'Chicago Med' Season 5 Episode 1 review: Were Connor Rhodes and Ava Bekker given satisfying endings?
Titled 'Never Going Back To Normal', the 'Chicago Med' Season 5 premiere was the first of the 'Chicago' franchise to return for a new season this fall. Before we get into the new episode, let's recap what happened towards the end of last season. Dr. Connor Rhodes's father died of an insulin overdose and Connor suspects the role of Dr. Ava Bekker. Will and Natalie were engaged but Natalie ended it over his secrecy about his undercover stint. Maggie learns that she may have cancer. Ethan and April think that April might be pregnant. The big season 4 finale cliffhanger was when Natalie went to speak with Will in his car as he was leaving. But the son of the man Will helped send to prison rams his car into theirs, leading to both of them suffering injuries.
Will is banged-up but conscious but Natalie is not responsive. Also, Natalie was going out with the father of a patient she met just a few episodes ago. The father, Phillip, is played by Ian Harding of 'Pretty Little Liars'. Phillip wants to propose to Natalie.
Will brings in Natalie who is immediately taken by Dr. Marcel (a new addition to the cast, Dominic Rains) for treatment. Will is adamant and wants to stay and help Natalie, but he gets wobbly too and Elsa takes him away. Phillip comes looking for Natalie and covertly slips the ring onto Natalie's finger. Dr. Marcel notices this but he is unable to do anything. When Natalie comes to, we find out she has memory loss from the head trauma, which means, conveniently for Philip, she has no choice but to believe him when he says they got engaged. Maggie's cancer is confirmed and she tells Sharon she will be seeking treatment from another hospital because she doesn't want her colleagues to know. April learns that she isn't pregnant, but it looks like Ethan might want to start a family with her. Meanwhile, Kevin Atwater from 'Chicago P.D.' shows up to investigate Connor's father's death and for which Connor and Ava accuse each other. When they learn the insulin used to overdose him can be traced, Ava begs Connor to help her escape. When he refuses, she slits her throat and though Connor and Dr. Latham try to save her life, she dies on the operating table. Connor leaves the hospital to go somewhere for a fresh start and be "just another doctor". The only people he bids farewell to are Dr. Latham and Sharon.
A lot happened in this premiere episode, and while it is 'Chicago Med', perhaps the writers feel like they are writing for Ian Harding's previous show, 'Pretty Little Liars'. Ava's disappointing character arc ended even more disappointingly and Connor got a send-off without much of a bang. Will is stubborn as usual but perhaps, the events of this episode and the previous season might cause him to change. But Philip is here to stay for now and it looks like the writers will replace Ava's unpredictableness with his. Natalie, honestly, deserves better -- as a person on the show and as a character written by the writers. Ethan and April's relationship is still going strong and their plotlines could move in an interesting direction this season. Maggie not wanting to be known as "the sick person" makes sense and while it will be heartbreaking to watch her suffer, we could see a new side of her this season. The new character Dr. Marcel Crockett seems friendly and interesting and it would be cool to see a new doctor interacting with the rest of them in Dr. Connor's absence.
'Chicago Med' airs on NBC on Wednesdays.
