Chicago Med’s S. Epatha Merkerson is One Chicago performer of the week

Chicago Med star S. Epatha Merkerson is One Chicago Center’s performer of the week for her work as Sharon Goodwin in Chicago Med season 4, episode 19.

This week’s Performer of the Week honors go to S. Epatha Merkerson from Chicago Med, for her portrayal of Sharon Goodwin in Wednesday’s episode “Never Let You Go.”

Anyone who watched her in Dick Wolf‘s Law & Order franchise knows how fantastic an actress S. Epatha Merkerson is. She spent more than a decade playing Lt. Anita Van Buren, and every week was consistently good.

She plays a similar role on Chicago Med, being the supervisor of all the other characters and trying to keep them in line. But the difference is on this show, particularly this season, she’s been limited in what she can do.

Most of when we’ve seen Goodwin in season 4 has been typical boss stuff—arguing with doctors and nurses over their choices, fighting off the hospital board, complaining about the budget issues that never seem to go away. It’s been hard not to want more for her.

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This week, One Chicago fans finally got it.

Goodwin was key to “Never Let You Go.” She was the person to befriend the eventual gunman, making her the only person he semi-trusted. She was the person who could get through to him about the issues with all of the various patients.

And in the episode’s final act, Goodwin firmly stood her ground holding onto a newborn, even if it meant that she wound up getting shot to death.

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Luckily, she didn’t, but it was a reminder of how strong and how interesting a character Sharon Goodwin can be, when Chicago Med gives her the storylines to show those things off.

She doesn’t just push papers and talk about legal issues; she’s worked her way up from being a still very capable nurse, and she’s going to fight for this hospital and the patients in it, even if it puts her life on the line.

Merkerson was excellent this week, whether it was showing Goodwin’s diplomatic side in how she tried to console the upset young man, or demonstrating impressive toughness when he had a gun pointed at her. Watch the episode’s final showdown again by playing the video below, and maybe we’ll get a lot more moments like this for Goodwin in the season’s final few installments.

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.