[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Chicago Med Episode 200, Season 11 Episode 2 “A Game of Inches.”]
Welcome back to Gaffney, Dr. Will Halstead (Nick Gehlfuss). The OG returns to his former workplace in Chicago Med‘s 200th episode, making an entrance reminiscent of Dr. Connor Rhodes’ (Colin Donnell) in the series premiere — and he brings good news about his and Natalie’s relationship!
It’s when Will reunites with Sharon (S. Epatha Merkerson) and Charles (Oliver Platt) that he reveals that Natalie’s back in Seattle working — and 20 weeks pregnant with their son! Natalie’s son, Owen, noticeably, doesn’t look happy about this or spending time with Will. That news does mean that when Will reunites with his ex-girlfriend, Asher (Jessy Schram), they can exchange congratulations. He also admits he didn’t have her and Archer (Steven Weber) on his bingo card.
As for that entrance, rather than riding into the hospital on top of a gurney trying to keep a man alive, Will walks in carrying a kid after Owen alerts those inside to the fact that he’s diaphoretic. He and Frost (Darren Barnet) quickly disagree about how to treat the kid; while it turns out Will was right, the kid leaves, but not before throwing up a balloon that reveals he’s a drug mule. When Will and Lenox (Sarah Ramos) find Jasper in a bathroom, he explains he’s transporting the drugs to help his older brother pay off his debt. Will speaks as an older brother — he and Jay would do anything for each other — and assures him that his brother would not want him to sacrifice himself for him.
George Burns Jr/NBC
Jasper still refuses the surgery, not wanting them to confiscate the drugs, but there’s no way around it. Sharon then takes a moment to talk to Will about backing off since he’s no longer a doctor at the hospital. She also reminds him he has his own kid waiting for him. Will admits he thinks Owen hates him and it’s more than just the baby news. He thought one-on-one time would do good, but it hasn’t. So, he’s thinking if he can’t help Owen, he can help Jasper. Sharon reminds him that parenting is a marathon and he can’t get wrapped up in how Owen feels about him in one moment. He just needs to do the best he can. But then just as Will seems ready to go leave to spend time with Owen, Jasper wants to talk with him — and asks him to stay to make sure the surgery goes well. Will says he will.
Sharon finds Owen in the waiting room and offers some advice based on her own experience: Her oldest son, David, was around Owen’s age when Michael was born and wasn’t happy. There was no time to talk, so she started writing him short notes every day, and then he wrote her back. She got a journal for them, finding it easier to say how you’re feeling when no one is looking, and she gives Owen a notebook, suggesting he write a note to Will.
As for the fallout of Asher’s pregnancy, everyone knows at the beginning of the episode, with Doris (Lorena Diaz) proclaiming herself Team Dasher and remarking on the tension between them. Asher insists it was just a one-time thing. Charles tries to bring up Archer’s mood by telling him about studies that say people who have kids later in life live longer. And Frost laments with Ripley, calling Archer a shark who was just waiting to strike.
Then, when Ripley needs to consult Archer on a case, the two disagree on how to proceed: A man lied to his fiancée and had leg-lengthening surgery, and he refuses to have the rods removed that have caused an infection. Ripley suggests a replacement. Archer instead, suggests calling in Charles. But even after the head of psychiatry talks to the patient and points out he could die, the man refuses to have the surgery and risk losing his fiancée. Ripley comes up with another solution, and while Archer is vehemently against it, Charles points out that the patient won’t entertain removing the rods, so there’s no other option. “Drop the schoolyard crap,” he tells them.
Asher, listening in, knows it was about her, but Charles tells her they have more hashing out to do before they act like grown-ups and doesn’t recommend she talk to them. Archer and Ripley are able to put their differences aside when it counts, in the middle of their patient’s surgery. After, both apologize, and Ripley tells Archer, “Congratulations on the baby.”
Meanwhile, Doris notices a woman walking around in the ED. She says she’s not feeling well, and Doris sends her to the waiting room. Later, she’s seen on the phone saying she’s still waiting. That woman enters the OR where Jasper’s surgery is and holds the doctors at gunpoint, demanding the balloons. Will, across the way with Asher and Owen, notices something’s wrong and goes to call security. Then, as the woman’s leaving, someone confronts her and there’s a gunshot.
That leads to Natalie (Torrey DeVitto!) getting a call from Sharon: “I’m so sorry to be calling you like this but something has happened.” Owen was shot! Now we know why Nick Gehlfuss told us “guilt” keeps him in Chicago!
What did you think of Gehlfuss’ first episode back as Will, Torrey DeVitto’s return, and Owen being shot? Let us know in the comments section below.
Chicago Med, Wednesdays, 8/7c, NBC