Chicago Med Review: Who Can You Trust (Season 4 Episode 11)
There’s tension, and then there’s tension. It’s the latter that permeates throughout the hour as the doctors and nurses deal with trauma, ethics, and lies on the solidly engaging Chicago Med Season 4 Episode 11, “Who Can You Trust.”
The strength of the conflict may mostly come from the doctors and nurses, but it’s really boosted by the emotional arcs all of the patients face as they find themselves in Chicago Gaffney’s Emergency Department.
Will’s unwillingness to deal with the aftermath of everything he went through proves to be a bigger problem for him than he realized. His official return to Med is filled with constant clashing, not only with Sharon but also with his patient and her companions.
Sure, the misplaced anger makes sense in the grand scheme of things.
But then it becomes clear that we’re supposed to believe Will’s aggressive stance on his patient’s case and his combativeness when it comes to everyone from the parents to the attorney to Sharon is uncharacteristic and some sign of the trauma he’s not dealing with. It makes me wonder how it’s supposed to differ from his approach with past patients, though. Sharon even makes a valid point that Will’s behavior has gotten him almost kicked out before.
So is it meant to be different and an indicator of a deeper problem, or are we just expected to take the anger as the indicator alone?
Will’s patient’s storyline focuses on an interesting and distressing look at surrogacy and what happens when not every party agrees.
It’s a topic that I’m sure has been touched on everywhere. Despite that, it’s interesting to see how the legal and ethical parts of this story intertwine with the emotional aspect of it, especially when we get a sense of the attachment from the woman who has been carrying the twins for months alongside equally impassioned pleas from desperate parents just hoping for the chance to raise a child.
Though they may not be the central point of this story, two questions immediately come to mind: What happens to a surrogate’s agency and bodily autonomy in that situation, and what are the ethical implications of contracting it away?
While Will’s patient of the week brings up ethical questions about agency, it’s Natalie and Dr. Charles’ patient (an elderly woman with Alzheimer’s) who tugs at the heartstrings.
The entire situation is heartbreaking, between seeing what the disease does to her and then her caretaker and daughter also being diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s. The anguish on her daughter’s face after hearing the diagnosis and finding out that she accidentally caused her mother’s overdose is devastating. It leaves quite an impression even after the episode ends.
Then there’s Ethan and April’s patient and whole situation that causes a bit of confusion in terms of the pair’s arc. It’s easy to understand why Ethan would fight so hard for this patient, a decorated veteran. What’s hard to follow is the reason behind the anger and tension between him and April.
That kiss at the end only makes things more unclear. Never mind the fact that it’s difficult to remember why they broke up in the first place. I just have a lot of questions about their current dynamic and their situation and where it’s heading.
Though I’m unsure about where Ethan and April stand, it’s clear that Connor and Ava’s relationship is heading into some deeply uncomfortable territory if that final scene between Connor and his father is any indication.
The final scene closing out the hour definitely brings a sense of ominousness about the information Connor is about to learn. If it’s anything as terrible (and gross) as what I’ve suspected since Chicago Med Season 4 Episode 1, “Be My Better Half,” then the fallout from the truth will change the foundation of Connor’s relationships with Ava and his father completely.
Let’s just hope that after everything, Connor can eventually catch a break.
Random Thoughts:
- Will Connor’s dad tell him the truth and do we actually know the truth about what happened between him and Ava?
- Will’s obviously going to submit to the counseling, right?
So, what did you think of this week’s Chicago Med? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Chicago Med airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on NBC.
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Brianna Martinez
Brianna spends her time away from briefs, legal research, and pleadings, watching TV and writing about it. She generally has a lot of feelings about TV, which you can read about here and on Twitter.