What’s the difference between a “bear” and a “daddy” in the gay community? That’s the question addressed right out of the gate in the latest episode of ABC’s Doctor Odyssey.
Just to recap, in its maiden voyage — a.k.a. Season 1 — we’ve done a private wedding aboard the ship, we’ve seen singles week in Episode 2, a week that welcomed recovering plastic surgery clients in Episode 3, and now, it’s time for the queer community to have their moment. The episode unsurprisingly also introduces the concept of new and emerging relationship types, including a throuple involving Captain Robert’s (Don Johnson) brother, played by John Stamos. That certainly isn’t the only threesome here, however.
After a three-way between Dr. Max (Joshua Jackson), Avery (Phillipa Soo), and Tristan (Sean Teale), this week’s episode, “Oh, Daddy!” Picks up with a healthy dose of awkwardness among the three members of The Odyssey’s medical crew. While Avery later tries to broach the topic with her coworkers and potentially reignite the flame, it’s clear there is hesitation from Max to continue this ménage-a-trois. No worries, there is plenty of drama elsewhere on the ship that makes this show worth watching.
Let’s get down to brass tacks and say that this was one of my favorite episodes of Doctor Odyssey thus far. Maybe it’s because I found the expectant parents who booked a room on the gay cruise hilarious — they were confused by the “daddies only cardio class” and the “work, mama” activities offered. Or maybe it’s because Stamos, still as charming as the day he first popped up on our screens decades ago, plays a sober gay man whose stomach turns sugars into ethyl-alcohol, making him seem drunk — it’s a real condition called auto-brewery syndrome, look it up. Or perhaps it’s the traveling “Instagram gays” who give themselves keratosis by eating nothing but sweet potatoes to stay trim, reminding me of the beloved “InstaGays” from The Other Two — R.I.P.
Whatever it is, I will proudly state that something about this show is starting to work for me.
Oh, and I didn’t even get to mention in the above paragraph that this most recent episode also features a performance from Bob the Drag Queen who lip-syncs to Chappell Roan’s “Hot To Go.” And because the show is cheeky (or possibly just straight-up cheesy), that performance ends with Marsha (Bob) literally being “h-o-t-t-o-g-o” and having her wig catch on fire mid-performance. It’s kind of peak absurdist television, if you ask me.
I think what I am finally starting to appreciate about Doctor Odyssey is the total disregard for conventionalism in broadcast TV. For the longest time, it has felt like many shows on the big networks have all followed the same formula — pitch a procedural, invite on a few big-name guest stars, slowly push the envelope, etc. Maybe it’s because anytime Ryan Murphy attaches his name to a project, studios are eager to give it the green light, but it seems like Doctor Odyssey is not following the rule book.
Whereas another one of Murphy’s ABC dramas, 9-1-1, is outlandish in an increasingly comical way, I’m finding that Doctor Odyssey is intent on pushing boundaries and raising awareness to the changing nature of the world. Week after week, I tune in and see something new and fascinating, be it a medical condition or a sex term I’ve somehow gone my entire life without hearing. I’m not saying it’s everyone’s cup of tea but I am finding it enlightening in a way that I wouldn’t say about other TV shows.
Will it prove to be a winning strategy for ABC and the series? That’s still unclear as the show has yet to secure a Season 2 renewal as we approach the mid-season finale, despite it grabbing nearly 14 million views across platforms for its premiere. But if there needs to be an argument as to why it should succeed, I can’t think of a better reason than the fun and craziness it brings to my TV-watching schedule each week.
Doctor Odyssey airs on ABC Thursday nights at 9 p.m. ET. New episodes release the next day on Hulu.
