After a couple of weeks off, Good Sam is back on our TV screens. Got to say, I’ve missed watching Sam and the rest of the crew navigate their messy lives.
We felt like we left off in a great place the last time we saw everyone. Sam and Griff called off their war with one another, Lex decided to put herself first, and Joey became engaged to the love of his life. While we were hoping the second half of the first season would continue to be this blissful, my dreams were crushed.
This is a drama series, after all. And this week’s revelations have set the stage for what we’re sure will be an exciting next few episodes.
So, let’s get into what exactly went down on this week’s episode.
Let’s Grab Coffee
I hope when I have breakfast with my father it’s not nearly as awkward as when Griff and Sam do it. Can’t blame Sam for being a little hesitant when it comes to this truce. With all the crap Griff has thrown at her, it’s hard to believe he means what he says in having a cease-fire.
We will say, however, that it seems like Griff has truly turned a new leaf. This version of Griff is actually quite likable and we really want him to stick around. Sam may not believe it (and we understand why) but we think Griff is really trying to make amends with his daughter.
It really goes back to what was revealed in the last episode, Griff went through a traumatic experience. Maybe he was an awful person before but we think the main driver of his recent behavior is because he felt lost in an unrecognizable world. Not that it necessarily excuses his behavior, but he did go through the wringer.
Perhaps if others remembered that, they may start to believe that Griff wants to become a better man. For whatever reason, Lex seems to be the only one that sees the good in him which is why we support their relationship.
But you know who I don’t really support anymore? Ronda. While at first, she seemed like someone who just wanted to see Griff fall off his pedestal, it now appears that she’s more cunning than initially thought. She has a few tricks up her sleeves, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she came out on top after this war ends.
Time for dress-up
Galas can be a fun time, full of dancing, drinking, and great conversations. This one, however, turned out a little too bloody for my liking.
Not sure if this is a controversial opinion but we actually think Sam is being selfish when it comes to her stance on Griff and Lex’s relationship. Yes, they never should have lied or hid the relationship, but after learning that these two were more than just a fling, Sam should be able to accept them as a couple.
When Lex told Sam that she felt like she came second to her needs, Sam said she would become a better friend. Well, shaming her friend’s relationship is not a great way to do that. Get over the weirdness of your friend and father dating and instead embrace that these two might actually have found happiness with one another.
Honestly, Griff is right – Sam needs to learn to compartmentalize. If she is to continue to work at a place where her parents and boyfriend are also employed, she needs to be able to separate professional versus personal lives. If she doesn’t, she will continue to have impaired judgment as she did when she told Lex to back off from a patient.
Anyways, we’re really happy that Sam ended up on Caleb’s doorstep at the end of the episode. Seems like he might be what keeps Sam grounded during all this craziness. And while we do enjoy her relationship with Malcolm, they definitely are in a sticky situation with both of their parents being who they are.
We’re just saying, Lakeshore would run a lot smoother if everyone wasn’t either related or dating. If someone of Malcolm’s standings brought an idea to a board member it might actually stand a chance. But because the board member happens to be his father, it’s dead on arrival. It’s kind of become the same old shtick every episode and we really hope this theme goes away.
Scrubs
One thing I’ve kind of noticed in Good Sam is that while it is a medical series, it doesn’t really feel like it. It’s more like this is a workplace drama that just happens to take place at a hospital. The medicine is just kind of thrown in.
For example, Sam is the Cheif of Caridothurastic Sureorgy yet she is operating on a trauma patient who was stabbed in the neck. And then Lex is switching between different specialties yet still falls under the guidance of the cardiac chief? It just feels as though sometimes the medicine isn’t really held to a high level of importance.
Is that necessarily bad? No. However, it just makes some things a bit confusing. I typically find that great medical dramas act as though the medicine is like a separate character in the show. That character – the medicine – is then filled with complex storylines, drawing the viewer in.
It could be a bit too early to tell if this is the case in Good Sam, but I have a feeling medicine will continue to come in second to this ever-evolving war.
Watch Good Sam on CBS on Wednesdays at 10/9c.