The Best Episodes Written By Stephen Hootstein

Episode Rankings

1. #1 Fan Favorite
   

   9.5/10(2 votes)

   #1 - Never Let You Go

   S4:E194/24/2019

   The hospital goes into lockdown mode when a man with a gun holds medical staff hostage. Goodwin is forced to make a tough decision. Dr. Rhodes begins to realize his time with his father is getting short.

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   Writer:Stephen Hootstein

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2. 

   9.0/10(2 votes)

   #2 - A Red Pill, a Blue Pill

   S6:E145/12/2021

   Third-year med students begin their rotation in the ED and Maggie keeps a careful eye on one of them. Natalie, whose mom's health takes another decline, tries to cover up how she broke the rules to treat her.

   Director:N/A

   Writer:Stephen Hootstein

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   Writer:Stephen Hootstein
3. 

   8.5/10(2 votes)

   #3 - This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us

   S9:E21/24/2024

   A woman from Archer's past returns and threatens his transplant surgery. Marcel clashes with Med's new eager first-year resident. Charles works to repair his relationship with Ripley.

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   Writer:Stephen Hootstein

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4. 

   8.5/10(2 votes)

   #4 - A Penny for Your Thoughts, Dollar for Your Dreams

   S9:E83/27/2024

   Archer, Asher and Charles encounter an expecting father who claims he's telepathic and receiving messages from his yet-to-be born son. Ahmad works to thaw out a frozen criminal.

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   Writer:Stephen Hootstein

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   Writer:Stephen Hootstein
5. 

   8.5/10(2 votes)

   #5 - For the Want of a Nail

   S6:E93/17/2021

   As Maggie deals with her own trauma, she steps in to help a mother in need. Dean continues to stir the pot with more than one doctor. A patient comes to Med needing immediate treatment, but doesn't want it from them.

   Director:N/A

   Writer:Stephen Hootstein

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6. 

   8.0/10(4 votes)

   #6 - In the Valley of the Shadows

   S5:E310/9/2019

   Dr. Choi and Dr. Charles have difficult decisions to make as a dying man tries to preserve his life with a controversial scientific method. Dr. Marcel and April clash over how to handle a mysterious patient. Will questions Natalie’s capabilities.

   Director:N/A

   Writer:Stephen Hootstein

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7. 

   8.0/10(2 votes)

   #7 - A Square Peg in a Round Hole

   S7:E711/3/2021

   Crockett helps Dr. Blake replace a patient’s liver. Vanessa tries to prove herself. Will continues to pursue the truth about Cooper. Ethan gets closer to returning to life in the E.D.

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   Writer:Stephen Hootstein

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8. 

   8.0/10(1 votes)

   #8 - Things Meant to Be Bent Not Broken

   S7:E153/9/2022

   Scott suspects his patient may be a drug dealer. Halstead must decide how to spend his whistleblower settlement. Charles and Taylor help a patient who believes she's infested with parasites. Marcel and Blake are paired with an arrogant surgeon.

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   Writer:Stephen Hootstein

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9. 

   8.0/10(5 votes)

   #9 - Bite Your Tongue

   S10:E210/2/2024

   Lenox continues to rankle Archer as the two tackle their new roles. Ripley faces possible suspension over what really happened to Pawel. Goodwin is forced to make layoffs.

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   Writer:Stephen Hootstein

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10. 

    7.7/10(3 votes)

    #10 - Ghosts in the Attic

    S4:E132/6/2019

    Halstead hides the theft of his gun from a suspicious Manning. Tensions are still high between Connor and Bekker, who take a risk operating on an HIV-positive patient. Hank breaks down when he sees a patient from his past.

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    Writer:Stephen Hootstein

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11. 

    7.7/10(3 votes)

    #11 - The Clothes Make the Man... Or Do They?

    S8:E711/9/2022

    Med runs out of scrubs, forcing the staff to improvise. The life of Archer’s son is in danger. Marcel and Charles help a kidney transplant patient experiencing psychosis. Asher and Halstead grow closer.

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    Writer:Stephen Hootstein

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12. 

    7.7/10(3 votes)

    #12 - Look Closely and You Might Hear the Truth

    S8:E195/3/2023

    The fate of the hospital rests on the vote of an incapacitated board member. Archer helps a mother with a rare stem cell disease while Asher treats the woman's pregnant daughter. Charles encounters a schizophrenic patient with a hearing impairment.

    Director:N/A

    Writer:Stephen Hootstein

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13. 

    7.5/10(2 votes)

    #13 - Guess It Doesn't Matter Anymore

    S5:E101/8/2020

    Dr. Halstead's world is thrown into turmoil when a former patient resurfaces. April has a secret she considers confessing to Ethan. Dr. Charles tries to maintain his focus during a difficult time.

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    Writer:Stephen Hootstein

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14. 

    7.4/10(4 votes)

    #14 - (Caught Between) the Wrecking Ball and the Butterfly

    S8:E29/28/2022

    Supply chain disruptions dramatically impact Med, causing Marcel to clash with other doctors. Maggie reveals something to Ben. Choi and Archer help a patient with ALS.

