Written and produced by Ryan Murphy, Doctor Odyssey is a sexy fantasy presented as a medical drama television series. Max Bankman is the new chief medical officer aboard the Odyssey, a luxury cruise ship. He and his minimal team manage all medical situations that arise at sea while navigating the nuanced dynamics of each other.
This is another medical drama that no one asked for because they seem to come out of the woodwork, The Love Boat but less funny – just add doctors. It’s a less realistic meeting of Grey’s Anatomy and the Royal Caribbean cruise lines. The three-person medical team is solely responsible for the health and safety of each guest on board the ship. It’s this fairy tale basis that shows how ridiculous the series is. And yet, we cannot not look. It’s that fine line between love and hate. It must be this “great bridge energy”.
10 Everyone is eye candy
The cast of Doctor Odyssey has a common denominator: beauty. Don Johnson, Joshua Jackson, Phillipa Soo, Sean Teale – no need for the quirky look of the personalities there. They’re bringing sexy back to network television. And it doesn’t stop with the main cast. The guests are just as stunning, even when they’ve been lost at sea for who knows how long. ABC didn’t skimp on the set design either, since the ship itself is also impeccable.
Perfect picture
Captain Robert Massey (Johnson) describes the ship as a “paradise”. And honestly, maybe because everything is so pretty, it must be a dream. It is visually impressive and very attractive. It’s love on a boat – sometimes literally. Even if what they’re saying is absurd, you can still tune it out and enjoy the glamor of it all. Even if you think it’s horrible, it’s not a bad view.
9 Joshua Jackson Plays Another Lovable Heartbreaker
The man has been stealing hearts since 1992. Charlie Conway in Mighty Ducks, Pacey Witter in Dawson’s Creek, Cole Lockhart in The Affair and Dan Gallagher in Fatal Attraction – he can’t be stopped. He brings a certain sympathy to all his characters, even when they are horrible. Dr. Max Bankman played by anyone else would be pretentious and boring, but Jackson makes him impossible to hate.
McPacey forever
Move over McDreamy, there’s a new doctor Thursday night in the house…boat. Pacey lives on, but this time he has a medical degree and a much bigger boat. Joshua Jackson’s sex appeal cannot be denied. And if you haven’t seen him in white pants, wait. While this might be her most questionable career choice, we’re all here for it. Swoon.
8 There is a love triangle, because of course there is
It doesn’t take long for the medical trio to turn into an agonizing love triangle. Nurse Tristan Silva (Teale) has had a crush on Nurse Avery Morgan (Soo) for years. Max calls out to her and then, in a dance five seconds later, he puts his tongue down her throat. Tristan tells Max that he broke the brother code, and they both agree to cease and desist. Next thing you know, Tristan is kissing Avery. Alas, we have all been invited to the ride that will be these three.
Choose a side
Granted, not being a “relationship person,” Avery holds all the power in this trio. In one episode she is with Tristan and in the next episode she is with Max. It’s a constant seesaw and neither man is going to give up. So will she choose Tristan or Max? We’ll watch until season 22 to find out.
10 Related TV Shows With Love Triangles To Watch If You Liked My Life With The Walter Boys
Do you like the love triangle between Jackie, Cole and Alex in My Life With the Walter Boys? Check out these 10 that bring drama and mystery.
7. Habitual excessive flair
In typical Ryan Murphy fashion, Doctor Odyssey pushes the boundaries through the plots, the characters, the writing – everything is deliciously extra. From bizarre medical cases and situations to sumptuous settings, it’s all very “big bridge energy”. Why have one weird medical crisis in one episode when you can have four?! This is extreme scripted television.
The dramatic boat
Take the normal amount of drama, multiply it by twelve, add a gallon of sexual tension, then whip up a hurricane. Welcome aboard L’Odyssée. Why operate on a normal sunny day when you can operate through a turbulent storm? It’s chaos. There is sex everywhere, all the time. So much so that syphilis runs rampant and forty-five people need penicillin injections. This ship will definitely have a Titanic theme week. Wait.
