Chicago Med has been crushing it in season 10. The medical drama is topping Chicago PD in ratings, and is nipping at the heels of Chicago Fire. When all three shows came together for a crossover, Med came out on top with the highest viewership.
Despite this achievement, some fans lamented the way Med characters were worked into the event. Some felt that because there is not a strong central romance within the show, that it was given less emotional stakes than its peer shows. Well, that might just change with the return of a character we recently met.
Dr. Hayes is returning to Med in season 10
Chicago Med introduced Dr. Hayes (Brendan Hines) during the January 22 episode, and showrunner Allen MacDonald confirmed the character will be coming back in season 10. Furthermore, he teased a potential romance between the new doctor and Dr. Caitlin Lenox (Sarah Ramos).
Lenox has mostly kept to herself since joining Gaffney Medical Center. The bulk of her drama occurs in the operating room, or in the hallways, when she's clashing with Dr. Archer (Steven Weber). That is going to change with Dr. Hayes, however.
"There’s more to come between Dr. Hayes and Dr. Lenox," MacDonald assured. He told TV Line that the latter may have a tough personality, but her initial experience with Hayes hints at something that could reveal different sides
Hayes will have romantic chemistry with Dr. Lenox
"Sometimes there are little cracks, and [the Jan. 22 episode] was one of those times," the showrunner explained. "It’s like, 'Oh, she is interested in possibly a romantic side or, at least, feels that sometimes,' because she’s so closed off a lot of the time."
MacDonald is not wrong. Dr. Lenox came in hot, immediately clashing with the aforementioned Archer and getting a lot of grief from families and patients for her approach. We saw just how her approach to treatment can rub people the wrong way in the crossover, when a distraught Burgess (Marina Squerciati) threatened to arrest her if she didn't allow PD characters to interrogate a suspect who was severely burned.
The Burgess incident was a nice microcosm for how the character has grown on fans, though. She found a way to help the PD officer without compromising her medical ethics. Lenox is tough but she is also fair and also human. We're intrigued to see what a potential romance looks like for her, and how it changes the make up of Chicago Med moving forward.