation, but it might put him at risk. He was warned that they are going to come after him with everything they can… and Halstead has some dirt in his past that they can likely dig up. I have a feeling this might get messier than the Amber Heard and Johnny Depp defamation trial.
What did you think of the episode? Are you excited for the season finale?