Doctor Odyssey Season 1 Episode 3 Review: Plastic Surgery Week

One step forward, one step backward. Doctor Odyssey Season 1 Episode 3, “Plastic Surgery Week” marks a major regression of some of the show’s initial problems.

Doctor Odyssey Season 1 Episode 1, “Pilot,” has many narrative issues, including going for more shock value than substance. Then, Doctor Odyssey Season 1 Episode 2, “Singles Week,” shows a stark improvement with a better blend of absurdity and sentiment.

It isn’t a TV show that takes itself seriously. This may make it a nice palate cleanser for some TV show fans who enjoy carefree TV. However, Doctor Odyssey doesn’t quite work in its current state.

The series isn’t quite a parody, not fully a comedy, and definitely not a complete drama. It’s insecure about its identity.

The ABC series continues dealing with growing pains.

Sometimes watching a show find its identity can offer viewers an exciting experience. Other times it becomes frustrating.

It’s too soon to state where Doctor Odyssey falls on the scale of exciting self-discovery and descent into self-destruction.

We see moments of the TV show’s potential but then it runs back to the comfort of ridiculousness and hides any sign of captivating TV.

“Singles Week” showcases Doctor Odyssey’s possibilities, while “Plastic Surgery Week” reminds us of its flaws. The main one is an obsession with the grotesque.

The series’ creator Ryan Murphy loves shocking viewers, as he has throughout his career. American Horror Story in particular has had quite a few horrifically surprising moments. Let us also not forget shows like Nip/Tuck, which didn’t shy from pushing boundaries.

However, viewers expect that type of content when watching these shows. The title tells viewers enough to know what to expect. This isn’t the case with a show called Doctor Odyssey, a series about a luxury cruise ship.

Viewers don’t go into it expecting noses to fall off and someone pulling a bloody string out their nose. “Plastic Surgery Week” does gross out moments for the sake of them.

They add nothing to the series and plot.

Doctor Odyssey may eventually become known for these types of decisions, but since the series remains new, these scenes shock and surprise in a way that feels uncomfortable.

We don’t know this series well enough yet to see something like a missing nose or graphic surgery and not feel like we’re being subjected to horrors against our will.

We haven’t consented yet to these types of scenes. Ease us into it at least first.

Another consistent problem of Doctor Odyssey remains this love triangle. We aren’t invested.

The stakes feel rather low because the show hasn’t developed enough for us to care who Avery wants to date. Let’s look at Joshua Jackson’s original love triangle series, Dawson’s Creek.

We care if Joey picks Pacey or Dawson because the series spent years building up her love story with both. There is a right answer in our hearts.

With Avery, Tristan, and Max, we don’t care because none of it seems to matter. The whole thing just feels like some light frolly.

That’s fine but the show making every episode have a development in it feels excessive.

Now Tristan has apparently dropped out of the love triangle, which gives Max the upper hand, but as a doctor, he seems ridiculously unprofessional to worry about whether his subordinate wants to date him.

Max is only thriving because of his charm and good looks because he’s doing too much and not showing enough career-wise to excuse his behavior.

Doctor Odyssey also hopes to succeed simply by being charming and good-looking. We need more than hot doctors and nurses to sign up for seven seasons. We need some more substance and less ick factor.

Stray Thoughts

• The captain’s sexual harassment storyline is a choice.
• Glad Avery has some morals and a limit but does she?
• “Plastic Surgery Week” starts to feel like a Justin Jedlica (aka Human Ken) propaganda commercial at some point.
• Gina Gershon is a good guest star. Just brings energy to the series and role.
• The best part of “Plastic Surgery Week” is Tristan’s storyline with his estranged mother. The show needs more stuff like that and less of these themes of the week.
• Once again, the exposition overload takes over.
• Love that Tristan asks Max if he’s sexually fluid because the show has been hinting, but he answers no. There goes that Tristan and Max romance dream out the window.
• Joshua Jackson has a flirty nature on this show that comes across loud and clear. All his interactions with Justin Jedlica feel very flirty.

What did you think of this episode of Doctor Odyssey? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Doctor Odyssey airs on Thursdays at 9/8 C on ABC.

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