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'Doctor Odyssey' Review: Hulu show is a sinking ship Ryan Murphy can't steer

'Doctor Odyssey', streaming on Disney+, features Joshua Jackson, Phillipa Soo and Sean Teale in lead roles

I had my reasons when I tuned into 'Doctor Odyssey' with optimism. While the idea of a medical drama set aboard a cruise ship made an intriguing setup, the backing of Ryan Murphy paired with stunning starcast only added to my excitement.

The series kicked off on a strong note, teleporting viewers to a floating ER amidst luxury, exotic ports, and high-medical emergencies in the middle of nowhere. Unfortunately, as the series progressed, I was left wondering how a show with so much promise missed the mark this badly.

'Doctor Odyssey' underestimates audience's intelligence

Let me address the biggest problem first. 'Doctor Odyssey' seems to be crafted for an audience that’s never seen a cruise ship, let alone set foot on one. While the show tries to cater to adult audiences with all the steam amid the lead trio, and deeper themes of recovery, self-doubt, and trauma; it dumbs down when it comes to the overall plot.

The characters are oversimplified and the overall story arc keeps getting ludicrous. It's as if the show is constantly insulting the intelligence of viewers. Remember when Dr Max jumped off a boat to rescue a passenger in distress? Since when are doctors tasked to do water rescues when trained crew members are still onboard? This is just one of the many examples that left us frustrated.

'Doctor Odyssey' dumbs down its characters to mere eye candy

If you want a lesson on how to waste a good cast, 'Doctor Odyssey' is your guide. It brings onboard big names like Joshua Jackson and Phillipa Soo and ends up delivering a second-rate soap opera. The character of Captain Massey (played by Don Johnson) had so much potential, but he was relegated to spouting dad jokes and loitering in implausible locations.

Jackson, as the lead doctor, struts around like a walking distraction, an eye candy for Avery, Tristen, and clearly the audience too. The writers try to add depth to his character with flashbacks into the time when he was fighting Covid, but does it evoke necessary emotions? The answer is, no!

And let’s talk about Avery. Now this character had the potential to be a strong, independent medical professional but instead comes across as a caricature. it appears that the writers had taken a pledge to reduce her to a hapless romantic, swooning at the drop of a hat. It was extremely frustrating to watch her make choices that undermined her credibility episode after episode. How hard is it to write a female lead with dignity and depth?

'Doctor Odyssey' had the opportunity to deliver a sophisticated and compelling narrative. But instead, it ended up serving shallow, predictable storylines wrapped in melodrama. Even the cinematography fell short of adding any life to the plot. Unless you’re watching solely to enjoy Joshua Jackson’s still-swoon-worthy face, skip this voyage. Life’s too short to waste on a sinking ship like this.

'Doctor Odyssey' is now streaming on Hulu and Disney+