Good Sam Review: To Whom It May Concern (Season 1 Episode 13)

Good Sam Season 1 Episode 13, “To Whom It May Concern,” finally takes its characters to new places, professionally and personally, but the payoff isn’t always as successful as the Samantha Griffith Technique.

Sam’s win to be the Chief of the Cardiothoracic Department is earned regarding how she positively changes the department over the season.

Good Sam never gives much effort in showing Griff’s appeal in benefiting the department with Sam’s team, so it’s challenging to imagine him having any longevity in the role.

Of course, it’s predictable for Griff to cross everyone he cares about to maintain control at Lakeshore by becoming the new CMO.

The problem with Griff’s promotion lies in its parallel to his competition with Sam because it falls apart with Rhonda. A narrative bookend is always fascinating to watch, but it becomes a bit frustrating when it highlights how little Griff evolves.

At least with Sam, Griff has experience as a surgeon and as chief. His betrayal and (childish) possessiveness of his former position are easier to comprehend.

Alternatively, Sam explicitly states Griff has no perception of what being the CMO entails, proving Griff’s motivations are a more intense power grab and nothing more.

Unfortunately, Good Sam‘s dedication to showcasing Griff’s toxic traits undercuts Rhonda’s accomplishments as a double chief. There’s a brief scene when Lex and Eric celebrate Rhonda’s advancements, but the series never gives Rhonda that chance.

Griff’s ultimate betrayal would sting more if the medical drama allowed Rhonda to further prove her assets as the CMO and a practicing surgeon. Rhonda’s time is split as she wears multiple hats, and the show could have shown more of that.

This issue isn’t uncommon on Good Sam since it sidesteps showing Malcolm getting a call about his promotion to the board. That letdown comes back in full force early on in “To Whom It May Concern.”

The episode gives Sam the space to celebrate her win with her best friend Lex and good friend Malcolm (and potential love interest, again). She basks in the joy of her promotion because she works all season to get there.

It’s a shame Good Sam never explicitly shows a similar scene for Malcolm getting his call about being on the board.

It’s equally unfortunate that Good Sam never quite finds its footing with the Joey and Tim drama.

The show never gives their relationship the attention it needs for the dramatic twists to land as they should. Every scene feels like a disconnected snapshot of their romance rather than a progression throughout the season.

Essentially, it always feels like something is missing because Good Sam never follows Joey and Tim off Lakeshore’s property to explore their tension elsewhere. 

So, Tim’s knowledge of Joey’s mysterious and potentially criminal past in Vermont doesn’t hold much weight. It is a classic season-finale twist that would set up Joey’s arc in a potential second season, but this season doesn’t lead up to it properly.

Instead, it becomes arsenal in Isan’s disdain for Joey, solidifying Isan as a device in Joey’s arc. Subsequently, Isan’s individuality as a character continues to be lost in another’s competitive nature.

Somehow, in a brief period, Nick Vega has more definitive qualities than Isan, who has been present from the beginning. The only bad thing about Nick’s addition to the series is that it should’ve happened sooner.

His personality and work ethic adds more depth to the interpersonal relationships at the hospital. His competition with Sam is already fresher and more appealing than the tired circle with Griff.

Plus, Nick and Lex have an undeniable chemistry that deserves more time to simmer until they take the next step. Their kiss comes a lot earlier than expected, but Lex’s resistance to repeating history is a vote of optimism for their slow-burn future.

On the other hand, “To Whom It May Concern” goes full-steam ahead with its central “love triangle” through callbacks and sweeping grand gestures set to moving songs.

Sam seems torn between her feelings for Caleb and Malcolm, but it’s challenging to invest in one hypothetical relationship over the other. The timing is off for both of them — still. Plus, there are a lot of genuine feelings involved all around.

In that sense, Good Sam has a complete love triangle that could become more engaging with a second season. However, it also could become more complicated assuming Lex is the one who gives Caleb Sam’s recommendation-turned-love letter.

Any fallout between Sam and Lex about that is more enticing than who — if anyone — Sam chooses. Sam and Lex finally have common ground again; miscommunication could shake that or strengthen it.

If for anything, Good Sam needs a second season to explore that — two women who take on the personal and professional worlds together. 

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What did you think of the Good Sam season finale? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Good Sam Season 1 is streaming now on Paramount+.

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