Admittedly, when Chicago Med introduced a pregnancy plot with Hannah, I was not pleased.
They’re not the most compelling arcs in my opinion, for starters, but also, any fan of One Chicago knows that the franchise handles pregnancies abysmally — they usually result in torturous plots for women and the viewers alike.
However, there was also a matter of Chicago Med seemingly tying poor Hannah to Ripley with storylines, and this felt like another example of them doing more of the same.
My investment in the arc was practically non-existent, and the very idea that they were teasing a love triangle aspect and dangling this “Who’s the Baby Daddy” plot over our heads felt like one of those things where they wanted to generate buzz even though we had the answer already.
I didn’t think Chicago Med had the guts to actually take the most interesting route with this arc, because, let’s face it, in any other series, the Ripley/Hannah angle is what most would go for. A show would subject viewers to more push/pull back-and-forth drama with the same couple, whether it’s interesting or not.
It was a complete and utter shock and pleasant surprise when Chicago Med Season 11 Episode 1, did the unexpected but totally welcomed and revealed that Dean Archer is the baby’s father.
On the one hand, it sucks that we didn’t get to actually see the hookup at hand, and instead, they alluded to it with some Crunch Berries and loaded looks.
But beggars cannot be choosers here, because in doing this, Chicago Med actually capitalized on one of the series’ most interesting dynamics.
For some time, Hannah and Dean have had a connection that has only blossomed as the series progresses.
On his own, Archer is a character who is rough around the edges. In contrast, Hannah is someone who is flawed but often seems to live in the shadow of her past, particularly when interacting with other characters.
But together, there’s this unspoken understanding between them that works. Their friendship has been one of the most underrated dynamics on the series.
And the chemistry between them has always flowed, enough so that Dean’s own son had suspicions about their relationship, and Ripley has had moments of paling in comparison to whatever was going on between the two.
Hannah and Ripley having a baby they didn’t plan at this stage of their lives, when they’ve already endured far too many ups and downs in their relationship to even be interesting anymore, wouldn’t have been the ideal story.
It would’ve felt like one of those scenarios where two people are compelled to orbit around one another, when time and space have proven that they thrive as individuals when they’re apart.
The idea of Ripley needing fatherhood dangled in front of him as a motivating factor to get his life in order has an off-putting note to it. It would have diluted his journey toward actually improving and growing for himself.
It would also have been utilized to have him going back and forth with Hannah, when I hadn’t been convinced that they’re even good for one another anymore.
Plus, the storyline, overall, wouldn’t be anything we haven’t seen before, even from a coparenting standpoint.
But Hannah and Dean? There are so many rich possibilities with this arc for so many reasons, and it’s something that we haven’t seen in this way.
For one, there aren’t too many May-December dynamics onscreen, especially ones that media handles well and organically.
One of the appealing aspects of Dean and Hannah is that their connection is built on something deep, and we’ve seen how they bring out the best in each other.
And because of how strong their dynamic is on a personal, emotional level, their age difference never actually feels like an obstacle or noticeable thing between them.
Chicago Med’s approach to their relationship has always been refreshing in that way.
That said, Dean does have an adult son, and he has often struggled with how he may not have always done right by him or handled fatherhood well enough the first time around.
The prospect of him facing this all over again and simultaneously realizing where he is a decent father and improving in the ways he wasn’t is interesting to explore for his character.
It’s also exciting to see another way in which Chicago Med can chip away at his layers and expose more of his soft side, vulnerability, and more. Around Hannah, Dean is much lighter and less guarded.
He also rises to the occasion of being his best self and isn’t as resistant to growth; that’s something compelling to see in his character. The addition of this new being, whom he’d love with his whole heart, would only add to that.
We’ve also seen where Dean doesn’t allow himself to have good things, but this is for him.
Meanwhile, for Hannah, the prospect of raising a child with someone who has become her best friend is the ideal scenario. She always comes across as her full self when she’s with Dean, without apology.
Her past is something that tends to hang over her often, but he’s someone with his own who doesn’t judge her for hers or make her feel small because of it.
Dean always makes Hannah feel capable, and he also has a level of security and stability that not only gels with where she is in her life now, but is more than ideal when it comes to raising a child together.
The thing with Hannah and Dean is that we already see how well they work as friends and partners. Chicago Med adds a layer to that and gets to explore them as a family, which is the more interesting angle for this arc.
Plus, they work both ways at this point. They already had the bones for a familial element, and so it’ll feel like a great extension of what the series has established, and thus further expanding on the strength of their dynamic.
But even if they opt to revisit the idea of them romantically onscreen, we could get a fresh and compelling love story evolving from that — something that breaks away from the standard format of them we’ve seen on the show.
I’m actually not much of a shipper when it comes to this series, but an intriguing dynamic with great storytelling will lure me in no matter what, and Dean and Hannah have that here.
The Ripley and Hannah development would’ve felt like more of the same, and the storyline would barely be a blip on the radar because of that, sadly.
But this?
Somehow, Chicago Med took a story arc that made me roll my eyes in annoyance and got my undivided attention.
And to that, I say well-played!
No clickbait. Maybe Rage bait depending on where you fall on the shipping! But, really, we’re just fans talking TV and this Chicago Med Development is too good to not discuss.
If that matters to you — leave a comment or share this with your people. We’re grateful you’re here.
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