Going into Chicago Med season 11, there's one pretty major cliffhanger left to resolve: Who is the father of Asher's baby? Obviously, in the season 10 finale, we're misled to believe that she's heading to Ripley's door to share the pregnancy news with him, since he's her ex-boyfriend, but she ends up knocking on Archer's door with something to tell him. What a twist!
Throughout the season, as Asher's relationship with Ripley continued to be hot and cold and off and on with his personal struggles, Asher sought out Archer as a confidant. They shared a lot of quiet moments together in the locker room and on shift talking over each of their real life problems and pushing each other forward. As far as we know, they never hooked up.
But we definitely know that Asher and Ripley shared some moments together in the beginning of the season and even later in the season that could have led to her pregnancy. However, one of the stars of the show and a candidate for the father-to-be has recently shared his thoughts on the storyline and seemingly spoiled that fact that he's the father of Asher's baby.
Steven Weber seemingly confirms Archer is the father of Asher's baby
As Variety reports, at a recent panel in Austin, Texas, Chicago Med star Steven Weber, who plays the grouchy but still lovable Dr. Dean Archer, spoke about the season 10 finale cliffhanger and shared his thoughts about the ending that he thinks pulled a "prank" on fans. He also appeared to confirm that Archer is the father of Asher's baby, and it's not going to be Ripley.
"There’s a degree of ambiguity that is a kind of a writer’s trick in a sense. I don’t think it’s an honest thing to do. It’s a bit of a prank to play on an audience who are expectant and want certain things. I have to say that it’s pretty clear, at this point, that I’m the father," Weber revealed on the panel.
What?! Surely, there were still fans holding out hope that Asher was simply seeking out Archer's advice about what to do and how to tell Ripley about her pregnancy. It seemed so out of left field that Archer could actually be the father of her child, especially since we hadn't seen them even kiss at all throughout season 10. There wasn't an inkling that they were getting romantic.
Sure, there were moments shared between the two that could have been read as romantic sparks, but from another lens, Archer also could have just been a father figure to Asher (and not in the viral TikTok song from Babygirl way). Weber and Jessy Schram definitely have chemistry, and there are fans who ship the two characters together, but would the show really go there?
According to Weber, yes! He praised new showrunner Allen MacDonald for "charting an arc between Hannah and Dean that was a little more realistic, less sentimental" and nodded to their potential off-camera hook-up that resulted in pregnancy: "But nonetheless, it appears that they hooked up at some key moment earlier in the season, and he might be a daddy or Zaddy, as the kids say."
Ripley could still be the father of Asher's baby
If Archer's actually the father of Asher's baby, that would completely disrupt the trajectory of Asher and Ripley's relationship. However, he seems to be getting a new love interest in season 11, as the season 10 finale found Sadie, the woman he saved in the well, arriving at his doorstep. (That's the twist! We thought it would be Asher with the pregnancy news, but it was Sadie. Ahhh!)
Ripley and Asher already have a gulf between them thanks to the events of season 10, including Sully's death pulling them apart and Ripley's behavior treating her poorly. But he's still a good guy, and personally, they are a couple to be rooting for. But could they find their way back together after a pregnancy with another man and a romance with someone new?
Even though Weber seemed to champion the "perfectly legal" coupling of Asher and Archer, his other comments about the season 10 finale cliffhanger suggest that there's also room for the unexpected. Maybe even Ripley being the father?
"We might not take that road. I mean, the writers have proven that they can take expectations and flip them and make them more complex and nuanced. We’re pretty sure that’s what they’re going to do with this, too, because the audience is smarter than studios give them credit for being," Weber said.
We'll find out exactly what's in store for Asher, Archer, Ripley, and Asher's baby in the Chicago Med season 11 premiere, but until then, we have to mull over Weber's words and make our own predictions. Is there more to that cliffhanger than meets the eye? Could the paternity still be in question, or did Weber really just confirm a game-changing dynamic shift at Gaffney?
Chicago Med season 11 premieres Wednesday, Oct. 1 at 8/9c on NBC.