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Sharon Goodwin Has a New Lover on Chicago Med — And He Works at the Hospital
Sharon Goodwin's kiss with a colleague in her office reveals that she's been carrying on a romance behind closed doors.
As the head of patient and medical services at the fictional hospital at the center of Chicago Med, Sharon Goodwin is a calm, rational force often seen dishing out advice or guidance to staffers.
But her own personal life took center stage in the latest episode of the medical drama. In Season 9, Episode 3, it's revealed that Sharon has not only been secretly seeing someone — but he works alongside her at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center.
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Was Sharon Goodwin married on Chicago Med?
Sharon has been unlucky in love for much of the series, with her longtime husband, Albert "Bert" Goodwin, leaving her in the first season and the pair eventually divorcing. In Season 5, the writers toyed with the idea of them getting back together by having the characters reconnect, but their meetups never led to anything.
And in Season 8, Sharon was pursued by Dr. George Thomas while he was in the running for a seat on the hospital board. There was flirting involved, a lunch, and George even asked Sharon out on a date. But she politely passed due to their roles at Gaffney.
Sharon Goodwin's lost hospital ID card has deeper meaning
Early on in Season 9, Episode 3 of Chicago Med, Sharon couldn't find her work identification card while walking into the hospital, so Gaffney Medical's Head of Psychiatry, Dr. Daniel Charles, who happened to be arriving at the same time, vouched for her at the security desk.
As they walked down the hall and spotted someone in a white coat standing outside of Sharon's office, Dr. Charles said, "Dennis Washington, how you been?”
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Sharon also greeted the man by the door, saying good morning and addressing him as Dr. Washington, and asking what she could do for him. "I wanted to follow up on that matter I emailed you about," Washington said. She responded, "Oh, right of course. We can talk in my office."
But viewers soon learned there was a lot more to the story.
Who is Dr. Dennis Washington on Chicago Med?
Washington — who is the chief of oncology at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center — made his Chicago Med debut in Season 9, Episode 3. The character is portrayed by Tony-nominated theater actor John Earl Jelks, who has also appeared on TV shows including New Amsterdam, True Detective, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
Washington followed Sharon into her office in Episode 3, shut the door behind him, and dropped her hospital ID card on a table. “You forgot it by the toaster,” he said, giving away that she'd been at his place some time before work. She laughed and said, “I gotta stop leaving my things.”
“Hey, I don’t mind,” Dr. Washington said. “It gives me an excuse to come see you during the day.” He then pointed out that he knows "you’re not telling folks for the time being."
Sharon Goodwin and Dr. Dennis Washington are secretly dating
Washington admitted that he hadn't told anyone about their apparent romantic relationship yet either, but that he suspected at least one person in the hospital knew. Sharon replied with: "Your department coordinator? You said she was a huge gossip.”
Dr. Washington questioned, "Would it be the worst thing if people knew?” And Sharon told him, "No, of course not. It’s just that you’re the chief of a department and I’m a member of hospital leadership.”
Dr. Washington reasoned, “It’s not prohibited,” taking her hands in his.
But Sharon followed up with, “Well, it’s certainly not encouraged. Look, I make decisions that impact your department. And if there’s even a perception of favoritism towards oncology... ”
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Washington tried to assure her "there won't be," adding, "Sharon, colleagues date all the time. It’s not a big deal.”
Sharon responded with, “Yeah, but it is to me. I’ve always had this strict policy of not mixing my work life with my romantic life — until now.”
Washington told Sharon he appreciated her making an exception for him. "There’s no rush," he added. "We’ll take our time integrating both worlds. Besides, it's kind of fun sneaking around.”
They then shared a kiss.
What's the status of Sharon Goodwin and Dennis Washington's relationship?
At the end of the episode, Dr. Washington knocked on Sharon’s office door and said that he knows they're supposed to be meeting at a restaurant but he thought she might need a ride.
“I was just about to call you because I’m going to actually need a raincheck tonight," Sharon informed him. "Yeah, something came up.”
Thinking the canceled date might have something to do with their conversation earlier that day, Washington told Sharon that he didn't mean to pressure her into making their relationship public.
Sharon informed him that the cancellation had nothing to do with that, and said, “In fact, I think we should start telling people. I’ve always carried myself with a sense of propriety and I spent a lot of time encouraging my colleagues to do the same but never at the cost of their integrity. And I just think if you feel strongly about something in private, you should own it in public.”
Encouraged by Sharon using the word "strongly" in regard to her feelings for him, he asked her to dinner again. She explained she can't make it, adding, “But if you’re up late, I will stop by for a nightcap.”
Washington kissed her hand and said, “Then I’ll most definitely be up late."
As it turned out, the reason Sharon canceled her date was because she wanted to surprise charge nurse Maggie Lockwood with a dinner reservation. Earlier in the episode, Maggie tearfully told Dr. Charles that she had her annual MRI that night to make sure that her cancer hadn't returned. "I’ve been dreading it all day.” Maggie said.
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The nurse added of her husband, a fellow cancer survivor who recently told her he wanted a divorce: "Ben and I always made our appointments together. Then, we would treat ourselves to a fancy dinner. When I saw the appointment approaching on my calendar, I almost texted Ben. I wanted to see if he wanted to keep the tradition alive. But, then I remembered. He’s not my support system anymore. And I’m not his.”
Thankfully, Sharon was there to pick up the pieces.
To find out how Sharon and Dr. Washington's relationship progresses, watch all-new episodes of Chicago Med on Wednesdays at 8/7c on NBC, or stream them the next day on Peacock.
