'Chicago' franchise writers must avoid forcing relationship storylines into 'Chicago Fire' and 'Chicago Med' just for the sake of drama
The last seasons of the shows in the 'Chicago' franchise saw not one, but two relationships that "evolved" into sudden proposals by the end. On 'Chicago Fire', Sylvie Brett (played by Kara Killmer) met Firehouse 51's new chaplain Kyle Sheffield on the heels of her breakup with Antonio from 'Chicago P.D.' (Jon Seda). The two dated for a while until Kyle broke up with her thinking that the relationship was affecting his job. After this, it looked like something might happen between her and Casey (Jesse Spencer). In the season 7 finale, Kyle surprised Brett and the viewers with a proposal out of nowhere, asking her to move with him to Indiana - and she said yes!
The 'Chicago Med' "romance" is questionably worse: Natalie Manning (Torrey DeVitto) broke off her engagement with Will Halstead (Nick Gehlfuss) because of the secrecy over his undercover stint for the FBI. She then meets Phillip Davis (played by DeVitto's castmate from 'Pretty Little Liars' Ian Harding), the husband of a pregnant woman who came in on an emergency and passed away from an aneurysm, forcing Natalie to perform an emergency C-section to save the baby. Suddenly widowed, Phillip and Natalie get close and start dating. In the last episode, Phillip is preparing to propose to Natalie (who might be thinking that she does want to be with Will after all).
On any other show, these relationships might fit in better, but on shows from Dick Wolf's 'Chicago' franchise, these are just examples of sloppy writing, solely for the purpose of drama. On 'Chicago Fire', seeing Brett pivot to Casey soon after Kyle breaks up with her obviously hurt fans of Dawson (Monica Raymund) who had left the show during the season premiere. Casey and Dawson were one of the strongest relationships the show has portrayed, not to mention Dawson and Brett were really close. Brett and Casey bonded over Dawson's absence and even if their relationship could be worth exploring, the writers needed to stew on them being just friends for a while and this seems to have gone through their mind with the Kyle-Brett engagement, which again was poor writing. We will have to wait and see in the season 8 premiere if Brett does follow through and move in with Kyle, especially with the big fire from the season 7 finale that could see a casualty.
The writing on 'Chicago Med' could use an overhaul considering the storylines for Ava Bekker and Natalie Manning. Of the two, Ava got the worst treatment of course, with the actress Norma Kuhling leaving the show over "creative differences". But Natalie's relationship with a patient's father, especially after the circumstances they met in, is quite out of character. Phillip seems to have been thrown in there just to create some drama for Will and Natalie and it stands to follow that Phillip is not exactly thinking straight when he wants to propose to her so quickly. Yes, the will-they-won't-they stories create a lot of drama but perhaps it's time the writers realized that they can create drama even if Will and Natalie decide to be together for good. In the season 4 finale, it looked like Natalie is seriously injured. For the show's sake, the writers need to play out this Will-Natalie-Phillip triangle quickly in season 5 and move on to something else.
