Chicago Med: Crockett & Blake's Relationship Changed When Sarah Rafferty Was Cast
"Chicago Med" fans have a wide grab bag of favorite pairings to choose from, but amongst the most intriguing are Dr. Crockett Marcel (Dominic Rains) and Dr. Pamela Blake (Sarah Rafferty). But long before their unique relationship could blossom, the show's team initially had them see each other in a very different light.
In an interview with Meet Us at Molly's, "Chicago Med" writers Jeff Drayer and Stephen Hootstein spoke of the origins of Blake's character. "Originally we had talked about a character coming in who is this transplant surgeon, who ... ended up not quite being ... a bad guy but like was sort of using Crockett a little bit," Drayer commented. However, not only did the creative team have a hard time finding a place for an antagonist in a series about the Windy City life savers, but some fitting casting managed to spell out who Blake would be.
"We got this really great actress, Sarah Rafferty," Drayer continued. "It was just wonderful and was very good alongside Crockett and it just it ended up turning into more of a story where ... they end up having a relationship and I don't know we just kind of kept following that story." Hootstein concurred with the sentiment, adding that their initial, more cynical approach resembling "The Graduate" ended up not working, largely thanks to Rafferty's chemistry with her co-star. And what eventually became of their relationship gave the writers plenty to chew on.
The show's creators are aware of the awkwardness of their big kiss
The end of "Chicago Med" Season 7 was a big shakeup for the series, in no small part due to Dr. Crockett Marcel and Dr. Pamela Blake's jaw-dropping kiss. The moment pieced together a newly formed love triangle between the physician, his mentor, and her daughter, Avery (Johanna Braddy), who Crockett was in a relationship with.
The show's writing team was more than aware of the scene's impact and the tense feeling it left in its wake. Speaking with TV Guide, co-showrunner Diane Frolov admitted to the relationship's cumbersome nature, saying, "Well, it's a bit of a triangle for him there with Avery, and it's awkward, right? Dr. Blake does not know anything about him having gone out with Avery. So that's awkward. We're going to continue playing that." As to what their initial plans for continuing this storyline were to be, co-showrunner Andrew Schneider commented that, despite it seeming that Blake is trying to make their romance seem like a one-and-done deal, "She doesn't mean it."
Of course, fans will know that with Season 8 of "Chicago Med," Blake has moved on from Gaffney following a heated conflict with Crockett regarding a hand injury. Things may have not come to a head the way we all imagined, but their hair-raising moments continue to have fans talking, with some even thinking they went too far.