‘Chicago Med’ Recap: ‘Bite Your Tongue’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

CHICAGO MED -- "Bite Your Tongue" Episode 1002 -- Pictured: (l-r) Steven Weber as Dr. Dean Archer, Darren Barnet as Dr. John Frost -- (Photo by: George Burns Jr/NBC)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 1002 of ‘Chicago Med’. To revisit the Season Ten Premiere, click here.
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If there is one thing, we all hope for when great change comes to our workplace, it would be time to adjust. Because change at the workplace can be very unnerving and so much can happen so quickly when the top brass decides to shake things up. So, all we want, is to get that moment to breathe, to process and to adjust to everything that’s happened, and a fair number of us do. Since those changes do slow down and the new path is set out upon. But in some industries, change is a constant and there is no chance to process, one must simply roll with the punches and hope for the best, as evidenced by this week’s episode of Chicago Med on NBC.

For ‘Bite Your Tongue’ saw layoffs taking place at the hospital. Mainly because the board saw this as a chance to trim some fat, and a chance to shake things up and open a window for new employees to come into the fold. Especially with another hospital closing. But it was all handled so fast, that no one had time to adjust, and process the changes. They had work to do, plain and simple and work they most certainly did, but not without some measure of nervousness and trepidation. After all, a wrong step in this particularly perilous time might mean the end of one’s job. Forcing some to choose whether or not they should be bold or if they should be a little more compliant.

For instance, Dr. Frost was faced with an ugly issue. In that his patient was dying of cancer, and the only hope to extend his life was to perform a rough surgery that would rob him of his athletic skill. Something the patient’s parents were unwilling to discuss with him, and Frost felt he should know. A risky move that got him a fist to the face, since he chose to speak up. But it was a move that opened up lines of communication and allowed for a healthy decision to come forth. But there was risk involved here, because the initial response could have led to termination. But Lenox and Archer had his back and that helped him stick around, and speaking of that duo… they too had little time to adjust to the changes to their department, they simply got to work in a frosty manner… one that thawed courtesy of a surprise.

In that, they had linked cases and would have never known it had they stayed in their corners and attempted to maintain a status quo. But by adjusting on the fly and embracing change, they saved lives. If anything, the only constant in this story was the fact that Dr. Charles once again found himself advocating for a patient to accept mental treatment when they clearly needed it, only to have that rebuffed and end in disaster. Something we have seen far too often on this show since mental health is still taboo to so many. Plus, we also saw Dr. Ripley double down and do his best to keep his friend safe, despite being suspended for remaining silent on what happened that day. Because he really wanted to do the right thing in his mind, and that might not happen now, since Dr. Asher stepped in to protect him.

All of which brought forth, another delightful episode of this series. One that spoke to how some workplaces require us to just push ahead and deal with change as it comes, whether we like it or not. But that is how the hospital lifestyle goes, and it was nice to see that peppered in with the unique cases that we enjoy in this series, and the work that goes into solving every last one of them. Plus, it was equally as lovely to see Lenox and Archer find some common ground at last. If anything, the only sour spot here was Ripley’s path, since nothing is going his way. But that’s the route he chose, and it does leave us eager to see if he can overcome his troubles or if more ugliness awaits, as season ten of this dynamic and intriguing show continues along. Until next time.

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