Chicago Med Season 10 Episode 7 Review: Family Matters
Chicago Med Season 10 Episode 7, “Family Matters,” sets up the episode’s ending and the resolution to the Archer/Lenox conflict from the very beginning.
We rarely see the doctors outside the hospital, and even rarer that we see them play a game to see who will buy everyone a round. Moments like those allow us to dive deeper into who these characters are and why we like some and dislike others.
However, this particular storyline is set up to show us what the new rules of the ED are and who the new king or queen will be.
Archer No More
From the moment Lenox was introduced on Chicago Med Season 10 Episode 1, “Sink or Swim,” we knew the dynamic with Archer would be complicated. Knowing Archer’s past, being co-chief would be a kill-or-die situation.
This episode proves absolutely that. Their disagreements continue to grow after a patient’s death, and Archer tries to use Lenox’s own review method against her. However, this backfires.
Even though Asher warns him about being too emotional about the situation and letting the worst side of him win, Archer ignores her. Ultimately, it is this attitude that pushes him to lose his job.
When Goodwin says she felt pressured by Archer to make a decision, we know the odds are now against him. But Howard’s words are the final nail in his coffin.
In the past, Archer and Howard had butted heads. He had been too violent in his approach instead of teaching her how to do things right. On the other hand, Lenox is condescending and a bit too harsh but gives Howard room to grow.
Lenox’s desire to make this a better hospital and the doctors better at what they do inevitably encourages Goodwin to make her the boss.
The moment we see Archer walk into Molly’s, ordering a free round for everyone and holding the pin that had gone around the ED all day, we can tell he has just been demoted. We don’t need to have seen the conversation with Goodwin; we just know.
Archer, as chief, would have never shown up and bought everyone a round. However, now he is just another co-worker and must fall back into the relationships he had before becoming chief.
From now on, it will be interesting to see how he works under Lenox’s careful eye. Given their history, we could expect her to keep a close eye on him and turn against him at the smallest mistake.
The big question is if Archer can handle being bossed around by her. Truthfully, as viewers, we doubt this is possible, and he might choose the easy way out: resigning.
Asher’s Case Hits Close to Home
Even though, at times, we have seen Asher work on cases other than OB patients, it is rare for her to spend an entire episode working on a case that doesn’t involve a pregnant woman.
It is weird to see her talking about other medical issues, but this kind of work allows us to continue to get to know her. Most of us believe we know everything there is to know about Asher, but she continues to surprise us.
By working on a case that hits so close to home, we learn that after her recovery, her sister refused to let her back into her life. We aren’t the only ones who get to know her better. Having a conversation about tough parents and what family members do in situations like the patient’s, Ripley learns more about her, too.
It seems the two of them are getting close, and their relationship is going in the right direction, so these conversations add to that fire. Could it be possible for this to finally work out in Asher’s favor?
The beginning of Chicago Med Season 10 Episode 7, “Family Matters,” combined with what happened on Chicago Med Season 10 Episode 6, “Forget Me Not,” makes us believe Goodwin’s stalker case is closed. However, the resolution is extremely disappointing.
Watching the promo that airs right after the episode, we are glad the case isn’t over. Goodwin’s true stalker is finally going to be caught.
Is it someone we know? Is it someone we trust? Hopefully, it will all be revealed soon.
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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.