Dr. Dean Archer, played by the skilled Steven Weber, stands out in the busy world of Gaffney Chicago Medical Center because he is straightforward and has an interesting past. Since his first appearance in Season 6 of Chicago Med, Dr. Archer has been a main character who gets involved in a lot of dramatic personal and business situations. As we follow his character on his journey, get ready for a wild ride full of sharp wit, a mysterious past, and surprising family secrets.
Chicago Med Season 9 Episode 1 Recap
Who is Dr. Dean Archer?
When he first joined the medical team in Season 6, Dr. Archer was seen as mysterious and snarky, and he quickly became liked by both fans and other doctors. His first fight with Doctors Natalie Manning (Torrey DeVitto) and Crockett Marcel (Dominic Rains) over their relationship set the tone for the rest of his life: he was stubborn and wouldn’t back down. Dr. Archer even questioned Dr. Daniel Charles (Oliver Platt) about why he hadn’t put a patient on a psych hold, which showed that he had a link with Dr. Ethan Choi (Brian Tee) through the Navy and shed light on his military history.
Later in Season 6, Episode 12, we learned that Dr. Archer had been dealing with PTSD from his time in the Navy. This was an important part of his past that was slowly revealed. This new information shed light on his strict personality, especially when it came to people with mental health problems. Dr. Archer grew into a complicated figure who shattered stereotypes and showed how hard it is for people who have been through trauma.
In Season 8, Episode 1, fans were surprised to learn about another part of Dr. Archer’s life: his estranged son Sean Archer, played by Luigi Sottile. Sean’s troubled life, which included a call from Cook County Jail and drug problems, made Dr. Archer’s character more complicated as a family member. In later episodes, Sean went to see Gaffney after a violent incident, which made the father-son bond less tense. The paths that both characters took to make peace and be forgiven became the main focus, giving readers a unique look at how people grow and heal.
Chicago Med: What’s Happened to Dr. Dean Archer?
The most important part of Dr. Archer’s story in Season 8 was when he found out he had end-stage kidney failure. In Season 8, Episode 16, Dr. Archer told Dr. Hannah Asher (Jessy Schram), who was his best friend at work, that his health was getting worse. When Dean passed out in Episode 19, the story took an exciting turn that made it clear that he needed medical help right away.
The choice by Hannah to tell Sean about her diagnosis to get a kidney transplant added an emotional layer to the story. Hannah’s scolding by Dr. Archer showed that he didn’t want to be vulnerable. The plot took a turn for the worse when Sean’s plan to donate an organ was derailed when he relapsed into drug abuse. The life-saving treatment had to be put on hold for at least six months.
Why doesn’t Dr. Archer want his son Sean to give him a kidney?
Dr. Archer is very guilty and feels very unworthy, so he doesn’t want to accept his son Sean’s offer to give him a kidney. In Season 8, Dr. Archer said he was a bad dad and said sorry for not being there for Sean when he was having problems as a kid. Dr. Archer doesn’t think Sean deserves to give up his kidney, so he’s afraid that his son will lose his mind if he does. He doesn’t want to do it because he knows he’s failed in the past and thinks Sean doesn’t deserve to do something so selfless for him. Hannah, who used to be an addict like Sean, stresses that Sean wants a real relationship with his father, not drugs and that rejecting this could hurt Sean’s health.
As Season 9 goes on, viewers are left uncertain about whether Sean’s desire to give a kidney will ultimately come true, saving his father from kidney disease. To bring Dr. Archer to life on screen, Steven Weber hints at how complicated the father-son relationship is by focusing on how the characters are trying to find themselves after years of chaos.
