Chicago Med star Oliver Platt and showrunner Allen MacDonald weigh in on Dr. Charles’ frightening health scare
As a One Chicago OG and a longtime anchor of Chicago Med, it’s hard to imagine the Windy City hospital without the beloved Dr. Daniel Charles (Oliver Platt).
While the Med veteran has long been a source of comfort and cherished consultation on the NBC drama, he has recently been on the precipice of a new chapter. Dr. Charles has been voicing thoughts of retirement since earlier this season on Chicago Med after suffering his first panic attack in decades. Showrunner Allen MacDonald even revealed to NBC Insider that Platt “broke the railing on the elevator” while filming the intense scene.
Gaffney’s go-to psych took some time away from the E.D. to regulate his antidepressants, but he’s still struggled to get back into a steady groove. While volunteering for the suicide hotline has given him a welcome distraction, it was clear from Dr. Charles’ condition in Season 11’s “Book of Charles” that he’s not doing well. Family drama at home with his daughter and increased stakes at work have created a perfect storm for the Chicago Med fan favorite to land at a crossroads.
After catching wind of an enticing job offer as a medical school professor, Dr. Charles seemed quick to turn it down, but after recent events, the beloved Gaffney psychiatrist may be handing in his resignation letter soon. Here’s what happened:
Dr. Charles opening scene was a “tour de force”
To start out the episode, Dr. Charles navigated a troubling phone call at the hotline. Platt was the only character on screen in the harrowing scene, as he went through the motions of talking down a suicidal caller.
“That was a tour de force performance,” MacDonald told us. “I loved that scene so much. And, you know, that was always the plan just for him to be onscreen alone.”
Platt reflected on filming the emotional the opening sequence and how mirrors the very real work of hotline workers.
“There was a sensational actor on the other end of the line, who was actually just in the other room pouring his guts out, take after take,” the actor says. “Those workers, the needle that they need to thread, the things that they’re allowed to say, the things that they’re not supposed to say, the way they’re supposed to — I have just an extraordinary amount of respect for people who actually do that on a regular basis.”
After coming home from his shift, Charles got into a heated argument with his college-aged daughter. Then, upon arriving at the hospital, Dr. Charles and his good friend Sharon Goodwin (S. Epatha Merkerson) talked about his opportunity to pivot to teaching, an offer that Dr. Charles assured Sharon he turned down without second thought. However, after encountering a particularly harrowing Munchausen’s case, Dr. Charles felt shaky in his resolve at his current post. After the patient, Sage, grew frustrated with Dr. Charles’ diagnosis, he was shocked when she later filed a formal complaint against him.
Goodwin explained that she had to investigate the complaint like any other incident, and Dr. Charles grew furious over her lack of trust in him. Amid an explosive argument between the Med veterans, Dr. Charles admitted that his teaching offer was looking more enticing by the minute. It was a confession that stung as Dr. Charles stormed out of a stunned Goodwin’s office.
As if a fight among One Chicago besties wasn’t bad enough, Dr. Charles learned Sage attempted suicide while in the E.D. How would Dr. Charles work his way out of this one?
Could Dr. Charles leave Gaffney on Chicago Med?
Suddenly, the gravity of Dr. Charles’ past 24 hours hit him like an anvil. He excused himself from the pandemonium, making his way to his office before collapsing in front of his desk. As Dr. Charles experienced a nightmare-like vision of his late mother, he helplessly cried out for help while in a state of total paralysis. Could this be another panic attack or something more concerning?
NBC Insider chatted with Oliver Platt and Med showrunner Allen MacDonald about Dr. Charles’ fate, learning that the Med writers have laid down “the groundwork” throughout the entirety of Season 11. From his friends asking when he’d retire to the increased pressures of quick turnover in the E.D., Platt says that Dr. Charles has landed at a crossroads.
“I want them to be anxious. And I want them to be scared for his life. I like to torture the audience,” MacDonald admitted.
Platt says that with the arrival of Gaffney psychiatrist Dr. Theo Rabari (Manish Dayal), Dr. Charles has been ascertaining whether or not he could leave his post. Rabari has embraced a very different style of care, so Dr. Charles is nervous to pass the baton. Platt says that Dr. Charles has been increasingly anxious due to asking himself the question: “Do I get to go down to Florida and play golf, or do I need to hang around and protect the future of mental health support?”
Dr. Charles has been feeling the pressure, and with his condition worsening, many are wondering if Dr. Charles will be OK, mentally and physically. Med‘s showrunner says Chihards will have to wait to see.
“When [fans] are in that deep emotionally, it’s a cathartic experience,” he says. “And that’s ultimately what I want, for people to laugh and cry when they see these episodes. I want them to be moved.”
