Doctor Odyssey Season 1 Episode 11 Review: Casino Week

High rollers and low stakes dominate the Odyssey in this episode. Doctor Odyssey Season 1 Episode 11, “Casino Week” features Angela Bassett as her 9-1-1 character Athena Grant. It’s the crossover event that you don’t expect to love. However, it continues the series’ entertaining momentum.

“Casino Week” isn’t as good as Doctor Odyssey Season 1 Episode 10, “Shark Attack! Part 2: Orcas!” but it’s another step in the right direction. The show has seemingly been working out some kinks created from the initial episodes.

It flows more naturally. It is also strategic with its over-the-top storylines. They’re still ridiculous, but in a way, that feels more believable and less eye-roll-indulging. This episode brings Max and Athena face-to-face with a real jewel thief.

I pride myself on being able to predict the outcome of many television shows and movies, but the twist with the kind granny actually being a schemer surprises me. Maybe I didn’t put enough effort into figuring this one out ahead of the reveal, but still credit to the writers for misleading us about this character.

She’s the real George Clooney of “Casino Week.”

This isn’t an hour of TV brilliance, but it’s entertaining enough to make us enjoy this silly ride. Now, as a non-9-1-1 watcher, I don’t know much about Athena. Nevertheless, I feel like the Doctor Odyssey writers excel at giving us a summary of her history with ships and highlighting her personality.

Joshua Jackson has an aura that’s charming on-screen and attention grabbing. He’s been a leading man, even when he is simply supposed to be a lovable sidekick. He stands out on screen.

However, the presence of Angela Bassett immediately makes you stop watching him and pay full attention to her.

She stands out and becomes the star of “Casino Week” without even trying too hard. Nevertheless, it is fun to see Max and Athena team up. They get to work together in a fun way that highlights both of their skills as a police officer and doctor.

“Casino Week” doesn’t have much else happening besides this heist storyline. We witness some flirting between Tristan and Avery, but it’s not as prominent, given their last declaration. Avery’s decision about the child plays a key role in this episode.

By the end of it, she decides to have the child. Everything else remains in limbo, including whether she picks Tristan or Max. This is where Doctor Odyssey takes a step backwards.

The show should fully embrace Avery and Tristan for now and figure out the Max and Avery romance later. However, the ending of “Casino Week” seems to imply she remains unsure of which man she wants to date.

Love triangles are not fun to watch when no decision seems final. This is the case with the Avery, Max, and Tristan romance. She picks one, then, not even multiple episodes later, she doesn’t know who she wants to date.

Many Doctor Odyssey fans assume that Avery and Max will end up together in a few seasons (if it lasts that long). Therefore, the series should make it seem like she definitely picks Tristan. They can break up by the finale and restart the whole who will she pick thing in Season 2.

Despite the slight annoyance of the love triangle continuing to flip flop each episode, the last three Doctor Odyssey episodes have shown the series’ vast improvement. We still have quite a few more episodes left in Season 1, but it could be a win for audiences if the momentum continues.

What did you think of this episode of Doctor Odyssey? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to leave your own rating!

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

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