Chicago Med bosses tease new romance for Archer in season 9

Dr. Dean Archer (Steven Weber) will always be the resident grump on Chicago Med. He likes keeping people at arm's length, and even when he does get close to someone, like Dr. Hannah Asher (Jessy Schram), he struggles to not withdraw emotionally.

That's not even getting into the character's medical struggles, or how Asher and his son Sean (Lupi Sottile) have developed a complicated relationship of their own. There was a period during season 8 where it seemed as though Archer and Asher were speeding towards a romance, but Chicago Med showrunners have laid this theory to rest. Well, sort of.

Archer will find new romance in season 9

During a recent interview with TV Line, Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider toed the line between teasing an Archer/Asher romance and suggesting that they will simply stay good friends. The latter explained:

"Friendships can turn into romantic relationships. I think they both have feelings, but they’re very sublimated."

Chicago Med has a long history of characters getting romantically involved, only to realize that they are better off as friends, so it would be viewed as some missed opportunity on the part of viewers. Where things took an unexpected turn, however, was when Schneider revealed plans for a different romantic subplot involving Archer.

Archer and Asher will still have a close bond

The co-showrunner claimed that Archer, who has not had the most active dating life during his time on Med, would strike up a brand new romance during season 9. It's a good thing too, because he's bound to get a bit jealous of the attention that Asher is giving newcomer Dr. Ripley (Luke Mitchell):

"Archer can’t but help feel a little jealous, but he has his own romance going."

This, of course, raises questions about where Asher and Ripley are headed in season 9. Ripley is still getting his feet wet, and establishing work connections with the rest of the Gafffney staff, so throwing a potential romance into the mix could make things infinitly more complicated-- but also more interesting! Sign us up.