Chicago Med fans are a loyal bunch, but that's something you can certainly say about the entire One Chicago fandom. When it comes to procedurals of the firefighter, medical, and police subgenres, NBC's franchise sure as the market covered. Over the years, Chicago Med has grown into one of the best medical dramas on television and we simply can't look away.
But there's still a long wait in store until Chicago Med season 12 premieres, and if you're a huge fan of medical dramas, you're going to need your fix before this fall. There's a chance that some of the biggest fans of medical dramas have already watched some of the most popular titles in the genre, though some might not have had the time to check out more than Chicago Med.
It's going to be a long summer waiting for new episodes of Chicago Med, and in case you're not looking to rewatch the complete series, we're sharing a list of four of the most binge-worthy, emotionally charged medical dramas that will have you hooked with long seasons and plenty of twists. Let's get this list started with the mother of all medical dramas!
Grey's Anatomy
You might think that recommending Grey's Anatomy would seem ridiculous since it's been on for two decades and counting. Seriously, the series debuted on ABC back in 2005 and going into season 23, it's one of the longest-running medical dramas of all time. Grey's surpassed ER a long time ago, though that's also another great medical drama that will keep you busy.
For the uninitiated that might be daunted by starting a show wil over 20 seasons, Grey's Anatomy takes place at perhaps the most dramatic fictional hospital of all time. Grey Sloan Memorial, formerly known as Seattle Grace, is the home to a team of doctors with complicated interpersonal working relationships, and that's probably putting it lightly.
But aside from the relationship drama that Grey's became known for in its early days, the series also features some of the most gripping and unimaginable medical cases you have to see to believe. Grey's Anatomy is available to stream on both Netflix and Hulu on Disney+, and if you're dedicated enough, there's a chance you could catch up before the next season premieres.
Code Black
From a series with over 400 episodes to an underrated one with less than 50, the CBS medical drama Code Black deserved for more success than it got. The series premiered back in September 2015 and ran for only three season, ultimately getting canceled in 2018 after a shortened third season.
Marcia Gay Harden headlines the series as Dr. Leanne Rorish, who works in the overcrowded and unfortunately understaffed emergency room at Angels Memorial Hospital. Dr. Rorish works alongside a team of residents to give their patients the best care possible.
In addition to Harden in the leading role, the Code Black cast also featured Raza Jaffrey, Bonnie Somerville, Melanie Chandra, William Allen Young, Harry Ford, Benjamin Hollingsworth, Luis Guzmán, and many others, including Rob Lowe. Currently, all three seasons are available to stream on Prime Video.
The Resident
Another series that doesn't have quite as many seasons as Grey's Anatomy or ER, the Fox medical drama The Resident was an instant fan-favorite when it premiered in 2018, thanks in part to its beloved leading stars Matt Czuchry and Emily VanCamp.
The Resident takes place at the Chastain Park Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia and centers on Czuchry's no-nonsense resident Dr. Conrad Theodore Hawkins as he tackles the leading issue plaguing the healthcare industry and holding his hospital back.
Throughout its six seasons on the air, The Resident cycled through a number of cast members but never once sacrificed incredible storytelling that keeps you on the edge of your seat. It's unfortunate that it didn't last longer, but it's still a bingeable favorite on Hulu (and Disney+).
The Pitt
Diverging from medical dramas that air on broadcast networks, the genre has finally found its footing in the streaming era thanks to the HBO Max original The Pitt. Like Grey's, it's unimaginable to think that there are any fans of the genre that haven't watched yet, but sometimes you need a good push.
From the same team that brought us ER, including one of its stars Noah Wyle, The Pitt takes place at a busy trauma medical center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as a team of doctors and nurses work grueling 12-hour shifts to save patients' lives. A unique aspect of this particular medical drama is that each 15-episode season centers on a single emergency room shift in real time.
The Pitt won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series and looks to be in strong contention to continue that trend with its second season. HBO Max already renewed the show for season 3, which is now in production. Get into the show that everyone can't stop raving about!
Chicago Med showrunner hints we've seen the last of one of the show's most disliked characters
The final episodes of Chicago Med season 11 took an unexpectedly darker turn for Dr. John Frost as the season revisited his traumatic experiences growing up as a child actor and his rocky relationship with his parents, who failed to protect him. It all began when Frost’s parents, James and Celeste, showed up in town hoping to reconnect with their understandably estranged son.
Frost would eventually agree to meet with his parents, and he came to learn that his father’s health was in decline due to his MS diagnosis. As the season progressed, Frost would come to learn that his father was not suffering from MS, but rather he had a tumor on his spine which was causing MS-like symptoms. He’d also come to learn that his dad knew about the tumor but didn’t explore treatment out of fear.
By the time Frost found out the truth, his father was no longer eligible for a medical trial which could provide treatment designed to shrink the tumor. Despite their fractured relationship, Frost didn’t want to give up on his dad and agreed to sign on for a Nick of Time reboot series in order to make the money needed to pay for his father’s expensive treatment.
It was clear from the start that Frost did not want to return to acting, but it was a means to an end to make the money needed for his father’s treatment. He was all set to proceed with the project until the reboot’s producer surprised him at lunch with the news that Ainsley, the woman who played his mom on the show and took advantage of Frost as a teen, had been added to the cast.
Upon learning the news, Frost chose to walk away from the reboot which was when he’d come to find out that his father knew about his relationship with Ainsley and never stepped in to protect him. Instead, he turned a blind eye. This led to another fallout between Frost and his father, one that was short-lived as Frost would learn in the penultimate episode of the season that his dad’s treatments were not working and he’d been moved to hospice care.
The season finale saw Frost make peace with his father as he stayed with him through his final hours and remained at his side until his father passed as the finale came to a close.
Jessalyn Gilsig not expected to return for Chicago Med season 12
Needless to say, the back half of the season was particularly trying for Frost in many ways, but it was one that allowed the show to close the book on the past as the show focuses on how Frost will move forward. With the closing of this book, Chicago Med showrunner Allen MacDonald seemed to indicate that we’ve seen the last of a character that quickly became one of the show’s most disliked characters: Ainsley.
While you can truly never say never in the world of television, MacDonald appears to have all but confirmed we’ve seen the last of Ainsley on Chicago Med. In speaking with Parade following the finale, MacDonald noted that while they’ll always make reference to Frost’s past and to Nick of Time and Ainsley, specifically, they’ve closed the book on that—seeming to hint that while Ainsley might come up in conversation, she won’t be popping back up on the show directly.
“There’s a weight lifted off his shoulders. I think the past has always been something he’s run away from, that he thought he didn’t need to deal with it but it was actually weighing him down more because he wasn’t. We’ve spent the last two seasons with him slowly confronting the past and growing from the processing of it, and now I believe next season he’s going to move on,” MacDonald revealed. “There will be other challenges next season for Dr. John Frost, but as far as the past and Nick of Time and Ainsley, those are things we’ll always make reference to, but I feel like we’re closing the book on that, on the past, and now he’s going to move forward.”
As much as we love Jessalyn Gilsig, who was phenomenal in the role of Ainsley, it does make sense for her appearance in season 11, episode 19, “Exit Strategies," to serve as her final episode on the show.
Frost will surely continue to unpack the events of his past in the new season as he works on his relationship with his mom following his father’s death, but we don’t need to see Ainsley back again as it’s time the show began to allow Frost to reclaim his future and move forward. Thankfully, that seems to be the plan, and we’re certainly eager to see what season 12 will bring for Frost as he begins this new chapter in his story!
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