If you're a Chicago Med fan who left last season believing that Natalie may have finally found a good match for herself in Philip, the Season 5 premiere likely changed your mind quite a bit. Philip has convinced Natalie (and pretty much everyone else) that they are engaged, when they, in fact, are not. Now, we might know why Natalie hasn't seen through Philip's deception yet.
When CinemaBlend visited One Chicago Day recently and had the chance to speak with actress Torrey DeVitto, along with other outlets, she shared how she understands why Natalie could take Philip's word as gospel, even though she might have some doubts.
I think people forget how much trauma she’s been through, as well, you know? She’s been in a helicopter crash, she got left at the alter and her bloody fiancé showed up and got taken away, [she has] her husband who passed…she has a lot of trauma, too. I think, sometimes, when somebody goes through that much they just want to cling to something that could potentially be stable. Even if in the back of their mind – you know, you want to just ignore things because you’re like, ‘Please, God, just make one thing go right.’ So, I kind of think that’s where she’s at. She’s obviously attracted to him, so that doesn’t hurt, and he’s a single dad so they have a lot in common and a lot [they] understand about each other.
After Will brought a seriously injured Natalie into the ED following them being struck by another vehicle while sitting in his car, Philip (who was planning to propose prior to the accident) just decided to go ahead and slip his rock on Natalie's finger and tell everyone they were engaged even though he hadn't actually asked Natalie to marry him yet and she, of course, had no chance to say yay or nay. He was obviously worried about Will and Natalie growing closer over their shared experience, but, you know...this is just shitty, selfish, borderline psychopathic behavior.
And, because Natalie woke up with a broken memory due to the effects of the traumatic brain injury that she suffered in the crash, she has no recollection of a proposal, but has stuck with Philip's assertion that they are officially engaged. Never mind that his wife just died, they've only been dating a few weeks and, at this time last year, she was getting ready to marry Will. Oh, well.
I really do like the idea, though, that Natalie is simply praying for a trauma break in her life with her romance with Philip, in the hope that she can finally hang on to some stability. Let's not forget, though, that Dr. Marcel seems to be on to Philip's deception, and the character has been promised to disrupt some relationships this year, so he might, eventually, play a part in this house of lying engagement cards falling down around Philip's ankles.
We all like Natalie and want her to have some peace and happiness, so I asked Torrey DeVitto what fans can expect from this story going forward, and just how long we have to watch Philip lie to her. Here's what DeVitto said:
You know, I like it and I really hope everyone likes the way it unfolds. It’s actually a really good storyline with a lot of ups and downs. Natalie is a smart lady, so hopefully she will [figure it out]. Good things to look forward to, [but] it’ll go on for a little bit.
UGH. Alright, fine. No fan ever sticks with a show that lacks "ups and downs," so I guess this is actually kind of a good thing for DeVitto and Natalie. While we can't promise this story will end as shockingly as Connor and Ava's did, it will certainly keep them dealing with some solid drama for a while. But, as to whether or not fans should have noticed some signs that Philip was maybe not as good as he seemed originally, DeVitto had this to say:
He was so nice, but also he did jump in right after his wife died. So, I think the telltale signs were there.
There you have it, folks. Torrey DeVitto (and concerned mothers everywhere) would like to remind you not to trust a man who proposes shortly after becoming a widower. We can all watch what happens with Natalie and Philip (and Will) as Chicago Med continues on NBC, Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EST.
