Local sports can be a big deal in small towns, and Doctor Martin Best (Josh Charles) is about to find that out the hard way in Best Medicine Season 1, Episode 3. The comedy and drama balance of this dramedy is a bit less successful in this episode. The medical mystery is also less interesting. This makes “Take Me Out to the Ballgame’ the weakest episode of this series so far, despite still delivering some cozy laughs.
Martin has resolved more than one pressing medical case for the people of Port Wenn, but he is still an outsider to the town. His attitude has a lot to do with this. He doesn’t really want to be in Port Wenn, he doesn’t want anyone to know he recently developed hemophobia (because who wants a doctor who’s afraid of blood, right?), and he doesn’t like people in general. So far, this is exactly what you’d expect from an American remake of Britain’s Doc Martin. Dr. Best is very much a fish out of water in the quirky seas of Port Wenn. However, that doesn’t stop him from following his calling to keep people healthy.
He has a hard time doing that in this episode. The writers still give Port Wenn a warm and offbeat atmosphere, and the actors are wonderful, but there is a small degree of strain in the comedy of Best Medicine Season 1, Episode 3. Let’s hope future episodes echo the appeal of the first two.
MORE: Remind yourself what happened in Port Wenn last week with our review of Best Medicine Season 1, Episode 2!
“Victory is within our grasp.”
This week’s case starts simply. The high school baseball star comes in with back pain shortly before a big game. Then things get complicated. Before Martin can diagnose the teenager, he finds out he’s Glendon Junior, the son of Martin’s childhood bully (Patch Darragh), whom we met in the previous episode. That’s bad enough. But then Martin accidentally trips over the kid, breaking his arm. The arm he needs to play in the baseball game. All of a sudden, Martin is facing a malpractice lawsuit and the town’s hatred. There has been a bit of bumbling physical comedy at Martin’s expense in every episode. The tripping and falling start to feel a bit stale here.
More importantly, Martin is surprised and irritated that the town seems to care more about sports than the fact that this teenager somehow has brittle bones. He has to figure out why. And it’s not just about clearing his name and keeping his practice. Charles is reliably great at conveying how much being a doctor means to Martin. That’s what lies at the heart of his cantankerous attitude. He doesn’t care if everyone in town hates him as long as his patients are safe. That’s exactly what happens at the end of the episode. Martin figures out what’s causing the brittle bones, but the kid insists on playing in the game. Martin interferes to prevent more injury. Of course, that costs Port Wenn the game, so it looks like the town won’t be liking Dr. Best today.
MORE: Read our thoughts about how Dr. Best’s adventures in Port Wenn began in our review of Best Medicine Season 1, Episode 1!
“People will fall in love with you just for being you.”
Something that makes this case less engaging than the ones in the first two episodes is that Glendon Junior can be as unlikeable as his father. Both father and son threaten Martin in this episode. Glendon Senior finds out about Dr. Best’s meltdown during surgery, which caused him to come to Port Wenn. He is the worst possible person to know this information. He keeps Martin’s secret in exchange for helping his son, but this story point is a bit disappointing. It feels at odds with the warmer and more heartfelt tone the rest of the comedy, and even the drama, of this show usually strives for. I’m sure it will inevitably come up again. I hope the writers handle it well when it does.
One detail of this episode that is funny is the interaction between Martin and Sheriff Mark (Josh Segarra). Mark has always been more friendly than Dr. Best is comfortable with. Genuine laughs come when he has to serve Martin with the lawsuit papers (and later, a restraining order), and he can’t stop himself from softening the blow by saying how much he likes and respects Martin. Mark genuinely believes they are friends! I think Martin will eventually realize Mark is his friend, through no desire or effort on Martin’s part, and that will add a good emotional layer to the storytelling. It will develop Martin’s character and deepen the future conflict for Louisa’s (Abigail Spencer) affections.
MORE: Sheriff Mark speaks! Dive into our interview with Josh Segarra about Best Medicine!
“The bar for humor in this town is very low.”
Speaking of Louisa, she has her own worries in this episode. The school she works at might close because of budget cuts, which is the most realistic storyline ever in today’s economy. Louisa is such a likeable character, especially due to Spencer’s appeal as an actress, that we are invested in her future. More than her career gets its due in this episode, too. She is concerned with making more female friends. We can always use more female friendships on screen! That’s why it’s a good development when Louisa and Elaine (Cree) decide to become roommates at the end of this episode.
There are small quibbles I have with other supporting characters, though. The reason Elaine needs a place to stay is that she doesn’t like her mom’s boyfriend, which could be a dull and predictable storyline or not. I hope future episodes play this out well. Also, Louisa’s teaching assistant, Jeannie (Cindy De La Cruz), has a few lines about women and aging that made me cringe. I think they were supposed to be played for laughs, but they just rubbed me the wrong way. Not a good look for her character to say those things. Overall, Port Wenn is still a cozy place to visit but Best Medicine Season 1, Episode 3 is not this show’s strongest hour so far.
Best Medicine airs at 8 PM on Tuesdays on FOX and streams the next day on Hulu.
