Spoiler Alert: This story contains spoilers for the episode of “Chicago Med” on Wednesday, October 1st.
It’s official: Hannah Asher (Jesse Schlam) and Dean Archer (Steven Weber) are giving birth to a baby. The premiere of “Chicago Med” of season 11 was picked up shortly after the events in the season 10 finale. Hannah shows up at Dean’s door and tells her what she expects, and he is her father.
Dean and Hanna have had a flirty vibe throughout the last five seasons, but viewers have never seen them act on it. Of course, that was also due to her on-off relationship with Ripley (Luke Mitchell). Cliffhanger left viewers wondering if Ripley and perhaps Dean would become fathers, but in fact there was also a third option.
“In that scenario we had three fathers: Ripley, Archer and third father. We didn’t talk about this for a long time, but simply put, we were talking about the door opening. “That’s probably the first time I’ve seen Will Halstead in a long time.”
Nick Geefs, who played Dr. Halstead for eight years before leaving the show in 2023, will return to the second episode, not for Hannah. Instead, viewers get the latest information on where he is with Natalie (Torrey David). She will not take part in the episode, but Halstead returns to town with her son Owen.
Elizabeth Sisson/NBC
Ultimately, MacDonald decided that fatherhood would create “the most interesting and fertile grounds for storytelling” as their friendship grew so much. He explains that the pair slept together at the end of “The Book of Archer,” the 17th episode of season 10.
“Jesse and Stephen both performed the aftermath beautifully,” he says. “It’s like the ‘sixth feeling’. You can see it, and you were searching for it on screen.
(When Hannah and Ripley argue back and watch Episode 18, it is shown that Dean gives the pair a side eye and perhaps shows a bit of jealousy.)
So far, the audience had never even seen two kisses. “They have always been friends with a bit of an atmosphere that doesn’t necessarily admit or deny,” explains McDonald.
“The reason it was off camera is because we wanted to protect our surprise,” he says. “As a fan, I’m not going to lie. I would have wanted to see it, but the surprise she came to his door, the surprise of the confirmation of the premiere was a way to go.”
Weber jokes, adding, “No one wants to see it,” but “There’s an entire season that goes beyond this. The story goes up and down from there. You wouldn’t be surprised if there was a show of affection. It won’t just be from something like television romance.”
Next, the duo “decided to stay friends” after the hookup, and now everything has changed, says McDonald. “Now she’s pregnant. How does that affect their relationship? Do they move forward and they remain friends? Do they get along? Will it become a problem between them?
Hannah’s story is the first time the series’ regular first responder on the “One Chicago” show has had a seemingly positive pregnancy arc. Over the past decade, the franchise has featured multiple miscarriage and fertility issues, as well as couples who have chosen to hire.
“On a very basic level, there’s a lot to ask the actor, as it means Jesse is going to tie her up with a prosthetic limb. It’s going to get bigger and bigger as the season continues. That’s difficult. “Jesse was on board for it. It’s going to be difficult for her for that part, but that’s what we’re trying to follow.”
Produced by Universal Television and Wolf Entertainment, “Chicago Med” airs on NBC Wednesdays at 8pm ET.
