Warning: spoilers ahead for Episode 14 of Chicago Med Season 8, called “On Days Like Today…Silver Linings Become Lifelines.”
Chicago Med has been rough for the doctors and nurses in Season 8 as they went from dealing with supply shortages to adapting to Jack Dayton’s focus on data over personal experience with treating patients. Hannah Asher had an extra source of stress in Episode 14 when she delivered the baby of a friend and fellow former addict, only to see Liza get her hands on some drugs and use right in her hospital room bathroom. The storyline led to Hannah having to make some decisions, and a surprise confrontation with none other than Dean Archer. According to actress Jessy Schram, that confrontation doesn’t mean the end of their bond.
Jessy Schram opened up about Hannah's recent "battle" in Chicago Med.
But first, let’s get into what went wrong for the two characters! Hannah was determined to find a way to help Liza without separating her from her baby and without bringing DCFS in. Archer, who was with Hannah when she found Liza collapsed on the bathroom floor, wanted to consult DCFS right away, but compromised to give the OB/GYN until the end of the day to find another way. Shortly after, Hannah learned that somebody had alerted DCFS anyway, and stormed down to the ED to confront Archer… and it didn’t go well.
She yelled at him that he had no right to do what he did, while resident Zach Hudgins was in the room. He told Hudgins to leave and then immediately told her that “you do not dress me down EVER, and definitely not in front of a resident.” Hannah was unphased and accused him of calling DCFS on Liza. He had to deny it a couple of times before she believed him, and it did turn out that Liza herself was the one who called.
Archer made it clear that their increased friendship in Season 8 didn’t take away from the fact that he’s her boss and she can’t just yell at him. When Jessy Schram, who plays Hannah, spoke with CinemaBlend ahead of Episode 14, she had some reassuring words that the Archer/Hannah relationship will continue. When I noted to the actress that I’ve been loving their dynamic but didn’t see it coming back in Season 7, she responded:
Neither did we, by the way! [laughs] It's definitely still unfolding, and I think that they've got such an interesting dynamic and relationship and friendship that's coming out, and it keeps growing. In every script that we get, it keeps going in different directions and I feel like it's really blooming. They've planted a lot of seeds and now we're seeing how it's coming about. And it only continues.
Back in Season 7, Archer didn’t mince words about not wanting Hannah back at Med due to her drug problems, which had resulted in an overdose at the beginning of Season 6 that brought her to the hospital as a patient. She has since proved that her recovery is going well, and revealed in the February 22 episode that it was focusing on recovering for herself rather than anybody else that finally worked.
Hannah and Archer have become unlikely friends, to the point that he was on the verge of leaving the ED and driving out into a snowstorm to rescue her. Luckily, that hasn’t all been ruined by their brief but intense confrontation! The actress also opened up about what it has been like to work with co-star Steven Weber on their characters’ unexpected Season 8 dynamic:
I love it. I absolutely adore working with him and we've had a few conversations. There was such a strong response from the audience about the two of them becoming friends after butting heads so much and the dynamic between them. It felt like people were very confused by it but excited by it at the same time, and so we've definitely had conversations together about how we feel about our characters or who they are to each other, and it's been really fun unfolding that with him.
There are still questions about what the future holds for Hannah and Archer as friends and co-workers in the ED, but all signs point toward Chicago Med continuing to explore their dynamic. Co-showrunner Andrew Schneider shared earlier this season that the show wanted to open Archer up to “see new sides of him” and “discover more about his life and his past.” According to Schneider, she was a “perfect way to do it” as she was in recovery, and his son Sean has had drug issues.
Hannah and Sean even met earlier in Season 8, when he turned out to be the Archer who rode to her rescue in the snowstorm when his dad couldn’t. Will there be more with Hannah and Sean as well as Dean? Only time will tell on that front, so be sure to keep tuning in to NBC on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET for new episodes of Chicago Med.
The medical drama has not yet been renewed for Season 9, but like – Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D. (which just hit the 200-episode milestone with an Easter egg for fans) – is going strong. While the renewal is likely, fans can keep watching new episodes on Wednesdays and revisiting past seasons streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription.
