Reviewer Rating: 4.2/5.0
4.2
This show may be starting to find its way.
It’s still very unserious and all over the place, and I can’t for the life of me figure out what they’re doing with the love triangle that starts and ends each week, but Doctor Odyssey is fun.
Isn’t that what you are really asking for in the end?
While Doctor Odyssey Season 1 Episode 3 was pretty sad, Doctor Odyssey Season 1 Episode 4 was much lighter and had a hurricane thrown into the mix.
Wellness Week is basically an excuse for the series to tap into the social media culture of Flat Belly Tea and other products now ubiquitous on Instagram and TikTok, designed to help you lose weight or live a healthier lifestyle.
Whether you subscribe to these products or not, this hour is a way to laugh at it all and have a little fun while navigating choppy waters and diagnosing the most random medical emergencies.
That’s really what Dr. Odyssey strives to do every week.
This is not prestige, serious television. It’s fun and designed to give you a breather, and I’m starting to see more of the appeal now that I understand better what the show is and isn’t trying to do.
The trio has an inner dynamic that we’ve seen many times before, but the opening strip poker scene is ridiculous but a great way to introduce some new players.
It’s a big ship and it takes a lot of people working there to make everything run smoothly and it was great to meet some of the other people who work with them. Even though they appear repeatedly, it’s nice to see some faces that don’t appear every week.
The hurricane aspect is interesting because how often do you hear about cruise ships being involved in one? It’s a TV show, so they put the ship in the most intense situations, cranking up the drama to a hundred, but that can’t happen very often.
Robert runs a strict ship, but I like that they make it very clear how seriously he takes being a real captain and sailing the ship. He was indebted to Leno in many ways, but not for the way he led the ship.
When the ship was found to be in danger, it was a miracle that he locked the ship and guided them through without causing any major damage.
Of course, he has to do it all while Max and Tristan perform emergency surgery on Avery, because what else is going on on that ship?
If anyone could explain this “love triangle” to me as it was when I was five years old, I would be grateful. The show seemed to end when Tristan had an epiphany that he wasn’t really in love with Avery, and Max and Avery hooked up again.
This seems like a very clear sign that they are dying, but then seemingly out of nowhere, Avery becomes extremely jealous of Tristan and Vivian. It felt very sudden considering she had not had time for Tristan in the last hour.
Tristan is a charming guy, but he doesn’t possess the effortless charisma that Max seems to have, like a second skin to him. While I maintain that the best chemistry in the entire cast is between Tristan and Max, I feel a little bit of something, something between Tristan and Vivian.
This may just be the essence of Laura Harrier, but I believe these two can at least relate. I’m not sure why Tristan and Ivory act like they’re in a relationship when they have a little spat, though.
So, what is the truth at this moment? Is everyone really just confused about how they feel?
It’s confusing and, therefore, frustrating because I have no idea what they want to do with it. I love a good, perfect love triangle, but they’re almost afraid to fully commit to it, but they’re not ready to give up either.
Vivian’s extended stay might even turn into a plaza, if they spiced it up a bit I think I’d actually come here.
But back to that surgery, it was one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever seen on television and was an absolute blast to watch.
Let’s be serious; Avery was never in any real danger. But it’s still a very stressful scene, and if you’re going to do a cruise ship medical drama, then yes, there should be absolutely ridiculous things like performing surgeries while the ship tilts back and forth and sterile medical instruments rattling on the ground .
The rest of the case is as random as ever, with Bethenny being poisoned by the food she delivers to all her followers, and the two women seemingly trying to hurt each other.
Doctor Odyssey may have been a cute little hour, but some of the cases weren’t all that interesting and were easily the weakest part of the hour, especially with how quickly some of the cases unfolded.
Many medical dramas will have a few cases sprinkled throughout the episode, but here, they’re sudden, which isn’t a bad thing, but it also makes many of the cases somewhat forgettable.
The funniest one is Bethany because it’s from left field, although I should have seen it coming because there’s so much emphasis on people eating raw meat!
Overall, Healthy Week didn’t do much for the development of any of the characters, but there were some fun moments, and honestly, the time flew by. That’s enough.
Additional physician notes
- They better go all in on Halloween week and create some of the craziest medical situations they can imagine.
- It’s obviously a good thing that Ivory got the scholarship, but she’s not planning on leaving for medical school, so what’s the long-term role here?
- That smoothie looks horrible! That someone got sick from it was the least shocking thing about it at that moment.
- Tristan stepped in during Ivory’s surgery, and one of the best things about Max was how genuinely helpful and trusting he was to those around him. He believed in Tristan and Avery and their abilities.
- Boy, Butch, and Bee were the real thing this episode said and I snorted loudly.
- There’s also a Stephanie Tanner joke here that I had to ask myself after hearing it: Is Dr. Odyssey the funniest show on TV right now?
Okay, guys. In the space of an hour, we encounter strip poker, a dangerous storm, appendicitis, the awakening of a love triangle, and the addition of Laura Harrier.
That’s a lot.
Let me know what you think about this in the comments so we can chat!
You can watch Doctor Odyssey on Thursdays at 9/8c on ABC.
Watch Doctor Odyssey online
