After Avery learned she was never pregnant, the relationship between her, Tristan, and Max shifted. And we’re not surprised. Thankfully, crew week arrived right afterward. Because no passengers were on the ship, Avery, Max, and Tristan had the perfect opportunity to take a break and process the news. Max, who is used to being the guy with all the answers, was feeling out of sorts, so he decided to head back home to find some answers. With him gone, Avery and Tristan had to stay behind because two medics are always needed on board. We’re sure that Avery, Tristan, and even Max assumed that things would be smooth sailing because there were no passengers on the ship. That was not the case on Doctor Odyssey Season 1, Episode 15, ‘Crew Week.’
More: Missed the last episode of Doctor Odyssey? Check out our review for Episode 14, ‘Hot Tub Week.’
Finding The Answer
When Max went home to see his identical twin brother Merrill, his wife, and their kids, he searched for something to ground him (no pun intended). And we can understand that need. Going home sometimes can be a way to help you find yourself again and that’s what Max wanted to do. Max needed to do this after working on a ship that has you in go-mode constantly, getting involved in a throuple, and facing a possible pregnancy. Merrill’s life represents a sense of calm. But it also represents what Max wants. His dream is to have a family, so looking at Merrill was like looking in a mirror.
We knew Max had gone home to see his family, but we also knew there was something more. This is Max after all. He was back home to interview for a position as the chief of staff for Internal Medicine at Stubbing-Lang Hospital. Max is always chasing the next thing, and his visit home gave us even more insight into how he became such a high-strung individual. Max had a bout of mono at the age of 17 that led to him having issues with his kidneys and anemia. All these things took over much of his life, and as Merrill pointed out, once he got better, he hit the ground running.
You Can Go Home Again
Max’s trip home brought him the clarity he needed. After going to Stubbing-Lang to interview for the Chief of Staff position, he encountered Topher, a young man with a pulmonary contusion. This emergency kicked Max into high gear, and he was doling out orders and controlling the situation as if he were on board the Odyssey. It was no surprise that after this, he was offered the position. It was also no surprise that he turned it down and returned to the ship. For Max, the Odyssey is not just a job he’s doing. The ship has become his home. And he feels more in control there. He’s a control freak, and he likes the order onboard. And he also loves the adrenaline rush of taking care of the passengers. Is it a high-stress environment at times? Absolutely, but for Max, it’s essentially chaos he can control. Plus, he was ready to get back to Avery. But more on that later.
United Front
Tristan and Avery have not had much time alone since Max started working for the Odyssey in Doctor Odyssey Season 1, Episode 1, ‘Pilot.’ His being away presented a few challenges for them, including disagreements on treating their patients. Those patients were Rosie and Munroe. After a very large and heavy piece of equipment fell on her foot, Rosie was faced with having emergency surgery to save her foot after she developed compartment syndrome. Before the operation could even get underway, Rosie expressed her doubts and fear about being operated on without Max. Tristan agreed with her. And we did too.
Avery is a Nurse Practitioner, and that’s a lot different than a doctor. Tristan knew that she was knowledgeable, but he also considered it from the point of view of a nurse. Avery felt as though it was because she’s a woman but Tristan was adamant that was not the reason. It was surprising she even thought that way of Tristan when he’s been supportive of her choice to go to Med school. Ultimately, Avery got Rosie and Tristan, or “Tristy,” on board with the surgery after expressing what she could lose, and it wasn’t just her foot. Munroes’ situation presented yet another challenge.
My Circus, My Pony
Though Tristan supported Avery in completing the fasciotomy on Rosie’s foot, treating Munroe after he developed a parasitic infection seemed harder. We guess that Tristan thought they shouldn’t press their luck. Unfortunately, Munroe’s situation made the choice for them when he began seizing. And coincidentally, Max made it back on the ship right on time. Interestingly, Max did not take over. Instead, he stepped aside and gave Avery the floor, providing her needed support. It all worked out, of course, and Munroe made it through. This ended up being another moment for us to see how well the team works together, and it also reminded us that the relationship is still being figured out.
Just as we expected, Max and Tristan still want to be with Avery. They have both made their positions clear on where they stand with her. Tristan finally told her that he knows she thinks his feelings for her are childish and unserious, but for him, they are genuine. And he wants to be with her. Then we had Max tell her she’s the “One true thing” in his life. So it’s safe to say that things have become even more complicated. With Avery heading to Medical school in a month, the guys don’t have much time.
That Ship “Fling”
While we’re on the subject of relationships, we need to discuss that “ship fling” between Tristan and Vivian. Doctor Odyssey, Season 1, Episode 8, ‘Quackers’ was the last time we saw Tristan and Chef Vivian (Laura Harrier) together. At that time, we thought he was ready to pursue something with her, but she basically fell off the face of the earth and was not seen again. Until Doctor Odyssey, Season 1, Episode 15, she and Tristan spent the day in bed together. Honestly, this was a bit frustrating for me to watch. It felt wrong to see Vivian back to spend the day with Tristan. I get it. Nothing was ever really spelled out with their relationship, but Vivian told Tristan to “stop flirting with me like it’s sport.” That made me believe the show would take these two seriously, but unfortunately, I was wrong.
Did I understand clearly that Tristan has not gotten over Avery? Yes. But, I don’t think Vivan and Tristan were given an honest try with their relationship, which is why it was odd to have them discuss being in a committed relationship. The conversation didn’t mean anything to me. Mainly because it happened in bed. The scenes felt hollow to me, and they weren’t deserved. It was one of those moments that made me say If this show didn’t invest in Tristan and Vivian, why should I even care? The “relationship” was a plot device to get us to Tristan admitting to Avery that he still has feelings for her. And quite frankly, even though I was a fan of Sean Teale and Laura Harriers’ chemistry from the beginning, I could have done without the scenes.
That Fever Dream Theory Is Sounding Plausible
Since Doctor Odyssey began, we have yet to discuss all the theories surrounding this show. One of the biggest ones is that everyone on the ship is actually dead, and Max is either dead too, or is still in a comatose state that was induced by him developing COVID-19. There are several valid reasons to think this. The word “Heaven” is constant when the ship is described. Max sees his brother and his family, which seems to be a manifestation of his wish to have a family. And sometimes even the lighting has an ethereal vibe. It probably sounds far-fetched, but this would not be the first time Ryan Murphy has pulled a fast one on us.
With Grotesquerie, we learned that the lead character, Lois, was in a coma the entire time, and everything she was seeing was related to the coma. Would we want this for Doctor Odyssey? Not really. It didn’t work well with Grotesquerie, and many things were left unanswered because of that decision. Whatever the decision for this series, I hope it will be a good one and a reveal that makes sense.
Doctor Odyssey airs on Thursdays at 9/8c on ABC.
