St. Denis Medical Season 2 Episode 7 Review: No Wonder His Kidney Wants Out
St. Denis Medical Season 2 Episode 7, “No Wonder His Kidney Wants Out,” puts human benevolence under a microscope with hilarious results. It’s not necessarily covering new thematic ground, but the episode tackles the topic with the show’s trademark blend of easygoing humor and heart.
St. Denis Medical, “No Wonder His Kidney Wants Out”
“No Wonder His Kidney Wants Out” is a well-oiled machine from a structural perspective. The reason it all works is due to each respective plot containing that throughline. They all feed into each other and seamlessly weave together to create an overarching story.
As usual, Ron and Serena (well, sometimes for her) deftly play devil’s advocates in the A-plot. Alex believes that Ruben’s decision to donate a kidney to his brother is a kind gesture. “Nothing is selfless,” Ron replies matter-of-factly. It’s a fun, if not slightly too on-the-nose, meditation on humanity’s need to be liked, praised, and complimented. After all, if nobody knows you did a charitable act, did you really do it?
In typical St. Denis Medical fashion, nothing goes according to plan, and a clever subversion of expectations takes place as part of each plot’s resolution. Joyce misremembering who she went on a date with is hysterical, played to awkward perfection by Wendi McLendon-Covey. And when it seems like Bruce finally gets it, that he’s going to ask Matt to be his best friend, he invites Matt over for a hang session so they can brainstorm more BFF candidates for him. It’s certainly in character for the vainglorious Bruce.
A Lot to Learn
Season 2 is a dissection of Alex’s flaws, which makes sense, considering Alex is the lens through which we view this world. Alex learns a valuable lesson in setting boundaries. Ron is a curmudgeon with a secretly soft, ooey-gooey center, and his penchant for setting boundaries is actually quite healthy.
There’s also a delightful dichotomy between Ron and Serena’s viewpoints. It’s always a good time when these two are paired for an episode. The generational divide makes for fun commentary. Here, Ron’s cynicism goes up against Serena’s optimism. The world hasn’t crushed her completely yet.
Guest stars David Hornsby and Paul Scheer are comedy legends in this reviewer’s book. Unfortunately, “No Wonder His Kidney Wants Out” doesn’t use them nearly enough. However, they make the most of what little screen time they get. Their odd couple dynamic is entertaining to watch.
Where We Go From Here
The outcome of the building inspection might play into the overarching narrative for St. Denis Medical Season 2. We’ve already explored the nurse story over multiple episodes, and that also seems unfinished in the grand scheme. The titular hospital receives a failing grade for the inspection, and it would be silly not to capitalize on that from a storytelling perspective.
“No Wonder His Kidney Wants Out” is one of the season’s stronger episodes thus far, complete with compelling character dynamics, solid comedic performances, and a humorous deep-dive into the human condition. Ron’s right: Nothing is selfless. So, make sure everyone on social media is aware of your good deeds (likes are currency, after all).
Stray Observations:
- Rickety Cricket and Andre are brothers! Well, the former is probably closer to David Brittlesbee on this episode. God, I miss Mythic Quest.
- As an English Bulldog owner, I, too, would love to be a bulldog inspector.
- Matt, you deserve better than Bruce for a BFF. He’s too self-absorbed at the moment.
- That said, Bruce is me as a 30-something looking up how to make friends.
- Joyce singing “No Scrubs” to the inspector to jog his memory is hilarious.
- Also, that “No Scrubs” instrumental as the final button? *Chef’s kiss*
- I wouldn’t call myself a misanthrope, but people do, generally, suck.
What did you think of this episode of St. Denis Medical? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to leave your own rating!
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St. Denis Medical airs new episodes every Monday at 8/7c on NBC, with next-day streaming on Hulu.
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Melody McCune
Melody loves TV. Maybe too much. Besides being a Senior Writer for Tell-Tale TV, she's the Managing Editor for Geek Girl Authority, an Independent Contractor for Sideshow Collectibles, and a Senior Writer for Eulalie Magazine. Additionally, she has bylines in Culturess, Widget, and inkMend on Medium. To top it all off, she's a critic for Rotten Tomatoes and CherryPicks.