Chicago Med Review: More Harm Than Good (Season 4 Episode 20)
Between suspected organ harvesting, a doomsday cult, and some hospital drama, Chicago Med Season 4 Episode 20, “More Harm Than Good,” provides no shortage of twists to the typical stories we’re used to seeing on the show.
In diving into these specific patient stories, from Vee to Meadow, it precisely shows how much the perceptions of some doctors and their need to assume the savior role in most situations seem to take over the care of the patients themselves.
While it’s understandable that they want to save their patients at all costs, there’s a line that the doctors cross in “More Harm Than Good,” that makes them look foolish, and even callous, for going above the patients’ heads for the sake of being right and “saving” them.
It begins to shift the dynamic we usually see and shows that sometimes “do no harm” takes on different meanings at times.
Gaia and Meadow’s story diverts from what is easily categorized as a doomsday cult, setting their followers up for suicide. It’s when we learn about the cult’s mission statement that it adds another layer beyond what is usually seen.
Their purpose for poisoning themselves is to make a statement about climate change (which can be done effectively in dozens of different ways that don’t involve poisoning oneself, but that’s just me) is unusual but sets the scene for a Natalie/Dr. Charles standoff and a glimpse at something that isn’t considered: the aftermath.
With Meadow refusing treatment, Natalie’s strategy is to find an underhanded and forceful way to treat her. Of course, Dr. Charles considers the patient’s desires—even if he does eventually find a workaround for treatment.
However, Dr. Charles brings up an excellent point, their way of treating her is just a temporary fix, and the long-term still has Meadow seemingly following through on what she’s set out to do.
It’s safe to say, though, that the underhanded way of treating Meadow is a terrible look for Natalie and essentially follows a pattern we’ve seen over the seasons when it comes to patient care.
Though, if there was a just a hint more about the cult beyond the bits of information gleaned from the doctor’s search and the patient’s story, it might have come across differently.
But it’s not just Gaia and Meadow’s story that subverts usual expectations when it comes to patient care.
When Vee comes into the ED with a man who looks like he barely knows the man, it’s easy to jump to the same conclusions as Will. It’s what makes the final reveal of the pair’s connection surprising and heartwarming, with the added aspect of feeling weird and borderline foolish about the assumptions that Will makes.
It plays into the thinking the worst of people while also playing with the idea that there’s always more to things than what we see.
Random Thoughts
- I do not entirely understand what Will and Phillip’s deal is. Is he lying like adults lie to children sometimes, or is he maliciously lying? I’m also very wary of the Will/Natalie/Phillip arc and how it’s playing out. Will things take a turn?
- Connor and Ava’s story has devolved into a bizarre situation, and I’ve got so many questions about what those moments Ava mentioned were meant to be. Red herrings?
- Were moments like Ava and Connor’s dad from earlier in the season meant to be from Connor’s perspective for the audience’s benefit?
- The Choi family drama continues to ebb and flow throughout the hour, and Bernie really isn’t helping things for the Choi siblings.
What did you think of this episode of 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.