Before Chicago Med season 11 premiered, I was really excited for the show to return, even though I felt heartbroken about one aspect. Since I believe that season 10 was the show's best season ever, I was really looking forward to seeing what would happen with the show's characters when the series returned. For example, like most viewers, I was really interested to find out who the father of Dr. Hannah Asher's baby is.
Fortunately, the show very quickly solved that mystery, and the season 11 premiere presented an interesting medical case that I found compelling. However, that doesn't mean that I was happy with every aspect of the medical drama's return. Instead, I found myself feeling really worried about how the episode handled one of Chicago Med's best and most beloved characters, Dr. Daniel Charles.
Chicago Med's season 11 premiere let Dr. Daniel Charles down
When Chicago Med season 11 episode 1, "We All Fall Down," aired, the show only had roughly 40 minutes to tell a story and pick up where season 10 left off. As a result, I understand that the season's first episode couldn't focus on every plotline that the show had going when season 10 ended. However, I was flabbergasted by two of the storylines that were left by the wayside, at least during the first episode.
First off, the fact that the premiere tried to address Maggie Lockwood's absence with a pair of hamfisted references to her character was baffling. Secondly, I was shocked by how the first episode back involved, or more accurately didn't involve, Dr. Daniel Charles.
Trigger warning: The following paragraph will refer to self-harm in a very general way.
Near the end of season 10, Dr. Charles' mother died in front of him when they were in the midst of an argument. During the final episode of the season, Dr. Charles learned that, despite priding himself on being able to help people, his daughters felt they couldn't talk to him. Worst of all, Dr. Charles also learned that his daughter, Anna Charles, had tried to take her own life because she was deeply depressed.
All of those events left Dr. Charles understandably feeling devastated both personally and professionally. While the Chicago Med season 11 premiere didn't have to solely focus on Dr. Charles' situation, what he went through was so earth-shattering for him that largely ignoring the situation even for an episode felt wrong. However, even though the traditional "previously on" segment at the beginning of the episode showed Dr. Charles learning what was going on with his daughter, that storyline was basically ignored. The only follow-up was a conversation about how great Dr. Charles and his daughter Anna are doing.
Sharon Goodwin: "How's Anna doing at Northwestern?"
Dr. Daniel Charles: "She's loving it. I mean, I’m loving it."
Sharon Goodwin: "Yeah?"
Dr. Daniel Charles: "Yeah. I mean, she comes over on weekends, you know, we hang out, lets me do her laundry."
Sharon Goodwin: "Well, you sound happy."
Dr. Daniel Charles: "I do?"
Sharon Goodwin: "Yeah."
Dr. Daniel Charles: "Careful. Happiness is a trap."
Sharon Goodwin: (Laughs)
While the rest of Chicago Med season 11 may yet touch on everything that Dr. Charles and Anna Charles went through, that exchange really felt like a way of handwaving away the entire storyline. Dr. Charles talking about how great Anna is doing also made it seem like her character may not play any role in the show going forward. That makes me really worried because I believe Dr. Charles needs to grow during season 11, and his daughters should have continued to appear on the show.
Chicago Med airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on NBC, streaming next day on Peacock.