Season 11 of Chicago Med just delivered a tear-jerker after Dr. Mitch Ripley (Luke Mitchell) took a day off from his Gaffney duties to memorialize his late best friend, Robert “Sully” Sullivan (Daniel Dorr).
How to Watch
Watch Chicago Med Wednesdays at 8/7c on NBC and next day on Peacock.
Growing up, Ripley had some trouble-making friends, one of which was Sully. While Ripley eventually turned his life around, Sully was still battling his own demons as he reconnected with Ripley in Season 9 of Chicago Med. Despite, Sully had always cared deeply for Ripley and his longtime girlfriend, Lynne (Hope Lauren), up until his tragic death in Season 10.
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Sully and Ripley’s friendship was an emotional rollercoaster, and Chicago Med viewers revisited that heartbreaking past during the NBC nail-biter’s latest.
Sully’s tragic cancer battle on Chicago Med
Not long after reconnecting with Ripley, Sully was excited to reveal that he and Lynne, another member of Ripley’s childhood crew, were now dating and expecting a baby. But this exciting news was soon complicated after Ripley made the tragic discovery that his best friend had terminal cancer. Despite initial denial and heartache, Sully eventually shared his diagnosis with Lynne, who stuck by his side as they decided to fight as hard as possible.
While receiving chemo treatments at Gaffney, Sully caught wind of Ripley navigating some hefty legal obstacles at Med due to a fraudulent lawsuit. In an effort to protect his friend, Sully physically assaulted Ripley’s conniving patient, leading to devastating consequences as Ripley became the prime suspect. While Ripley initially intended to assume blame to allow Sully as much time with his wife and newborn son as possible, Sully wouldn’t let Ripley take the fall, confessing to attacking the patient. Sully was swiftly arrested, devastating Ripley and his family.
The turmoil didn’t end there, either. Following his incarceration, Ripley made a surprise trip to Gaffney after ending up with a spleen injury while in prison. Ripley instantly called Lynne so that she and her son could head to the hospital and soak up those precious moments as a family. Sully showed some promising signs of recovery during the episode, but just when Ripley and Lynne got their hopes up, Sully’s condition took a drastic turn after he suffered from a blood clot. After a brutal cancer battle, Sully was gone.
While Sully was torn from Ripley’s life too soon, the Med doctor felt his best friend’s presence in Season 10’s “Down in a Hole” while rescuing a mother and child after they fell into a well. Moments from death, Ripley received a visit from Sully, who convinced him to keep fighting.
Sully’s funeral was a fun-filled Wrigley Field break-in
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Sully’s spirit was alive in Chicago Med‘s “Our So Called Lives” as Ripley met up with Lynn for a very momentous occasion. It had been exactly a year since Sully lost his battle to cancer, so Ripley and Lynn set out to memorialize him and spread his ashes. Where, you ask? Wrigley Field, where Sully enjoyed Cubs games growing up.
Amid their Cubs stadium break-in, Lynne correctly guessed that Ripley had been late due to being with a girl, soon learning that Ripley had struck up a connection with Gaffney E.D. Chief Caitlin Lenox (Sarah Ramos). Lynne was surprised by the unlikely pairing, soon clocking just how smitten Ripley was with Lenox.
Ripley shrugged this off, admitting that taking their relationship to the next level would be a “bad idea,” but Lynne remained dubious. Inspired by the spirit of her late husband, Lynne encouraged Ripley to explore the romantic prospect and take some risks.
“Sully was the best bad idea I’ve ever had,” Lynne said, adding that if Ripley truly cared for Lenox, he had to tell her. “This kind of chemistry is rare.”
Ripley ended up making more of a move on Lenox later on, led by the fearless spirit of his late best friend. But before that, Ripley and Lynne broke into Wrigley Field and spread Sully’s ashes with fervor. Better yet, Ripley and Lynne avoided any penalty thanks to Sully being a Cubs fan.
Watch Chicago Med on Wednesdays at 8/7c on NBC and the next day on Peacock.
