Before Chicago Med season 11 begins, I am extremely excited to see new episodes of the fantastic medical drama for several reasons. For example, now that I know that Chicago Med and Chicago Fire will have mini crossovers, I can't wait to see how that affects the medical show. I'm also very interested to see how season 10's baby cliffhanger will be paid off when the series returns and how Dr. Daniel Charles will have matured following the death of his mother and the return of his daughters.
While the ending of the previous season introduced several storylines that I am excited to see continued, that isn't the case with all aspects of how the last episode ended. In fact, there is one pivotal part of season 10's final episode that has me extremely worried about how one important character's season 11 storyline will play out.
Why I'm worried about Dr. Caitlin Lenox's Chicago Med season 11 storyline
When Dr. Caitlin Lenox made her Chicago Med debut, I found the character frustrating. Dr. Lenox's introduction left me wondering why some TV show bosses think it is a good idea to create new characters who make every other character miserable and ruin what fans enjoy watching. Before the season ended, however, my opinion of the character had completely flipped.
While Dr. Lenox almost seemed cartoonishly brutal to me at first, the character's true nature was revealed over time. Instead of simply wanting to wield the authority she had, Dr. Lenox turned out to be a character who was determined to maximize the hospital and its staff's ability to help patients. In her pursuit of that singularly good goal, she was willing to be harsh and even hated. As the season progressed, viewers learned that Dr. Lenox's tunnel-visioned pursuit of helping patients was motivated by her knowing that her life could be short and end brutally.
As Chicago Med season 10 progressed, viewers learned that Dr. Lenox's mother died after being diagnosed with Gerstmann–Sträussler–Scheinker syndrome. A fatal neurodegenerative disease, GSS causes severe symptoms like dementia, with symptoms worsening until sufferers pass away far too early in life. Because GSS is a hereditary disease, Dr. Lenox knew she had a 50% of carrying it, but she and her brother had pledged not to get the test to find out their status.
Later during season 10, Dr. Lenox's brother began exhibiting symptoms that could indicate that he might have been born with GSS. As a result, the siblings agreed to finally get tested. When the results came back, the doctor's brother learned he didn't carry the disease, and she claimed she didn't either. However, the final minutes of season 10 revealed that Dr. Lenox actually was carrying the disease, and it is only a matter of time before she begins suffering symptoms.
Dr. Lenox's diagnosis is what has me concerned about how the show will handle her storylines during season 11 for two reasons. First off, after season 10 of the show began unwrapping layers of the character, I have a feeling that Dr. Lenox could largely revert to how she was introduced. After confirming that her time to practice medicine will be short, Dr. Lenox could once again drop the more personal side of the character that her mentoring Student Doctor Naomi Howard showed.
Secondly, I'm afraid that all of Dr. Lenox's storylines will solely focus on the disease she is carrying. Don't get me wrong, I understand that getting a diagnosis like that could feel Earth-shattering for someone and largely inform every decision they make. Still, Dr. Lenox should be a complete character whose every interaction shouldn't be about her health status.
Chicago Med season 11 premieres Wednesday, October 1 at 8/7c on NBC.