Warning: The following contains spoilers for Chicago Med Season 9, Episode 11, “I Think There Is Something You’re Not Telling Me.” It also contains discussion about mental health issues that may be sensitive for some readers.
Chicago Med‘s Dr. Mitch Ripley has a critical decision to make before the end of Season 9—and it has nothing to do with his patients. It’s about his mental health and even his identity. Does Ripley come forward to anyone else at the hospital about his history, or does he continue to keep it to himself?
The final scene of Season 9, Episode 11, “I Think There Is Something You’re Not Telling Me,” hinted that Ripley has reached the tipping point where he has to make that choice. His girlfriend Dr. Hannah Asher started wanting to know more about his past, although Hannah did respectfully give him space. Then Ripley was almost involuntarily outed during a deposition by a lawyer seeking to use the gap in his education to impugn his character, with the hospital settling the frivolous lawsuit rather than let Ripley get publicly humiliated. Dr. Daniel Charles explained it best: “That is your story to tell. And if you ever decide that you want to do that, I would just hope that it would be on your own terms.”
There are just two episodes left in Chicago Med Season 9. There’s a very limited amount of time for the show to reveal what Ripley may or may not do, but given the fact that the series has been playing with this plot point since he walked into the ED, something has to happen one way or the other. The thing is, there’s no right answer. Ripley has plenty of reasons to come forward to at least one person, and plenty of reasons for the show to let him stay silent.
WHY RIPLEY SHOULD REVEAL HIS PAST
The more likely progression of events is that Chicago Med will make Ripley’s past public before the end of Season 9. The reason secrets like his are written into TV shows is for the dramatic reaction when they inevitably come out. That goes double for this particular TV show, which loves to build up personal angst (see: how long it took for April to confess that she kissed Crockett). It’s hard to see the creative team letting this opportunity for drama and conflict slide. There’s the possibility that someone other than Ripley brings the information about his medical history to light, as the show teased in the deposition scene, but that would be both disrespectful and melodramatic.
The more organic story choice, and the one that would have an incredible amount of meaning, is if Ripley decides to come forward of his own volition. How and to whom doesn’t really matter—if it’s just to Hannah, if it’s to Goodwin as his boss, if it’s somehow to the entire hospital. Him speaking his truth is the accomplishment, not the size of the audience.
Ripley’s underlying character arc has been the battle between his past and his present. He has worked so hard to better himself from the person he was, and he’s understandably proud of having succeeded to a very high level (that same deposition scene mentions that he earned a full scholarship to Columbia University, which is an Ivy League institution with a medical school ranked in the Top 10 across the entire United States). There would be something beautiful in him being able to finally make peace with who Mitch Ripley used to be and being confident enough in himself to let everyone see the complete picture.
That then lays the groundwork for where he can go in Season 10 and beyond. If he gets comfortable opening up to someone, he can start opening up to other people, and realize that he can be accepted and respected for all of himself—not just what he does professionally. There’s still plenty of dramatic mileage in that, because it doesn’t have to be easy. It might be akin to the iconic Sports Night episode “The Apology,” which revealed Dan Rydell’s past with drugs and the death of his younger brother Sam. Dan had a very difficult time getting that information out, but it was his choice to share that story with a national TV audience. Ripley doesn’t have that big a stage, but following Charles’ advice would empower the character and set up a far more rich exploration of his character than just getting thrown under the bus for an episode or two of shock value.
And Chicago Med needs to deliver a story arc that provides enough material for Luke Mitchell to sink his teeth into. Mitchell is the best thing about Chicago Med at the moment, bringing a certain live wire energy to his scenes, and so put the control in his hands and that of his character.
WHY RIPLEY SHOULD KEEP HIS PRIVACY
If Chicago Med is going to utilize Ripley’s history for character development purposes, that’s fantastic. But if the show turns it into something purely to make the end of Season 9 more dramatic, that would actually damage his character and the series overall—by taking a very serious and vulnerable subject and trivializing it for entertainment. Unless the writers are going to go all the way with this, there’s not necessarily an obligation to incorporate it. They do have the option to leave it alone, because Ripley has the option to leave it alone.
Coming forward with one’s past traumas is a difficult and very individual process for anyone, especially if those involve mental health, given the stigmas that continue to exist around mental health issues. Some people may never feel comfortable being public with the battles they face, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. There’s also an incredible degree of risk and bravery that comes with being honest, because there can be consequences for that honesty.
As someone who lives with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and generalized anxiety disorder, I experienced a very negative reaction when I came forward at a former workplace, led by someone whom I had considered a friend. I ultimately suffered a breakdown and ended up leaving that job, and I deeply regret being honest with those people. It set me back considerably in my progress until I found a safer environment in which to rebuild my self-esteem. With that experience in my rear view mirror, part of me says it would be reasonable if Ripley decides to never talk to anyone who isn’t Dr. Charles. He doesn’t owe anyone an explanation, not even Hannah; she’s shown that she’s not going to push him for answers.
And with Pawel’s lawsuit out of the way, there’s no professional necessity for Ripley to say anything. In fact, his past becoming public knowledge would likely do harm to his reputation, given how both patients and the hospital board alike have been shown to react on this series. Ripley may not want to jeopardize what he’s achieved, especially since his professional identity is such a huge part of who he is. Having any of that taken away from him would only exacerbate his frustrations and lead to the harm of more innocent trash cans.
While it would be narratively counterintuitive to leave that plot thread dangling for the whole season, it’s not canon-breaking, either. The series doesn’t end if Ripley carries on the way he’s been doing. Him keeping a personal secret is way, way down on the list of things that Gaffney Chicago Medical Center has to worry about—or even the list of things that its employees have gotten away with. This is a show where several people have been fired and a couple more probably should have been. Chicago Med can simply use Ripley’s past as a way to introduce him, and something that he can call upon when his cases require it. It’s the hook for his character, but it’s not necessary to keep him in play, nor is it the only interesting thing about him.
Whatever happens in the remainder of Season 9, Dr. Mitch Ripley has an intriguing road ahead of him. He has a choice to make about how he wants to be seen, and there really isn’t a bad way to tell that story. As long as Chicago Med leaves that decision in his hands and doesn’t overdramatize it, whichever way Ripley goes will be a unique statement about his mental health, his identity and his self-confidence. And it will absolutely be worth watching.
Chicago Med airs Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. on NBC. This article is exclusive to Fangirlish and if reproduced or excerpted anywhere else, has been stolen without the author’s permission.
