‘Chicago Med’ Recap: ‘Sink or Swim’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

CHICAGO MED -- "Sink or Swim" Episode 1001 -- Pictured: S. Epatha Merkerson as Sharon Goodwin -- (Photo by: George Burns Jr/NBC)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the Season Ten Premiere of ‘Chicago Med’.
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When it comes to disasters and accidents in our world, our focus and experience with them, is often the same. In that, we tend to only know about them through the news and/or social media and we tend to experience them from afar through those same news sources. Simply because, the vast majority of people are lucky enough to not be at ground zero, and are lucky enough to not be involved, but that doesn’t mean we stop caring about the pain being imparted, and we of course… say a little prayer and put our hopes into the mess resolving itself with some measure of positivity. But what’s fascinating about this particular moment in life, is that it really does narrow our view of the situation.

Because behind the news reports are worried families and friends, and there are first responders that are putting their lives on the line to save the victims and there are medical personnel running themselves ragged to keep people breathing, and we don’t think about that. Granted it is tough to because of the way we receive the news, but we should, and thankfully, we sometimes can explore the realities of a disaster by way of storytelling. Since that can plunge us into the realities of what really happens during a disaster and that is why, the season ten premiere of Chicago Med is of note. For ‘Sink or Swim’ showcased what ER Personnel deal with during a disaster. But it sure didn’t seem as though that was going to be the case early on. Since there were discussions about what to expect with a nearby hospital closing down, a frosty introduction to new co-head of the emergency department, and Ripley of course… got more bad news about that fight.

All of which… had to be put on hold exploration wise when disaster struck. For a small boat slammed into a larger one and that meant droves of patients were on their way. Which gave us our first lesson as to what happens when disaster strikes, a hospital has to quickly prepare for some seriously ugly moments. Which the team did. To the point where Dr. Charles and Sharon were prepared to help and it was a good thing, they offered up their hands, because just like that, the ER was filled to the brim with ailing patients. The kind who harbored injuries big and small, and chaos simply surrounded the ER. Because people just kept piling in and that allowed for us to really come to understand, the heroism that goes into working in this field. Because it cannot be easy to look at that much suffering and keep going and that made for one intense journey.

One filled to the brim with battles and discussions regarding who should receive units of blood and who should receive priority care. Which were some dark discussions, but real ones. Because that is the hard truth of a disaster, in that… not everyone will make a recovery, and sometimes these poor souls must make the hard call to end care or shift resources a different direction. But eventually, there was a touch of calm as the horror of the crash subsided. The kind that allowed for patients to make levelheaded decisions for their family members and where some of those other plot threads could be revisited. Since quiet time did inform Ripley that he might be in real trouble and that put him in a dark place for certain. Not to mention, Dr. Archer and the new co-chief, Dr. Lenox, went head-to-head on her decision to fire Dr. Hudgins when he struggle with the pressure of the disaster.

But of course, it wasn’t all gloom and doom in this tale. Since we did get a touching story about one doctor’s quest to see a gentle soul be healed. But truly, that was the only bright spot in a harrowing story and that’s not a knock in the slightest, for this is an episode that deserves our applause and our awe. For showing us, the struggles and the chaos that accompanies a disaster, and the hardships that an ER staff must deal with when they happen. Because they deserve their day in the sun over such matters, and it was incredible that this was presented in a raw and visceral light. Complete with faltering heroes since this kind of disaster not only breaks us, but the people who work on the front lines, because they are people. All of which gave rise to a brilliant premiere, one that has us eager for more of a show that knows how to showcase life in a hospital like no other. Until next time.

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