Why Chicago Med's Huge Hospital Change Could Mean A Big Loss For The ED
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Warning: spoilers ahead for Episode 19 of Chicago Med Season 8, called "Look Closely and You Might Hear the Truth."
Chicago Med returned to NBC after nearly a month's break between new episodes in the 2023 TV schedule, and "Look Closely and You Might Hear the Truth" was a game-changer for the hospital. As Jack Dayton pushed his agenda to turn Med into a for-profit hospital leaning more heavily on technology like OR 2.0, Goodwin and her allies scrambled to get enough board votes to stop Dayton. A complication arose when a board member on their side was incapacitated, but recovered enough in time to vote. Unfortunately, the vote didn't go Goodwin's way anyway, and the result could be a major loss to the ED.
The vote that Goodwin and Co. seemed to have locked down changed at the last minute, as the man decided to support Dayton after OR 2.0 technology helped to save his life. The timing couldn't have been worse, as Maggie was already on the fence about whether or not she wanted to stay at Gaffney Med as the charge nurse. With the reveal that the hospital will be going for-profit, it looks like the ED could be on the verge of losing her. Right before the reveal that the vote went the wrong way, Maggie told Goodwin:
I lied to you earlier, and I feel horrible about it... I didn't get all dressed up to renew my driver's license. I was meeting with a headhunter about maybe finding another job. I was frustrated last week in the ED, and I called them. I instantly regretted it, and I feel guilty even thinking about leaving. With all the changes that are going down in the ED and all this chatter about going for-profit... I have a bad feeling about the direction that Jack is taking us.
The episode (which will be available streaming with a Peacock subscription) ended before Chicago Med could focus on Maggie's reaction, so fans will have to wait and see if the show will follow through on her considering leaving Med and finding a job elsewhere. If the One Chicago world parallels the real world insofar as there's a nursing shortage, then she would surely have no trouble finding a job at a different hospital or a practice. Actress Marlyne Barrett signed on for another three seasons back before Season 8 premiered, but that's hardly a guarantee of what Maggie's future holds!
The ED does have plenty of capable nurses other in addition to Maggie and without needing to pull April out of her happy ending with Ethan, but I can't imagine Doris as full-time charge nurse instead of Maggie. Losing Maggie would be a huge blow to a hospital that would undoubtedly already be in turmoil over the change to for-profit, but I also can't blame the character. The ED she once knew isn't the ED of Season 8 since Jack Dayton bought controlling interest in the hospital back in the fall finale, and Gaffney Med isn't the only hospital in Chicago.
Of course, there are still three episodes left before the end of Season 8, so Maggie may not be going anywhere and Jack Dayton may not have power at the hospital moving ahead into Season 9. Chicago Med was recently renewed for a ninth season, with members of the cast celebrating the good news. Those cast members are expected to appear in fewer episodes next season, however. For now, we can just wait and see what's in store before summer hiatus, and the promo suggests that the next episode will be a big one for Archer:
New episodes of Chicago Med will continue airing on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC, ahead of Chicago Fire at 9 p.m. and Chicago P.D. at 10 p.m. Ahead of summer hiatus, you can also check out the questions Wolf Entertainment fans should be asking after the renewals for One Chicago, the Law & Order shows, and the FBI series.
