CHICAGO MED — “Derailed” Episode 101 — Pictured: (l-r) Colin Donnell as Dr. Connor Rhodes, S. Epatha Merkerson as Sharon Goodwin — (Photo by: Elizabeth Sisson/NBC)

Name of the Episode: Derailed

Beware – the follow contains spoilers!!!

**CHICAGO MED premiered to great numbers for NBC last night, 8mil+ viewers with a 2.2 in the demo; should keep it around for a while**

After months of anticipation, tonight is the premiere of the next chapter of the Chicago series. It’s nice seeing Colin Donnell take on a new series, after being suddenly killed off in Arrow. His good luck does not last long when his train suddenly comes derailed, injuring many on board. Just as a celebration for a new emergency department is being held, the call comes in about the train crash. This series is already off and running into the Chicago chaos, as Dr. Connor Rhodes makes his presence known. He is the new trauma doctor and works quickly to save his patient.

Dr. Natalie Manning is several months pregnant and looks to be raising the child alone. But her fellow nurses, April and Maggie vow to help the transition into motherhood. The doctors are having mixed feelings about Dr. Rhodes, but overall everyone is just trying to make sense of everyone’s injuries. In the mix of everything, the hospital has a fourth year nursing student, Sarah Reese. She is trying to utilize her studies into everyday training situations. Dr. Ethan Choi reassures Sarah in her training, and shows encouragement. Dr. Halstead finds Rhodes arrogant and tries to find out more information about his background and training.

Finding out Rhodes had a nice upbringing only validates his instincts; but Rhodes did his medical training in Guadalajara, not always doing the prestigious way. Although they may not see eye to eye so far, but with patient’s lives on the line everyday, they will have to work together.

The show is already diving into sensitive storylines, such as surrogate boundaries, organ donations and the loss of a spouse. It is revealed Natalie lost her husband to the war and is still in the process of grieving her loss.

The writers of this show are doing a wonderful job making this show full of medical terminology. Most shows overlook medical protocols due to time allotted; however in this case, patients’ stories get a more detailed medical description. This show has the potential to fill the void left by E.R. when they went off the air in 2009. Med might have drawn some comparisons already because both shows are set in the city of Chicago.

Next week: a 14-year-old girl delivers a baby, but the baby is missing. A theater shooting occurs and the suspect ends up in the hospital. I only expect high marks from this show, and I cannot wait to see what happens each week.