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Chicago Med<\/a><\/em> Season 10 was a tough one for Sharon Goodwin, but it was something S. Epatha Merkerson<\/a>, one of two OGs now left on the NBC medical drama, alongside Oliver Platt<\/a>, relished, she shared on the Thursday, September 25, episode of the One Chicago Podcast<\/em>, hosted by Brian Luce, a former Chicago police officer who is a Chicago P.D.<\/a><\/em> producer and technical consultant.<\/p>\n When Luce asked what she\u2019s hoping for her character in Season 11<\/a>, premiering October 1, she shared that she fully trusts showrunners Allen MacDonald and the writers. \u201cIn all of those 600 and so episodes that I\u2019ve done over the years [of Dick Wolf shows, including Law & Order<\/em> and\u00a0Med<\/em>],\u00a0last year was the first time I felt that a writer actually paid attention to me,\u201d Merkerson revealed.<\/p>\n Not only did McDonald listen to her, she continued, \u201cbut also he wrote for me. That has not happened. Not like it did last year. I\u2019m a presence. You can\u2019t negate that. But to have this through line last season, it\u2019s only happened to me one other time.\u201d She pointed to the last season of Law & Order<\/em>, which she said likely would have ended up focusing on Sam Waterston<\/a> had they known the show would be ending \u2014 at that point (in 2010). It has since come back and is in its 25th season.<\/p>\n She added that she loves what she does but MacDonald picked a story that showcased her voice and her capabilities. In Season 10, we saw her call upon her skills as a nurse during an emergency \u2014 \u201cIt really shows the fullness of this character that she didn\u2019t come to this job as an administrator, she came as a worker \u2014 and her vulnerabilities when she was stalked as a result of a decision she made during that trauma.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust because she\u2019s the boss doesn\u2019t mean she\u2019s not human,\u201d Merkerson said on the\u00a0One Chicago Podcast<\/em>. \u201cShe has moments of fear. She has moments where she\u2019s not sure.\u00a0It was the same with Van Buren [her Law & Order<\/em> character]. This is a woman of strength, but you have to see when they\u2019re vulnerable. You\u2019ve got to see 100% of the person.\u201d<\/p>\n She also said that the stalking storyline challenged her and also featured scenes that have been among the most difficult for her to film. \u201cThe cool thing is, I got to do some stunts, which really, you know, the old broad gets to do the stunts. And I did,\u201d Merkerson shared. \u201cI was proud of myself. But that was probably the most difficult because it was a storyline that progressed through the season.\u201d<\/p>\n The star also told Luce that she thinks the writing has \u201cabsolutely\u201d gotten better over the course of its run. \u201cI also think that with each cast change,\u00a0it\u2019s a lot of different energy. It changes it ever so slightly. The original group, you can\u2019t take away from. Nick [Gehlfuss<\/a>, returning this season<\/a>] and Torrey [DeVitto]<\/a> and Colin [Donnell]<\/a>, you can\u2019t take away from that. But as we\u2019ve moved forward, when folks come in, I think it changes the feel of the show ever so much. We make the adjustment.\u201d<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t all about looking back on the past, however. Merkerson also teased an upcoming Season 11 moment that shocked her. \u201cThere is something \u2026 that I don\u2019t think anyone would imagine that this is possible, that the body could withstand,\u201d she revealed, giving props to the writers and medical consults on the surgeries and props.<\/p>\n In general, Merkerson said of those working on the show, \u201cWhat they do is extraordinary. Let\u2019s say 50% is love stories and 50% is in the ED, is in the operating rooms. So, it has to be true to life.\u201d<\/p>\n