Chicago Med Reveals Dean Archer Is Baby's Father

The Season 11 premiere of Chicago Med resolves the Season 10 cliffhanger by revealing Dr. Dean Archer (Steven Weber) — not Dr. Mitch Ripley — is the father of Dr. Hannah Asher’s baby. The episode jumps three months ahead with Hannah keeping the pregnancy secret at work; a nurse mistakenly congratulates Ripley and he learns the truth in a stunned elevator confrontation. Showrunner Allen MacDonald said the Archer–Hannah pairing offered richer dramatic possibilities, and Weber called the twist “gutsy.” Producers acknowledged other possible fathers were considered, including a tease involving Will Halstead, and Nick Gehlfuss is slated to return in episode two for a separate storyline. MacDonald also teases broader season arcs under the theme “time is running out,” including Dr. Caitlin Lenox’s rare prion diagnosis and characters rethinking how they want to spend the next phase of their lives.