Chicago Med Season 8 Episode 3 Review: Winning the Battle, But Still Losing the War
Credit is due to the Chicago Med writers when it comes to including mental health cases in the ED.
They do it once again on Chicago Med Season 8 Episode 3, “Winning the Battle, But Still Losing the War,” with great continuation in the storyline as Dr. Charles continues to search for a therapist and is treating a patient from Chicago Med Season 8 Episode 1, “How Do You Begin to Count the Losses.”
The reality is that finding a therapist or a psychiatrist is a long, exhausting process that most people have to go through. It is filled with repetitive questions that do not get you any closer to getting the help you need.
The writers have portrayed that perfectly as Dr. Charles sits at yet another office, answering the same questions he knows will not get him anywhere.
As experienced as he is in the field, he is beginning to realize it isn’t easy to find the right doctor. It is even harder when he keeps the standards so high, listening to patients and making sure they trust him and feel safe. But this is something that he is dealing with in his personal and professional life.
What Chicago Med is doing extremely right this season — as it has done in the past — is to show the different types of doctors that we encounter in life. Dr. Charles and Dr. Cuevas have the same specialty but are two very different people with completely different approaches. This leads to seeing Dr. Charles’s first outburst in the ED.
Can any Chicago Med fans recall him this angry? This is definitely a first! But it was the perfect demonstration of his frustration with the healthcare system and education.
Dr. Cuevas is trying her best to help the patient, but she forgets they are human beings who need to be listened and treated beyond medication.
This is what Dr. Charles has been preaching from the beginning of Chicago Med, it’s what makes him such a fan-favorite character. But can he help the rest of the doctors understand this?
It seems to be a constant battle. It’s a very realistic battle in which everyone is fighting for better care when it comes to mental health.
Continuity is something we are always looking for as viewers. It makes shows more enjoyable when storylines are seen through till the end and not randomly dropped after a few episodes. Luckily, Chicago Med is keeping its word and giving us everything they have promised throughout the seasons.
In the beginning, Dr. Halstead was a hotheaded, rebel-type doctor. However, throughout the seasons we have seen him grow, mature, and make the right decisions. “Winning the Battle, but Still Losing the War,” proves this once more as he puts the needs of his patient above new protocols and medication shortage.
And this gives for the perfect interactions with Goodwin. These two characters haven’t always seen eye-to-eye, but watching their scenes together is a pleasure as both actors always give their all and the characters are not as different as they believe.
It seems like Sharon Goodwin will always find herself in the middle. She has to follow the rules and stick to protocol, but she understands where her doctors are coming from when they bend said rules and find alternatives.
It is always so interesting to watch her battle the gray area of what is right for the hospital and what is right for the patients.
Unlike other medical dramas, Chicago Med has always been great at keeping the episodes mostly cases-focused. They give us hints and glimpses into the doctors’ personal lives, but they don’t let that take away from what we are all interested in: the patients’ treatment.
Yes, we all love some extra drama that will make us like or dislike the doctors a bit more, but it is no fun when that is all we get. “Winning the Battle, but Still Losing the War,” gives us the perfect balance between personal drama and seating-on-the-edge-cases.
Dr. Asher is in the middle of it all as her past catches up with her once more. However, as Dr. Choi points out, this time around it helps her connect with the patient and know what is best for them. The past can be scary, but it isn’t always a bad thing — particularly if it’ll give you a better understanding when it comes to patients.
With Dr. Choi having to work with a new intern, Dr. Halstead pushing the limits, and a medicine shortage still going strong, it looks like Chicago Med is preparing us for an incredible season.
It’ll be interesting to see where all of these storylines go.
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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Lara Rosales
By day, Lara Rosales (she/her) is a solo mom by choice and a bilingual writer with a BA in Latin-American Literature known as a Media Relations Expert. By night, she is a TV enjoyer who used to host a podcast (Cats, Milfs & Lesbian Things). You can find her work published on Eulalie Magazine, Geek Girl Authority, W Spotlight, Collider, USA Wire, Mentors Collective, Instelite, Noodle, Dear Movies, Nicki Swift, and Flip Screened.