If there is one thing that Chicago Med season 10 has taught us, it’s that we should really learn to expect the unexpected. First came the return of Rachel DiPillo as Dr. Sarah Reese, marking her first appearance on the show since her exit way back in season 4. Then came episode 15, which brought about an unexpected return of a character whose time seemingly had come to an end via a really fun cameo.
Warning: Spoilers ahead for Chicago Med season 10, episode 15
Episode 15, “Down in a Hole,” was a major episode for Ripley who took center stage as he teamed up with Mouch and the CFD to help a mother and daughter trapped in an abandoned well. During the rescue, Ripely successfully assisted the CFD in rescuing both victims and getting them to safety; however, the rescue took a turn for the worse when the tunnel collapsed leaving Ripley trapped within in an air pocket with very little oxygen.
Dr. Charles arrives on the scene and begins talking with Ripley in hopes of keeping him alert, but he ultimately loses consciousness and things are looking quite grim. That’s when Ripley hears a familiar voice, but not one we expected.
Daniel Dorr returns as Sully in Chicago Med season 10 episode 15
After passing out, Ripley hears a voice and when he looks up he sees Sully in a scene that is very reminiscent of when Voight saw Al when his life was hanging in the balance. This allowed Daniel Dorr to make a surprise cameo following what we thought was his final episode earlier this season when his character passed away at Med.
Sully tells Ripley that he doesn’t get to die and that he needs to save himself. As they talk, Sully recalls the moment when he heard Ripley made it into med school and how it put the biggest smile on his face. Ripley begins to comment about how he failed Sully, to which Sully thanks him for being there for him at the end of his life and assures him they’ll always be brothers.
Ripley tells Sully how much he misses him and it looks like he’s starting to give up which is when Sully tells him that he understands why Ripley is angry and that being angry has always been his thing. Rather than letting that anger get the best of him, Sully tells Ripley to channel that anger into something positive instead rather than giving up which seems to be the push he needs to fight as Ripley makes it out of the well alive and seemingly with a new lease on life.
The moment shared with Sully seems to be a turning point for Ripley to finally start getting his life back on track and let go of the guilt that has been eating him alive. It was also a really run moment to see Sully back even just briefly and to get to see Ripley get the closure he desperately needed in having the chance to say goodbye to his friend.