Chicago Med season 10, episode 20, titled “Invisible Hand,” set up a strong story for Sharon (S Epatha Merkerson), but didn’t follow through. Sharon has had a rough time during Chicago Med season 10. A stalker harassed her for the first half of the season, eventually confronting her in her office and attacking her with a knife. After Sharon survived the attack, she had some PTSI responses, and more recently she had an issue with her boyfriend when she learned he hadn’t told his daughter about her existence.
“Invisible Hand” continues the nurse strike storyline in Chicago Med. When the nurses pretend to be sick so they can all leave the hospital during their shifts, Sharon is caught in the middle. The board wants to fire all the nurses, but she wants to keep negotiating despite some nurses’ hostility toward her. Ultimately, Sharon threatens to resign if the board fires the nurses, then tries to negotiate one more time. However, the story is resolved unrealistically quickly after Sharon’s last-ditch effort at securing an agreement.
Sharon Threatening To Quit To Join The Strike Would Have Been A Powerful Chicago Med Story
It Would Have Led To A Phenomenal Conflict At The End Of Season 10
Sharon seemed ready to join the striking nurses when Miranda, one of the board members, threatened to replace all the nurses. She told Miranda that the nurses were “the lifeblood of the hospital” and that if Miranda fired the nurses, she would tender her resignation as well. Miranda did not appear to take this threat seriously, commenting that she’d accept Sharon’s resignation if the money they saved on her salary would make a serious difference to the hospital’s finances. Miranda then encouraged Sharon to find a solution quickly.
It’s unfortunate that this thread was not followed up on. If Sharon had joined the strikers, she would have been immediately in conflict with an outspoken nurse who kept discouraging Maggie from trusting Sharon or making a deal. It also would have put Sharon’s job at risk, which is exactly what Chicago Med needs as it moves toward its season finale, especially since it hasn’t been announced yet which cast members are returning for season 11 now that the One Chicago shows have been renewed.
The Nurse’s Strike Ending Made No Sense
It Was Rushed And Confusing
Earlier in “Invisible Hand,” another nurse advised Maggie to reject an offer from Sharon that included a 6% raise each year because it didn’t meet their stipulations. The nurse said that if the hospital was willing to make such a generous offer after half a day, holding out would get them even more. Thus, it was confusing that she accepted the final offer Sharon presented when it included only a 5% raise, though it also gave nurses an extra seat on an advisory board and free lunch in the cafeteria.
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How Chicago Med Season 10 Should Have Tackled Sharon & The Strike’s Story
It Could Have Been Much More Powerful Than It Was
The nurses’ strike story reflected a real-life issue. Nurses are an important part of any healthcare system, but are often treated as more expendable than doctors, so Chicago Med had a golden opportunity to spotlight this issue during the strike plot. The story would have benefited from more clarity — Maggie was initially upset that the hospital was cutting corners by hiring temporary nurses who didn’t know the facility or its procedures well instead of giving her full-time staff to work with, yet the strike in “Invisible Hand” seemed to be about the nurses wanting more money.
In addition to sticking to its original storyline, Chicago Med should have been more careful about how it depicted the striking nurses. The nurse who refused to give an inch until she mysteriously capitulated seemed more like a stereotype than a real character, making it harder to root for thme. Sharon also should have joined the strike, leading to a more extensive storyline in which everyone working at the hospital had to decide which side they were on.
