Spoilers ahead for Episode 14 of NBC's Chicago Med Season 10, called "Acid Test" and available streaming next day with a Peacock subscription.
Chicago Med was a rough ride for Ripley while he was on unpaid leave from the hospital in the latest episode of the 2025 TV schedule, and he was spiraling until he got the advice he needed. Unfortunately, his breakthrough came too late for the hour to end on a happy note, but the titular storyline of "Acid Test" may ultimately make this one of Med's funniest episodes in recent memory. Dr. Archer found himself accidentally dosed with LSD, leading to some shenanigans during an inspection and a beautifully heartfelt moment with Hannah. Steven Weber played a very different side of Dean this week!
The nurses fortunately caught on pretty quickly that Archer had been dosed with something, although him being friendly and affectionate all of the sudden was a big clue that something was off with the usually curmudgeonly doctor. It then became a game of keeping him away from the inspector, and definitely fun to watch. With how goofy he was being, I was ready for something silly when he and Hannah ended up in the staff room together by themselves.
Instead, Archer revealed that apparently, a surefire way to get him to express himself openly and endearingly is to dose him with drugs. Hannah seemed to be getting a kick out of seeing him in that state, but then things got real when he asked how she was and she admitted it was a rough day due to the Ripley mess, "amongst other things." He tugged at the heartstrings with his response, telling her:
It's a shame you don't see it. Oh, Hannah. You walk around without realizing you have this light all around you. You have every right to be cynical after everything you've been through and working here every day. But you're not. You're hopeful and open and kind. [laughs] And you deserve more. And you don't see that. I do.
We've seen Hannah in a couple of different romantic relationships over her years on the show, but I don't think she was ever told what she needed to hear quite like Archer did in "The Acid Test." I'm even happier in hindsight that Chicago Med avoided a messy love triangle and kept developing the really lovely friendship between them.
This was also a welcome conversation after Steven Weber described the characters as having "found a kind of refuge in each other" despite being an "unlikely pairing," and what's not to love about Jessy Schram almost playing Hannah as the straight man to Archer this time?
Archer on acid was likely a one-and-done for Chicago Med, and he even accidentally talked the inspector into taking it easier on Gaffney before coming down from his high. There is at least one consequence that could last, though; his speech to Hannah made her realize that she couldn't keep going though Ripley's rough patches with him and can't be the one to save him.
All in all, it was fun to see Steven Weber flex his comedy muscles more than he usually does in One Chicago, not least because of the heartfelt moment with Archer and Hannah. Those two have been one of my favorite duos ever since Jessy Schram returned to the show and they formed their unlikely bond, so it's always a treat when they share a moment.
There may not be time for any of that in the next episode, though, since the promo suggests that Ripley's life is going to be in jeopardy with Christian Stolte crossing over from Chicago Fire. Take a look:
Tune in to NBC on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET to see what's next for Chicago Med. I think it's a very safe bet that Archer's one acid trip will be enough for him, and the next episode looks more intense than goofy. As always, Chicago Fire follows Med at 9 p.m. ET, followed by Chicago P.D. at 10 p.m. ET. All three shows are currently available streaming on Peacock as well.
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