Chicago Med season 5: New Year’s Resolutions for the rest of the season

Chicago Med returns in the new year, so we’re making some New Year’s Resolutions for what we need to see in the rest of Chicago Med season 5.

New Year’s Eve is upon us, and that means it’s time to start thinking about making some New Year’s Resolutions. So why not make a couple for Chicago Med?

We’ve put together a short list of three things that Chicago Med ought to do in the second half of season 7—whether they’re things that will make the show better, or things that would make a character’s life easier, or just things that make sense but haven’t happened yet for whatever reason.

Check out our New Year’s Resolutions for Chicago Med below, and leave your own resolutions for the show in the comments at the end of the article.

And don’t forget that Chicago Med season 5 returns on Jan. 8 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on NBC!

More from Chicago Med

• Chicago Med star on 2024 cast changes: ‘Nice to have new faces’
• Chicago Med casting news hints at season 10 renewal
• Chicago Med adding new doctor character in season 9
• Chicago Med gets production start date for season 9
• Chicago Med season 9 release updates, strike news, cast and everything we know so far

1) Less romance, more medicine

Chicago Med has always focused on both the staff’s professional and personal lives, but this season has tilted exceedingly in the latter direction. It’s to the point where instead of a medical drama with personal subplots, the show is beginning to feel like a soap opera that happens to be about doctors and nurses.

This has made the series feel incredibly unbalanced. Every main character is in some kind of romantic storyline, and for many of them, their personal life has been the most notable thing about the first nine episodes.

Meanwhile, many of the cases that have come through the doors just haven’t been quite as memorable as the ones we saw in seasons 1-3. Even in a crossover that should have put Med at the forefront, since it was dealing with a virus, the hospital was largely just a place to treat the infected (except for the cringe-worthy quarantine escape). The best moments went to characters from other shows.

We miss the series that had great cases and something to say through those cases, not just who’s dating who and if they stay together or not. Maybe once some of the personal stuff gets resolved, that show will come back again.

Watch One Chicago on fuboTV: Watch over 67 live sports and entertainment channels with a 7-day FREE trial!

2) Keep Manstead apart

Fans’ jaws dropped in the Chicago Med midseason finale when Dr. Will Halstead (Nick Gehlfuss) not only refused to take ex-fiancee Dr. Natalie Manning (Torrey DeVitto) that he was better off without her. It was a wake-up call that Natalie needed to hear, but it’s only going to have a real impact if the show actually keeps them away from each other for at least a large chunk of the remainder of the season.

Manstead shippers shouldn’t feel too down; the show’s made clear over the years that they love that ship, so they’ll probably reconcile at some point. But Will’s words will seem empty if he’s back to pining over Natalie in two or three episodes. And frankly, it’s better for their relationship in the long run if they work on themselves for a while.

Remember back in season 2 when Natalie dumped Jeff Clarke (Jeff Hephner) saying she wanted to focus on herself? She never really did that. She needs to; she’s just overcome a brain injury while also finding out the man she once loved was manipulating her. That’s a lot to process!

And Will is deserving of some breathing room after all the back-and-forth he’s had with Natalie. So much of his life has orbited around her, and it’s time to see what he’s like when he’s truly on his own, independent from her, not just waiting for her to notice him.

3) Find a role for Goodwin

Sharon Goodwin (S. Epatha Merkerson) has always played a supporting role on Chicago Med, but the show has particularly struggled with her this season. The one major thing that’s happened in her life is her giving a second chance to her ex-husband. And that storyline doesn’t really ring true either.

There’s more for her to do than just pop up to settle disputes or issue PR statements. The drama around the hospital has had effects on patient care—we’ve seen a nurse commit a felony while a doctor has suggested a patient jump off the roof, for example. Shouldn’t she try to get her staff more in line? And moreso than just telling Dr. Daniel Charles (Oliver Platt) not to do it again?

They are kind of running around wild right now, and Goodwin can get her nurses and doctors back in check. That would actually be a compelling plotline, if the hospital’s reputation struggled and it mandated some major changes. It’d at least be more interesting than “financial troubles” and “the latest time we had to call the hospital lawyer.”

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.