Newsflash: parenthood at any stage is difficult. Whether you’re the parent of a toddler, a teenager, or a grown adult, there’s always some hurdle to conquer. It also doesn’t matter whether you’re rich or poor, are able to stay at home to monitor your kids or work multiple jobs. Chicago Med was all about parenthood this week, including the relationship between the Halstead boys and their father. Let’s just say that most parents would brag about their son the doctor, and Halstead senior is not one of them.
Dr. Charles deals with extreme cases on a professional and personal level. Dealing with a patient who wants a chemical castration would qualify. The crazy thing is that Dr. Charles does consider it as a temporary solution, if it means keeping a troubled youth from hurting an innocent girl. His uber religious parents won’t hear of it, instead believing bible readings will solve the problem. It isn’t until their son nearly assaults an unconscious young woman and takes the castration process into his own hands that they realize he needs serious help. I don’t want to perpetuate the idea that doctors know more about children than their own parents, but no one really knows what a teenager will or won’t do.
Not that things necessarily get better when they get older. Dr. Rhodes takes his concerns to Charles that something may be seriously wrong with his daughter. Not that he can’t see for himself that Robyn is hallucinating. There is already a history of mental illness in her family, so going to see a psychiatrist would be for the best. The irony is really very cruel here.
Oh, the perils of parenthood! Dr. Manning goes off on a working mother whose son is so poorly nourished he has developed Scurvy, even though there is a part of her that worries what effect her work schedule will have on her own son. You can never really know what another parent goes through. Though I’ll admit, letting it get to the point of Scurvy is scary. Reese hopes to avoid the subject altogether. Teaching teenagers to do the same, at least until they’re finished with their education, is a good idea. Since Noah feels the same way, might a new pairing be in order?
We knew the Halstead boys were tough given the demanding careers they chose, but nothing is more demanding than dealing with family. Jay has to call his brother for help dealing with their sick father, and it’s like pushing a boulder uphill getting him to the hospital. You can see the fury and frustration on Dr. Halstead’s face that not only will his own father not listen to him, he demeans Halstead’s profession. It is only when the temporary solution Rhodes inputs fails that Halstead senior realizes how proud he should have been of his son’s intelligence and capability all along.
Now tell me that parenthood is easy after this episode.
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