It’s a big day for Port Wenn! The seniors at Port Wenn Day School are graduating! It’s also a big day for Martin (Josh Charles), as he is taking time off for the first time to go to a gala in Boston with his girlfriend, Eden (Eliza Coupe). Neither of these things goes smoothly. Medical emergencies threaten Martin’s plans, the success of Louisa’s (Abigail Spencer) first graduation as principal, and the harmony of the town itself. Though other episodes may have provided bigger laughs, there is so much heart in Best Medicine Season 2, Episode 4, and that’s why it’s one of my favorite installments of the series so far.
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“It’s a graduation, not a funeral.”
“No Place Like Om” begins with three of Port Wenn’s older residents exhibiting unusual symptoms. One of them is the school’s bandleader, putting graduation in jeopardy. Martin, as usual, is focused on a medical solution. The nearby meditation retreat all three patients went to turns out to be a dead end, but the scenes there do introduce the idea that Martin is not facing some things. He seems intent on getting to Eden in Boston. However, he subconsciously puts his work first for the entire episode. His options for making it on time, including by car and bus and train, dwindle as time goes on, but he can’t seem to let someone else handle it.
This is a double-sided situation. On one hand, Martin is a skilled and dedicated doctor, so this is in character. But on the other hand, his attitude has always shown that he would rather figure out a way to deal with his blood phobia and get back to his surgical career in Boston. Attending a hospital gala with Eden would be a step toward that. When a patient needs calming during this episode, Martin can’t convince them to picture a happy place because he can’t do that for himself right now. Martin is reassessing what he wants his life to be. He may not admit it to himself yet, but that’s what he’s doing. This episode is another piece of character growth for him that has been done so well so far this season.
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“There’s so much to celebrate!”
Other episodic storylines here add heartwarming moments that just make the episode even better. George (Jason Veasey) decides he doesn’t want to make the same old lobster rolls at the Salty Breeze, no matter how much their loyal customers love them. His husband Greg (Stephen Spinella) worries that George’s dissatisfaction also applies to their marriage. Instead, we get a moment that solidifies them as an effective, established couple. George realizes “there is nowhere else” he wants to be. This is a brief mirror to Martin’s overall arc, which is still in progress, actually, and just a sweet moment in general.
While this is going on, Sheriff Mark (Jeff Segarra) is emotional about graduation because he didn’t get to walk the stage at his own. On top of that, his mother, Sally (Clea Lewis), admitted to him that she doesn’t need the neck brace she wears constantly, but she’s not psychologically ready to take it off. Our cinnamon roll lawman is experiencing a lot of challenges to his optimism in this episode. That’s what makes it so touching when Louisa surprises him with a diploma so he can have his graduation moment. He deserves it. I love when a story makes you feel like cheering for the characters, and that’s what this scene does. Especially when Sally removes her neck brace, too! You’ll be saying, “You go, girl!” right along with Greg!
MORE: If you need help recalling the details of how this season started in Port Wenn, our review of Best Medicine Season 2, Episode 1 has got you covered!
“Everything you think makes you happy is a lie.”
Beyond all of this, “No Place Like Om” is a meaningful episode for the Martin and Louisa ship. Martin may be trying to go to Boston for his girlfriend, but Eden never even appears in this episode. The real endgame here has never been clearer. The writers progress Louisa’s individual storyline first. She takes a pregnancy test to see if the IVF worked, but it’s negative. Spencer’s acting talent comes to the fore in this moment. She’s so good at portraying Louisa’s pain and disappointment. This also means that one of the barriers to Martin and Louisa getting together no longer exists. Obviously, there is still a ways to go for them, but the journey is happening.
The clearest proof that things are headed in the right direction is the final scene of this episode. Martin is waiting for the train to Boston, watching the livestream of Louisa’s graduation speech, when something changes inside him. He doesn’t go to Boston. He returns to Port Wenn and finds Louisa instead, which, to me, means Martin has made a choice. A choice between Eden and Louisa. He doesn’t realize that, but that’s what it is. He chose Louisa. Circumstances just need to catch up with his feelings. Best Medicine Season 2, Episode 4 is such a satisfying episode because the emotional beats like this work so well. I am so ready for the next episode!
Best Medicine airs Tuesdays on FOX at 8 PM and streams the next day on Hulu.
