Warning! SPOILERS Ahead for Chicago Med season 10, episode 8, “Love Will Tear Us Apart”

This article discusses suicide.

Sarah Reese (Rachel Dipillo) returned to Chicago Med after a six-year absence in season 10, episode 8, “Love Will Tear Us Apart.”. The character was one of the main residents during the medical drama’s early seasons but left after a falling out with Dr. Charles (Oliver Platt) in season 4. Although she is not joining the Chicago Med season 10 cast, this guest appearance provides some information on what she’s been up to since she left as well as reignites her conflict with Charles.

Reese’s return is part of a story in which Dr. Charles (Oliver Platt) is asked to evaluate a patient who potentially attempted suicide. Reese is the patient’s psychiatrist, and the former Chicago Med character again locks horns with her former mentor when he disagrees with her unconventional approach to the woman’s treatment, which Charles feels is unethical and dangerous. This conflict brings old resentments to the surface as the two constantly butt heads over treatment approaches.

Why Sarah Reese Left Chicago Med In Season 4

She Felt Betrayed By Dr. Charles After Her Father’s Death

Reese’s exit from Chicago Med came at the end of a long storyline involving her narcissistic father, who had re-appeared in her life after abandoning her as a child. Reese’s father was a psychopath, which was proven via brain scans, and Reese knew he was only using her, yet couldn’t let go of the idea of a relationship with him. At the climax of this story, Dr. Charles confronted Reese’s father with evidence that he had murdered two girls in Wisconsin, which triggered the man’s heart attack.

Overwhelmed by grief, Reese lashed out at Charles, blaming him for her father’s death because he hesitated momentarily before attempting chest compressions. Thus, Reese felt betrayed by Charles and decided she couldn’t work for him any longer. Her decision was doubly sad because Charles had been the one to get her back into medicine after she had quit over a failed Pathology internship and relationship with a fellow pathologist. Had Charles not done so, she would have quit two years earlier and missed her true calling.

Dr. Reese’s Chicago Med Season 10, Episode 8 Return Explained

Her Patient Was In The Hospital, But Charles Disapproved of Her Methods

Reese’s return is a surprise to Charles. He is working with a patient in the ED, Ariel, who has been brought in after taking 12 antidepressants at once in what appears to be a purposeful overdose. Reese comes into the room where Charles is working with Ariel and interrupts what he is doing, telling him that the patient’s breathing problems are due to a panic attack and not an overdose. She quickly explains that she is Ariel’s psychiatrist and asks Charles to grant her temporary privileges so that she can assist in this patient’s care in the hospital, which he does without hesitation.

This is a bad decision, as old resentments surface as soon as they disagree about treatment.

Initially, Reese and Charles attempt to get along, acting like old friends and ignoring the conflict that had driven Reese away in the first place. This is a bad decision, as old resentments surface as soon as they disagree about treatment. Reese tells Charles that she knew Ariel had not overdosed because she is secretly giving her placebos instead of the anti-depressant, which she doesn’t think the patient needs. Charles thinks that is unethical and is not impressed by Reese’s promise to tell the patient “when the time is right.“

Charles’ concerns grow after learning from Ariel’s roommate that this is not the first time Ariel has tried to end her life using pills. However, Reese continues to insist that Ariel did not attempt suicide this time and that she took extra pills by accident, leading Charles to exclaim exasperatedly, “How does someone take 12 pills by accident?” Ultimately, this conflict is not resolvable. Charles and Reese have the same argument they did when she left the first time after Reese is upset to learn Charles has put Ariel on a 72-hour hold, and Charles throws her out of the ED.

Can Dr. Reese Still Return In Chicago Med In The Future?

Her Exit Is As Open-Ended As The First Time

Although Charles is angry at Reese, there’s no reason she can’t return in future episodes. Establishing that she is a psychiatrist working with a Chicago-area clinic is a smart move, as it allows her to return on a recurring basis as needed. It’s likely that Ariel is not the only patient of hers who will land in Gaffney’s ED, especially now that Jackson Monroe is closed.

Chicago Med
could use Reese as a recurring antagonist whose methods are abhorrent to Charles but who he sometimes has to work with because her patients come into his hospital.

When the medical drama returns after its midseason hiatus, Chicago Med’s Sharon stalker storyline will be a top priority, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for other stories and characters. Chicago Med could use Reese as a recurring antagonist whose methods are abhorrent to Charles but who he sometimes has to work with because her patients come into his hospital. If Reese continues using ethically dubious methods to treat her patients, her continued presence could lead to a season-long arc in which Charles considers going to the state licensing board with his concerns despite his respect for Reese’s talent.