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What's Going On with Maggie and Ben's Marriage on Chicago Med?
"Everybody keeps on talking about my wonderful Ben," charge nurse Maggie Lockwood says. "Well, my wonderful husband wants a divorce.”
Charge nurse Maggie Lockwood (Marlyne Barrett) may keep things running smoothly in the emergency department of Gaffney Chicago Medical Center on Chicago Med — but her marriage is a different story.
After her union with husband Ben Campbell (Charles Malik Whitfield) went through some troubled times in Season 8, things are looking even worse in the Season 9 premiere. In fact, they're headed toward a divorce.
Things started turning sour when Maggie informed Ben that she helped Vanessa — the daughter she had at 16 and put up for adoption — connect with Grant, Vanessa's biological dad and Maggie's ex-boyfriend.
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The situation got much worse when Grant started showing up at the hospital to visit Maggie, and when in Season 8 he invited her for a quick ride in his old car that the ex-couple rode around in when they were in high school, which he'd fixed up. While they were driving around reminiscing about old times — and after they almost kissed — another car struck them, landing an injured Grant at Gaffney.
Maggie decided to keep the accident, and her car ride with Grant, a secret from her husband — which blew up in her face when Ben eventually found out about it. Ben was upset, believing his wife was having an affair, and said he needed time apart. Things looked a little better later in Season 8 though, when the couple reconnected during a dangerous blizzard.
But in Chicago Med's Season 9 premiere, viewers learn that Maggie and Ben's relationship appears to be doomed.
What's going on with Maggie and Ben's marriage in the Chicago Med Season 9 premiere?
The episode sees a series of Maggie's hospital colleagues, as well as a patient's wife, going on and on to the charge nurse about how wonderful her husband Ben is, as Maggie is seen getting more and more frustrated and upset at the remarks. Near the end of the episode, she finally breaks down and reveals that Ben wants a divorce.
The first clue that things are not well comes when Maggie and new attending emergency room doctor Mitch Ripley (Luke Mitchell) go into a room to treat one of the victims of a multi-car crash, Harris.
The patient's wife, Audrey, says she knows Maggie and that her son was the nurse's husband's student. “We met last year at parent-teacher night," Audrey explains. Maggie looks upset, but forces a smile.
After Dr. Ripley tries to figure out how to treat Harris, Maggie asks Audrey if she's okay after the car pileup. Audrey tells Maggie that nothing hurts on her, and offers, “Please give our regards to Mr. Ben.”
Later on in the episode — and after a psychotic incident in which Harris tries to flee his hospital bed after being taken off of one of his bipolar medications — Maggie is seen in Harris' room, who's now peacefully sleeping as his wife sits bedside.
Maggie tells Audrey, "It’s a rough illness," in regard to Harris being bipolar.
Maggie doesn't "want to hear about Ben"
Audrey agrees and then praises Maggie's husband, Ben. "I wish more people saw it that way and not as some kind of failing," Audrey says. "Your husband’s one of the rare ones who understands. He was always so good to our son. There was a time that Harris had to be hospitalized and Micah was so scared and upset and Mr. Ben really helped him through it. Made him see that people can get sick in different ways. And that his daddy was gonna be okay."
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Maggie puts her hand on Audrey’s back and says, “It will be, Audrey.”
After the exchange, nurse Doris turns to Maggie and says: “That was nice, what she said about Ben.” This doesn't go over well with Maggie, who responds, “To tell you the truth Doris, I really don’t want to hear about Ben."
Near the end of the episode, Dr. Hannah Asher (Jessy Schram) tries to get Maggie to leave work after a long day. Maggie says that the person who's supposed to relieve her is running a couple of hours late and that she doesn't mind staying late to cover for her.
"You need to go home to Ben," a well-meaning Hannah pushes. "He’s probably wondering where his wife is.” Maggie responds with a short “Ben’s just fine," before Hannah begins, "If I had a guy like Ben waiting for me ..."
Maggie, breaking down, cuts her off with, “Just stop. Everybody keeps on talking about my wonderful Ben. Well, my wonderful husband wants a divorce.”
Doris, now understanding why Maggie reacted the way she did at the mention of Ben's name earlier, chimes in with: “Poor Maggie."
Find out whether Maggie and Ben's relationship can be repaired or is done for good by watching Season 9 of Chicago Med on Wednesdays at 8/7c on NBC, or streaming episodes the next day on Peacock.
