Typically, when fans think about medical TV shows, romance isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. However, since Chicago Med premiered, fans of the show have seen many of its characters fall for one another. In fact, it can easily be argued that one of Chicago Med’s strengths has always been that the show has done a great job of bringing some characters together.
Recent episodes of Chicago Med have shown another romance bloom seemingly out of nowhere. While watching that storyline, I was struck by the fact that I couldn’t decide if I was rooting for the characters to get together or if I was completely against their potential romance.
Here’s What I Don’t Like About Dr. Daniel Charles And Jackie Nelson’s Hinted At Romance
During the 10th season of Chicago Med, fans saw Oliver Platt’s character, Dr. Daniel Charles, start getting close to someone new. After previously being briefly introduced during the show’s 9th season, Nurse Jackie Nelson returned to the show and spent a lot of time with Dr. Charles.
After Jackie and Dr. Charles began confiding in each other, it became obvious that the two characters had feelings for each other. Ultimately, both characters shared intimate moments and admitted how they felt about one another.
At the time of this writing, it is unclear if Dr. Charles and Jackie’s relationship will go anywhere meaningful. What is clear, however, is that there are several aspects of Dr. Charles and Jackie’s relationship that I don’t like as a fan of the show.
To be clear, my problems with Dr. Charles and Jackie’s relationship isn’t with how their storyline has been portrayed. Instead, my issues with the storyline are actually about how Dr. Charles and Jackie’s interactions make me feel about how destructive their romance is for their characters.
Chicago Med’s Best Characters, According to CBR | |
|---|---|
Character | Rank |
Dr. Sarah Reese | #10 |
Maggie Lockwood | #9 |
Dr. Connor Rhodes | #8 |
Dr. Dylan Scott | #7 |
Dr. Natalie Manning | #6 |
Dr. Will Halstead | #5 |
April Sexton | #4 |
Dr. Ethan Choi | #3 |
Sharon Goodwin | #2 |
Dr. Daniel Charles | #1 |
With that in mind, it could easily be argued that the Dr. Charles and Jackie storyline has worked since it has me emotionally affected.
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The first reason why I don’t like seeing Jackie and Dr. Charles’ romance is because of the characters’ fraught history. For those that don’t know, during Chicago Med’s 9th season, Jackie began hurting herself to cope with the stress of working as a nurse in the hospital’s burn ward. When he was told what was going on, Dr. Charles forced Jackie to stay in the hospital by placing her under a psych hold.
When Jackie was brought back during Season 10, it was after getting extensive treatment and being in a much better place. Given her new position, it would have been fine if Dr. Charles and Jackie went back to being friends and co-workers.
However, given that Dr. Charles had previously used his position of power to control Jackie, them starting a relationship seems wildly unhealthy.
My next issue with the storyline is that Dr. Charles previously holding Jackie on a psych hold seemed to set their relationship on an unhealthy pattern. During Chicago Med’s 10th season, Jackie was engrossed in a legal battle to maintain regular contact with her child. Sadly, the father of Jackie’s child attempted to use her mental health struggles as evidence in court to gain sole custody.
The Daily Mail published an article about the actor who was hired to appear on Chicago Med as the estranged husband of Natalie Zea’s character, Nurse Jackie Nelson. That article revealed that Jackie’s estranged husband, who was fighting her for custody after their separation, was portrayed by Natalie Zea’s real-life husband, Travis Schuldt.
During Jackie’s custody battle, Dr. Charles first tried to come to her rescue by hiring an attorney for her. After that wasn’t enough, Dr. Charles rigged things so he could testify in court, and then he perjured himself in two ways to help Jackie hold on to custody.
After Dr. Charles had previously saved Jackie by forcing her to get treatment, he went to great lengths to continue wearing his figurative superhero cape in their relationship. That seems like a dangerous pattern for both of them that could quickly become self-destructive.
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Another reason why Dr. Charles and Jackie’s relationship seems wildly problematic is because of how they met. While this article has pointed out that Dr. Charles forced Jackie to get help, they didn’t meet in a clinical environment. Instead, Dr. Charles and Jackie first met as co-workers and peers.
The Best Television Medical Dramas, According to TV Line | |
|---|---|
Medical Drama | Rank |
Pulse | #8 |
Doctor Odyssey | #7 |
Brilliant Minds | #6 |
Watson | #5 |
Grey’s Anatomy | #4 |
Chicago Med | #3 |
Doc | #2 |
The Pitt | #1 |
Of course, people fall for their co-workers in real life all the time. That said, it is worth noting how horribly Dr. Charles’ last workplace romance went. At one point, Dr. Charles and Liliana Wapniarski were so serious that they moved in together. Then, the duo had a fight over family, they broke up, and Liliana quit the hospital to get away from Dr. Charles.
After things went so awry during Dr. Charles’ previous workplace romance, it seems obvious that he shouldn’t go down that road again.
Finally, Dr. Charles and Jackie’s relationship could be a mistake for the characters because of their ages. According to Famous Birthdays, Oliver Platt was born on January 12th, 1960. Famous Birthdays also reports that Natalie Zea was born on March 17th, 1975.
If their characters have the same birthdays as them, that means that Dr. Charles is more than 15 years older than Jackie. That age difference doesn’t only seem to be a number either, as Jackie and Dr. Charles seem to be in very different stages of their lives. With that in mind, it is just one more compelling reason why Dr. Charles and Jackie shouldn’t get romantically involved.
Why I Still Can’t Stop Myself From Rooting For Dr. Daniel Charles And Nurse Jackie Nelson’s Romance
By this point in the article, it is clear that I think there are several reasons why fans shouldn’t want Dr. Daniel Charles and Jackie Nelson to date. It is also worth noting that, as of the time of this writing, it seems like that is unlikely to happen. Still, I have to admit that there is one simple reason why I found myself rooting for Jackie and Dr. Charles.
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Like most Chicago Med fans, I love Dr. Charles and I want the character to be happy.
As a result, it has been a real bummer to see that Dr. Charles hasn’t been able to find a romantic partner to spend his life with.
However, when she told Dr. Charles that she had feelings for him, Jackie also told everyone’s favorite doctor that he deserved to be happy.
As someone who wants the best for him, I can’t help myself but to root that Dr. Charles will wind up with someone like Jackie, who wants him to find happiness and love.
Chicago Med
- Release Date
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November 17, 2015
- Network
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NBC
- Showrunner
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Michael Brandt
- Directors
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Michael Waxman, Michael Pressman, Charles S. Carroll, Milena Govich, Anna Dokoza, Bethany Rooney, Fred Berner, Tess Malone, Mykelti Williamson, SJ Main Muñoz, Donald Petrie, Martha Mitchell, Vincent Misiano, Timothy Busfield, Jonathan Brown, John Polson, Stephen Cragg, Anthony Nardolillo, Michael Berry, David Rodriguez, Afia Nathaniel, Oz Scott, Valerie Weiss, Gonzalo Amat
- Writers
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Joseph Sousa, Lily Dahl, Natalie Drayer, Darin Goldberg, Shelley Meals, Melissa R. Byer, Treena Hancock, Mary Leah Sutton, Simran Baidwan, Joshua Hale Fialkov, Jason Cho, Will Pascoe, Liz Brixius
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Marlyne Barrett
Maggie Lockwood
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S. Epatha Merkerson
Sharon Goodwin
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Oliver Platt
Dr. Daniel Charles
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Nick Gehlfuss
Dr. Will Halstead
