Chicago Med: Jessy Schram, Showrunner Unpack Hannah's 'Ambiguous' Response To Archer's Finale Confession

There's a baby on board at Gaffney — but has the new arrival brought parents Dean and Archer closer together as lovers? Or will they forge ahead strictly as co-parents?

Before we get into the thick of it, let's recap: Wednesday's Season 11 finale picks up where the penultimate episode left off, as Hannah attempts to guide her patient through childbirth as she herself experiences labor. 

Just as showrunner Allen MacDonald teased earlier this week, Archer is taken hostage by the gunman early in the hour, spending much of the episode apart from the rest of the staff. Finally, he resurfaces along with the prisoner, who's forcing Dean by gunpoint to usher him to his pal's room, where he hopes to conspire to make a grand escape.

Soon after, the prisoner is taken down before he can commit any more casualties, and the hospital lockdown comes to an end just as Hannah has to start pushing. Finally, Archer hustles into her hospital room and sticks by her side as she gives birth. Once the baby — whom Hannah names Mabel — arrives, Archer makes his big confession.  

"I love you, Hannah, and I have for a long time," he admits. "Before our girl, before the Crunch Berries, long before. I wish I could pinpoint a moment, but if I'm being honest, it wasn't just one moment, it was thousands of moments which revealed to me what I feel for you, I've always felt."  

How does Hannah respond? Not in the most straightforward of ways.

"My brain had already hit maximum overload, just the pregnancy, work, the nightmares, and my general overall anxiety," she said. "I couldn't really process it, but thank you for telling me now."

Then, Hannah kisses her baby daddy. (She doesn't, however, tell him that she loves him back!)

So what's the deal: Is Hannah avoiding a response while she floats on the bliss of new motherhood? Or is she simply overcome with emotion that she can't find the words?

"It was designed to be ambiguous," "Chicago Med" showrunner Allen MacDonald told TVLine. "They're not quite on the same page, but the emotion is real and there is love there."

But MacDonald originally struggled to sign off on Hannah's response, worrying about the possible misinterpretations of her "thank you." He said he was "concerned" that the moment might come off as Hannah trying to pander to Archer's feelings, simply trying to avoid the awkwardness of rejecting him during such a happy time.

"I didn't want it to be pity," MacDonald said.

But for Jessy Schram, who plays Hannah on "Chicago Med," the response was always an honest — albeit ambiguous — one.

"The 'now' for me was really important," she said. "'Thank you for telling me now' means I'm so grateful and now we can be in this moment and now we can move forward."

"I do believe that Hannah loves Dean," she continued. "I do believe that there is a love there. From this moment on, we get to explore what that love could possibly be, and I don't even know if Hannah knows what that looks like."

But if Hannah doesn't even know what's next, how should viewers interpret this Hannah/Dean exchange? Should we take Hannah's kiss as a sign that she reciprocates Dean's feelings? Or could the #Dasher dynamic be as fragile as ever when "Chicago Med" returns in the fall?

Regardless of what happens, MacDonald assured us that the Archer/Hannah relationship "will be defined" next season.

"They have a chance, for sure," he said. "They're definitely the real deal, [but] just because people love each other doesn't always mean a relationship will succeed."

Aside from the #Dasher of it all, the "Chicago Med" Season 11 finale delivers plenty of other shocking, surprising, and heartbreaking moments.  

Lenox finally tells her brother about her prion disease diagnosis. He has an extremely emotional — borderline violent! — reaction to the tragic news, but the pair ultimately embrace, and their relationship appears to be stronger now that Lenox has come clean. 

Later, Lenox reunites with Ripley, the man of her desires. (Lenox last week told Ripley that she was in love with him, though he hadn't responded.) Now, the man finally tells Lenox how he feels: He loves her, too. (!)

As Lenox, Ripley, Hannah, and Archer all face new beginnings, Frost suffers a loss: His father passes away. But before he takes his last breath, the pair share a tender moment where Frost forgives his dad for all of his shortcomings and mistakes and assures him it's OK to let go. 

Elsewhere, Dr. Charles reunites with Gio, the boy with whom he connected while volunteering at the suicide hotline. He's alive and well, and taking steps to improve his mental health. But this is Gaffney, so with good news, comes bad news: Charles' job continues to be in jeopardy as Dr. Rabari comes for his position in the wake of Charles' stroke.

Goodwin declares war on Miranda and the board, who are entertaining Rabari's race to the top, and says she's prepared to go to bat for her friend. She suggests using Rabari's diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder (aka sociopathy) against him, alleging that it makes him unfit to replace Charles. Though Charles begs her to refrain from outing Rabari, Goodwin goes to Miranda and suggests that Rabari should undergo the same kind of physical and psychiatric testing as Charles ahead of the board's decision, knowing that doing so will reveal his condition. (Charles had been undergoing tests to prove he was still fit to work after his medical ordeal.)

In the end, Miranda accuses Goodwin of leaking Rabari's personal medical files, telling Goodwin that she must resign. If Miranda doesn't receive a resignation within the hour, Goodwin will be fired. Goodwin, of course, promises she will put up a fight, and defiantly stares down the camera as the episode comes to an end.

What did you think of Hannah's reaction to Dean's declaration of love? What will happen with Goodwin next season? Grade the episode, and Season 11 overall, then hit the comments with your thoughts!