Doctor Odyssey Season 1 Episode 15 Review: Crew Week

We witness our first real break from the formula on this ABC medical dramedy. Doctor Odyssey Season 1 Episode 15, “Crew Week,” changes things up and shows a different path for our trio. Avery, Tristan, and Max are still grieving the what-ifs with their never-there child.

However, Avery makes a definitive decision to go to medical school. Meanwhile, Max ponders leaving the ship and taking a job on land. Tristan considers getting into a serious relationship with Vivian.

Max’s piece to this episode offers the most intriguing parts. We see a bit of his family life (did we know he had a twin?). Joshua Jackson does double duty as Max’s twin who takes a very different life path.

He’s the typical family man.

Doctor Odyssey could have gone the cliche route by having Max’s twin resent him and regret his life. However, he seems just as happy with his decisions as Max, maybe even more-so.

He also seems to love his brother and doesn’t judge his choices or life.

Many other drama series may take the route of feuding brothers, and it would provide entertaining melodrama, but we prefer this outcome. It shows that Max is running, but not necessarily away from someone.

He’s running away from missing out on living life to the fullest. Learning about Max’s past illness (the full extent of it) explains the characters far more than all the exposition in the past. We know what motivates him, what drives him, and how he has developed into the Max of today.

Additionally, it also explains why the COVID experience traumatized him the appropriate amount. We also get a glimpse of how Doctor Odyssey would play out if it was on land rather than sea. It would pretty much be the same, but with a little less excitement of potential sharks.

Max’s “Crew Week” journey works well because it allows us to get to know him on a deeper level. We have gotten a shallow overview of the doctor, without really knowing a ton of his history. Now, it finally feels like we’re understanding this character on a personal level.

It would have been nice if Doctor Odyssey to spend a few episodes with Max back on land. He could have taken more time at the hospital and with his family.

That’s the biggest flaw of this Max visits home storyline. He has a crisis where he questions whether the Odyssey life is for him. Then he resolves his issue fairly quickly.

He knows he wants to go back to ship life. However, it’s not to help people. He wants Avery.

Avery’s storyline may divide people. She constantly fights to prove herself as knowledgeable and capable as Max. It feels repetitive but has good intentions.

It’s to show the struggles of women in the medical field. However, it does make Avery come off a little bit stubborn to the point of not being open to criticism. But, we get it.

She is right in all the cases, so her stubbornness is justified. Despite the series working hard to prove Avery is going to be an amazing doctor, at the end, it resorts back to its place of comfort: the love triangle.

This freaking love triangle.

Tristan finally has a chance to get off this rollercoaster, by picking a relationship with Vivian. He picks Avery again.

Max also picks Avery. The ball is now in her hands.

Doctor Odyssey only has a few more episodes left in Season 1, and who she will pick is going to likely be a major storyline for these final episodes. Avery will either pick one, none, or the show will embrace throuple lifestyle.

Personally, rooting for the throuple lifestyle, but believe she will pick one.

“Crew Week” is a nice change of pace that allows us to see more of Max’s life. It’s a good episode for the character but overall just a mid-tier episode.

Stray Thoughts

• Monroe has been having the worst year of his life.
• Oh, now the show remembers Vivian exists.
• She needs to stand up and leave Tristan alone, he’s not worth all this unnecessary drama.
• Avery is going to pick Max, isn’t she? Or maybe Tristan just to surprise us but will eventually circle back to Max by Season 2.
• Avery should pick medical school.

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 Thursdays at 10/9 C on ABC.

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