Chicago Med Season 11 Episode 4 Review: Found Family

As per usual, Chicago Med takes on the challenge of tackling hard, important topics that must be discussed. Chicago Med Season 11 Episode 4, “Found Family,” focuses on domestic violence, mental illness, and parenting, allowing several of the characters to shine.

Frost’s storyline goes deeper into his past without necessarily revealing too much, Charles’s mind is changed about technological advancements, and Lenox proves why she has become a fan-favorite character. All while the medical cases are still at the center of the action.

Eleven seasons in, Chicago Med still finds a way to give its characters growth while allowing fans to enjoy the balance between their personal and professional lives.

Frost and the Meth Myth

While we know from the beginning that Kacy’s theory that Frost is doing meth is wrong, it is quite entertaining to see how everyone can come up with their own theories when a coworker starts acting weird. That is the beauty of everyone at the hospital essentially being part of a big found family.

However, the true answer to what’s happening behind the scenes with Frost is right there for everyone to see. He sleeps in the on-call room, cancels poker night at his place, and looks sad when Cora tells him he can hang her drawing in his house. Frost has definitely lost his apartment.

Everything in Frost’s history tells us that he lost his apartment because of his parents. Even though we can’t confirm it until he directly tells Ripley about it, it becomes more obvious with his comments to Cora about his parents not being the best.

Despite the sadness he carries with him from his childhood and teenage years, there is a softness to Frost that never goes unnoticed. He is able to connect with his young patients on a level we rarely get to see on the show. Frost treats them as people instead of stepping on eggshells around them, which allows him to build a strong bond.

On this episode, creating that strong bond allows not only Cora to navigate the news of her biological mother better, but also gives Frost the room to open up about his own issues with his parents. At this point in his storyline, it would be very interesting to see his parents appear on-screen so we can dive deeper into that dynamic.

Charles vs the Machines

Manish Dayal, guest-starring as Theo Rabari on “Found Family,” is one of the most perfect guest-star roles we have seen on Chicago Med. Maybe it is because he carries the energy from his time on The Resident, but whatever the case may be, we hope there’s more of Theo.

Anyone who loves the show knows that Charles stands out as a mental health professional because he always advocates for the human side of medicine. He is a strong believer in proper bedside manner, connecting with his patients in order to get them the treatment they need. To him, every case is different and needs to be treated as such.

Therefore, it’s no surprise to anyone that he is reluctant to add a machine to his diagnostic process. To him, that would signify losing the human contact and compassion that makes his work so different from the rest. However, the great thing about Charles is that he is always willing to learn from his mistakes and adjust.

When Archer mentions how great it would be for their patient to see what is wrong with him in his mind, like they would be able to show him a physical injury, Charles doesn’t hesitate to collaborate with Theo. This results in one of the best interactions we have seen between Charles and a patient.

The show tackles the topic of OCD, explaining what intrusive thoughts are and what OCD truly is versus what people think it is. In doing so, the episode also explores the importance of understanding mental health. It is true that many believe that if mental illnesses were shown the way physical injuries are, more people would understand mental health, and it would stop being such a taboo topic.

Once again, the show proves why it’s important to have a mental health professional amongst its main cast.

The Evolution of Lenox

Several of us must admit we were wrong in disliking Lenox when she first joined the show. With each passing episode, she proved to us why her character was built the way it was, and why she is actually one of the best characters the show has ever had.

Ever since the truth about her diagnosis came out, her more human side started showing, getting involved with patients in a way she wouldn’t have in the past. It seems more common now for her to get involved with the patients beyond the medical cases.

On “Found Family,” she goes as far as she can to show she cares about her patient and wants to support her in all the right ways as she survives domestic abuse. Even though her patient isn’t ready to leave her partner, Lenox gives her all the resources possible for when she is ready.

Eventually, the patient’s husband catches on to what is happening and indirectly threatens Lenox toward the end of the episode. It would be extremely interesting to see this storyline continue with the season. With the look the husband gives Lenox, it is obvious he isn’t done with her yet.

It is still beautiful to see Lenox opening up to Archer. These enemies-turned-friends have one of the best relationships we have seen on the show, allowing both of them to open up about their issues because there is an undeniable connection.

---

What did you think of this episode of Chicago Med? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to leave your own rating!

Critic Rating:

Audience Rating:

 

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

Check out our latest TV recommendations, updated weekly!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!