Chicago Med midseason premiere recap: All The Lonely People

Chicago Med’s midseason premiere featured two big returns, but only one was wanted. Here’s what happened in Chicago Med season 4, episode 10.

The Chicago Med midseason premiere arrived with multiple characters making their returns to the hospital—but the drama they brought with them was pretty much the same.

Wednesday’s episode “All The Lonely People” started not by answering fans’ questions about Manstead, but instead it kicked off with domestic bliss for Dr. Connor Rhodes (Colin Donnell) and Dr. Ava Bekker (Norma Kuhling). But Ava was determined not to accompany Connor to the latest hospital gala.

And then it was more nurse gossip, which was just a set-up for April Sexton (Yaya DaCosta) to see a drive-by shooting. April immediately called the cops, while the would-be killer was now trapped under his own overturned car. Well, that backfired, didn’t it?

The man was eventually brought into the ED ranting and raving, along with April, who had been struck by one of his bullets. That didn’t go over well with her ex-boyfriend Dr. Ethan Choi (Brian Tee), who was stone-faced treating the man as the police arrive.

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And by police, we mean Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati) from Chicago PD. She agreed to let the suspect—named Dennis—psychologically evaluated, so cue Dr. Daniel Charles (Oliver Platt). He quickly deduced that Dennis had some serious issues toward women.

"Elsa: So besides being a rapid misogynist, what kind of crazy is he?"

With his spider-sense tingling, Charles asked Maggie Lockwood (Marlyne Barrett) to check if Dennis had been a patient at the hospital before.

Meanwhile, Dr. Natalie Manning (Torrey DeVitto) was called into the boss’s office to speak with the FBI. She found out that Dr. Will Halstead (Nick Gehlfuss) would be coming back to Chicago since the Burke case had been closed, but he might not be the same.

And before Natalie could emotionally process that, she was back in the ED treating a pregnant woman with an aneurysm. That killed the woman in less than two minutes, leaving Natalie to perform an emergency C-section to save the baby:

Natalie was able to deliver the baby, and ordered her sent directly to Neonatal Intensive Care. But that joy was tempered by the fact that the child would never know her mother. The baby’s father Philip (that’s Ian Harding, who will recur for multiple episodes) at least had Natalie to talk to.

Vicki Glass (recurring guest star Cynthia Addai-Robinson) popped up at Chicago Med to check on Ethan, who also reassured her that things were over between him and April.

And Maggie confirmed Charles’ suspicions that Dennis had been a patient before—he had been in six months earlier and harassed nurse Monique.

While Charles got more information from Elsa Currie (recurring guest star Molly Bernard), April argued with Choi about refusing to release Dennis, given that he was now complaining of other symptoms. Was Chicago Med positioning Elsa as a replacement for Dr. Sarah Reese?

Connor made it to the hospital, where he was assigned to help a boy who had accidentally shot himself with a nail gun and had the nail hit one of his ribs. Don’t play with nail guns, kids.

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Upstairs, Natalie had to break more bad news to Philip: his baby’s heart was missing a valve, and she needed an urgent operation. And then, halfway through this episode, Will finally turned up!

This was the emotional scene Chicago Med fans had been expecting. Will apologized and told her “it was terrible without you” while everyone cried (including the audience), before they shared an overdue kiss.

You’d think the episode might linger on its central couple, but instead after one quick other scene, it shifted back to Natalie and Philip. After he told her there was no one to help him, Charles was still trying to psychoanalyze a remorseless Dennis—until Elsa decided to give Dennis a piece of her mind and got herself dragged out of the room.

"Elsa: You’re just trying to find some excuse so that he doesn’t pay for what he did."

While Charles lectured Elsa, Choi determined that Dennis’s physical problems needed surgery, as April shot Choi another disapproving look.

And Connor started his own surgery, allowing his patient’s father to be in the room while his son was put under. Unfortunately, that meant Dad was there when the situation got worse, and it was not a shock when Dad decided he knew better and attacked Connor.

Anesthesiologist Marty was able to subdue him with a syringe, but not before the man’s actions screwed up the procedure, forcing Connor to call for backup—and Chicago Med fans knew who it would be, since Ava had been MIA since the opening scene. Even considering that Connor could have been seriously hurt, Ava still had time to chastize him.

Eventually, Connor and Ava were able to finish the surgery, and Dad apologized to Connor for his moment of total insanity. Ava had changed her tune by then, saying that Connor’s intentions were good—but she still didn’t want to go to the gala because she didn’t want to see his father. Can’t blame her there.

Will waited in the doctors’ lounge for Natalie, who told him about Philip and how she knew exactly how the other man was feeling. Meanwhile, April continued to get snippy with Choi about Dennis, forcing him to explain himself—and saying that “He hurt someone I care about. He hurt you.”

While Dennis was on his way out, Natalie stopped by to give Philip information for funeral homes in the area, which prompted him to finally break down in her arms. Natalie comforted him as Will looked on in the background, and Chicago Med gave us that ominous dramatic music sting.

April watched Choi meet Vicki outside the hospital and sighed heavily, before asking Monique why she was still working. Monique felt responsible for April being shot, and she too started crying and needing to be comforted. She confessed that she’d had coffee with Dennis, but then told him to leave her alone—and Maggie and April had to convince her that not only was she not at fault, but she wasn’t alone.

Chicago Med wrapped up with Will unpacking his things—which now included a gun. Natalie was not in favor of a firearm in their house, given that he “used to hate guns” and she had a son in the house. She told him he’d have to leave if he wanted to keep it, so Will began to pack his bag again. So much for a happy reunion.

And as if that wasn’t enough dysfunction, “All The Lonely People” ended with the moment that we predicted from the opening scene: Ava being left alone so Cornelius (recurring guest star D.W. Moffett) could come up behind her and be a total creep. He talked about how he deserved “more than one night” with her…yes, the show was suggesting she slept with him to get that donation!

Ava told Connor that his father was making it up, and Connor walked right over and decked him for it. But let’s hope that she was telling the truth, or this show is about to take an even weirder turn.

For the latest Chicago Med season 4 spoilers and news, plus more on the entire series, follow the Chicago Med category at One Chicago Center.