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After a tremendous all-round season, Chicago Med ended its seventh season in an exciting but entirely unnecessary cliffhanger. It felt a bit over-the-top compared to the subtleties of some other well-curated storylines in the episode. Titled And Now We Come to the End, the morally compelling episode aired on May 25, 2022.
It is common practice for the medical drama to leave things with big cliffhangers at the end of the season. Still, this one seemed a little too driven by network television tendencies, robbing the series of its signature technique of using emotionally-driven storylines that have now become a key part of the Chicago Med experience.
It also differed significantly from the image the promo had established. Read on for a more detailed review of the latest episode of Chicago Med.
Chicago Med season 7, episode 22 review: A set of neat, compelling storylines
The finale kicked off with a certain uneasiness with Milena Jovanovic (Riley Voelkel) informing Dr. Dylan Scott (Guy Lockard) that she has been "made" and that she has to escape right away to save both of them from a crooked fate. This part does not feel as compelling as it sounds on paper.
Funnily enough, the pace picks up with more mundane issues like Will Halstead's (played by Nick Gehlfuss) stand in the trial and the complex decision Dr. Crockett Marcel (Dominic Rains) has to take on behalf of Dr. Pamela Blake (Sarah Rafferty).
Now, this was a storyline worthy of a season-ending, with Dr. Blake's issue already established compellingly in the previous episode. Marcel Blake is left with a crucial decision in this episode that will have large repercussions in the future.
He does decide to go ahead with the surgery on Blake, ultimately resulting in some complexity that leaves her unable to operate. This feels like a believable cliffhanger, given the emotional toll and the weight of the decision on Crockett Marcel. But this episode chooses to focus its energy elsewhere.
Will and Asher's (played by Jessy Schram) moral stand on a complex case becomes another talking point for the episode as their moral duty as doctors clash with their ethical responsibilities as humans. These are the kind of dramatic events that make this episode captivating.
Similarly, Dr. Ethan Choi's (played by Brian Tee) story also comes to a satisfying end as he learns to accept his father and put a satisfying conclusion to the tale. A brilliant Brian Tee can express so much in so little time that it makes the scene feel like a slice out of a coming-of-age film. Vannessa's (played by Asjha Cooper) storyline also feels the same way.
Despite how the promo made it appear, Sharon Goodwin's (S. Epatha Merkerson) storyline also comes at the end of the episode. This storyline was a bit predictable but still enjoyable.
The ending saw different absurdities, including Milena shooting a man, someone setting their building on fire, and Dylan and Scott stuck in a fiery building. It ultimately ended with the revelation that Milena was shot. This feels a little over-the-top and forced for a medical drama with this well-nuanced storytelling capabilities.
Apart from the ending, everything worked well for Chicago Med on the final day with a packed episode that excelled technically and narratively. Viewers may complain about the shocking end, but it should still be an eager wait as the show takes a break till fall.
The finale of Chicago Med is now streaming on Peacock TV. Stay tuned for more updates.
