Chicago Med stars tease Asher and Archer romance
Few Chicago Med dynamics have been more intriguing than the one between Hannah Asher (Jessy Schram) and Dean Archer (Steven Weber). Things have been adversarial between them, especially when Asher was in the throes of addiction, but season 8 has seen them develop a surprisingly close relationship.
While Asher’s optimism and Archer’s cynicism may make them appear as opposites, they’ve found common ground in recent weeks, and some fans have even begun to theorize that a relationship could result.
The showrunners and writers have done little to stoke the flames regarding an Asher/Archer romance, but the actors who play them broke their silence during a recent interview.
Are Asher and Archer dating on Chicago Med?
Schram, who has been promoted to main cast member after returning at the end of season 7, told Variety that trauma has been a foundational similarity for both her character and Archer.
She says that Asher’s struggles with addiction and and Archer’s struggles with PTSD and his anxiety have led to their finding common ground, and that the recognition of this common ground has led the notoriously private Archer to open up more than he normally would.
Both are “broken” in the actresses’ words, and while she admits that “nothing is off the table” when it comes to story ideas, she’s hesitant to jump to the possibility of a straightforward love story between Asher and Archer.
“There are seeds that are being planted that are more in vulnerability and trust in this authentic relationship and if anything were to come from it, I don’t think it would come from this lust-filled romance”, Schram explained.
Weber echoed his co-stars sentiments, pointing to the professionalism of his character and the age gap between Asher and Archer. He said he wasn’t opposed to the idea of a romance, but that it needed to be handled realistically.
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"“When we have discussed it with writers and producers, we have emphasized that if something should happen, it should come with effort and difficulty”, he added. “It’s not sexy and slick. It comes out of a need, out of vulnerability…”"
The willingness to address the rumors suggests that Med is probably going to embrace the Asher and Archer romance, but it’s nice to know that the writing team will not cheapen it or rush through it in a conventional manner. Based on what both actors have to say, a potential romance will be handled with nuance and care regarding who the characters are and how they would behave.
We can’t say we saw this development coming, but it’s definitely one that’s intriguing.
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