Dr. Hannah Asher (Jessy Schram) and Dr. Mitch Ripley (Luke Mitchell) have called it quits. Or rather, the former has called quits on the latter. She decided to end their relationship in the episode "Acid Test," sending Ripley even further down his personal spiral.
We all want Ripley to rebound, including Asher, but fans have also perked up at the idea of Asher being single again. Especially since the person who encouraged her to severe ties, indirectly, was an accidentally drugged up Dr. Dean Archer (Steven Weber). Some fans are hopeful that this exchange was a hint of what's to come. Namely, an Asher and Archer romance.
Steven Weber has shot down romance rumors
Asher and Archer have been close for a couple seasons now, and their relationship has softened up the otherwise grumpy Archer significantly. Fans love their dynamic, and the buzz heading into the end of Med season 10 is that they can finally get together now that Ripley is (romantically) MIA.
It could absolutely happen. Asher and Archer (no clue how to combine their surnames for a couple name) could work as a couple, and they obviously have a strong emotional connection. Here's the thing; both actors have expressed hesitation to lean into romance, fearing it would flatten and push their relationship into more cliched territory.
Steven Weber detailed this concern during a January interview with Screen Rant. "It would be easy for an audience to say, 'Oh, look at these two characters.... let's get 'em together. Let's do that.' I think the writers are smarter than that." The actor went on to note that he values the plutonic element of Asher and Archer's relationship because it leads to more unique characterization.
Asher and Ripley still have a lot to unpack
"They're trying to do something else with it," Weber said regarding the Med writers. "They're trying to earn a relationship with them... These are two people who are complicated, and it's hard for them to find safety in another human being." To the actor's credit, he did not rule out the possibility of there being a romance in the future. "If it ever gets physical, I don't know," he quipped.
It's also worth noting that the Asher and Ripley storyline is far from over. The latter is going to need to rebuild himself, both physically and psychologically, but their romance cannot be erased, and they are going to have a lot to unpack between them for the rest of the season 10 going into season 11.
Asher and Archer will continue to be one of the strongest dynamics on Chicago Med, but we are hesitant to buy stock when it comes to a romance. Time, as always, will tell.