It feels like Chicago Med is in the midst of its own renaissance.
Chicago Med Season 10 Episode 8 certainly had us on the edge of our seats, ending with the beloved Goodwin at the mercy of her patient’s disgruntled spouse.
Her life hangs in the balance, but is it possible that it lies in the hands of the man she demoted?
During an emotional One Chicago press conference, TV Fanatic caught up with the legendary Steven Weber to talk about Dr. Archer’s shocking decision to resign, and the circumstances surrounding Goodwin’s stabbing. Final moments.
Incredibly charming and candid, Webber dissects Archer’s evolution as a character, teasing his future in the revolving door Dick Wolf universe and heading into the epic Avengers: Endgame Battle of Chicago style.
Webb had an intimate knowledge of Dean Archer’s character development and mentality.
The opportunity for him to think about the character’s flaws, evolution and how he brought the character to life was enlightening.
He also praised the season’s new tone, a deeper dive into the characters’ psyches, expanded character exploration into some of Chicago Med’s most important background characters, and the new director of photography’s intriguing approach to filming the show. New ways to get excited.
Ahead of the can’t-miss midseason premiere, check out our exclusive chat with Steven Weber below!
The midseason finale delivered two huge, shocking cliffhangers. You are part of both of them. Are you as surprised as we are by Archer’s resignation?
Yes, believe me, I was scared when I read it. I thought, “Oh, great. Goodbye, everyone. This has been so long.
In “World of Wolves,” the performances are great, but let’s face it, everyone is dispensable — except Mariska Hargitay. Mariska is Mount Rushmore.
What about everyone else? goodbye. So, when I saw that, I actually asked, “Is that so?” They just said, “Don’t worry; don’t worry.” They didn’t elaborate, but I’m still here.
Does Archer have some nefarious plan to get rid of Lennox? I was surprised he gave in so easily. I expected worse things.
I think that’s too easy. The thing is, he’s been on an emotional journey, if you will, where he evolved out of reactive, dickish, toxic, masculine pain.
His tone softened slightly and became more understanding. That said, there are still things that trigger him for this broken guy, like a strong woman who is not only strong, but just as cunning as him, maybe more so. He’s learning to deal with things.
He must face himself. In some ways, Lenox is like that. The scene was tough when I was talking in the elevator and I said, “You’ll understand.”
I’m worried they’re going to turn him into a horrible sociopath. But no, that was the last echo of this guy. Instead, he’s learning to deal with things rather than just throwing tantrums or fighting back.
yesou actually touches on one of my next questions. How will Archer continue to evolve in the second half of the season? He’s shown some real growth in such a short period of time.
I think he has. Also, the writers were smart not to go with the cheesy moment of him crying while watching “The Beach,” or stuff like “There were some kittens.” No, he is still a soldier of the first generation.
He’s dealing with the absence of his son and the end of his relationship with his girlfriend, as well as the questions that are slowly eroding his reality, namely, who am I? What am I?
What should I do with my life? What is my purpose? He started asking these questions, which came to him in the form of challenges.
They came to him in the form of Lenox. They came to him in the form of vicious attacks by Ms Goodwin.
They come to him in the form of Hannah, who is not a romantic figure in his life but someone who represents trust and intimacy, whom he has been avoiding and who has always avoided him. So there’s a lot of evolution.
What role will he play in saving Sharon after everything that’s happened? How does this affect their relationship after the demotion?
It’s safe to say that since he’s the last person you see, he’ll play a big role in the intervention. Whether he can save her remains to be seen.
But the reality is that at the critical moment when he was ready to give up on the whole thing, he found himself playing the role the universe had handed him.
How that affects his future, again, without saying too much, is that as we’ve already said, he’s in a place where he’s becoming more receptive to the world, less reactive to the world, less defensive.
What was once a threat is now more of an opportunity. I know it’s very exciting.
Of course, this is your first big One Chicago crossover. Can you tell me what the experience of interacting with other people is like? What can you make fun of about that?
This crossover is the equivalent of going to a Chicago theme park. Everyone queues for hours, if not days.
They had been camping in tents for several days to get into the theme park. Once they get in, they embark on this three-hour thrill ride that is, I would say, the Chicago One equivalent of Avengers: Endgame.
It’s so big, but it’s so exciting that it’s not just a few people mixing it up in each other’s scenes. Oh, there’s a nurse over there. There is a doctor in the fire station.
No, it’s everyone. Everyone is like a symbolic gun. It’s really exciting and super fun. The audience will only be rewarded.
It’s exciting, moving, and great. It was a wonderfully epic event.
What’s it like working with new showrunner Alan Macdonald? The series takes on a different but interesting new energy this season.
This is so exciting. The first few seasons of Andy and Diane were so great, the way they wrote and developed the stories and these characters – you can’t compare it to anything. But they were very generous and smart in handing over the reins to Alan Macdonald and Anna Dokoza.
Through them, they spearheaded an intensification of these characters, almost elevating them to a level that audiences might not have expected, which is deeper, more personal, more gritty, and less histrionic.
“Hey, we’re going to do some fancy surgery.” No, we’re going to get into the lives and connective tissue of these characters.
They started exploring these so-called background characters, the nurses and attendants who had been there for years long before I got there. They start to open up that world, and it’s amazing and wonderful.
They also kind of leveraged our new director of photography, Shawn Maurer, who brought more texture, more drama, sun and moonlight to the look of the show.
It’s not just us inside the hospital who are illuminated. There’s so much life in how he creates the look of the show. So everyone is obviously excited. Everyone.
Very well translated. It feels like a renaissance for the series, which is really exciting.
Yes, that would be great.
Is there anything else to tease about what’s coming?
Well, let me say, no, I don’t. I’ve given you all the teasing. I can’t do much!
Chicago Med returns tonight at 8/7c on NBC!
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