Doctor Odyssey Season 1, Episode 14, ‘Hot Tub Week,’ was another episode that was more muted when it came to the drama and emergencies. That’s not a bad thing. Considering this is a medical procedural, and the crew of Max, Avery, and Tristan don’t often get a break, this was a nice change. Since learning she was pregnant, we haven’t had much time to see the three have a moment of peace to absorb the news truly. This episode gave us that. It also reminded us why we love the dynamic of Phillipa Soo, Joshua Jackson, and Sean Teale.
Equal Footing
We know cheerleaders go all over the place for championships and training camps, but we never pictured a cruise ship as the place they’d go. We’re having a little trouble thinking about young kids doing tumbles and pyramids on board a vessel that is constantly in motion. But this is Ryan Murphy, so he’s always going to do something we don’t necessarily expect. That included Brandi, one of the cheerleaders, getting her hair caught in the drain pipe of the hot tub. While this was the only emergency in the entire episode, it was still a great moment to witness.
We’re sure you’re probably wondering how we could think a cheerleader getting her hair caught in a drain and being impaled by said drain could be great, but hear us out. As mentioned, Doctor Odyssey Episode 14 gave us some great moments between Max, Avery, and Tristan. We know these three already work well together, but that dynamic has been split because every emergency has been fast-paced and has come in multiples. Sometimes, we would see Avery and Tristan working together and Avery and Max.
Working on the injured cheerleader was literally an all-hands-on-deck situation—and a delicate one. Max, Avery, and Tristan were flawless in their execution and handling of the problem. We were just as quiet as everyone on the ship, watching them carefully work on her. We were basically like Avery in awe of Max as he carefully removed the broken drain piece from Brandis’s carotid and then stitched her up. This teamwork was the driving force that led to Avery finally deciding it was time to take a paternity test.
More: Missed the last episode of Doctor Odyssey? Check out our review for Episode 13 ‘Spring Break.’
A Thing That Never Existed
Before Avery made the decision to find out whether Max or Tristan was the father, she was avoiding it. She knew how badly Max and Tristan wanted to know which of them was the father of her baby, but she was afraid. And the fear was something we understood. For Avery, finding out her child’s father would change their dynamic. We know that their dynamic has already changed since their threesome, but having a baby creates an even bigger change. No matter who turned out to be the father, the relationship for all three of them would change. Max and Tristan have very different personalities and have strong feelings for Avery. As it turned out, this was no longer an issue Avery had to worry about.
After taking the paternity test and analyzing the results, Avery learned that she was never pregnant. What she thought was a pregnancy was a corpus luteum cyst, which can mimic a pregnancy. This was devastating news for her to hear. But she handled it as best she could. The same goes for the guys who supported her in the form of an ear and many Hostess snacks and sushi. Obviously, the pregnancy meant a great deal to all three of them. We were bummed for all of them but mainly for Avery.
Complicated Trio
Avery was beginning to come to terms with being pregnant and seemed content. Having that taken away when she took the paternity test was not something she expected or prepared for. It was hard enough to imagine a life of balancing motherhood and med school, but she did it. She had a baby name picked out and would have conversations with what she thought was her baby. It was incredibly sad listening to her share this with Tristan and Max. Phillipa Soo had us in tears.
We also didn’t expect the Hot Tub Time Machine to walk down memory lane. Except this walk was a bit different. Avery had a moment to imagine what life would have been like if she, Max, and Tristan had known each other when they were younger. It was an interesting scene, but it also felt a little misplaced. And it would have been better suited to us if all three of them knew each other and grew up together. Ultimately, it didn’t create the nostalgia that we thought it would. Captain Masseys Hot Tub Time Machine moment featuring Don Johnson’s son Jesse Johnson as a younger version of him, thinking of his wife, made much more sense.
With Avery no longer being pregnant and having had surgery to remove her cyst, we find ourselves wondering what happens next. How will the dynamic between Max, Avery, and Tristan change now? Is she going to want to go back to the way things were? Is the idea of a throuple still on the table, or will Avery no longer feel the same? And is the relationship between all three of them worth the risk of yet another situation like this happening in the future?
Other Thoughts
- Still trying to figure out how cheerleaders could train on a cruise ship.
- “Sober curious” What an interesting term. It’s good to see Tristan making changes for the better. Here’s hoping that he keeps it up. Especially now that Avery isn’t pregnant.
- We were so sure the “hot tub pyramid” would go bad. Boy, were we surprised it didn’t. At least not in the moment we thought it would. Well played, Ryan Murphy.
- We love Max, but sometimes he really does overdo it. That platter of Hostess snacks, sushi, etc., was a lot.
- Also, eating… in a hot tub… gross.
- And Hostess snacks are not that great. At least not the way they used to be. Sorry to yuck your yum.
- It was nice to see Captain Massey relax for the first time. Even if the reason was forced because… shingles.
- We like how Max, Avery, and Tristan look after each other, too. And the fact that Captain Massey sees it, tells us he is fully aware there is so much more to their relationship.
Doctor Odyssey airs on Thursdays at 9/8c on ABC.
