SPOILER ALERT: The following contains spoilers for Chicago Med Season 11, Episode 14.
Chicago Med Season 11 has had ups and downs, and Episode 14 is an example of that inconsistency. “Twist & Shout” goes back to some plot points that haven’t been working, and proves why the NBC show needs to get past them. At the same time, it includes some ideas of where the writers can go once they clear the decks.
The medical storylines on Chicago Med normally have some connection to the personal subplots, but “Twist & Shout” is particularly obvious in emphasizing the parallels and what it wants the audience to think. That knocks the whole episode down a notch, as viewers are essentially just along for the ride rather than experiencing the episode as it comes. And where the ride ends is someplace the show has been before.
The main medical storyline involves a woman named Emily (played by an underused Reiko Aylesworth, best known for her role as Michelle Dessler on 24), who has spent decades in a mental health facility. But when she comes to the ED, Dr. Daniel Charles realizes that Emily has been misdiagnosed. The fraught relationship between Emily and her sister Paige is used to highlight the even worse relationship between Dr. John Frost and his parents—because Charles even says as much when he gets into a disagreement with Frost. Fans know that Frost is going to have a change of heart, so it’s no surprise when he appeals to Paige using his own family as an example. Darren Barnet is wonderful in that pivotal scene; it’s just a very predictable outcome.
Elsewhere, there’s an honestly uncomfortable story about a woman who doesn’t know she’s pregnant because she had sex with her ex-husband while under the influence of Ambien that the show could have done without. The third plotline, featuring a man who’s been lying about his cancer being in remission for fear of losing his new friend, is better-written and also well-acted yet viewers can also guess at the conclusion. Steven Weber knocks it out of the park when Dr. Dean Archer chews out the patient for lying, and then later gives him a motivational speech. But the friend’s death is typical for Chicago Med, which normally has one storyline (at least) that doesn’t end well.
There’s nothing in “Twist & Shout” that isn’t out of the regular Chicago Med playbook, as talented as the actors are at delivering it. Frost gets the chance to make up with his estranged parents—but as cool as it is to see Tamlyn Tomita and David Costabile again, it’s hard to appreciate their reconciliation, because so much time has been spent dwelling on Frost’s teenage angst. Plus, viewers know parents on this show tend to get the short end of the stick (see Louis Herthum as Pat Halstead, or D.W. Moffett as Cornelius Rhodes).
This should also be an acknowledgement that the romantic subplot between Dr. Mitch Ripley and Dr. Caitlin Lenox just does not work. At the end of the episode, Lenox marches Ripley into Sharon Goodwin’s office to spontaneously declare their relationship. The only thing this scene has to offer are Luke Mitchell’s hilarious reactions when Lenox begins to overshare information. Everything else, from what’s implied to what’s actually shown, just doesn’t feel genuine. Even the ill-advised beat of romantic tension between Ripley and Lynne at least was grounded in the characters’ lengthy history. But Chicago Med continues to go in the same melodramatic directions with its characters’ personal lives.
If anything, this episode reinforces that there’s an awful lot of acting talent on this show, including the guest stars. One wonders how much more Aylesworth could have done with some extra screen time, and Weber and Barnet land the big dramatic speeches that they’re asked to give. The writing just has to push itself a little further. Viewers don’t need so much spelled out, and the creative team doesn’t have to try and grab the audience’s attention. Fans will pay attention if the stories are engaging, because they already know the cast is great. Hopefully, there will be a few more risks taken in the remainder of the season.
Chicago Med airs Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. Photo Credit: Courtesy of NBC.
