Doctor Odyssey, the new series on ABC, is presenting a fantasy. Cruise travel has become increasingly popular in recent years due to its luxurious, all-inclusive look at how travel can be simple and lavish all at once. Many travelers have been (pardon the pun) jumping ship and transitioning to the high seas instead of long planned out, minute-by-minute traveling. A cruise ship will plan events, dinner, clean my room, and bring me to exotic destinations? Done!
However, these floating homes still need basic amenities to ensure the safety of those on board. Of course, seasickness is an essential thing to combat, but what about allergies? Or god-forbid horrendous injuries? That’s where the medical staff aboard The Odyssey come in. Doctor Odyssey, the newest Ryan Murphy series, follows four crew members on board the eponymous ship as they navigate keeping the fantasy alive. As guests board this pristine, art deco ship, they are immediately transported into a magical land where all their worries seem to dissipate.
For the medical crew, led by Dr. Max Bankman (played by Joshua Jackson), the team has to keep the dream-like state of the passengers intact while also dealing with medical emergencies. With Dr. Bankman being the new man on board, nurse practitioner Avery Morgan (played by Avery Morgan), nurse Tristan Silva (played by Sean Teale), and Captain Robert Massey (played by Don Johnson) all have to help him understand that it’s not just about saving lives. Even more so, it’s about letting passengers forget about the real world.
In just the first episode, an air pathway is compromised, an overdose of shrimp leads to iodine poisoning, a penis is shattered, and a man flies overboard. Yet, as each of them debarks the ship at the end of the cruise, you would never be able to tell they’ve experienced medical trauma. They remain glazed over, still basking in the glow of The Odyssey.
Camp is on full display during this procedural. A recent Collider review of the show states that Doctor Odyssey is bringing “sexy” back to network TV. The fantasy that cruising brings to passengers is also being transferred to at-home viewers. The lush settings, the (already!) intense romancing, and the absolutely wild medical cases are a fantasy. Whilst some of it is within the realm of possibility, the soap dial is being turned up to create a world where it's likely not possible to exist full-time, but a weekly trip on the seas is welcome.
The acting is solid. The writing is…serviceable. Yet, that’s not why we are tuning in. We want glamor! We want intrigue! We want penises breaking! It’s a camp fest of the most sumptuous variety. Doctor Odyssey is airing right after 9-1-1 and before ABC’s crown jewel, Grey’s Anatomy. In my years of loving television and noticing the art of block scheduling, we haven’t had it this good since the heyday of TGIT. All three shows perfectly line-up to give a sense of drama mixed with clinically insane storylines. (A reminder: the premiere of Doctor Odyssey aired immediately after 9-1-1’s heavily promoted “bee-nado”.) As prestige television is slowly being phased out, messy procedurals are having a mini-resurgence. Doctor Odyssey is fulfilling that request, ten-fold.
Funnily enough, I’ve worked on cruise ships in the past. I myself have witnessed first hand the way people completely change by walking through the gangway and onto their floating home. Yet, early on in the series premiere, Tristan gives Dr. Bankman a tour of the ship and tells him the ultimate cruise secret. “She belongs to us. This ship? This life? It’s ours. We just let them try it on for the week.” Truer words have never been spoken.
The same goes for viewers of Doctor Odyssey. The wild plotlines, the steamy relationships, and pristine aesthetics? Try it on for a week. It’s not yours to hold onto for life. But, while you’re here, be sure to savor it.
Doctor Odyssey airs Thursdays at 9pm ET on ABC, streaming the next day on Hulu.