The Chicago Med season 10 finale was full of unexpected moments and surprise twists, giving One Chicago fans what was arguably the best finale of the One Chicago franchise this season. The episode had everything we’ve come to expect from One Chicago franchise finales: shocking revelations, an unexpected departure, and a series of cliffhangers that will keep us talking throughout the summer as we wait for the next season to begin.
It also had a moment that we weren’t quite expecting, bringing back a few familiar faces for the episode, including one we truly did not expect to see back this season! Warning: Chicago Med season 10 finale spoilers ahead!
Early in the episode, Dr. Charles’s daughter, Anna, is brought in through the ED after being involved in a car accident. As the doctors treated Anna, we saw Mekia Cox back for a second straight episode, reprising her role as Charles’s eldest daughter, Robin. It was a pleasant surprise to see Cox back again, and her appearance in the episode made sense contextually, given we learned in the penultimate episode that Anna had been staying with Robin. Given her sister’s accident, it made sense that Robin would be present at the hospital alongside their dad to offer her support.
What we did not expect was to see Rachel DiPillo make a surprise cameo in the season 10 finale, reprising her role as Dr. Sarah Reese.
DiPillo returned for a 2-episode guest arc earlier this season, marking her first time back on the show since her exit in the season 4 premiere seven years ago. The surprise return of Dr. Reese allowed us to learn what she had been up to since leaving Gaffney Chicago Medical Center, and we also got to see her and Charles work through the issues of their past. It was a highlight of the season, and we loved seeing Dr. Reese back on the show working alongside Charles. However, it seemed as though that return was self-contained to the two episodes.
That’s why it was so surprising when Dr. Reese made a brief cameo in the season finale, in a moment that was truly perfect.
As the doctors treated Anna, it became apparent that she had tried to take her own life, and Charles came to the realization that Anna had been struggling with depression in silence. When he blurred the lines between being a father and a shrink, Anna lashed out, which sent Charles into a spiral of his own making. Hoping to help talk through his concerns, Charles sought out Dr. Reese, and we got to witness a really meaningful conversation between the pair as he opened up to her about the fear that he’s let his daughters down by not being able to turn off the shrink part of him.
In turn, Reese was able to provide Charles with some much-needed advice that allowed him to patch things up with Anna and open up to her in a way we’ve never seen before.
The scene itself was rather short and only unfolded over a few brief minutes, but it was absolutely brilliant of the writers to bring Reese back for that scene. It not only served as a catalyst for Charles to let his guard down and open up to Anna, but it was so special to see Charles turning to Reese in his time of need, showing us the trust they’ve built since mending their relationship earlier this season.
We can only hope that we might get to see more of Reese in season 11, even if just via a guest appearance here and there, as we’d love to see more of this dynamic unfold on the show!