Chicago Med Season 9 Episode 5 Review: I Make a Promise, I Will Never Leave You

Chicago Med Season 9 Episode 5, “I Make a Promise, I Will Never Leave You,” discusses four topics that are quite important, and it helps that shows like this one put them in the spotlight.

We get to see Goodwin and Charles care for Bert, Ripley working a case that hits close to home, Asher helping a woman fighting the terrible laws on reproductive health, and Zola once again fighting against hospital policy.

The episode reminds us that aside from delivering great storylines, Chicago Med focuses on giving voice to the different struggles within the healthcare system. And it always does it by adding personal touches to every case.

Friends and Family or Ambush?

On Chicago Med Season 9 Episode 4, “These Are Not the Droids You Are Looking For,” Goodwin’s daughter suspected there was something going on with her father. Her suspicions are proven right this week as Charles runs some discreet tests on Bert.

While it is understandable that Goodwin turns to Charles for help, we can also understand why Bert’s first reaction is that of hurt. He feels ambushed by the fact that his ex-wife set Charles on a mission to find out what is going on with him.

It makes us wonder where the line between friendship and professionalism is drawn. She asks Charles because she trusts him, and he is friends with Bert, too. But doesn’t that cross a line?

By doing so, she is breaking Bert’s trust and also pushing Charles to break the trust built between friends. Even though Bert is mad at first, it luckily works out, and he promises to go in for more testing.

Chicago Med Season 9 seems to be diving deeper than ever into Goodwin’s life, and we are here for it. It is great to see the life behind such a powerful woman.

And now that we know Bert will come back for another checkup, we can assume there will be more of her life uncovered.

Saving her Life or her Uterus

Grey’s Anatomy did it first with Addison Montgomery’s storyline last year, and we’re happy to see Chicago Med follow in its footsteps by discussing reproductive health and the repercussions certain laws have.

A septic patient comes in after a miscarriage at 15 weeks because she was treated incorrectly at the hospital in her town. Even though she should have been treated for a dilation and evacuation, the woman was afraid she would have been arrested due to the procedure being considered an abortion.

This case shines a light on women’s rights and acknowledges how difficult the recent laws have made it for providers and patients to make certain decisions. While the doctors were telling her it wasn’t life-threatening, she was afraid she’d end up in trouble for seeking help.

Luckily, she ends up at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center, where she is legally able to receive the treatment she needs and deserves. The entire case is a dilemma between saving her life or saving her uterus.

However, Asher is able to save both. What should have been a reason to celebrate only scares the woman who wonders what could happen if she suffers another miscarriage.

It helps to see that her husband tells her she gets to decide what to do with her body, but he is willing to move to Chicago if that would help her be less afraid of what could happen.

Ripley’s Memories

Ever since Ripley was first introduced on Chicago Med, we have known about his past and his anger towards over-medication or wrong treatments. On Chicago Med Season 9 Episode 5, “I Make a Promise, I Will Never Leave You,” Jimmy’s case hits close to home.

When Ripley turns to Charles for help, it is comforting to see that Charles treats the patient’s words as reality. Instead of pushing him away or immediately giving him a diagnosis, he asks Ripley and the nurse to follow through with what the patient is asking to see what they find.

While Charles’s approach proves to be the correct one as they find the patient’s address, Ripley finds out what had happened to Jimmy. The discovery of a lobotomy is terrible, and we realize it affects Ripley directly.

As he speaks to Charles about the lobotomy, it is revealed that in the past, they used that method to treat difficult patients and children who had discipline issues. That is exactly what Ripley was being treated for when Charles was his doctor.

Clearly, seeing what happened to Jimmy has an effect on Ripley, and we see him promise to visit in his new home as he adjusts to life without his sister, his caregiver.

But it is also nice to see Charles apologize to Ripley for making him feel abandoned like everyone else in his family. Hopefully, this is the step in the right direction for the two doctors to mend their relationship.

As for Ripley, he is turning out to be a great doctor…so far.

Zola vs Medication Manufacturers

Last but not least, Chicago Med shines a light on medications being used and manufacturers not being completely honest about the side effects.

Of course, it is Zola who discovers this. As she is working with Marcel on a case, she discovers that a medication affects one in 200 patients, which the manufacturer lied about.

However, when she tells Marcel the medication must be pulled at the hospital, he first goes to the board. As expected, the board won’t do anything about it.

Once more, we see Zola upset and frustrated by the injustices of the healthcare system. She walks away from Marcel, but the season has taught us she won’t go down quietly.

As interesting as it is to see Zola fighting the good fight, we wonder if her character will ever be something more than a “troublemaker.”

Chicago Med Season 9 has been one of the strongest seasons the series has had, and it has just begun. Every episode delivers well-thought-out cases that keep the audience engaged.

But one of the great things this season is doing is giving us a closer look at the doctors and their lives outside the cases. We get to understand a bit better how they are as humans beyond their jobs.

Hopefully, the season will continue to be just as strong.

Stray Observations

• There is definitely something brewing between Maggie and Johnson. Every time there was a mention of “good guys in the world” or moving on from her divorce, the camera showed Johnson. Hopefully, the storyline will be done right, and it won’t seem too rushed after Maggie’s marriage.
• Archer’s case, treating a patient his son is counseling, helps him understand Sean better. He sees how far his son has come, how hard he is working at his new job, and how dedicated he is to the people he counsels. Hopefully, this guy’s death won’t set him back in his recovery or ruin his relationship with his father.
• Seems like the show is working towards creating a relationship between Ripley and Asher who always find each other at the end of a rough day.

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Chicago Med airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on NBC.

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