Chicago Med season 6 premiere preview: When Did We Begin To Change

Preview Chicago Med season 6, episode 1.

When Chicago Med returns tonight, it will tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, like other TV medical dramas have done or are planning to do. So what will the One Chicago drama bring to the table that other shows haven’t?

The season premiere, called “When Did We Begin To Change,” picks up with the hospital right in the middle of the coronavirus crisis. There’s also a personal subplot, as one of the characters has tested positive for COVID-19 and will be recovering during the premiere.

Chicago Med took some criticism last season for its increasing focus on relationships and for how the staff got away with some unprofessional behavior—and this is the episode where the writers can address those concerns.

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If a pandemic isn’t going to have the show focused on medicine and the characters on their best behavior, what will?

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As we’ve discussed in the lead-up to this premiere, there’s some pressure to do this subject justice, not only because of the real-life crisis (the show actually shut down production when two crew members tested positive for COVID-19) but because other medical dramas are also covering it so genre viewers will want to compare.

The Good Doctor has covered coronavirus already and Grey’s Anatomy, which premieres the day after Chicago Med with a crossover event, has also announced it will have a COVID-19 plot.

If Med serves up a premiere that gets muddled with personal issues and feels like the pandemic is just in the background, it might stick out like a sore thumb against its competitors.

Some things, however, seem like they’re going to stay the same. The episode description, and the photos, specifically call out Dr. Ethan Choi (Brian Tee) and April Sexton (Yaya DaCosta), suggesting that Chexton will continue to be the featured characters in the show.

In Choi’s case, this makes a good deal of sense, because he specializes in infectious diseases so he needs to be up front and center. Plus, after how he spent a large part of last season either worried about having a baby or ticked off at April, it’s a fine move to have him get back to his work.

But if he’s working again with April, is the show going to use this as an opportunity to work in their breakup drama? It is a habit in the entire One Chicago franchise to utilize bad things happening as a way to get couples together or back together (see: Connor and Ava, Severide and Stella, etc.)

There’s also no specific mention nor sighting of Sharon Goodwin (S. Epatha Merkerson), so even though this is a big plot, it doesn’t sound like she’ll have a big role—maybe she’ll end up doing a press conference like she normally does? It seems like a missed opportunity to have Goodwin use her nursing experience and get more screen time, but maybe we’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Next. Chicago Med showrunners discuss the new season. dark

For the latest Chicago Med season 6 spoilers and news, plus more on the entire series, follow the Chicago Med category at One Chicago Center.

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