Chicago Med Review – Status Quo, aka The Mess We’re In (7×04)

Reviews

Something felt off about the season 7 premiere of Chicago Med

It wasn’t just the fact that Gaffney welcomed a slew of new faces,  but more so that the time jump was so forced as it abruptly sent Natalie packing and reinstated Will as a doctor. 

I know that the series tried their best to give fans closure following Torrey Devito’s departure, but since she already agreed to an appearance, couldn’t they have at least made the most of those few minutes of screentime?

Where was she going? Did it have something to do with her mother? And why was Will the one seeing her off? Is it because he covered for her and the stolen pills? The whole scene, much like her exit, felt rushed. 

After her exit, Will decided to ask Goodwin for a second chance since Nat confessed to stealing the trial meds, and Goodwin agreed under the condition that he’d basically become a mole and corner the new doctor, Matt Cooper (Michael Rady), for upselling an unnecessarily expensive and dangerous device called the Vask Comp in order to receive kickbacks. 

It definitely sounds like Goodwin is asking Halstead to just take a plunge into boiling hot water here, but what choice does he have? If he wants his old job back, he has to prove his loyalty. 

And, in a way, the good outweighs the bad as the hope is that his intel will help them pull a potentially dangerous device off the market. 

But why Will? Aside from the fact that he always makes absolutely nonsensical choices, he is said to have a past with Cooper, who used to date his cousin. 

There’s definitely some tension between Cooper and Halstead from the getgo when the latter propositions catching up over drinks. There’s also a weird line about Cooper being a “good boy” in his marriage, which alludes to the fact that he likely cheated on Halstead’s cousin.

And considering that he’s flirting with the lady working the counter, I’d say he isn’t as reformed as he’d like people to believe.

Just what we need — another frenemy for Halstead!

The fallout of the Kinder trial has really derailed his career, and his return to the ED isn’t necessarily welcomed with open arms, particularly by Crockett, another doctor who hasn’t seen eye-to-eye with Will in the past. 

Crockett was forced to rely on his former colleague when he accepted a former Kinder trial patient whose filed was locked. Halstead was the only person who had any insight into the patient’s history, but even when he tried to advise, Crockett hesitated to believe him and went with his gut instead. 

It’s a valid reaction considering Halstead’s murky past, but it was also a battle of the egos. 

This time, however, Halstead was right. 

And while Crockett’s ego may have been bruised, he was able to own up to his mistake. Call me crazy, but I think these two just might become friends after all. 

The biggest obstacle standing in the way of their friendship was Natalie, and since she left both of them in her dust, there’s really no reason to continue this feud. 

I’m willing to bet that if they work together, they can do great things. 

Cooper wasn’t nearly as problematic as Dr. Asher, who somehow, despite crossing every single doctor at Gaffney, snagged the Chief of ED position after Ethan’s shooting. 

Not only are Nat and April gone, but Ethan’s absence from the premiere was reduced to a one-liner about how he’s in rehab recovering.

I was kind of hoping Asher wasn’t going to stick around, but with all the recent departures, Med kind of needs him. 

His disdain for Dr. Charles and the field of psychology, in general, was at an all-time high.  Asher is a vet, so his approach to mental health is rather old school. He doesn’t really respect any Dr. Charles’ calls, particularly when they interfere with his ability to treat a patient. Asher continued to not be impressed that Charles indulged a patient’s fantasies or delusions, though it’s clear he also doesn’t really understand the science behind psychology. 

At the kickstart of the episode, they both made snarky comments to each other about the mishandling of Neil’s case, the man who believed he was living in a simulation and shot Ethan after Asher treated him against his will. The tension between them amplified when Asher treated two identical twins, one of whom needed her ovary removed. Since Jemma and Emma grew up without developing a sense of identity, they were convinced they had to do everything together in order to remain “one person.” Thus, the healthy twin also wanted Asher to remove her ovary, which was obviously unethical. 

CHICAGO MED — “You Can’t Always Trust What You See” Episode 701 — Pictured: (l-r) Kristin Hager as Dr. Stevie Hammer — (Photo by: George Burns Jr/NBC)

The whole relationship between the twins was borderline disturbing, and I kind of wish the series tapped into that more. However, I was impressed that Charles found a way to convince them to go through with the life-saving procedure without dismissing their feelings or beliefs. 

But despite emphasizing that he’s never seen a case quite like this one in his 40 years on the job, he probably should’ve anticipated the old switcheroo. 

Maybe Asher and Charkes will find a way to put their difference aside and learn from each other?

In addition to Cooper, there were two new faces making the rounds at Gaffney: Dylan Scott (Guy Lockard) and Stevie Hammer (Kristen Hager). 

Scott’s a former cop-turned-doctor who loves to share that tidbit with his patients, including a young boy who was bitten by a rattlesnake as part of a gang initiation. My guess is there’s going to be some tie-in to Chicago PD at some point as he told Will that he knew his brother Jay Halstead. 

Hammer, on the other hand, reminds me of Dr. Elsa Curry at times. She’s an emergency room attending that seems very perceptive. 

She also has a connection to Halstead as they attended med school together, so you can probably tack her onto his long list of love interests. Sparks will fly sooner rather than later, I’m sure. 

And since Halstead is a sucker for taking on his romantic partner’s burdens, it won’t be long before he gets involved with trying to help her homeless mother.

Neither of these characters have hooked me just yet, nor are they filling the Natalie and April-sized voids, but I’m not writing them off either. 

Scott, in particular, has the ability to offer a unique perspective as there hasn’t been a doctor that has also been on the other side of the coin and worked the streets of Chicago. 

Maggie’s storyline with her daughter, Taylor, is going to be a bigger focus this season. If I were to put my money on it, they’ll have a decent relationship by the time the season is over.

Though, I’m glad that Maggie is pulling back and following Taylor’s lead on this. Despite wanting to do what was best for Taylor, it was pretty manipulative of Maggie to get close to her daughter and withhold the truth about her identity. 

Taylor deserves all the space she needs, and my hope is that the series doesn’t force this storyline. 

Taylor can be curious about her mother while also resenting her for how she’s handled things up until now. And it’s not a surprise that she wants to focus on her career and not have this secret overshadow all the work that she’s doing. 

What did you think of the Chicago Med Season 7 premiere?

Did you find it struggled to find its footing with the new characters or did it make you excited for what’s to come this season?

Sound off in the comments below!

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