Chicago Med 7×20 “End Of The Day, Anything Can Happen” is a rude, rude episode — and I mean that in the best way possible. The hour makes us feel many, many things for plenty of characters, from Ethan, to Will, without forgetting Vanessa, Pamela and Marcel. Every emotional beat is played to perfection in what is one of this show’s best episodes of Season 7.
In so many ways, it’s great to see. The show felt like a chore for a few episodes there, and though I would still trade Hannah Asher for Stevie Hammer in a heartbeat, I will admit I’m starting to like the new Hannah Asher. I’m still nowhere near ready to like her around Will, much less ship her with him, but I can appreciate what they’re doing with her character.
Just as I can appreciate what Season 7 has done for Will Halstead. When Sharon Goodwin tells him he’s a good man, this isn’t a surprise to us, the viewers, and it’s not a surprise to Will Halstead, the character. He knows he is. He knows why he made the decisions he made, and he is, at the end of the day, happy with the person he is, the person he’s become. That’s the best arc for Will I could have asked for, and that it comes with making better decisions in general is just icing on the character growth cake.
There’s growth, and there’s growth…
The flip side of that is Ethan Choi, who spends Chicago Med 7×20 “End Of The Day, Anything Can Happen” projecting his issues on others. It’s hard to blame him, of course, and storytelling wise it’s an interesting turn for Ethan, who doesn’t make as good a Chief — if the Chief is meant to be an antagonist — as Dean Archer, but it mostly is because it promises we’re going to spend a lot more time unpacking Ethan’s issues.
Like Will Halstead, Ethan Choi is a good man and someone we’ve grown to love over the course of seven seasons. But knowing a character for seven seasons doesn’t mean there isn’t more to explore, and this focus on Ethan’s feelings, and his relationship with Dr. Charles, promises to bring a wealth of interesting moments for the character going forward that we can’t wait for the show to go into.
If anything, going forward, the one thing we would hope the show focuses on more is friendships. The cast turnover has made it so that the few people who have been here a while don’t actually feel like family, or even friends. Except for Maggie, who is just close to everyone, of course. The show needs a ship, I’ll be the first one to say it, but that can wait. Chicago Med would do well to establish the friendships first.
Are we in for a world of pain?
Going into the season finale, it seems the show is ready to tug at our heartstrings from the most unexpected place possible, Pamela Blake’s storyline. Of course, Sarah Rafferty is the kind of big name that it felt like we shouldn’t get attached to, but at the same time, it’s Sarah, so how could we not? And though we’ve resisted the appeal of her pairing with Dr. Too-Pretty-For-His-Own-Good to the best of our abilities, the truth is, they are good together.
The reason why they are is evident in this episode. Crockett Marcel has let Pamela Blake in, and she does the same in return. This has never felt like just a fling, but at this point, it’s almost decidedly not so, which makes whatever comes next all the more worrying. Either everything goes well, and we get to keep Pamela long term, or everything goes really, really badly, Sarah’s acting slays us, and we get to pick up the pieces of Dr. Marcel next season, once again.
Yeah, both those options suck, but that’s basically where we stand with Chicago Med. We need some light at the end of this tunnel, please.
Instead, more problems?
Look, I don’t see any way this storyline with Maggie and Vanessa’s birth father ends well. If he hasn’t been mentioned or contacted before, then it’s probably going to be messy when he inevitably shows up. And if there’s one person I want a quiet, happy existence for, it’s Maggie. Let her have peace. Let me have peace.
Oh, and let this show be as interesting as it was this week every week from now on. Now, this is something to build on. Let’s go.
Things I think I think:
- This looming trial/Cooper thing promises the kind of drama I do not want.
- Dylan why is basically the Dylan vibe at this point.
- I have said it before, but I will say it again: Dr. Charles is good at his job.
- Crockett and the kid SLAYED ME.
- Sometimes, you have self-awareness, Will Halstead. And then, instead of listening to that, you try to be the good guy. I appreciate that about you, I do, but …
Agree? Disagree? What did you think of Chicago Med 7×20 “End Of The Day, Anything Can Happen”? Share with us in the comments below!
Chicago Med airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on NBC.
