Chicago Med’s Latest Steamy Romance Could Be A Disaster For Both Characters, But I’m More On Edge About Archer’s Decision

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Be warned: this contains spoilers for the tenth episode of Chicago Med Season 11, titled “Frost On Fire.” You can watch it the day after it airs with a Peacock subscription.

Many viewers anticipated a romantic development for Dr. Frost this week on the One Chicago shows, especially since both Chicago Med and Chicago Fire featured him prominently. However, the surprising connection that’s likely to generate buzz is actually between Lenox and Ripley. While not entirely unexpected, given events in the winter premiere (outside of Dr. Charles’ story), this pairing was the biggest surprise of the episode. Personally, I’m more concerned about the romantic choice Archer made.

Is Disaster Looming For Lenox And Ripley?

It might not seem like a big deal that Ripley and Lenox are getting closer. While a closet hookup isn’t ideal in a hospital, most of the doctors at Gaffney have dated coworkers before, so it’s become pretty common. After sharing the trauma of being held captive by Devin, they clearly have a connection, and there’s no obvious reason why these two single doctors shouldn’t explore a relationship in the One Chicago world.

The real issue is there’s a lot going on with Lenox and Ripley that isn’t immediately obvious. Throughout the season, Lenox has been struggling with a diagnosis of genetic prion disease, which has caused her to act impulsively – like pursuing Faye and having casual encounters. Their connection hasn’t developed enough to feel like a satisfying romantic climax, and it seems Lenox is simply using Ripley to cope with her emotional pain.

I don’t think she’s deliberately taking advantage of him, but honestly, she seems really troubled lately. You really need to watch the promo for the next episode – it’s got this amazing scene that feels like a nod to Titanic, and Nurse Kacy actually says what everyone’s been thinking about their whole relationship. It’s pretty spot-on!

Ripley’s love life has been quite a ride this season. He initially thought he might become a father with Hannah after a misunderstanding, then quickly pursued a relationship with Emilia. He acted a bit childish over Hannah, and his relationship with Emilia didn’t last long. Now, it looks like Ripley is genuinely developing feelings for Lenox, based on what we’ve seen in the previews.

I’m not saying a relationship between them is out of the question, but they seem to want very different things right now, and might not be a good fit for each other. That said, I’m really enjoying the connection between Sarah Ramos and Luke Mitchell – drama makes for good TV! I’m definitely curious to see what happens, even if it’s a mess.

That being said…

What On Earth Is Archer Doing?

A year ago, I would have been surprised to see Dean Archer caught in a love triangle! But Merrin Dungey returned as Dr. Kingston, who showed romantic interest in him earlier in the season. Archer initially rejected her invitation for a date, telling Hannah he didn’t want to pursue anything because he believed she was still dealing with her health issues and he wanted to be considerate.

Hannah, still convinced Archer has feelings for her thanks to her dad, encouraged him to go on a date with Kingston, hoping he’d move on. (Personally, I haven’t seen enough evidence to believe Archer is in love, but that’s beside the point.) I’m not worried about Archer dating Kingston – I always enjoy seeing Merrin Dungey on TV! What does bother me is that Archer didn’t explain to Hannah why he originally thought dating would be difficult. Everyone at the hospital knows the story, so she’s bound to find out if she keeps visiting!

He made sure she knew he was single, heterosexual, and sexually active, but completely avoided mentioning Hannah’s pregnancy – which I’m now calling the “Captain Crunch Baby.” Dr. Kingston wouldn’t dream of asking if his complicated life stems from Hannah being pregnant with a much younger coworker’s child, and my approval of their relationship hinges on whether he tells her the truth.

Don’t miss new episodes of Chicago Med on NBC Wednesdays at 8 p.m. Eastern! Just a heads-up, in March, the show will move to 9 p.m. Eastern for a special three-part crossover event with other One Chicago series. You can always catch up on past episodes streaming on Peacock.

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2026-01-22 06:38