When it comes to DOC, I always think that I know what is coming. A lot of the time this show has been predictable. It doesn’t change me from loving the show and anxiously awaiting what is happening next. I guess I just expected to know what this episode was going to be about and what was going to happen – but I got knocked down a peg. DOC managed to surprise me and make me actually like Amy.
And understand Joan.
And think that Sonya deserves better than what I thought she was.
I would also like to admit that I needed to eat my words, Miller might be somewhat redeemable.
With Joan having been the focus of the past few episodes, I should have thought that there would be a time soon that she would be leaving. I just thought that Joan would find a way to keep bouncing back, never leaving. However, here we are and what we’re dealing with is that the season is almost over and if a season is over that means we’re wrapping things up.
It was enough to see Michael have to go through mediation and him wanting to give his soon to be ex everything that she could want. He feels bad for all that has happened and wants her to have the best possible advantages.
It was hard to see Sonya and TJ both scared to see if Joan would know that they were the ones that turned her in to Jake for her hand tremors.
I was frustrated to see Joan go in for another surgery, even though she knew that she couldn’t handle it. But then again, it was her friend and they specifically requested her, and knew her situation.
One thing that I found strength in was that as the internal medicine floor was going to hell in a hand basked, Amy was stepping up and showing that she was a good friend who would. She was willing to challenge Joan and show her that memories could come back. It was when her memory of Joan came back there was proof that there were holes in Joans story.
Joans friend is on the floor – a generator exploded and almost took him out. Joan was not about to let her friend die. It didn’t matter how many surgeries that she would have to do and it didn’t matter that she was going to have to make people mad in the process. She performs one of those crazy surgeries in order to save his life – a surgery that could and would define a career. She went in and took out all his organs, they cleaned all the bad stuff out, and then put the organs back in.
Joan – as much as I have disliked her – has been a person that has been on a road of redemption this season. She’s been fighting to remain relevant and not defined by her disease. She’s been able to do that and she has done a good job hiding things. The thing is that in hiding things, she’s put people at risk.
She told Amy that she’s only found out a few weeks prior that she was diagnosed. This triggers one of Amy’s memories and she learns that Joan has actually known for months. Amy doesn’t hesitate to call her out and put her on notice.
It’s such a strong scene – two friends both trying to avoid blame, but also trying to find paths forward. If Amy knows anything, it is how to look for a sweet silver lining in even the hardest of times.
But Amy is not the only one trying to make things better. Jake got a call from his ex-wife. She’s at the cafe around the corner – terrified. She’s waiting for biopsy results and the chance of having breast cancer is scary. She’s terrified and asks Jake to join her. He does.
And he does without a second thought.
One thing that I can respect about Jake is that he is there for the women in his life. He doesn’t let them go through the bad times or the scary times alone. He is a rock, but my fear is with him being a rock that he’s going to end up back with his ex-wife. Yes, I know she’s moved on, but it says something when she’s not with her new man through all of this.
Jake and Amy have fought really hard to be together, so what happens when they are faced with yet another reason to not be together?
Speaking of together – placing Miller and TJ together on a case feels like a lot. The two have to work together to save a rich tech bro. The bad thing is though that the two can’t get on the same page. It gets even worse when they have to tell the man that he has cancer and 4-6 months to live.
Miller keeps showing that he knows what he is doing and that he’s changed. I am not sure what it is about him that has started to make me like him. Maybe it’s the fact that he takes responsibility now, but maybe it’s that he shows an ounce of humanity when he is paired with people and with patients.
What I didn’t expect was the ending. Amy got Joans son to come and see her. She got Joan to tell Michael and Joan to admit that she couldn’t do surgeries anymore. She got Joan to put in notice – she’s not going to be the chief anymore.
I didn’t expect Amy to be jealous and upset when she finds out where Jake was and that the week before he was in radiology with his ex. I expected her to be understanding.
Whatever it is – DOC is changing. Felicity Huffman may not be my favorite actress, but she’s a good one just the same. She’s filled with heart and even though the character of Joan has been frustrating to watch, Huffman has really done something good for the show. It doesn’t matter if I liked the character or not – the reality is that she did a good job. She did a good job because she made the viewer feel.
And like them or hate them – if a character makes you feel something you’re likely to come back.
And DOC has done just that.
DOC airs Tuesday nights on Fox.
