Good Sam Review: Natural Order (Season 1 Episode 2)

Good Sam Season 1 Episode 2, “Natural Order,” tests the limits of Sam and Griff’s rivalry by reminding us why it’s a worthy investment.

This show refuses to be light-handed with its messaging as it features constant reminders about how generational differences clash with definitions of success.

Those stressors bring Sam and Malcolm together during “Natural Order,” and it’s nice to see Sam get a tiny break from everything.

However, it’s challenging to invest in the relationship yet because we hardly know Malcolm.

Good Sam reveals plenty about his relationship with his father, how that impacts his career, and how both of those things make him a good match for Sam. Yet, this episode doesn’t scratch the surface of who Malcolm is as an individual.

Alternatively, “Natural Order” creates space for the surgical residents to step into their own a bit more. As a result, their friendship feels more familiar and lived in during scenes like those at the nurses’ station.

More specifically, Good Sam gives Caleb more character development due to his connection to a patient. The reveal of alcoholism as the basis of their connection doesn’t come too late in the episode.

It retroactively creates stakes in a medical case that seriously lacked them, and it develops a character that is suddenly more than meets the eye.

Now, Caleb’s appreciation of the underdog and his decision not to ask Sam to stay in Good Sam Season 1 Episode 1, “Pilot,” hold more weight. Finally, there’s a way to empathize with this character that didn’t exist before because we knew nothing about him. 

His decisions and motivations have more depth than they do at the start of “Natural Order,” which can’t be said about the rest of the residents.

For example, it’s still unclear why Lex and Griff started their affair and why it only ended recently.

Regardless, it’s still refreshing to see a medical drama treat alcoholism as a disease that deserves equal treatment as any other illness. The small yet meaningful things become big reasons to root for a show in the era of peak TV.

It’s endlessly frustrating that Griff constantly undermines Sam. At every turn, he has something up his sleeve to step on her toes — professionally and personally. Griff is impossible to root for in any capacity because it’s so hard to see through him.

That outward presentation cracks a bit around Lex, but it’s hard to know if any of that is genuine. That inherent uncertainty is a testament to Jason Isaacs’ talent.

It’s exciting to imagine the day when something or someone cracks Griff’s heart wide open. Isaacs’ range will get to shine then.

That’s why it’s a big question of how long Good Sam can keep up this rift before it becomes utterly exhausting for everyone involved. So then, “Natural Order” puts Sam in that board room.

Good Sam has yet to give Griff any redeemable qualities, making Sam the more obvious pick to be the hero in this narrative. However, her speech in the board room (and the one to Griff that follows) makes Sam the right choice.

Anyone who can make a work environment better so that doctors and patients can thrive deserves to keep their job and expand on their successes. Sam proves she can do such, and her line to Griff seals the deal.

“You can be the T-Rex, dad. I’m the meteorite, and I’m coming for you.” What a line! Sam isn’t letting go of her job quietly, and that’s admirable in the face of someone like Griff, who is using every figurative weapon in his arsenal to get back what he thinks he’s owed.

Sam Griffith is a good person doing good work, and it’s so nice to root for someone like that on TV. It’s even nicer if it means it keeps someone like Griff, who refuses to accept change, from making a workplace and the people affected by it worse. 

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Good Sam airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on CBS.

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