Dr. Charles struggles to convince Dr. Choi that surgery isn't always the answer. Dr. Rhodes finds himself in hot water with Goodwin when he disobeys her direct order. April becomes frustrated with Maggie when she continues to question her leadership role as the stand-in charge nurse. Dr. Manning suspects Dr. Halstead is keeping something from her.
In 2018, it has become very difficult to keep up with every television show out there. It's even more difficult to provide adequate coverage on this site about the episodes that air every week. Not every show can get full coverage because of my busy and hectic viewing schedule. As such, some reviews will now be condensed to give only some summary thoughts. But it also affords a space for me to jot down my thoughts on the various episodes. And so, here are my thoughts on this week's episode of NBC's Chicago Med.
"Play By My Rules" was written by Eli Talbert & Daniel Sinclair and directed by Valerie Weiss
Every week I don't want to spend the majority of my review talking about how Will and Natalie are such a destructive couple who shouldn't realistically be heading towards a wedding. Here, there is even the empty act of her giving back the engagement ring. It's a hollow gesture because it doesn't change anything. They still just casually ignore all of their problems because they still have a desire to get married. It's only a few weeks away after all. So, there is bound to be something dramatic happening sooner rather than later. It also means this story has to present some kind of change for the two of them as a couple. That would be so welcoming because right now they have both become one-note characters in boring and predictable stories. There is no real reason to invest in them as a couple anymore. Natalie is the mature one. There should be no doubt in her mind that this engagement isn't working. But those suspicions still only lurk in her mind somehow. She's willing to put up with Will even though he's acting like a spoiled brat who believes that it's healthy to keep major secrets. He continues to fight the world simply because he believes his way is what's best for everyone involved even when it clearly isn't. He doesn't care about the contradictory information. He is stubborn and refuses to see the world any differently. That's him reverting back to the character he always was. That version didn't deserve this romance. And now, they should really be over. And yet, they are still together at the end of this episode despite not talking about what's actually going on with Will's secret arrangement with the FBI. Elsewhere, it remains slightly jarring to see how quickly Ethan has moved on from April. That is clearly painful for her to see - especially since he has gone back to the girlfriend who moved away. Vicki brings a new patient into the E.D. for Ethan to examine alongside Dr. Charles. It's a case that proves that surgery isn't always the best option when it comes to offering a cure. It shows that there are many different opinions out there in the medical community. Many of them can do more harm than good. Charles continues to find a solution that works without having to do some invasive procedure. That's a position he has frequently been in. And so, it's not all that exciting or original as a story even though it features a gruesome visual with the patient scratching her head to the bone. And finally, Conner is being very stubborn at the moment as well. He was given this hybrid operating room in the E.D. because he asked for it. Everything magically worked out for him. He didn't know the truth about his father's involvement until very recently. Even then, he's not willing to hold a grudge against Ava because she is still a phenomenal surgeon. He respects her in this profession. It doesn't derail their blossoming relationship either. But now, Goodwin presents as a new antagonist because she needs to see more revenue from the program. Sure, that is mostly used to prop up more tension between Connor and Lanik. But it's more interesting when it comes to the actual financials versus appropriate care when it comes to running this kind of business.
