This week’s Chicago Med is take three for Dr. Ethan Choi. Brian Tee’s character has been absent from the hospital twice in season 7—once while he recovered from being shot, and the second time because he injured himself while treating a patient. “What You Don’t Know Can’t Hurt You” features Choi coming back to Med after having surgery for his back injury, and his physical health is actually not his worst problem.
Choi also has to deal with his father, meaning that Chicago Med fans will get some further information about his family history—and some insight into why Ethan is the way he is. Before all that happens, I spoke to Brian about his character’s return to the Emergency Department and who Ethan will lean on as he goes through these new challenges.
“I’ve actually been looking forward to the return,” Brian said about getting back to playing Choi after another extended absence. “There is an incredible opportunity to explore who Ethan really is on a personal side. I believe an incident like the one he just went through changes a person, and I’m looking forward to playing all those new colors.”
Being shot at the end of Chicago Med season 6 is not the first time Choi’s life has been in danger, though. Fans recall that he’s also nearly been killed when the ED had a chemical spill in the fourth season, and put himself in a hostage situation to save another life in season 5. But the last two seasons have been particularly tough with the shooting, the back injury, and the departure of his former fiancee April Sexton (as Yaya DaCosta left the One Chicago world to star in FOX’s Our Kind of People).
“Over the last two seasons, I’d say Ethan has gone through a lot of growing pains,” Brian reflected. “From the loss of love, to the stresses of the job, to the trauma of the incident, it’s all life altering and character forming. Something I’m looking forward to playing when back.”
Tonight’s episode would be a prudent time for Choi to lean on other people to help him deal with those pains and navigating his future. He shouldn’t have to carry all that weight alone, and thankfully he doesn’t have to. Another character who knows a lot about trauma is Dr. Daniel Charles (Oliver Platt), who was also shot outside the hospital in season 2, and Charles will be a rock for Choi while he faces his dad and everything else that’s around the corner.
“You’ll see Daniel as a friend, nothing more, and that’s what I love about our storyline,” Brian said. “Of course he comes with the knowledge and background that we’ve all loved from Dr. Charles. But in this situation, Ethan needs a friend and Daniel is one of his best.”
The most burning question for Chicago Med fans, though, is what will Ethan’s relationship with his father be like? It’s obviously not going to be perfect since this is a drama, but Med has a history of dads who become problematic for their children. Connor Rhodes’ father meddled in his life, slept with his ex-girlfriend, and then got murdered by said ex. Will Halstead’s father disapproved of him for a long time and then got killed off in a One Chicago crossover. Even Dr. Charles, being a father himself, has had family issues. So will the elder Choi bring more of the same?
“I’d say, staying with tradition, Ethan’s dad is difficult,” Brian teased. “But you’ll come to see a better understanding of who Ethan is because of it.”
Chicago Med airs Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
Article content is (c)2020-2023 Brittany Frederick and may not be excerpted or reproduced without express written permission by the author. Follow me on Twitter at @BFTVTwtr and on Instagram at @BFTVGram.
TVBrittanyF.com 