Warning: The following post contains spoilers from Chicago Med season 10 episode 20.
Chicago Med is known to throw unexpected storylines our way, but I have to admit, I truly was not prepared for the surprising development the show sprung upon us.
The episode opened with Lenox packing for her upcoming weekend away with Hayes. While she tried her best to hide her excitement from her brother, we saw it come shining through, and the moment reminded us again why we’ve loved this storyline. It’s given her a chance to let her walls down and accept that she deserves to be happy.
The awkward flirting between the two over the last several weeks allowed us to see a softer side of Lenox that we hadn’t gotten to see at the top of the season. It also allowed the show the chance to break down some of the walls Lenox has built around her, and peel back the layers that make her the complicated character we’ve come to love. When Hayes invited Lenox on the trip to Myrtle Beach, we were so excited that moment seemed to hint the pair were ready to take their relationship to the next level and make it more official by giving in to the feelings that’ve slowly been building. We were excited to see them have some fun at the medical conference and to get to see Lenox embrace some happiness in her life.
What we did not expect was that Hayes would be revealed to be an absolute gaslighting creep.
Episode 20 revealed that Hayes had made inappropriate advances in using his authority as a well-respected doctor in the field to take advantage of his female students. Among them was Lenox’s friend and mentee, Naomi, who opened up to Lenox about Hayes touching her inappropriately after he dismissed the rest of the surgeons and then gaslit her when she denied his advances. It was a moment that shocked and angered us just as much as it shocked and angered Lenox, who is now set to face off against Hayes after reporting his actions to the board.
We’re 100% team Lenox here all the way, and that will never change. While some were slow to warm to Lenox, I’ve been a Day 1 fan who has loved the complexity of her character and appreciated the way she’s challenged those around her, not maliciously but simply due to the way she sees the world differently. We’re ready to go to war alongside her and watch her bring Hayes down, but if I’m being honest, I think the writers missed the mark with this storyline.
Through Hayes, we got to see Lenox breaking down the walls she built up around her to protect herself from hurt, and it was nice to see this guarded character breaking down those walls and preparing to embrace the idea of allowing herself to be happy. It didn’t hurt that the chemistry between Brendan Hines and Sarah Ramos was magnetic, making it easy to want to root for the pair.
Hayes’ betrayal seems likely to make Lenox even more guarded and unlikely to open herself up again to the possibility of happiness, and that feels like a major step back for a character we’ve seen come so far this season. Our hope is that this journey served as a reminder to Lenox that it’s okay to let people in and that, while they might disappoint you, you have to be willing to open yourself up to the possibilities that life brings.