Warning: spoilers ahead for Episode 13 of Chicago Med Season 10, called "Take a Look in the Mirror" and set to stream with a Peacock subscription.
After how Chicago Med's previous episode ended with Ripley getting in a fistfight with an aggressive guy on the street, I fully expected him to be stuck in the biggest mess in "Take a Look in the Mirror." Admittedly, he is the only doctor who arguably crossed the point of no return by beating a man hard enough to land him in the hospital, attempting to treat the man in the hospital, and then having an outburst in the ED that has Goodwin recommending his dismissal to the board, but Ripley was a wild card long before the 2025 TV schedule.
I was much more taken aback by Dr. Charles' actions regarding Jackie... or, more specifically, how casually he did what he did. Somewhat confusing sparks were flying between the Psych head and the former burn unit nurse earlier in Season 10, but they both seemed to agree that any personal desires should take a backseat to Jackie's attempt to get custody of her daughter. I was still a little weirded out, but Dr. Charles has never been particularly lucky in love, so it was a good sign that he was self-aware and Jackie had her priorities in order. Plus, Oliver Platt is fun to watch when his character's personal life gets twisty.
So, when the Gaffney psychiatrist who was supposed to testify about when Jackie was committed was held up by an emergency at the hospital, it seemed like a turn of good luck that Dr. Charles was there to step in and go on the record in court. He clarified that Jackie had PTSD when she attempted suicide and explained all the variables that worked on her side, firmly testifying that he wasn't acting out of romantic feelings and only giving his professional opinion. And it was enough for her to win joint custody of her daughter and full parental rights. All's well that ends well, right?
Not so much in the world of One Chicago! When Jackie dropped by Dr. Charles' office to give him the good news, she sheepishly admitted that she'd lied about not having any feelings for him. He admitted the same, but added:
I'm not sure sure this is a really good idea for me right now. [Dr.] Nemic didn't have an emergency today. I cooked up an excuse for him to stay at the hospital and sped over to the courtroom and jumped up on the stand and perjured myself. I'm really worried that this is not starting out in a very healthy place for me.
Dr. Charles went on to list some of his recurring problems when it comes to relationships, including trouble "figuring out where the shrink ends and I begin." Jackie accused him of being "so full of it," and the romance seems like it might be dead before it really got any life on Med. All in all, it went down so quickly and so casually that I can't help but be glad that there doesn't seem to be a relationship in the cards for them.
He didn't seem torn in the least about blurring ethics and perjuring himself on the stand, and Jackie didn't really bat an eye when he admitted it. Ripley's violence of course isn't a good thing for his future at Gaffney, but Med has had Hannah to call him out when he crosses lines. Jackie didn't call out Dr. Charles, and I think it's for the best that they don't fan the flames too much in the future.
Honestly, if I wasn't concerned that it would affect him professionally, I'd be rooting for Dr. Charles to tell Goodwin what he'd done just to see what she'd say. Based on the promo for the next episode of Chicago Med that airs on Wednesday, February 26 at 8 p.m. ET, we can count on at least Ripley continuing to experience fallout sooner rather than later. Take a look:
Chicago Med clearly hasn't run out of catastrophes just after the Avengers-level three-part crossover event, and possibly even has some new fans after how high the ratings were for the crossover. While I definitely want to see how the latest episode's plot thickens for Dr. Charles, I'd be lying if I said I'm not looking forward to seeing Dr. Dean Archer himself on acid. As for Ripley... well, whatever the future holds, Luke Mitchell has been crushing this dramatic storyline.
NBC's One Chicago Wednesdays are still going strong with Med at 8 p.m. ET, Chicago Fire at 9 p.m. ET, and Chicago P.D. at 10 p.m. ET. You can also find every earlier episode of all three shows streaming on Peacock.
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