Chicago Med Season 11 Episode 3 Review: Horseshoes and Hand Grenades

Chicago Med Season 11 Episode 3, “Horseshoes and Hand Grenades,” marks the 200th episode of the show and finds a long-standing fan-favorite ship at the center of the action. Of course, it is done in a manner that brings drama and happiness to both the viewers and the characters.

Considering Will and Natalie’s history has never been an easy ride, it makes sense that the episode faces them with one of the biggest challenges of their relationship. But once again, they prove their love can stand tall against anything.

Just like them, viewers are on the edge of their seats, praying Owen will pull through and both Natalie and the baby will make it out of surgery safe and sound. It wouldn’t be a Chicago Med episode if it weren’t so nerve-wracking.

If we look back at Manstead history, chaos, miscommunication, and eventual happiness surround them. This episode is no different from that, as it finds Natalie quietly blaming Will for what happened to Owen.

Instead of telling him how she feels, Natalie silently carries the anger, ignores his comments, and eventually explodes by telling him he would rather keep the baby alive than save Owen. Of course, this couldn’t be further away from the truth, but it is how she can confront the situation and handle what is happening to her son.

The craziness of the case, the nerves of possibly losing Owen, and undergoing surgery while pregnant lead to the happiest resolution: Natalie, the baby, and Owen are okay. But above all, Will gets to adopt Owen as his own.

Hand-in-hand with their history, it makes sense that it is Goodwin who opens Will’s eyes to what is going on with Owen. By giving the little boy the notebook, she opened a world of possibilities that made Will and Owen connect in a way that they hadn’t before.

Manstead gets its happy ending while watching both their kids be healthy.

Beyond the Manstead storyline, it feels like the 200th episode is preparing viewers for a Frost-centered episode.

It is known that Frost didn’t have an easy childhood. Every time a difficult case involving parents comes into the ED, Frost has a bodily reaction that makes it clear he is struggling internally. The same happens on “Horseshoes and Hand Grenades.”

Frost’s reaction when the patient’s partner mentions abusive parents and a terrible childhood tells us he can relate to that. But things become even more obvious when the patient’s parents ask to have his sperm retrieved even though he has already been declared clinically dead.

Nobody can say that Frost’s reaction is over the top. On the contrary, viewers agree with him. Hearing the parents demand their son’s sperm is a crazy notion. How can someone violate their clinically dead son’s consent?

We are all in agreement with Frost, but we understand why Goodwin and Lenox tell him to stick to the rules. However, once again, Lenox surprises everyone by having the appropriate reaction and telling their parents off.

While Frost is surprised by her actions, viewers know that Lenox has reached a point in her life where behaving properly no longer matters. She isn’t afraid to act and say as she pleases, leading to a much better development of a character we once used to dislike.

Chicago Med couldn’t end its 200th celebration without a comically-charged comment from Doris. Throughout eleven seasons, Doris has been the character who brings comic relief to dramatic episodes.

This time around, she points to a room filled with Asher’s exes and comments on the irony of it. She knows everything that goes on in that hospital and knows exactly when to comment about it.

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

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