Ever since Chicago Med season 10 ended with one of the show's most shocking cliffhangers ever, we have been left to mull over a huge question all summer: Who is the father of Asher's baby? In the two-part season finale, Dr. Asher discovered that she was pregnant, which prevented her from becoming a surrogate for her older sister Lizzie and saddled her with even more fallout.
Naturally, we would assume that Ripley is the father of her baby, since Asher and Ripley maintained an on-again, off-again romance throughout the first half of the season. However, in the closing moments of the season 10 finale, a bait-and-switch throws us through a real loop. We're under the impression that Asher's knocking on Ripley's front door, but she's really knocking on Archer's.
That's the cliffhanger we have had to ponder all summer long. The possibility that Archer could be the father of Asher's baby might be music to some shippers' ears, but for others, it's an unbelivable jaw-dropper. We never even saw them kiss! Still, who's to say that Archer actually is the father? According to Chicago Med's showrunner, we're going to find out the paternity very quickly.
Chicago Med season 11 will quickly reveal the father of Asher's baby
In TV Line's latest Fall TV preview, the outlet caught up with Chicago Med showrunner Allen MacDonald to get some teases about what's to come in season 11, and the boss revealed that the season premiere picks up shortly after Asher knocking on Archer's door in the season 10 finale. That means, we will definitely see the rest of their conversation and its aftermath.
MacDonald hinted that viewers "will find out who the father is one way or the other," which is an interesting way to phrase the confirmation of the paternity. Will we find out right away in the season 11 premiere, or will the big reveal happen later on in the episode? Thankfully, it seems that we can pretty much bank on getting our answer without the show dragging out the cliffhanger.
As for whether the father is Archer or Ripley, MacDonald wouldn't give any hints in either direction, though TV Line notes that the showrunner believe we will "come around to the paternity reveal." Hmmm... Walk with me, but that seems to play into the fact that we could potentially be disappointed by the reveal, which could mean the father really is Archer and not Ripley.
Earlier this month, Archer actor Steven Weber basically confirmed that he's the father of the baby, as he said on a panel, "It's pretty clear that I'm the father." He also poked fun at the writers attempting to mislead audiences with the writing of the cliffhanger. Honestly, we should probably just prepare ourselves for some wild drama and crazy twists with this storyline in season 11.
Chicago Med season 11 premieres Wednesday, Oct. 1 at 8/7c on NBC.