Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Dustin Rowles | TV | March 20, 2025
It may be hard to reconcile this with the fact that I also believe The Pitt is currently the best show on television (sorry, Severance and White Lotus), but I genuinely think Fox’s Doc is good television. And I’m not ashamed to admit it (mostly).
I originally watched the pilot just to review it and move on, but it lingered with me long after that first episode. And it (mostly) wasn’t just because of the weird crush I suddenly developed on Molly Parker—who, to me, had always been Jackie Sharp from House of Cards or Alma Garrett in Deadwood. It quickly became my go-to cooking-dinner show, but after burning the pork chops because I got too caught up in the emotional drama, I had to move it into my afternoon TV slot—the place in my schedule where I watch light but compelling shows to unwind after a long day of writing, before diving into heavier dramas.
For such a simple premise, the show manages to build surprising character depth for a network medical procedural. It follows Dr. Amy Larsen (Parker), a chief surgeon who loses the last seven years of her memory after a car accident. A lot happened in those missing years: She lost her son, the grief destroyed her marriage to the hospital’s head doctor, Michael Hamda (Omar Metwally), and she became a cold, distant, and at times cruel mentor, alienating most of the younger doctors—except for Dr. Jake Heller (Jon-Michael Ecker), with whom she had a secret months-long relationship she now has no memory of. She’s estranged from her teenage daughter, and her replacement as Chief Surgeon (Scott Wolf) may or may not have covered up a malpractice death—one that she herself could have been responsible for.
Of course, when Amy wakes up from her coma, she doesn’t remember any of it. She’s still the warm, compassionate doctor and mother she was before, and she’s horrified to learn that she’d turned into someone so heartless and controlling that she drove away both her family and her friends.
Ultimately, Doc is a story about second chances and redemption, as Amy tries to atone for her past mistakes, rebuild relationships, and become a better mentor. And because it’s a hospital drama, all of that plays out against the backdrop of the medical cases she and her team take on.
What’s impressed me most is how restrained the show has been—never leaning too hard into melodrama—and how well Molly Parker grounds what is otherwise a far-fetched premise. The supporting cast is solid, particularly Omar Metwally, but Parker is the glue holding everything together—the past and present, the hospital drama and the character study, and a love triangle in which poor Jake never really stood a chance. It’s not the best show on television, but it’s definitely one I watch the day it drops on Hulu. And after this week’s season finale, I’m very curious to see if they can keep it up for a second season.
