We're not even halfway through Chicago Med season 11, and the latest season of the long-running medical drama has already given us some of the strongest storytelling the show has ever tackled. Sure, that might be a bold statement, but we've gotten a major return from two of the show's original stars, a heartbreaking death, and new character dynamics that are redefining the series.
Obviously, Asher and Archer have been navigating new territory in their relationship as they prepare to become parents together, but that's not the character dynamics I'm talking about. The true highlight of Chicago Med season 11 so far has been the naturally blossoming friendship between Ripley and Frost, a refreshing bromance that we haven't quite seen at Gaffney before.
When Frost first arrived in season 10, we slowly got to know him along with his fellow doctors and nurses, but he didn't really build any strong friendships at work that felt lasting. But season 11 has continued to flesh Frost out as a character and given him both love interests and friendships. For what feels like the first time, Chicago Med has a solid example of a strong male friendship.
Throughout season 10, Ripley and Frost worked closely together on a few cases, and while they might have had disagreements about caring for their patients like all of the doctors do at some point on this show, they have been able to remain friends and grow their friendship even beyond a working relationship. The Ripley-Frost bromance grew exponentially when they moved in together.
Although we haven't yet seen their living arrangements for ourselves (fingers crossed for a drop-in at their shared living space in 2026!), Ripley was one of the few who Gaffney staff members who noticed that Frost wasn't acting like himself and checking in on him. When he realized that Frost didn't have a place to live, he opened his home and insisted he stay with no strings attached, except for the fact that he needed a friend to lean on after Sadie broke up with him.
It's honestly refreshing to see a friendship between two younger men that isn't competitive or fueled by jealousy or toxic in any way. (Also, for what's it worth, there isn't any ship-baiting, though some fans probably do ship them.) Ripley and Frost's bond is unlike the other male friendships currently on the show. Charles is far closer to Goodwin than Archer, who's probably closest to Asher.
Chicago Med has had some male friendships in the past, like Rhodes and Latham and also Crockett and Noah, though those pairings often acted more like mentor and mentee relationships than actual friendships. Will and Ethan were another pairing you could classify as a bromance, though they had far more conflict than Ripley and Frost — at least so far.
Ripley and Frost could still clash in future episodes, especially now that they're living together, but the new era of Chicago Med appears to be putting more focus on building strong bonds between the main characters rather than tearing them apart in ways that could be potentially irreparable. Personally, I hope the series keeps the Ripley-Frost bromance exactly the way it is.