Chicago Med Season 11 Episode 8 Review: Triple Threat

Chicago Med Season 11 Episode 8, “Triple Threat,” does something wonderful as it comes back from hiatus and deals with the aftermath of the power outage. Instead of letting viewers figure out what happened based on what the characters are saying, we get a special look into the most important moments of the outage through flashbacks.

The episode becomes a perfect combination of the present and the past, allowing us to fully grasp what happened and how the power outage affected each character both individually and as a whole.

Whether it’s dealing with a murder, a panic attack, or nightmares, viewers get a wide range of emotions through every specific event. The beauty of a show like Chicago Med is that the writers aren’t afraid to go beyond the medical cases and give us enough of the doctors and nurses for us to continue falling in love with this show. And that is exactly what this Winter premiere does.

While Kingston lying for Archer is a big deal, it will probably mean more further down the line when the show decides to explore what could happen between these characters after she shot her shot during the surgery. However, the most important interaction during the blackout is that between Asher and Archer.

Tensions have been running high between these two since Hannah started pushing Dean away. Nevertheless, he continues to be the one who knows her best. Archer knows exactly how to read through Hannah’s lies, knows when she is struggling, and reaches out to her even when she wants to be left alone.

Probably one of the most beautiful moments between these characters that we have seen throughout this new co-parenting journey happens when Archer asks Asher to tell him what she wants because he will comply with all of her wishes. Despite what might happen between them romantically, it is clear that their friendship is one of the most important relationships for them (and for the show), which becomes even more obvious when Archer expresses how badly he wants her friend back.

The power coming back on the moment Hannah finally tells him the truth about her nightmares is a beautiful touch, as Archer points out. It’s the sign she needed to understand that no matter what is going on inside her head, she can always talk to Archer because he really does care about her.

While finding out they are having a girl might not help soothe Asher’s anxiety completely, she is now free to rely on Archer and share the anxiety with someone else. What Hannah needs to remind herself of above everything is that she is not alone. Whether Chicago Med takes them down the romantic road or not, these two characters are bonded for life, not only because they are having a baby together, but because they have a deeper understanding of who they truly are.

I will be the first to admit I was wrong about Lenox when she first joined Chicago Med. Her character has grown tremendously since the beginning, but looking back now, there was a reason she acted the way she did. The truth is that now Lenox has nothing to lose, so she’s not holding back as she used to.

The Lenox we met when she first joined the hospital would have never lied to the police. She would have never gone into the home of an abuser alone. Even though she would have tried to protect the victim, she would have done it by the book. Lenox now simply doesn’t care about the consequences, the rules, or the book.

This new version that we get to see is more relatable, which has pushed Lenox to the top of the list when it comes to our favorite Chicago Med characters.

Watching her in the interrogation room, sharing her version of events, combined with flashbacks of what truly happened, is absolutely perfect. It gives a well-rounded explanation of why and how Lenox and Ripley arrive at the story they are now telling. It also bonds Lenox and Ripley in a way they had never bonded before.

It is because she knows she has nothing to lose that Lenox chooses to protect the wife and lie to the police. But it is for this very same reason that we can see her going above and beyond for her patients. Ironically, she continues to save lives and prolong lives even when she feels like hers has already ended.

It will be interesting to see how the dynamics between Lenox and Ripley continue from this point on.

Chicago Med Season 11 has spent a significant part of Charles’s storyline exploring the possibility of his retirement. While it seemed he wasn’t leaning that way when he met his friends, everything changes after the power outage.

While the power is out, Charles steps out of his comfort zone and what is expected of him, and goes off on a colleague. The calm, cool, and collected doctor yells and attacks another doctor because they disagree. As viewers, we understand why this is and side with Charles, but for him, it is a catalyst to question whether he can still do his job.

To us, Charles is more than capable of doing his job. He stands by what’s right and fights hard for his patients. Charles is the reason mental health is taken so seriously within Gaffney Chicago Medical Center. But after having such an outrageous reaction to his colleague, he suffers a panic attack.

This panic attack and his nosebleed are the physical signs his body is giving him of the stress he is under. He must decide whether he can overcome this and continue doing his job, or if it’s time for him to move on.

It would be terribly sad if the show went with the latter and we lost him.

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

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