Chicago Med season 5 midseason report: Sharon Goodwin

How has Chicago Med season 5 gone for Sharon Goodwin? Before Chicago Med returns, we’re reviewing the season for S. Epatha Merkerson’s character.

Before Chicago Med comes back in the new year, we’re taking a moment to pause and look at the current season for each character. What are the important events that fans need to remember?

What plot developments have been good for each character, and which story points need to be improved? And of course, where could they go next when new episodes start in January?

Read through the below as we look at Chicago Med season 5 as it relates to Sharon Goodwin (S. Epatha Merkerson), starting with:

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What’s happened so far

Unfortunately, this season has been one where Goodwin is back mostly on the sidelines.

Her biggest storyline in the first nine episodes was that she’s getting back together with her ex-husband, Bert Goodwin (recurring guest star GregAlan Williams), after he cheated on her and left her during the first season. Whether or not you believe that is up to you, but it’s all the character development she’s had so far.

Of course, she’s kept riding herd on everyone else in the hospital, because what would we do without the boss?

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What it means

There isn’t anything here that we haven’t said before. Goodwin doesn’t get nearly enough screen time or stories, in part because she’s an administrator in a show that’s focused on the doctors and nurses, and in part because Chicago Med doesn’t seem to know what to do with her.

The only way she tends to appear in medical storylines is when the staff needs her opinion to settle debates or she has to slap someone’s wrist for something. And her personal story is kind of frustrating, in part because it’s another romantic plot on a show already full of them, and in part because she can do better than the guy who abandoned her.

But how can the writers fix these problems? It’s going to take some creative writing to get Sharon more involved in medical cases when she’s not a practicing nurse anymore (like last season when she saved a baby). It’s an issue, but it’s also not as easy to fix as just saying we should fix it.

What’s next

The only thing unresolved for Sharon Goodwin is what happens to her renewed relationship with Bert. And honestly, that’s not going to be a huge game-changer for the show, since Sharon’s love life has never been a major part of the narrative.

In a best case scenario, she’ll have more screen time in the rest of the season, and get to do more than chastize the other characters (although honestly they need it with some of the things they get up to). But the writers may have to think on that as they go, and find plausible ways to get her out of her office and into the ED. S. Epatha Merkerson is too talented to just be behind a desk.

For the latest Chicago Med season 5 spoilers and news, plus more on the entire series, follow the Chicago Med category at One Chicago Center.