'Chicago Med's Luke Mitchell Teases a Near-Death Moment of Redemption for Ripley (Exclusive)
When Luke Mitchell signed up to play Dr. Mitch Ripley on the ninth season of Chicago Med, he had no idea what a wild ride his character was going to go on. He’s been falsely sued for medical malpractice. His troubled childhood friend Sully (Daniel Dorr) died of cancer, which sent him on a bender. He got into a fistfight as a result and the man died. He’s been suspended from his job in the ED at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center, facing potential termination. And Dr. Hannah Asher (Jessy Schram) broke up with him.“He’s in a dark place,” Mitchell exclusively tells Parade. “He’s wrestling with his demons. He’s trying to rise above his doubts. And I think he doesn’t want to admit that because of his dark past and the work that he’d done to put himself in the position that he’s in. To be a doctor, he’s had to hide a whole bunch of himself. He liked to think that he’d moved past who he was and become someone better, and it’s becoming obvious that he hasn’t. There are some lingering demons there that he needs to deal with.” 🤩 📺 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter & get the scoop on the latest TV news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🤩🎥At this point in time, it’s obvious that Ripley has to do something to redeem himself. And on tonight’s episode of the NBC procedural, "Down a Hole," he’s given the chance to be a hero when he stumbles upon a woman and her daughter trapped in an abandoned well and struggles to rescue them.“It’s a really dramatic episode,” Mitchell says. “It’s a really poignant episode. It’s a really emotional episode. And it’s exactly what Ripley needs to go through at this moment. He puts his life on the line to save a mother and daughter. It’s not because he’s trying to prove anything to anyone. Or if he is, it’s to prove to himself that he is a good person deep down, that he is worthy of love.”
Luke Mitchell, Jessy SchramPhoto by&colon George Burns Jr&solNBC
Because of his rough childhood, Ripley became a doctor to be of service to others. And this episode allows him to recapture that pure side of himself, where he’s willing to put his life on the line in aid of strangers. “It starts off Ripley tapping into who he really is,” Mitchell says. “And that’s someone who likes to help other people. But that quickly transcends into something completely other. And it’s a bonding experience with the mother of the daughter that he’s trying to rescue.” Related: Chicago Med Shocker: Why (Spoiler) Was Fired on Tonight's EpisodeIt will also have a crossover character from Chicago Fire with Mouch (Christian Stolte) making an appearance and also Dr. Charles (Oliver Platt), who was Ripley’s therapist when he was a teen, turning up.“It’s a bonding experience between him and Mouch, who he built a prior relationship with during the crossover, and then it is also a further bonding experience with Dr. Charles,” Mitchell says. “There’s a really, really poignant scene between the two of them at a really climactic moment in the episode. And then there’s an appearance by a character that you wouldn’t expect to have an appearance in this episode. So, we’re throwing a lot at you in this episode. But it’s a wild, wild ride, and hopefully a worthwhile ride.”
Oliver Platt, Luke MitchellPhoto by&colon George Burns Jr&solNBC
As for his need to prove himself worthy of love, Mitchell says that his breakup with Hannah Asher on last week’s episode was also an emotional event necessary to help him resolve some of his demons.“I don’t think he wants to believe it, but deep down, he understands,” Mitchell says. “I think as much as this is desperate times for Ripley and he thinks that he needs Asher in this moment. What he actually needs is for Asher to walk away from him so that he’s forced to grow because she can’t keep being his rock, can’t keep being his savior. And it’s not good for her as well. So, this breakup, though heartbreaking, is the perfect thing at the perfect time for both of them.”Chicago Med airs Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. Streams next day on Peacock.Next, Sarah Ramos Reveals the 'Scary' and 'Exciting' Part of Her New Chicago Med Role
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