I know exactly why I took on reviewing Doc. The reason? I spend a lot of time at the doctors or in hospitals—unfortunately. I try to stay away from medical shows because sometimes they can be triggering for a person like me. A person that spends a lot of time with doctors poking at me. So, when Doc came about, and I saw the preview, I knew that the reason that I wanted to do it was because it was about a doctor fighting for her life back.
It’s not that I want anyone to suffer. I just wanted to see life from a different point of view. One that feels unique and I felt like this show did just that.
Doc, which is based on an Italian show, started, and felt like I was going to be getting a soap opera. Now, I am old enough to appreciate a soap opera, and also old enough not to just pass judgment on a show as a whole based on the first episode. I know that with any show that launches, the writers need to establish the world, the characters, and the plot.
So, the first episode of Doc is going to get somewhat of a pass for being all over the place. I will treat it like we all have amnesia and we just have to watch things unfold. It doesn’t mean I necessarily like it, but in the same breathe it doesn’t mean I hate it.
It just is.
And let me tell you what “it is” so far. It’s a show that I seriously dislike every single character except one – so far. Dr. Michael Hamda is the only character that I can find the strength in me to find good qualities. The rest of them… I am pretty sure their Mama raised them better than that.
Before the accident happens, Dr. Larsen is a miserable human being. She’s blunt, rude, and has one of the worst attitudes I have ever seen. Instantly, you can’t help but hate her. I wanted to hop on my television and slap her. Before you judge me for saying that, understand that her beside manner is the worst and how she treats her patient is gross.
Yes, yes, I know that she’s a good doctor. However, as a person that spends a lot of time at the doctors, and deals with a lot of them, I know that bedside manner is important. Larsen is working on a case that is involving a woman 22 weeks pregnant. She’s being so rude, that it’s stressing the family out and they don’t need that stress on top of everything else.
But someone can stand her rudeness. Dr. Heller – who hey, we would totally have a crush on, if we didn’t realize what he’s doing. Or what they are making the viewer think he’s doing – CHEATER.
We meet Heller, walking into the hospital, on the phone with his little girl talking about Halloween costumes. Now don’t get me wrong, he could be divorced – I don’t know. They don’t really give us answers. His colleagues think he’s kissing Dr. Larsen’s behind because he gets her a coffee, but that should have been a clue to us that there is more there.
While everyone seems to dislike Dr. Larsen with a passion, Heller blatantly defends her at every turn. We find out soon why. The two are involved. She’s single, but his supervisor. Him? Not sure of yet.
We definitely start off not liking him and are hoping that changes, but not sure.
And then we have Dr. Miller. He is sketch. Now, it may just be that he and Larsen are fighting for the same position that makes him sketch, but it feels like he’s covering up something. I feel like there is some reason that he’s so defensive that we haven’t cracked yet.
Larsen ordered an autopsy on one of his patients that he lost and he’s not too thrilled. He says he did what he was supposed to do, but I am not convinced.
When Larsen gets into her accident, he is made interim chief, and the way that he accepts the position is cold and distant. He’s not worried about Larsen, it’s like he got a hard-on for the job and the power.
And then we have Dr. Sonya Maitra, another character that we don’t like and don’t think we will ever like. There may be a chance, but loyalty is a big thing to us and she doesn’t seem to have any. The medical field is cutthroat and so she could just be just cutthroat. That is a possibility. She also could know about Larsen and Miller, have her eyes on Miller, and she’s jealous.
I don’t know, but I don’t trust her right now and that could change. She seems to be present all the time, so I know we’re going to have to deal with her.
But the character that we do like? Dr. Michael Hamda. He’s Dr. Larsen’s ex and also in charge of something at the hospital. He’s trying to do everything that he can for his ex-wife, but it’s going to become complicated.
About 15 minutes in, Dr. Larsen is in an accident and when she wakes up, she has forgotten the last eight years of her life. She’s going to have to learn that she’s divorced, that her son passed, and that her daughter doesn’t live with her. She’ll have to learn about the person she was and the things that she’s done.
Amnesia may have made me like her – or at least the ice around my heart melt. I felt sorry for her, but all I could think was that despite learning how miserable and cold she had been, she had a chance to change that. She has a chance to become a better doctor and a better person. Not many people get the chance to do that. To be that.
It seems as though there are very few people who are actually rooting for her to succeed. Her best friend/colleague neurophysiologist, Gina, is there for her at every turn. But, here’s the thing – Gina is the character I really want to know more about and she seems to be the only person without a secret on the show. Everyone else we get to learn a little bit about, but her… crickets.
The show does set up (at least it feels like it) that everyone has secrets and does feel like they may be leading everyone astray as to figuring out what those secrets are.
While we are dealing with the effects of Dr. Larsen’s accident, there is a case going on. While I understand the reasons why it felt like the case wasn’t something to focus on – what I do see from it is that even though the Dr. Larsen pre-accident was just ick, she knew what she was doing. She saw beyond what others did and was able to diagnose the patient properly.
The first episode sets up the characters – hoping that you (the viewer) and I are intrigued enough to see what happens next. And yes, I am totally intrigued by how Dr. Larsen’s amnesia plays out. She’ll be going back to work as if she’s a resident, and I think that things will play out that when she’s working with patients she’ll remember little things. Not sure, but I am guessing.
The thing is, what I would love is that the cases that the doctors in the series are working on be more of the focus. I want to know about the staff’s lives and how they treat each other (of course), but I know that patient interactions and figuring out their cases is something that is important and will make all of the doctors in this series grow.
I want to know more about personalities and what happened over the past 8 years that Dr. Larsen has forgotten. Knowing how relationships in the hospital have formed may change my perception of people. There are just so many questions that I have.
We leave off with Dr. Larsen calling her ex, and asking him to help her be the doctor that she’s dreamt of being since she was a little girl. Michael is the character that I do like and when this scene is happening and we see a pregnant woman at his home—which I am assuming is his girlfriend—I am intrigued by how this will play out.
Overall, the first episode of Doc is good, but I am hoping as we go further down the road, it will be great.
OTHER THOUGHTS
- The show is shot so dark with the lighting and I am going to pay attention to that because it sets a mood, and the choice to shoot it that way was definitely a choice.
- Want to know more about Dr. Coleman – he was underused in this episode
- Really despise Dr. Miller
- I have to know if Dr. Heller is married or divorced, cause right now I just think he’s a cheater and I don’t want to
- I am going to be interested to see how Dr. Larsen’s relationship with Michael plays out
Doc airs Tuesday nights on Fox. Did you watch the premiere? Will you be watching?
Heller says something like “every other week dad has to be the cool dad” which to me implies he’s divorced with a custody agreement.