Spoilers ahead for Episode 17 of Chicago Med Season 8, called “Know When to Hold and When to Fold.”
Chicago Med delivered a blast to the past in “Know When to Hold and When to Fold,” and not just because it marked Brian Tee’s return to the show (albeit behind-the-scenes as director). Will and Hannah had a conversation that included a throwback to the days when the Manstead relationship was the biggest of the series, before Torrey DeVitto’s departure as Dr. Natalie Manning. I enjoyed Natalie getting a mention, but found myself realizing that I’m actually way more invested in a very different – and very unexpected – duo.
The Manstead Throwback
Will Halstead has been as unlucky in love as he’s been unlucky in finances, but his biggest relationship of Chicago Med to date was with Natalie, and they nearly made it down the aisle before disaster struck. He has moved on with some different romances since, with the most notable being Hannah. Those two are firmly in the friend zone in Season 8, even though he initially didn’t respond well to her teasing him about being interested in Dr. Grace Song in this episode.
In a more serious moment, Hannah mentioned that she always felt that Will was still hung up on Natalie and carrying a torch for her during their ill-advised relationship. He admitted that maybe that was true, but the conversation didn’t seem to happen because he still has any lingering feelings for Nat. Instead, he established that he just wants to do things right when it comes to romance from now on, and he ultimately asked Grace out.
It’s nice to see Will giving love another shot after a lot of bad luck, but his possible romance with Grace isn’t the relationship of Season 8 that has caught my interest the most.
Hannah And Archer: A Totally Different Duo
There’s nothing wrong with a classic One Chicago workplace romance, but the relationship I’m most invested in this season is actually the friendship between Hannah and Archer. I never would have predicted it after his opposition to her even returning to the ED after her drug overdose, but they’ve formed a strong bond in Season 8.
In “Know When to Hold and When to Fold,” he opened up to his son Sean per her advice, and she was the one he felt comfortable asking for help at home with his dialysis. For her part, she stayed with him even when he gave her the go-ahead to leave. Do I know what Chicago Med is actually doing with this duo, or how their relationship should be defined? I sure don’t, but I’m invested!
Interestingly, Jessy Schram shared with CinemaBlend that she and co-star Steven Weber didn’t see this Hannah/Archer dynamic coming before Season 8 and addressed the “emotional triangle” with her, Archer, and Sean. I have no idea what the show is doing with their friendship or whether it will continue to develop, and that unpredictability has been fun!
See what’s next for Hannah, Archer, and the rest with new episodes of Chicago Med on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. The three shows of One Chicago haven’t been renewed for next season yet, but you can always find Med, Chicago Fire, and Chicago P.D. streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription.
