A running theme across Chicago Med season 11, going all the way back to the first episodes of the season, has been the show’s ability to bring back characters from the past.
Some of these returns have been connected to legacy characters who haven’t been seen on the show in years, such as Nick Gehlfuss and Torrey DeVitto. Others have centered on more recent additions, bringing back characters whose stories are still fresh in viewers’ minds and helping to further expand the show’s current narrative.
While many of the returns have been welcome surprises, there have definitely been a few returns we could have done without. This includes the return of a familiar face from Frost’s past who popped back up in season 11, episode 19, “Exit Strategies.”
We’re referring to the return of Ainsley Towne, the woman who played Frost’s mom on Nick of Time, who took advantage of Frost by having engaging in a romantic relationship when he was just 16 years old.
Ainsley was first introduced in season 10, episode 15, “Down in a Hole,” and would appear in three episodes in the final stretch of the season. Through those episodes, we’d come to learn that Frost used to be really close to Ainsley during his time on the show as a kid actor, but their relationship developed into something it never should have been with her taking advantage of him.
Her final appearance came in season 10, episode 19, “The Stories We Tell Ourselves,” which saw Frost finally confront Ainsley for taking advantage of him when he was just a kid. We hoped that would be the last we’d see of the character, as the episode allowed Frost to confront her for taking advantage of him after running from the truth all these years. It was a major step for Frost in confronting his past and allowed him to reclaim a sense of control over a chapter of his life that had long defined him from the shadows, finally giving him the closure he deserved.
That’s why we were so disappointed when Ainsley returned in Chicago Med season 11, episode 19, crashing Frost and Ian’s lunch with the Nick of Time reboot producer having signed on to join the cast as a way to get close to Frost once again. Her return also brought about another shocking development: Frost’s dad knew the entire time about his relationship with Ainsley but never stepped up to protect his son. Instead, he allowed Ainsley to take advantage of him.
From a story perspective, we more than understand the reason the writers brought Ainsley back as a plot device to serve as the catalyst for Frost’s learning the betrayal he suffered at the hands of those who were supposed to protect him. However, that understanding doesn’t make the storyline any less frustrating, especially given how much growth Frost had already achieved, growth that deserved to be honored rather than reopened in such a painful way.
While we're eager to see where the writers take this storyline next and know that Darren Barnett is going to continue to deliver incredible performances with the material being provided, let's hope we've seen the last of Ainsley for real this time. She's no longer needed for the fallout, which should be focused on Frost and his parents.
Add us as a preferred source on Google