6 Nonsense, but simple and easy to follow
The best part about this series is that you don’t have to think too much about it, because nothing makes sense. For all we know, Max Bankman could be an imposter because he was let on the boat without showing ID – that’s how good-looking he is. Max and Avery are still putting their pants back on when they are called to help a patient. No hand washing is necessary, apparently. Doctor Odyssey is a fantasy that is not based on any reality in which we live. But that’s what makes it fun.
Brainless fun
One episode opens with a game of “boys, butches and bis” strip poker among the staff, and we wonder: the captain just threw his underwear on the table – who runs this thing? But that’s the beauty of the show: the emphasis on beauty. There are no mind-blowing plots that might leave you perplexed. Until Captain Massey appears stressed, no one panics and enjoy your time on the ship.
5 cameos, so many cameos
Every week on the cruise ship there is a theme, meaning each week comes with a theme and a new group of guests. This is also how the episodes are named. For example, singles week, cosmetic surgery week, etc. It’s like summer camp, but for adults. So far there have been no children on board the ship – fingers crossed. In what appears to be an homage to The Love Boat, the guest stars continue to arrive by the handful.
All on board
Many familiar faces board the Odyssey as lovers, honored guests, regular cruisers, social elite, health gurus, and the list goes on. It’s exciting to see who will show up each week. So far we’ve seen Rachel Dratch, Shania Twain, Gina Gershon, Justin Jedlica, Laura Harrier and Chord Overstreet. But there’s still Kelsea Ballerini, John Stamos and Cheyenne Jackson to look forward to — and that’s just the ones that have been announced.
4 The craziest medical emergencies
There are no simple cuts or bruises. These are penile fractures and dialysis machines. At one point, someone’s entire nose falls into the pool. A man eats so much shrimp at a buffet that he gets iodine poisoning. It’s the wild, wild aquatic west.
911 on crack
It’s a matter of life and death in some of these situations and half the time they’re not even in scrubs. Just wear the same outfits they wear all day with a pair of gloves. The medical standards aboard the Odyssey are questionable to say the least. There isn’t even an anesthesiologist. And that’s what we’re here for.
20 Guilty Pleasure TV Shows That Are Perfect When You’re Bored
When you’re bored and nothing seems to pique your interest, these 20 TV series are the perfect shows to watch.
3 Guilty Pleasure
Doctor Odyssey is the spicy boat romance novel we’ve all been waiting for. It’s definitely sexy and I’m not afraid to shout it out. It’s loud, it’s proud. There’s no stress because we know what to expect: a crazy medical disaster that they’ll somehow manage to manage, simmering sexual tension between the medical staff and impeccable Don Johnson in his captain’s hat.
Escape from reality
Unlike other medical dramas, Doctor Odyssey is neither stressful nor serious, for better or worse. It’s like a reality TV show that you can’t stop watching because it’s so dramatic it doesn’t seem real. It’s addictive entertainment. It’s like a cheat day. And who doesn’t want chocolate cake on a Thursday?
2 serials on a boat
Max Bankman is a doctor who is afraid of needles. He tells all of this to Avery in bed after knowing her for about half a second. Tristan fancies Avery, but also seems to date a different woman every week. The women keep throwing themselves at the captain who is still suffering from a broken heart after losing his wife to cancer. It’s Days of Our Lives on a boat.
Where everything is better
The sea really gives Doctor Odyssey that extra boost and Murphy doesn’t shy away from using this to his advantage. The ship and the ocean are characters in themselves and true drama queens.
1It Won’t Change Your Life, But It Will Be Part of It
Even knowing what the theme of the next episode will be, it’s impossible to guess what will happen next. There’s always someone new coming along and adding their touch of madness. Expect the unexpected.
For the dreamers
It’s certainly not a series that will change your life, but it is a series that will become part of your life. In the pilot episode, the Captain tells Max that all the guests are dreamers and that his job is to be their angel. One wonders if The Odyssey is truly paradise or if Dr. Bankman is still in a fever dream due to Covid. Only time will tell.
