Spoilers ahead for Episode 11 of Chicago Med Season 8, called “It Is What It Is, Until It Isn’t.”
The doctors of Chicago Med have been dealing with a new set of complications ever since Jack Dayton bought a controlling interest in the hospital. While that paid off in the winter premiere when he convinced a patient of Will’s to get a surgery that she desperately needed, the implementation of more artificial intelligence and OR 2.0 is about to cause some big problems. Goodwin is ready to pick a major fight, and based on what went down in Episode 11, the doctors may choose sides about it.
How Goodwin Is Starting A Fight
Hannah and Dean joined forces on a case that originally seemed like endometriosis, but after the opioid AI red-flagged her, they came to suspect that she was drug-seeking. Ultimately, they learned that she was suffering from a real illness that they almost missed because they were led to believe that she was looking for painkillers, and they took it to Goodwin, who agreed with Hannah that that opioid AI had bugs and the hospital shouldn’t use it.
The lawyer Kalmick argued in favor of it, but Hannah had some specific examples, including that the prescriptions that had gotten her patient red-flagged were ordered by a veterinarian for her cat. Goodwin sided with patient care over analytics and algorithms, especially since there are no details about how the company amasses and interprets their data. Kalmick warned her that she’d be picking a fight with Jack Dayton and the board, but she decided to petition to remove the program across the hospital.
Who Could Support Goodwin’s Decision
It’s safe to say that Hannah will be 100% on board with getting rid of the program after what happened with her patient, on top of her own past. She told Dean that she ran her own name through the system, and she was immediately red-flagged, which is particularly bad news because the program is still used by hospitals all over the country. She pointed out that the algorithm branded her “forever” no matter how long she’s been sober.
I feel comfortable saying that Dean will also be happy to get rid of as much AI as possible, and not just because of the promo that reveals a confrontation with Jack Dayton. He and Hannah have gotten close in Season 8 (and the showrunners explained why Hannah and Dean have been paired up), and was clearly sympathetic to her being red-flagged. Plus, his son needs a fresh start now that he’s out on parole, which doesn’t fit with what the AI wants to do. He was never a fan of OR 2.0 anyway!
Dr. Charles wasn’t involved in the case, but he told Dean that in his book, “character counts,” and he can’t believe that he’s the only one who thinks that way. While that’s not exactly a hard stance on AI vs. no AI, I feel like he’s more likely to side with Goodwin than with Dayton on this one.
Why Might Not Support Goodwin’s Decision 100%
While Goodwin has excellent reasons for wanting to remove the AI opioid program from the hospital (supported by specific examples), some of the other doctors were flying high on their success thanks to OR 2.0 in this episode. A gunshot victim came into the ED and initially refused to tell Will and Maggie how he’d been shot. It turned out that he was a bystander who took a bullet in a robbery, but was considered a suspect anyway. Chicago P.D.’s Atwater made a cameo to establish that there were definitely signs that he was innocent.
Even after young Aaron refused the surgery that would save him, the cops got an official order to force them to do it. They didn’t want to hand over the bullet and potentially set Aaron up to be sent to prison for something he didn’t do. With Crockett’s help, they used OR 2.0 to do the surgery to save his life without removing the bullet and handing it over to authorities. They saved Aaron’s life and possibly freedom by using the AI tech.
So, I don’t want to rule out Crockett, Will, and Maggie seeing more pros than cons out of Jack Dayton’s changes and the new technology. That’s not to say that they’ll be 100% Team Dayton over Team Goodwin, but the stage is set for them to not want to necessarily pick any fights with the people responsible for giving them their tech. As much as OR 2.0 is different from the opioid program, they fall under the same umbrella, and conflict could be on the way.
Find out with new episodes of Chicago Med on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC, and revisit past seasons streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription. For more of what you can find on the small screen in the new year, check out our 2023 TV premiere schedule.
