Spoilers ahead for the March 4 episode of Chicago Med on NBC, called "Who Should Be The Judge."
The doctors of the former good ship Manstead haven't been making the best decisions throughout Chicago Med Season 5, and "Who Should Be The Judge" delivered some interesting developments for both Natalie and Will. Unfortunately, they weren't the kind of developments that come from characters who make decisions that pay off in good ways. Were they as bad as falling for Philip before the TBI or diving into an illegal injection site? And whose decision was actually worse?
Let's dive into what Natalie and Will did in "Who Should Be The Judge" and why their decisions could backfire.
Natalie Manning
Natalie was in a lot of trouble in "Who Should Be The Judge," but most of it wasn't through any fault of her own, unless we count Natalie not sprinting from her car to the garage in the morning as a fault. She and Crockett were kidnapped by an escaped convict and his brother, and forced to perform a surgery at gunpoint. Natalie managed to aid in their rescue by dropping her hospital ID badge when they stopped for supplies, so Nat really seemed to be doing great in this episode.
Then came the ending of her story, when she and Crockett were in a hostage situation with the police (led by Jay Halstead dropping by Med from P.D.). She was allowed to leave the house and was frantic at leaving Crockett behind. When a gunshot rang out and the police rushed in, Natalie physically fought to try and get back in. She was in tears by the time she finally saw Crockett come out safe, and she ran over to throw herself on Crockett in a big hug.
Look, I'm not saying that emotions shouldn't have been running high and Natalie and Crockett haven't formed some kind of trauma bond, but she seems to have latched on to Crockett very hard and very quickly. Even not knowing about the mess involving Crockett and April, Natalie has every reason to expect that getting cozy with Crockett isn't the best idea.
The man... well, he gets around, and Natalie is a fan of monogamy. Sure, Crockett is better than crazy Philip, but Natalie can't blame a TBI if she falls into a romance with Crockett that backfires. There's nothing wrong with Crockett living his life (and his love life) the way he wants, and Natalie may turn the love triangle into some kind of dysfunctional love square.
Was this an immediately bad decision? Maybe not, and maybe they won't get romantic after all. Honestly, maybe Crockett will turn out to reform and open up thanks to his bond with Natalie. The sky isn't necessarily falling; I'm just way too used to Chicago Med not to expect the most dramatic twists and turns out of any relationship involving Natalie. Going all-in on Crockett could prove to be a very bad decision.
Will Halstead
Oh, Will. Just when I think you can sink no lower before you start learning lessons (or at least get a talking-to from your brother), you manage to find a way to surprise me. Apparently the Hannah storyline didn't end just because Will turned her in as a drug addict, and she fortunately didn't out him for his work at the illegal safe injection site.
When he went to visit Hannah at rehab, he was told that it was a bad idea to visit before 48 hours. And, as the end of the episode proved, he probably shouldn't have. Will was appalled to see Hannah going through withdrawal cold turkey, because doctors with addictions aren't given the narcotic medications to ease their way into sobriety as protocol.
Dr. Charles was sympathetic but not surprised, and tried to tell Will that he did the right thing in turning in Hannah. Will seemed somewhat mollified, but thought it was "inhumane" and addicts were being punished for the stigma.
Will decided to stand down and let things take their course naturally. Just kidding! This is Will Halstead we're talking about. He snuck in a bottle of methodone -- a.k.a. narcotics -- to give to Hannah, with the promise of bringing more the next day. Even Hannah knew it was a bad idea and yelled at him for jeopardizing her recovery, since she'd never be able to practice again if she was caught with the meds.
She kicked him out, and the trailer for the next episode shows Hannah back on the job and Will seemingly asking her out. I don't want to say it's a bad idea, but the next episode is also the 100th episode on March 18, and there's no way the 100th episode will end without some serious drama for the major characters.
So, who made the worst decision in "Who Should Be The Judge," between Will and Natalie? Personally, I'm 100% going Will. Season 5 hasn't been packed with great decisions for either of them, but Natalie was suffering from a TBI for the first half of the season, and she doesn't know everything about Crockett that the audience knows. For Will, this is just the latest in an escalating series of problematic decisions, and I can see it getting worse sooner rather than later.
Fortunately, "Who Should Be The Judge" delivered some good news for a couple of characters, even though Ethan and April found out that the first round of IVF had failed. Maggie got a clean bill of health, and she and Ben are celebrating by getting married. Short of either one of them experiencing new or returning medical issues, they have a shot at a happily-ever-after.
See what happens next on Chicago Med with new episodes airing Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. Med is followed by Chicago Fire at 9 p.m. ET and Chicago P.D. at 10 p.m. ET, and all three series were renewed for a whopping three more seasons. Considering the numbers One Chicago regularly scores in the ratings, those renewals could pay off in a big way for NBC.
