Doctor Odyssey Season 1 Episode 4 Review: Wellness Week

Critic’s Rating: 4.2 / 5.0

4.2

This show may be starting to find its way.

It’s still deeply unserious, all over the place, and I can’t for the life of me figure out what they’re doing with this love triangle they start and stop every week, but Doctor Odyssey is entertaining.

And isn’t that all you really ask for in the end?

Coming off of Doctor Odyssey Season 1 Episode 3, which was rather sad, Doctor Odyssey Season 1 Episode 4 was a much more lighthearted affair, and that’s with the inclusion of a hurricane.

Wellness Week was basically an excuse for the series to tap into the social media culture of flat tummy teas and other products you see all over Instagram and TikTok these days, meant to help you lose weight or live a healthier lifestyle.

Whether you subscribe to those products or not, this hour was a way to mock it all and have a little fun while navigating rough waters and diagnosing the most random medical emergencies.

And that’s really all Doctor Odyssey is trying to do each week.

This is not prestige, serious television. It’s amusing and meant to make you gasp a little bit, and I’m beginning to see more of the appeal now that I have a much better grasp of what this show is trying to be and what it isn’t.

The trio has a built-in dynamic that we’ve seen a lot of, but the opening strip poker scene was absurd and an excellent way to introduce some new players.

That’s a big ship, and a lot of people would need to be working on there to make it all go, and it’s nice to meet some other people who work with them. Even if they’re recurring, it’s nice to see some faces that aren’t passing through each week.

The hurricane aspect was interesting because how often do you hear about cruise ships getting caught up in them? This is a television show, so they upped the drama to one hundred by putting the ship right in the thick of things, but that can’t possibly be a regular occurrence.

Robert runs a tight ship, but I like that they’ve made it very clear how seriously he takes the job of being the actual captain and navigating the ship. He’s beholden to Lenore in many ways, but not how he captains the ship.

When it became clear that the ship was in danger, he locked the boat down and navigated them through it without any significant damage, which was a miracle.

Of course, he has to do all this while Max and Tristan perform emergency surgery on Avery because what else would happen on that boat?

If someone could explain this “love triangle” to me as if I were 5, I would appreciate it. It seemed like the show was done with it when they had Tristan have his epiphany about not really being in love with Avery, and Max and Avery hook up again.

That seemed like it was a pretty firm indicator that they were deading it, but then seemingly out of nowhere, Avery was pretty damn jealous of Tristan and Vivian. It felt very abrupt, considering the last hour she couldn’t be bothered with Tristan.

Tristan is an attractive guy, but he doesn’t quite have that same effortless charm Max seems to carry with him like a second skin. And while I maintain that the best chemistry amongst this whole crew is between Tristan and Max, I felt a little something, something between Tristan and Vivian.

It could just be that Laura Harrier essence, but I was buying that the two, at the very least, were vibing. Though, I wasn’t sure why Tristan acted like they were on their way to being in love when he and Avery had their little spat.

So, at this point, what’s the truth? Is everyone truly just confused about where their feelings lie and we’re going to continue to see the three dance around one another for however long it takes for someone to make an actual move?

This one is confounding and, therefore, frustrating because I can’t figure out what they want to do with it. I love a good, well-done love triangle, but it’s like they’re almost afraid to commit to it entirely, but they also aren’t ready to give it up.

Vivian’s long-term stay may even turn into a square, and if they spiced it up, I think I would actually be here for that.

But circling back to that surgery, that was one of the most absurd things I have ever seen on television, and it was an absolute blast to watch.

Let’s be serious; Avery was never in any real danger. But that was still a stressful scene, and if you’re going to have a cruise ship medical drama, then yes, there should be absolutely ridiculous things like surgery while the boat is tipping to and fro and sterile medical instruments are rattling on the ground.

The rest of the cases were as random as ever, with Bethany getting poisoned by the food she was schlepping to all her followers and the two women seemingly trying to hurt one another.

Doctor Odyssey may be a cute little hour, but some of these cases just aren’t all that interesting and are easily the weakest part of the hour, especially with how quickly some of them can be.

Many medical dramas will have a few cases that last the whole episode, but here, they came in bursts, which isn’t a bad thing, but it also makes a lot of them somewhat forgettable.

The most interesting one was Bethany because it came out of left field, though I should have seen it coming based on the huge emphasis on people consuming that raw meat!

Overall, Wellness Week didn’t do much to advance any of the characters, but there were some funny moments, and honestly, the hour flew by. And that can be enough.

Extra Doctor’s Notes

• They better lean completely into Halloween Week and produce some of the craziest medical situations they can conjure up.

• Avery getting the scholarship is obviously a good thing, but she’s not going to leave and go to medical school, so what’s the long-term play here?

• That smoothie was terrifying-looking! Someone getting sick from that was the least shocking thing that hour.

• Tristan stepped in during Avery’s surgery, and one of the best things about Max is how genuinely helpful and trusting he is of those around him. He believes in both Tristan and Avery and their abilities.

• Boys, Butches, and Bi’s was an actual thing said during this episode, and I snorted out loud.

• A Stephanie Tanner joke was also said here, and after I heard it, I had to ask myself: Is Doctor Odyssey the funniest show currently on television?

Alright, guys. In one hour, we got strip poker, a dangerous storm, appendicitis, the reawakening of the love triangle, and the addition of Laura Harrier.

It was a lot.

Let me know what you thought about this one in the comments so we can chat!

You can watch Doctor Odyssey on Thursdays at 9/8c on ABC.

Watch Doctor Odyssey Online