One Chicago Day is here! In preparation for it, Fangirlish had a chance to sit down for a roundtable interview with Chicago Med stars Oliver Platt and Marlyne Barrett, as well as showrunners Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider to discuss what’s next for the hospital, what we can expect from Ethan’s return, and, of course, how the show basically goes as Maggie goes.
The good news is, Ethan Choi is coming back soon! Not in today’s episode, but next week, Frolov confirmed, and right away, she also shared that we’re gonna suffer with Ethan. Isn’t that just the Chicago Med way? “He comes back in 18, so very shortly, and he’s in the show for the rest of the season,” was the good news, and then, the pain: “He gets thrown a big emotional curveball.” But at least there’s the fact that he will definitely lean on Dr. Charles as he tries to deal with whatever’s coming.
Platt expanded on this a bit more. “The great thing about talking to Ethan is that he is such a relatively … the character is a traditionally sort of rigid, by the book kind of guy,” which is something that “shrinks just love.” But there’s more, of course. “I love the way our relationship has developed,” Platt continued. “Some of my favorite stuff. And what’s so great about him is (that) he’s gone off and a lot of stuff happened to him. So, I think you’re going to start seeing a different Ethan.”
Hopefully, one who gets a break every once in a while.
Then, there’s the return of Dr. Asher, which promises to shake up the hospital dynamics. Frolov teased that, Hannah Asher does, indeed, bring “along a history that everybody knows about, so she has to get past that history in her relationships with people.” This is particularly true of Will, and there might be conflict there for that very reason, particularly as he has always seen her as “someone who needs help, who’s a fragile flower,” which is not the dynamics the show is going for in her return.
So, Will is going to have to “overcome his prejudice” because the Hannah Asher who has come back “is a woman who’s now very strong and who’s determined to overcome her past.”
We also had a chance to talk Maggie, and Marlyne Barrett agreed with our assessment that, as Maggie goes, so does the ED.
“Maggie is like this barometer that connects everyone, but in a very different way.” For example, “she’s running the ED and making sure that the flow of the patients that come in are all cared for. But at the same time, she has this relationship with every single one of them.”
Which means, of course, there are feelings, and not just for her daughter, Vanessa. “I think one of the key relationships I’m excited about seeing outside of Vanessa is the return of Hannah’s character because (Maggie’s) very close to Dr. Halstead. That’s her brother. And I think with one eye, she’s always watching to see how he’s doing.” This means that, even when she sees that Dr. Asher is doing well, she’s still very much on Will’s side, not that there are sides. Plus, there’s Dr. Archer, who is “doing a great job,” but Maggie still has an “affinity for her friendship with Dr. Choi.”
“So, it’s all those different dynamics that I think make it special that Maggie has to put those emotions to the side, but also see the running of the ED as a business that must be done well.”
But though that all sounds well, Frolov still wanted us to worry, because she added that, when Maggie “went to find Vanessa, she wound up lighting a fuse, and she has no idea where that bomb is going to go off.”
Barrett seemed a tad concerned at that. And frankly, so are we.
And though the EPs couldn’t promise us the one thing we all wanted, a crossover, they all seemed as excited to get back to them as fans are.
“Sadly, because of COVID protocols, we’re not doing the kind of crossovers with characters from the other shows yet. The hope is we’ll be able to do more of that next season, but we really can’t plan them right now.”
Maybe then Will Halstead can remember he has a brother. One who just got married, and who he hasn’t seen in …well, a long time, if the shows are to be believed.
We’re truly excited for the upcoming episodes and for the rest of the season of Chicago Med. Don’t forget to tune in to One Chicago Day this Wednesday and to new episodes of Chicago Med at 8/7c on NBC.