Chicago Med has piled even more stress than usual onto the doctors and nurses with all of Jack Dayton’s changes, and the next new episode on February 22 will shine a spotlight on Hannah Asher. Not long after she took a stand for new mothers who were being denied the follow-up care they needed, she’s facing a situation that involves what actress Jessy Schram describes as a “battle with herself.” She spoke with CinemaBlend to preview what’s on the way and how Hannah could handle it.
The next new episode of Chicago Med is called “On Days Like Today… Silver Linings Become Lifelines,” and will feature Hannah working to keep a new mother and her baby together. The promo indicates that drugs will play a part in the storyline, and nobody on Chicago Med can relate better to a person working towards recovery than Hannah. That doesn’t mean Hannah is in for an easy episode, however. Jessy Schram opened up about the “battle” she’s facing:
This week, she's facing herself in some ways. A battle with herself. Somebody from her past is coming back to the hospital for the episode and she sees herself in this person a lot. Therefore, it puts her at odds with Archer in terms of treatment and how to go about things, and it puts her really close to the case in a way that other scenarios don't. So she's battling with herself and having that attachment to someone and a story that she sees where she could have been at one time.
Chicago Med has spent Season 8 building a bond and friendship between Hannah and Archer, in stark contrast to how openly antagonistic he was when Goodwin proposed bringing her back to the ED in Season 7. Based on what Jessy Schram had to say, Hannah’s battle with herself and reunion with somebody from her past won’t happen with 100% of Archer’s support. While this won’t be the first time they’re at odds, the return of somebody from her past sounds like a complication!
Hannah also tends to want to see the best in people since her return, which stands out particularly in contrast to Jack Dayton’s data-based approach to running the hospital as opposed to the human element. Jessy Schram shared her thoughts on Hannah’s judgment at this point in Chicago Med, when the character has already gone through so much:
She's definitely somebody that is in recovery and approaches things with as much honesty as possible… I think that she's a good judge of character. Because she has a soft spot sometimes for different scenarios, it can sideswipe her sometimes and get her in a little bit of trouble. But for the most part, I think it's for the better that she has more empathy and leads from that place of the heart. She doesn't judge people and it allows her to see them in different ways.
Hannah knows better than most how much being judged can hurt a person, especially since she returned in Season 7 to the very same ED where she was treated for overdosing in the Season 6 premiere. She managed to overcome Archer’s judgment of her, which is an accomplishment that few could have seen coming! When I noted to Jessy Schram that Hannah’s empathy and lack of judgment is particularly important in light of her specialty as an OB/GYN, the actress responded:
Especially lately! I've been seeing so many things on TikTok or different videos where all these women are coming on and being like, 'Doctors, listen! Listen to us when we tell you something's up with our body.' I'm always thinking, 'Hannah Asher would listen to you! She wouldn't dismiss you!'
Dr. Hannah Asher may not be an option for patients in real life, but she may be the advocate that a lot of women need in the Chicago Med corner of the One Chicago universe. She’s also not one to give up on those who need help, as shown in the promo for the February 22 episode. Take a look:
The footage gives a peek at what will set Hannah and Archer at odds, as well as how her current sobriety motivates her to hope for the best for others still struggling with recovery. See the full story with the next new episode of Chicago Med on Wednesday, February 22 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC, ahead of Chicago Fire (which will soon feature less of Severide) at 9 p.m. and Chicago P.D. (on the verge of hitting the 200-episode milestone) at 10 p.m.
You can also revisit the earlier days of Jessy Schram as Hannah Asher with Chicago Med streaming via a Peacock Premium subscription. Hannah’s closest bond prior to Season 8 was with Will, and they got a more or less clean slate after her return, but fans may want to expect more of Schram’s dynamic with Steven Weber than Nick Gehlfuss as 2023 continues!
