Warning: spoilers ahead for Episode 9 of Chicago Med Season 9, called "Spin a Yarn, Get Stuck in Your Own String."
Chicago Med is officially in the second half of Season 9 in the 2024 TV schedule, and "Spin a Yarn, Get Stuck in Your Own String" proved that the twist of Liliana's brother Pawel suing Dr. Ripley wasn't going to be a one-and-done storyline, and Dr. Charles is now mixed up in it. Charles already disliked Pawel before his girlfriend's brother brought a bogus lawsuit against his colleague, and that dislike led to a decision that definitely could have ruined his relationship. It may have been a bad decision for Dr. Charles' love life, but it was an example of Oliver Platt's acting ability, and reminded me of what actor Luke Mitchell told CinemaBlend about working with him.
Let's start with the high praise for Platt!
Praise For Oliver Platt
Oliver Platt already had a long and successful career before he debuted as Dr. Charles in the Chicago Med backdoor pilot that aired as an episode of Chicago Fire back in 2015. Now, nearly a decade later, the characters has hit some serious highs and lows, and Platt has shown no sign that he's going the way of Brian Tee and Nick Gehlfuss by leaving. His major storylines in Season 9 have involved his history with Ripley and relationship with Liliana.
When I spoke with Luke Mitchell in March about Ripley's chemistry with Hannah, I also asked what it has been like to build the Ripley/Charles relationship with the "wonderful Oliver Platt" in Season 9, and he shared:
I mean, I think the word 'wonderful' sums it up. He's just a consummate professional. He loves what he does. For someone of his caliber to still be not only on a show for nine seasons, but invested day after day in trying to make each and every scene the best it can possibly be. It truly is a gift for me to be able to get to work with him. I'm just counting my blessings. He's awesome. He's a cool dude. He's a great actor.
Luke Mitchell, who also told the story behind preparing to play a doctor on short notice, has shared a lot of his Season 9 scenes with Oliver Platt due to Charles and Ripley's history going back to Ripley's childhood. The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. alum went on to praise the backstory that he's been able to play with Platt:
The backstory that our characters have is fantastic. I certainly came in with a bang, and probably shocked a few fans, kind of getting in the face of a very beloved character, but I think as the season is progressing, you see this push and pull dynamic between these characters, and I'm just really enjoying it. It's nice to see them kind of figure each other out, figure out this adult relationship, figure out this professional relationship for two people that have had the past that they've had. And I'm really curious to see how that plays out.
Well, based on the events of Episode 9, the way that this relationship plays out is that Charles has Ripley's back when it comes to Pawel's bogus lawsuit, to the extent that the psychiatrist could be in for a lot of conflict at home.
Did Dr. Charles Ruin A Relationship?
Per the advice of the Med lawyer about juries being unpredictable, Ripley was ready to settle with Pawel for an undisclosed sum. Ripley clearly didn't feel good about giving the man what he wanted with the lawsuit, but was ready to take Peter's advice rather than risk a jury. A chat with Dr. Charles changed his mind... and may be the beginning of the end of Charles' relationship with live-in girlfriend Liliana, which has already been on the rocks recently.
In a conversation after Ripley had just about made up his mind about settling, Charles said:
A grifter like Pawel? I mean, it shouldn't be that hard to poke holes in this guy's credibility, I'm telling you. I mean, for instance, he's got a major gambling problem. There's your motive right there.... Last year, Lili lost the down payment to a house paying off his gambling debts. I mean, the guy's a fricking menace, and he's gonna continue to be a menace until he gets a message that you can't use other people as pawns.
Ripley responded that he thinks it might be time that Pawel got that message, and Dr. Charles looked more impressed than anything else. I fully believe that his speech about Pawel's gambling was motivated by Ripley's lawsuit, but it really seemed to me that Charles just needed to vent his frustrations.
I'm all for some healthy venting, but if Ripley takes the case to court, Pawel's gambling comes up, and Liliana finds out where Ripley got the info about her brother... well, I can imagine that would be the breaking point in her relationship with Dr. Charles. Pawel has already been a sticky issue between them, and that's without as much at risk as there is with this lawsuit.
And while it's not exactly a happy storyline for any of the characters, I'm already enjoying Oliver Platt and Luke Mitchell teaming up in a new way. I'm just hoping there's enough time left in Season 9 to explore the plot. See new episodes of Chicago Med on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET, ahead of Chicago Fire at 9 p.m. ET and Chicago P.D. at 10 p.m. ET, all on NBC. You can also revisit older episodes of One Chicago streaming via Peacock Premium subscription.
