No One Is Watching 'Doctor Odyssey For The Medical Drama

Let’s be real for a minute, OK? There are some good reasons to watch Doctor Odyssey. The gripping medical subplots is not one of them.

Perhaps you’re into it for the Love Boat vibes. Each week’s episode has a theme and at least one special guest star, just like the classic show that ran from 1977-1987. I don’t think Doctor Odyssey’s got a ten-year run ahead of it. But we’ve already seen Rachel Dratch (Saturday Night Live), Gina Gershon (Showgirls), Shania Twain, Chord Overstreet, Justin Jedlica, Constance Marie (Selena, George Lopez), Margaret Cho, Kate Berlant, Amy Sedaris, and Marija Abney (Black Panther). So they have the guest star game locked down.

Maybe you appreciate the diversity of the cast. In episode three, Wellness Week, they added Spider-Man: Homecoming’s Laura Harrier as the new head chef Vivian Montgomery, after she lost her job serving raw meat to a cult of wellness weirdos led by Amy Sedaris. She’s being positioned as a love interest for Sean Teale’s Tristan Silva character, which is good because he and Dr. Max “fighting” over Avery’s attentions is already stale. And she already has him in the kitchen, which is also good…for us.

We’ve also started meeting members of the crew outside of the health center which has added some color to the show, giving us a better idea of how the crew spends their time when they’re not entertaining the ship’s elite clientele.

Phillipa Soo (Hamilton original cast) as nurse practitioner Avery Morgan is a strong presence on the show. Maybe you’re watching it for her. She has some Lisa Simpson tendencies but Avery is competent and compassionate. She runs the medical center and also cleans up very nicely when it’s time to hobnob with the passengers.

Or maybe it’s just been for Joshua Jackson all along. He’s aging like a fine, robust wine. And the showrunners manage to get him out of his shirt for some reason every week. Bless them.

Doctor Odyssey airs Thursday nights on ABC, and is available on Hulu the next day. The next two episodes are about a rich family chartering the entire ship for a private cruise on November 7th. And then it’s Gay Week on The Odyssey on November 14th. In case you need a different incentive to watch.