Warning: spoilers are ahead for Episode 5 of Chicago Med Season 11, called "What's Hiding in the Dark" and available streaming next day with a Peacock subscription.
The spooky season came to Gaffney in the latest episode of Chicago Med in the fall 2025 TV schedule, which meant nurses in Halloween-themed scrubs, Ripley dressed like Tigger the Tiger, a little boy channeling his inner Dracula, and a rumor (mostly fueled by nurse Kacy) that one of the treatment rooms was haunted. Goodwin wasn't dressed up in a costume, but she had arguably the scariest experiences of the whole episode, and the fallout next week may lead to tragedy no matter what happens.
Her first scary experience came early on when Bert raised his voice at her for the first time ever as his dementia advanced to the anger stage. Then, she got the call that he'd had an incident at the care center where he's been living. Whether he lives or not remains to be seen, but I feel confident in saying that the fallout is going to be tragic for S. Epatha Merkerson's character. The episode ended with the reveal that he'd fallen, hit his head, and was being treated by some very grim-looking EMTs.
But the promo for the next episode doesn't feature Goodwin, Bert, or any clue about the aftermath of the cliffhanger. Instead, the focus is on Dr. Frost and his romantic prospects, complete with a cameo from a Chicago Fire character. Take a look:
Hello there, Jocelyn Hudon! The Chicago Fire series regular is evidently going to turn up on Med as part of Frost's story like how Chicago P.D.'s Burgess (Marina Squerciati) appeared in "What's Hiding in the Dark" as part of Hannah and Lenox's story. It's not clear who he's asking to dinner at the very end, but my money is on Naomi.
But what about Goodwin and the extended family? I'm a longtime fan of S. Epatha Merkerson's work on the show, and was pretty tickled by Goodwin and Dr. Charles' exchange about how they keep the hospital going in the latest episode. It was one of the few moments that were light enough for her to smile in "What's Hiding in the Dark," and those moments may be few and far between in what comes next.
While the promo for the next episode, called "The Story of Us," didn't shed any light on what's to come for the family, NBC's episode description drops a couple of details:
Secrets are uncovered when Goodwin’s family comes together for Bert. Ripley and Frost treat two children stung by hornets in a treehouse. A member of the team struggles with relationship woes.
Considering that S. Epatha Merkerson's quiet performance of Goodwin sharing a moment with Bert is part of what ranked Chicago Med's season finale as the finale that made me cry the most from One Chicago in the spring, I'm excited to see what happens with this storyline... even if he dies and this is the end of it.
None of this is to say that Frost's story won't have its merits, and the events of Episode 5 for Lenox in the wake of her prion disease diagnosis and Hannah as she realizes that she and Archer aren't 100% on the same page have me hoping for more of those plots. I'm just most invested in Goodwin at this point!
See what's next for the Goodwin family (and Dr. Frost's love life) with the upcoming new episode of Chicago Med, airing on Wednesday, November 5 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. As always, Med is followed by Chicago Fire at 9 p.m. ET and Chicago P.D. at 10 p.m. ET, all on NBC.
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