St. Denis Medical Season 2 Episode 16 Review: Experience With Human Babies

St. Denis Medical Season 2 Episode 16, “Experience With Human Babies,” is humorous and heartfelt on all fronts while bolstered by a superb Wendi McLendon-Covey. Joyce and Alex interview candidates for the Head Midwife position at the birthing center, while Bruce and Matt partake in an ambulance ride-along. Elsewhere, Serena and Ron battle it out over a pen. It’s rare that all three storylines are equally strong, but that’s the case here with this outing. 

St. Denis Medical, “Experience With Human Babies” 

Underrated sitcom legend Kristen Schaal returns as Ashley, Sanderson’s new girlfriend, who interviews for the midwife role. Schaal and McLendon-Covey play off each other well. We seldom get to see Schaal, in particular, in a “straight man” role, so it’s fun watching her back-and-forth with McLendon-Covey. The latter is a masterclass in comedy, too. 

McLendon-Covey injects Joyce with this hilarious over-the-top energy here. This series does awkward so well, with Joyce putting her foot in her mouth as she word-vomits the most cringeworthy things to Ashley. It’s like a car crash combined with an avalanche — you can’t look away. Of course, this all masks Joyce’s feeling uncomfortable with the idea of having to interact with her ex’s new partner every day. 

Serena and Ron’s pen storyline shouldn’t work, but it does. It’s so ludicrous, and the writers spin it just enough that it lands. Kahyun Kim and David Alan Grier are a terrific pairing. In general, Ron and Serena are always fun together. This arc is the silliest one, clearly, and it’s there to balance out the other two storylines that conceal a semi-serious truth underneath them. The gradual build-up to the fever pitch that is the screaming match and the funeral for the pen is side-splittingly funny. 

Living on the Ledge 

Then, there’s our tried and true dynamic duo: Bruce and Matt. We see Bruce in a Joyce-esque capacity, especially with the physical comedy. If anything, this season shows us that Bruce is more of a nerd than this fake machismo act he puts on. Josh Lawson is up to the task, too. 

Matt and Bruce’s friendship is adorable. Matt returns the favor by saving Bruce this time (since Bruce “saved” Matt during his birthday party). Bruce is more vulnerable here than we’ve ever seen him. Trapped on a ledge due to a fear of heights, it takes Matt joining him on that ledge to subdue him. 

Bruce addresses the romantic elephant in the room — Matt and Serena. St. Denis Medical has brought this up more than once in the back half of Season 2, so it stands to reason that we could see movement in the Serena/Matt department in the next two episodes. After all, Matt looks up to his mentor and best friend (you know, Bruce). He might feel brave enough to leap onto the ledge of love now. 

Regardless, the cultivation of this relationship has been fun to watch, especially as a Matt/Serena girlie. Here’s to the show revving that engine for the last bit of Season 2. 

Stray Observations: 

• Bruce’s sunglasses-and-camo-sweatshirt combo is very early-2000s dudebro, and it’s very, very him. I love that he got Matt matching sunnies, too. 
• In Ron’s defense, a good click from a reliable pen is pretty satisfying. The running gag of clicking things (pens, seat belts, etc.) in this episode is so silly but fun. 
• Who would steal a photo of sweet Keith’s wife? A person more demon than human, that’s for damn sure. 
• Alex’s joke about midhusbands sounding “like most husbands” is her best yet. And she’s so quick with it, too. 
• I’m due for a good screaming session myself. I’m envious of Serena and Ron. 
• I hope this means we’ll see more of Kristen Schaal. She’s a treasure. 

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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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