Chicago Med Season 8 Episode 7 Review: The Clothes Make the Man…Or Do They?
Chicago Med Season 8 Episode 7, ‘The Clothes Make the Man…Or Do They?” is billed as a Dean-centric episode. The end result is not exactly that. It’s a closer look at other characters.
Stories that have been teased get a chance at further development. While this is good, it’s a bit of an odd choice considering Dean and his son are set up to be the focus of this episode.
After hinting that Dean’s son, Sean, would be a crucial part of Dean’s development earlier this season, there hasn’t been any further exploration of this story. Dean is a complex man, and he doesn’t always get the screen time he deserves. This makes him appear one-dimensional sometimes.
Having Sean in prison certainly provides many opportunities to explore this story as it relates to Dean. Unfortunately, this episode features too much chaos to tell a focused story.
There just seems to be a missing piece in this particular saga. Dean has just gone through a pretty significant trauma, and there’s been teasing of greater repercussions for this character.
It would have been interesting to explore how Dean’s possible substance abuse impacts his relationship with his son. There could have been an introduction to Sean’s backstory, interspersed with Dean’s current struggles.
The supply shortage is going nowhere, and the team at Gaffney has to navigate the lack of scrubs. Chicago Med is not giving these people a break and makes them fight for their lives to find something clean and presentable to wear while they’re saving lives.
This remains an effective way for the show to integrate real-world problems into a fictional story. There’s an opportunity to tie these supply issues specifically the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic for additional authenticity, but the show isn’t there yet, apparently. Never say never, though.
Frankly, the supply shortages are all worth it if Crockett is walking around looking like that. Chicago Med may have been trying to make a point about the perils of not having access to adequate laundry services.
The only point that lands is that these characters need to spend way more time out of uniform. Seriously, casual looks good on all of them. Props to Ethan for being able to do his own laundry, though.
The highlight of this episode is Hannah’s continued character development. Giving her all of the OB stories just shows what a boss physician she is, and how far she has come since she began her journey on Chicago Med.
Hannah is a perfect balance for a character like Ethan. Hannah is clearly willing to give people second chances and believe them immediately. Her instinct also is to hold off on calling DCFS until she has the full story. This attitude represents a welcome deviation from many doctors in real life.
The role reversal, with Will needing the Narcan from Hannah, was a nice way to bring their story full circle. The only critique that comes to mind is that Hannah could have mentioned specifically that she was attending an open AA or NA meeting, which family and friends are welcome to attend.
The story here indicates that Hannah and Will may be resuming their relationship in the near future. If handled correctly, this could be a welcome romance for Chicago Med to explore.
Dr. Charles and his crew are faced with an interesting ethical conundrum when a transplant patient begins to experience horrific side effects. These ethical questions show Dr. Charles at his best.
While this may be an incredibly rare complication in real life, it’s good to see the doctors work through the problem, even if they come at it from different perspectives.
This is where Chicago Med shines when it’s at its best, allowing different viewpoints to be shown as equally valid. The staff consistently try to do the best they can for their patients. It’s always a nice bonus when patients can confirm their wishes, even after a decision has been made.
It’s good that Zach gets to benefit from Dr. Charles’ wisdom. He’s a wise and compassionate teacher, who really should teach way more doctors especially as they start their careers.
Chicago Med is still just getting with this story of Jack Dayton, the hospital’s new benefactor. It is unclear how he will factor into the future of Gaffney, and if his influence will ultimately be used for good.
It’s also possible that we will see more of Sean in the future, as well as a further exploration of his relationship with his father. For now, we will have to wait and see.
This is a perfectly enjoyable, tense entry of a show that has a formula that works. The set-up for future storylines is appropriate, as the mid-season finale fast approaches.
The Grey’s Anatomy-esque shower scene between two people that are on the path to rekindling their love doesn’t hurt anything at all.
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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Justine Kraemer
Justine is an unashamed fan of too many TV shows and movies with a particular love of all things Marvel. She balances her love of massive massively popular shows with hidden gems that are just waiting to be discovered.