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About Chicago Med's Dr. Caitlin Lenox, Played by Sarah Ramos
"Dr. Lenox is not a cuddly teddy bear at all," Med's showrunner told NBC Insider ahead of Ramos' Season 10 debut.
To put it lightly: A mass casualty incident brought on by a shipwreck really complicated Dr. Caitlin Lenox's (Sarah Ramos) first day at Gaffney on Chicago Med Season 10. And to make matters worse, our current E.D. chief, Dr. Dean Archer (Steven Weber), didn't receive the memo about Lenox's arrival, which made things, well, tense.
Some backstory: Lenox was hired after a neighboring hospital closed. With Gaffney expected to take on their patient overflow, Sharon Goodwin (Epatha Merkerson) tapped Lenox to co-run the E.D. with Archer. Lenox quickly jumped into action on her first day, but her eagerness rubbed some the wrong way, namely Archer.
RELATED: Sarah Ramos Is Joining the Cast of Chicago Med
Below, read all about Chicago Med's newest recruit, Dr. Lenox.
Who is Sarah Ramos' Med character, Dr. Caitlin Lenox?
Making her debut in the Season 10 premiere ("Sink or Swim"), Ramos' Dr. Cailin Lenox instantly made waves as an efficient, talented doctor Goodwin hired to help manage the E.D. before a nearby hospital's closure. Lenox came highly recommended; still, as soon as she arrived at Gaffney to help with the shipwreck patient overflow, her confidence and blunt demeanor rubbed some of the Gaffney team the wrong way and had Archer downright furious.
"Dr. Lenox is not a cuddly teddy bear at all..." Med's showrunner Allen MacDonald told NBC Insider ahead of the Season 10 premiere. "Archer is not excited at all about Lenox's arrival, and she really gets under his skin as well as the whole E D. because she says exactly what she's thinking. She does not back down from fights. She's just one of those characters that is going to function as an antagonist in our E D."
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But what Lenox lacks in pleasantries, she makes up with her medical finesse and quick-on-her-feet thinking. Lenox doesn't dilly-dally, and while that may not lead her to make friends right away, her performance in the E.D. is an undeniable masterclass in patient care.
"Lenox is actually inside a very empathetic doctor," Macdonald clarified. "But she does not believe in getting to know patients super well. She believes in being honest and kind with them. But to her, she feels if you spend too much time babying the patient, that slows down the train and that if you spend that extra time with the patient, the next patient's paying for that."
Dr. Caitlin Lenox didn't have the warmest welcome at Gaffney
Lenox wasted no time introducing herself as she arrived at Gaffney amid the mass casualty event. "I came as soon as I heard the news," Lenox said while shaking everyone's hand. "Caitlin Lenox, the new Chief of the Emergency Department."
Archer hesitantly shook her hand, utterly confused by the intrusion, and said, "Dean Archer, current Chief of the Emergency Department."
"Hi," Lenox smiled. Having failed to give Archer a heads up due to the chaotic day, Goodwin hurriedly explained Lenox's presence.
"I've hired Dr. Lenox to co-run the E.D. with you," Goodwin told a befuddled Archer, quickly adding: "As equals."
"Good, I'll have to brush up on my barista skills," Archer quipped.
"I was supposed to start next week, but I figured you'd need the help today," Lenox explained.
"And every day after that, apparently," Archer commented.
"Listen, this isn't how I wanted you to find out, and I sincerely apologize for that," Goodwin said. "But Dr. Lenox comes highly recommended."
"Of course," Archer said, pivoting to his new partner. "How old are you?"
"How old are you?" Lenox asked without missing a beat.
"Pleasure to meet you, Dr. Lenox," Archer shrugged while walking away to help a patient. Viewers may have been weary of Lenox's capabilities after this exchange, but after Lenox hopped into action and immediately realigned a patient's dislocated knee within seconds, her colleagues put it perfectly when they called her "badass."
Dr. Cailin Lenox and Dr. Dean Archer are two opposing sides of the same coin
The overflow of patients from the shipwreck led Lenox to get an instant snapshot of Gaffney's E.D. and how it operates, and she was quick to make changes. After Maggie Lockwood (Marlyne Barrett) flagged that they'd run out of hospital beds for a second wave of patients, Archer deferred incoming patients to a nearby hospital. Overhearing this directive, Lenox questioned Archer about the decision. Archer explained they'd reached a tipping point and couldn't provide a proper level of care, a term from his military days. Lenox suggested that instead of deferring the patients, they could convert the "waste of space" conference room into another hospital room.
"Your first day here, and you know everything, huh?" Archer said.
"Diverting patients could cost red-tag victims precious time that they can't afford to lose," Lenox pointed out. "That also falls below a proper level of care."
"You're military," Archer guessed.
"Army," Lenox replied.
"I guess that counts," Archer shrugged.
"You?" Lenox asked.
"Navy," Archer said proudly.
"OK, this is fun," Maggie interrupted. "But I need a decision."
Archer glared at Lenox before snapping, "Yeah, what she said."
RELATED: What to Know About Chicago Med Season 10
The tug-of-war between Archer and Lenox was far from over as she continued to work through patients one after the other. After one of the residents who was struggling with the dreadful scene abandoned his patient in the throes of an anxiety attack, Lenox was left gobsmacked by both the resident and Gaffney's lack of preparedness for the incident. Lenox fired the resident, earning her an aggravated visit from Archer, who wasn't made aware of the termination ahead of time. Lenox explained Goodwin signed off on the termination, quickly reminding Archer of the "chain of command."
"Are you worried I'm here because Goodwin's lost confidence in your ability to lead alone?" Lenox asked him.
"What I'm worried about is your effect on morale and making snap judgments without consulting me," Archer explained. "I ran this E.D. just fine before you came here."
"Dr. Archer, your department nearly came apart today," Lenox leveled with him. "No plan for overflow, misuses of space, blood shortages, and a doctor who walked away and nearly cost a patient their life. I wouldn't call any of that just fine."
"We were in the middle of a mass casualty incident," Archer exclaimed.
"And in a few short days, Jackson Monroe will close, and nearly double the patients will come through those doors," Lenox reminded him. "Today could become every day. I'm here for a reason, and it's not to keep the status quo."
Watch Season 10 of Chicago Med on Wednesdays at 8/7c on NBC or stream episodes the next day on Peacock.
