Chicago Med Season 8 Episode 2 Review: Caught Between The Wrecking Ball and The Butterfly

Chicago Med Season 8 Episode 2, “Caught Between the Wrecking Ball and the Butterfly,” continues the captivating start to the season and introduces a cast of new characters for fans to love and hate. 

In true One Chicago fashion, this episode showcases some of the best of old faithful characters while introducing new doctors to fit into the Chicago Med family. 

Also, in true Chicago Med fashion, Will is still not allowed to process his emotions or anything that’s happened to him recently. With his brother Jay’s impending departure from Chicago P.D., Will will need to be in a stable place emotionally.

Perhaps the show is holding off on giving Will any compelling character development until Jay officially leaves. Still, this seems like an odd choice, given how much he has been through so far. 

There’s reason to be cautiously optimistic regarding Will and Hannah’s future together. In a best-case scenario, these two will be brought closer together after Jay’s departure. However, there’s been little movement so far on these early episodes.

It’s interesting to note that throughout this series, Will is consistently given an emotional pass. Female colleagues are told to check their emotions or asked if they are qualified medical professionals on this episode. Will faces no such scrutiny. 

One of the medical storylines featured here is incredibly heartbreaking. It’s difficult to watch this mom continue to refuse treatment for her son, knowing that she’s unaware of the seriousness of their situation.

This is treated with compassion and understanding. At its best, Chicago Med does an excellent job of highlighting these fictional tragic stories without making them feel exploitative. This is the case on this episode. 

This medical storyline also gives Dr. Charles a chance to shine, as he always does. Of course, this character isn’t perfect, and he’s made questionable and wrong choices in the past. When he is on, there’s no one else you’d want in your corner. 

Each character on Chicago Med also shines when they’re opposite an adorable child. It’s the little moments that tug on the heartstrings, like everyone showing such care for this little boy’s chrysalis.  

Chicago Med is also expanding, with the addition of two new characters. Zach is clearly a resident willing to learn and has a heart of gold. The fact that he’s done so much of his medical training online just makes him more sympathetic. 

He’s treated horribly, of course, but he’s not one to be easily discouraged. He will likely make a great addition to this team. It’s immediately clear that he can be a fantastic doctor with proper mentoring.

By contrast, Kai is boorish and over-confident. He listens to no one. His lack of acknowledgment of the fact that his actions nearly cause the death of a patient is alarming. This lack of accountability bodes poorly for him as a person and professional. 

It looks like Crockett will be the one to reign in this rogue aspiring doctor. If anyone can give a terrible doctor a reality check, it’s Crockett Marcel. This could be very fun to watch Kai get what’s coming to him if he doesn’t shape up. 

It’s frankly unclear where Chicago Med is going with Dean’s story. His son in jail has been introduced. There’s definitely a massive history there, that doesn’t look like it will be resolved any time soon.

The fact that he completely circumvents his patient’s wishes is disgusting, and yet too common when it comes to those with disabilities. A doctor’s personal life should never interfere with the care that they provide for their patients of all abilities.

This character has gone through a lot. However, it seems like he’s still being given something of a free pass to act out these shenanigans that would get any other physician reported to their licensing Board. 

Ethan is going to need to get out of vacation mode if he’s going to be able to help his former mentor through his current issues. 

Finally, we need to talk about the force of nature, Maggie. With the recent news that Marlyne Barrett has been diagnosed with cancer, of course, our thoughts are with her as she fights this fight.

It’s worth noting just what a talent Barrett always is. Even in her quieter scenes, she brings such incredible heart to this nurse, the cornerstone of Chicago Med. 

This season already features potential directions for Maggie to go. As she navigates her romantic life in light of reconnecting with her daughter, there is a lot of emotional depth that is already coming through. 

There is clearly more of Maggie’s story to tell, particularly as her relationship with her daughter Vanessa continues to evolve. This writer for one can’t wait to see more. 

Chicago Med is just getting the current season off the ground, and in many ways, it is a return to the basics of what makes this show great. The season is off to a solid start. There is hopefully plenty more to come. 

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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