    Director:N/A

    Writer:Stephen Hootstein

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15. 

    7.2/10(11 votes)

    #15 - Guilty

    S1:E123/29/2016

    Nurse Lockwood gets arrested when she takes a stand. Meanwhile, Dr. Halstead deals with a pending lawsuit against him; a baby's injuries come into question; Dr. Charles faces personal issues; and suspicions rise about a patient who was hit by a car.

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    Writer:Stephen Hootstein

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16. 

    7.1/10(12 votes)

    #16 - Reunion

    S1:E82/2/2016

    Dr. Manning returns from maternity leave and treats a teen with a history of medical issues. Meanwhile, Dr. Choi cares for a former Navy shipmate; a Saudi prince arrives for a surgical procedure, but only from a hotshot surgeon; and a romance blooms between Sarah and a lab tech.

    Director:N/A

    Writer:Stephen Hootstein

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17. 

    7.1/10(7 votes)

    #17 - In the Trenches (II)

    S10:E111/29/2025

    Following the subway tunnel collapse, Ruzek and Kidd treat injured passengers and track down the missing offender. Archer and Frost perform a life-saving amputation. The crossover starts on Chicago Fire S13E11 In the Trenches (I). It continues on Chicago P.D. S12E11 In the Trenches (III).

    Director:N/A

    Writer:Stephen Hootstein

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18. 

    7.0/10(4 votes)

    #18 - Speak Your Truth

    S3:E111/21/2017

    The doctors of Chicago Med take their opinions to the extreme as they try to bring justice to the perpetrator in the shooting of Dr. Charles. Dr. Halstead and Dr. Manning work on a heart-wrenching case that forces them to examine their own matters of the heart. Though Robin’s brain tumor was removed and she is discharged from the rehabilitation center, Dr. Rhodes remains on edge that her problems are not quite resolved. Meanwhile, Rhodes gets blindsided by his colleague Dr. Bekkar, Maggie sticks up for a patient and Dr. Choi and April try to navigate their new working relationship.

    Director:N/A

    Writer:Stephen Hootstein

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19. 

    7.0/10(2 votes)

    #19 - What You Don't Know Can't Hurt You

    S7:E121/19/2022

    Will and Stevie get stuck in the middle of a marital face-off. Dr. Blake's entire surgical team mysteriously collapses during a liver transplant. Charles encourages Ethan to reconcile with his father.

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    Writer:Stephen Hootstein

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20. 

    7.0/10(3 votes)

    #20 - It's an Ill Wind That Blows Nobody Good

    S8:E132/15/2023

    A brutal storm rocks Chicago. Halstead encourages Dr. Grace Song to go against her own findings for the benefit of their patient. Asher rushes to the hospital to help Archer's pregnant patient. Maggie's concern for Ben consumes her.

    Director:N/A

    Writer:Stephen Hootstein

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21. 

    7.0/10(4 votes)

    #21 - The Invisible Hand

    S10:E205/7/2025

    The hospital faces a staffing crisis as the nurses stage a sick-out. Archer and Frost bet on who can discharge their patients first. Charles' distrust of a patient complicates his treatment.

    Director:N/A

    Writer:Stephen Hootstein

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22. 

    7.0/10(1 votes)

    #22 - Horseshoes and Hand Grenades

    S11:E310/15/2025

    Lenox and Frost receive an unusual request from the parents of a patient on life support. Ripley and Charles work with a man who can't remember who he is.

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    Writer:Stephen Hootstein

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23. 

    7.0/10(1 votes)

    #23 - Frontwards

    S5:E1512/11/2014

    Annie and McQuaid's relationship deepens while tracking down Belenko's next target.

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    Writer:Stephen Hootstein

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24. 

    6.8/10(9 votes)

    #24 - Mirror Mirror

    S2:E122/2/2017

    Dr. Manning and Dr. Charles treat a teenage girl with a rapidly changing set of symptoms that has everyone perplexed. Dr. Choi and medical student Jeff Clark encounter a 19 year-old tough guy who is brought into the hospital in severe distress. Once they establish the cause of the pain, the situation quickly turns dangerous and a resolved Dr. Reese does her best to help. Dr. Halstead must deal with a difficult case that is further complicated by Dr. Stohl, who has a camera crew following him around to shoot a promotional video spotlighting the hospital.

    Director:N/A

    Writer:Stephen Hootstein

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25. 

    6.8/10(8 votes)

    #25 - Ctrl Alt

    S2:E194/6/2017

    A hacker demanding a ransom payment shuts down the hospital computer system, forcing the doctors to diagnose patients without the aid of technology. A stressed Goodwin struggles to keep the hospital afloat when an unexpected visit from her ex-husband Bert and his new girlfriend make matters worse. Making use of his former navy experience, Dr. Choi and Noah have to locate a bullet inside a patient with a gunshot wound. Meanwhile, Sarah feels Dr. Charles may be trying to push her out and Robin's unusual behavior worries Dr. Rhodes.

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    Writer:Stephen Hootstein

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