Chicago Med Season 10 Episode 15 Review: Down in a Hole

Chicago Med Season 10 Episode 15, “Down in a Hole,” is probably the most boring episode of the season. However, it is a good episode for Ripley’s storyline and to bring closure to the death of Sully.

After crashing into an abandoned car, Ripley finds a mother and daughter who have fallen down an abandoned well. Lucky for them, it is Ripley who finds them and saves their lives. Unlucky for him, it means his own life ends up in danger.

By the time the firefighters led by Mouch can get him out, Ripley is met with an “I love you” from Asher.

Ripley being at the scene sets the mood of the rescue operation. While the CFD sees the mother and daughter as victims, Ripley sees them as patients. That is what motivates him to go above and beyond for them.

In the end, it is that point of view that saves their lives. He prioritizes the procedure to make sure Sadie stays alive for her daughter.

Of course, at first, he comes off as arrogant, and Mouch has to vouch for him in front of the captain. It makes perfect sense that out of all the firefighters in the One Chicago universe, Mouch is also at the scene.

Mouch has first-hand experience with Ripley’s arrogance, but he also knows that attitude pays off and delivers the best patient outcome possible. While he may be coming off as a rebel, he is actually a smart and thoughtful doctor.

After Ripley is trapped in the tunnel, two moments are significant to his character arc.

The first is when Charles shows up and talks to him through the radio. Charles is the character who introduced Ripley to the audience. Through his experience with the young doctor, we got to know him, learn about his past, and understand why he’s struggled so much.

With Charles talking to Ripley as he is trapped, we see Ripley come full circle. Charles highlights everything Ripley has managed to do since he was a teenager and how his presence makes everyone’s life better. It is the closure Ripley needs to see he has actually evolved and matured.

The second is Ripley hallucinating with Sully. One can believe it’s Sully’s ghost or Ripley hallucinating because he is closer to death than they want him to be.

The conversation with ghost/hallucination Sully is the last piece of the closure puzzle that Ripley needs. He’s been blaming himself for abandoning Sully when they were teenagers and for not avoiding his death, but now he is told the truth. Sully has always been proud of who Ripley ended up becoming.

Maybe these two moments will help Ripley as he recovers, and he will realize his own worth.

With everything Archer told Asher on Chicago Med Season 10 Episode 14, “Acid Test,” and the friendship they’ve had for several years, it’s understandable that he is the one to tell her about Ripley. If you’re one of the viewers who believe this might bring them closer, you are probably wrong.

Asher arrives at the tunnel as they pull Ripley out and tells him she loves him. This makes sense and erases the little hope of Asher and Archer ever getting together (at least for now).

However, as romantic as that gesture might have been, it doesn’t erase the fact that Asher and Ripley’s relationship has been very toxic. His behavior pushes her to second-guess her sobriety, scared that she might fall down the wrong path again.

That is not the kind of relationship she deserves. Yes, Ripley almost dies, so it makes sense she is afraid and rushes to tell him how she feels. But does this mean their relationship is back on?

Despite the closure he is getting from this episode, Ripley still has a lot of work to do.

Chicago Med Season 10 Episode 15, “Down in a Hole,” focuses heavily on Ripley but simultaneously sets up the mood for what’s to come between Frost and his former colleague. It is clear from the beginning that something happened between them.

Even though he tells Maggie that this woman who played his mom was the only one in his corner when he was a teenager, his reaction to her being around says something different. He throws up and is shaken up.

Whatever happened with them will hopefully be revealed on the next episode.

Stray Thoughts

• Asher receiving a visit from her sister to tell her the news about her pregnancy is a breath of fresh air. It is good that Asher has the support system she wanted to get back for so long. Hopefully, her sister’s pregnancy will only bring them closer together.
• Having NBC News Chicago cover the mother and daughter rescue is a nice nod to the network.

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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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