Chicago Med Season 8 Episode 16 Review: What You See Isn’t Always What You Get

Chicago Med Season 8 Episode 16, “What You See Isn’t Always What You Get,” is a mixed bag with thrilling action and rushed storytelling. 

While a Chicago Fire appearance is always welcome on the show, more is needed to save the episode from odd pacing and incomplete story fragments; a lot of potential character development is left on the table. 

Dr. Hannah Asher continues to establish how much she centers her patients when providing care. This case is no different. Her calm demeanor is needed when a baby is about to be born. 

She is a welcome change from many fictional (and not-so-fictional) practitioners who let their egos interfere with patient care. 

She is excellent on her own and works as an essential part of this team, as demonstrated by “What You See Isn’t Always What You Get.” The writers creating a moment for her to command a room in a crisis is further evidence of her competence. 

Of course, having this episode feature some of Chicago Fire‘s finest is just icing on the cake. It has been far too long since there’s been a One Chicago crossover. This will have to do for now. 

This episode proves how well these teams can work together. There’s something so endearing about watching the Med and Fire teams collaborate to solve this problem.

This collaboration only heightens the drama of the episode. The only thing missing is the team from Chicago P.D. Hopefully, episodes like this one will lead the way for future crossovers within this TV universe. 

Unfortunately, not everything about the episode works. 

Too often, Chicago Med introduces patients in psychiatric distress and immediately presents an obscure physical explanation for their symptoms. Chicago Med Season 8 Episode 16, “What You See Isn’t Always What You Get,” is no different, which is unfortunate.

Neurofibromatosis Type 2 is, in fact, an actual condition. So are so many mental illnesses that would have explained this particular patient’s behavior. 

It’s a shame that the show shies away from confronting mental illness in the context of specific stories. This episode could have delved into the mental health of new fathers, which is still stigmatized too often in real life. 

The other major problem with this episode is that it set’s up Dean’s story in a way that feels rushed. His kidney issues haven’t been addressed in a meaningful way until this moment. 

While it seems more is to come in developing this story, this episode misses many opportunities to deliver emotional punches when needed.

This episode proves that the lack of time spent developing this story has had a detrimental impact on Dean’s character. It’s a challenge to care about something that has only been mentioned a few times. 

Elsewhere, Dr. Tanaka-Reid has finally faced a kind of reckoning — his story coming out of nowhere. While it’s certainly amusing to see anyone so full of themselves get taken down a peg, this quasi-redemption arc comes too soon for a character who no one knows a lot about. 

Tanaka-Reid could be such a fun villain or anti-hero and would make an effective illustration of how overconfidence is detrimental to new healthcare providers. Unfortunately, Chicago Med hasn’t adequately developed this up-and-coming doctor enough to really delve into what makes this character tick.

In the future, if the show wants us to care about characters like Dr. Tanaka-Reid it’s going to have to put in the leg work.

There’s a moment where it looks like Tanaka-Reid’s lesson will have to come at the expense of a patient. It has to be said that Chicago Med deserves credit for not killing off a patient just for the sake of creating a teachable moment. 

Embarrassing Tanaka-Reid is a much better way to teach him humility than having him kill a patient. There’s no way he’ll be able to maintain his superiority complex after this.

It remains to be seen where this character goes from here, and whether he’ll take his hard-learned lesson to heart. 

While there are several interesting stories introduced on this episode, it feels like Chicago Med is racing to the finish line of the season at break-neck speed. The show might benefit from slowing down and developing these characters, no matter how long they’ll be around.  

Stray Thoughts:

• If Nellie Cuevas is the next exit from Chicago Med, it will be a major disappointment.
• Relatedly, it feels wrong that Cuevas’ immigration status has been mentioned briefly and then never brought up again. 
• Shout-out to both Will and Cuevas for their seriously last-minute save. As a testament to how much this episode has packed into it, the solution doesn’t even come close to the highest drama. 
• Still love Liliana and Dr. Charles. Seriously, they are the It couple to cheer for.
• Crockett is the epitome of grace. That man has restraint for days. 

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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