Chicago Med Season 11 Episode 9's Shocking Death Is A Heartbreaker

Contains spoilers for "Chicago Med" Season 11, Episode 9 — "Blindsided"

After a long, slow decline that saw him suffer through a brain bleed after taking a tumble at his memory care facility, Bert Goodwin (Gregory Alan Williams) finally passes away in "Blindsided." It's an event that the entire family has been waiting for — Bert's adult kids have been staying at the family home and are present when his time finally comes. 

And yet it's such a sudden development that the audience might feel as surprised as his ex-wife Sharon (S. Epatha Merkerson) does by her ex-husband's death. That potentially teaches viewers an important life lesson: as in life — and even though "Chicago Med" foreshadowed his exit throughout Season 10 and Season 11 — when death actually arrives it feels just as shattering, sudden, and heartbreaking as any real loss.

Bert is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease during Season 9, in what may be one of the best "Chicago Med" episodes ever. Sharon ultimately agrees it's best for him to go to an assisted living faculty. When Bert is injured, she learns that he has signed an advanced directive that doesn't allow surgical intervention, guaranteeing that his bleed will eventually kill him. There's little the family can do but hold on to each other and deal with some unresolved, years-old issues — like eldest son David Goodwin's (Gbenga Akinnagbe) confession that Bert isn't his biological dad. Once Bert's bed is empty and the funeral over, Sharon finds herself struggling with her feelings and leans on a helpful medical professional for assistance. 

In the wake of Bert's passing, Sharon grapples with her conflicted feelings regarding his absence. Due to his impaired memory and the loss of his cognition from Alzheimer's, Sharon feels like she's burying an entirely different person than the one she loved. Fortunately for her, she has Tamika Jenkins (Sheria Irving) to help. The home health aid helps Sharon take care of the immediate aftermath of Bert's death and gives her emotional support. Tamika tells Sharon that all of her good memories of Bert will come back in time, and her inability to remember the man he was before his illness will soon recede into the past.

Dr. Daniel Charles (Oliver Platt) — who has been secretly facing some big medical issues himself — is also there to provide a shoulder for Sharon. In the episode's final scene, she returns to the office in the wake of Bert's funeral. Dr. Charles asks for a leave of absence due to his depression, and she naturally grants it. After they part, Sharon clears out a box of Bert's belongings and is touched to find a DVD filled with footage of her and the kids on it. Tamika appears to be right; her feelings may always evolve, but what she loved about Bert will always be there, locked safe in her own mind.