St. Denis Medical Season 2 Episode 12 Review: Nod and Agree
St. Denis Medical Season 2 Episode 12, “Nod and Agree,” puts Ron and his son’s relationship front and center for an endearing storyline. It’s not the strongest episode overall, and certainly weaker in some spots than others, but the Ron/Michael arc stands out, doing much of the heavy narrative lifting.
St. Denis Medical, “Nod and Agree”
Sam Richardson shines as the straitlaced, enlightened son of Ron. He proves his versatility here — he can play ludicrous characters like Edwin Akufo on Ted Lasso and more subdued roles like Ron. Richardson boasts great chemistry with David Alan Grier.
Ron and Michael are also the perfect encapsulation of the intergenerational parent/child dynamic, particularly between Millennials and Boomers. If only some Boomers took a page out of Ron’s “Nod and Agree” playbook…
It’s a clever, thought-provoking (and sweet) exploration of the aforementioned dynamic. We seldom see fathers and sons portrayed positively like this on screen, especially when they work through a conflict in a healthy way. They might not understand each other, but there’s an undeniable love between them. This plotline carries the episode, in this writer’s opinion. Here’s hoping Richardson returns.
Jury Duty and Cabo
It’s unusual for more than one storyline to be under par on St. Denis Medical, but in “Nod and Agree,” the Alex/Val and Bruce/Matt arcs just don’t cut it. If Season 1 showcased Alex’s star qualities, Season 2 puts her flaws under the spotlight. While it’s crucial to show women in all their complexities and colors — even the messy parts — it is a little grating to see the same side of Alex multiple episodes in a row. Allison Tolman always kills it, though.
The “nurses lying” storyline isn’t entertaining, really, but it’s a stark reminder of the professional boundaries between a boss and their subordinates. Bosses aren’t owed details about their employees’ personal lives. At least that point hits home.
The Bruce/Matt arc is equally weak compared to the Ron/Michael A-plot. There’s no real development in this dynamic, either. It’s becoming repetitive. Bruce tries to pull the wool over Matt’s eyes in some regard, and Matt accidentally one-ups him in the end. It might be fun to subvert those roles in a future storyline — have these characters go against type to shake things up. Thankfully, Mekki Leeper and Josh Lawson know their characters inside and out, as do the rest of the cast, and that’s usually to this show’s strength.
Stray Observations:
- I had to mark my cat’s hind leg before his amputation to ensure that, ya know, the vet didn’t inadvertently lop off the wrong limb. I feel Bruce’s pain.
- Something about “a knife fight at a Baby Gap” is so funny to me.
- I had a particularly intense case while serving as a juror. Never again.
- I said, “Newman!” aloud to myself the minute Wayne Knight appeared on screen. It was a knee-jerk reaction.
- Matt would mix tea with OJ as part of his special juice recipe. He seems like a no muss, no fuss kind of fella.
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 Mondays 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.