Last week, Best Medicine hit a lot of emotional buttons. The heartwarming graduation, Louisa’s IVF disappointment, and Martin (Josh Charles) coming back to Port Wenn instead of visiting Eden (Eliza Coupe) in Boston were all significant moments. The show doesn’t let up this week. “Hare Today, Gone Tomorrow” is even heavier emotionally. Big things happen in Best Medicine Season 2, Episode 5, and the emotional heft of them proves this show is hitting a stride.
MORE: Last week’s episode gave us all the feels and you can get them all over again by reading our review of Best Medicine Season 2, Episode 4!
“Some might say you’re sending mixed messages.”
The medical case Martin takes on in this episode is a heavy one. A traveling husband-and-wife magic act comes to Port Wenn, and the wife suddenly passes away in her sleep. This woman was young and did not have any pre-existing conditions. Everyone in town has a hard time accepting such a senseless loss, but the husband is obviously the most affected. He’s acting like his wife is still alive. Martin needs a medical explanation for this strange reaction, which is totally in character for him, but Aunt Sarah (Annie Potts) prompts him to consider an emotional cause. Martin refuses to do that at first. Proof he has more character growth to go through.
That growth does continue through this episode. Season one of this show established Martin’s loss of his sister when they were kids as an integral event in his psychological development. Now, this season is addressing that again, as Sarah tries to get Martin to face the possibility that grief is causing the husband’s behavior. Martin doesn’t remember the way he acted in the aftermath of his sister’s death. Sarah also reminds him that he never cried. Martin resists the emotional aspects of this case, focusing on what he is more comfortable with, but the final scene, where he must tell the husband the official cause of death, takes him closer to empathy.
MORE: Need a reminder about what happened during Port Wenn’s annual crate race? Just read our review of Best Medicine Season 2, Episode 3!
“Who’s to say what’s normal?”
Besides Martin’s growth, the plotting of the Martin and Louisa ship has the most significant progress in this episode. First, a new guy in town asks Louisa out. I won’t get angry about Louisa having a little romantic attention while Martin is dating Eden. Louisa deserves any happiness coming her way. Plus, this new guy is charming, hot, and British! The wrinkle in this situation is that this guy is Parker (Jack Cutmore-Scott), the new monitor who’s observing Martin for the Maine medical board. Their banter is great. Under any other circumstances, I might root for them. I also like that Parker shows respect for Martin as a doctor. An immediate conflict between them would’ve been lazy writing.
While one romantic interaction begins, another ends. Eden accidentally finds a letter Martin wrote declaring his feelings to Louisa and thinks it’s for her. When Eden brings it up, Martin, to his credit, is honest about who the letter was really for. And there’s more. The letter says he’s never felt this way for anyone before, and when Eden asks him if that’s still true, he can’t say no. He can’t tell Eden he feels that strongly about her. We knew that, and we knew this moment was necessary in the overall journey toward a Martin and Louisa endgame, but Charles and Coupe play it with the seriousness it needs. I’ve said before that Eden isn’t a bad person. That’s still true. She’s just not Martin’s forever partner.
MORE: If you don’t recall all the details of “Breakin’ In Is Hard to Do,” don’t worry. Our review of Best Medicine Season 2, Episode 2 has you covered!
“Life is just really, really sad sometimes.”
This breakup we’ve been waiting for and expecting does lead to something unexpected. Mark (Josh Segarra) pulls Eden over for speeding out of Port Wenn and they end up sleeping together. I find this a bit off-putting, though Segarra and Coupe make the comedy of the moment work. The writers have found a way to make Mark both a precious cinnamon roll and a horn dog at the same time. It’s kind of insane. It remains to be seen if this plot point will carry into future episodes at all, but it is a surprise. I’m not sold on it as the best way to lighten the mood of this otherwise darker episode.
Back to that letter Martin wrote to Louisa. I’m glad the writers chose to let Louisa hear the letter and realize it was for her. With Parker now in the picture, I don’t expect Martin and Louisa to get together any time soon. I also realize that Parker and Louisa’s night together might have given her the baby she’s been wanting. However, Martin’s words in the letter are a shipper’s dream. “I want to be with you for as long as you’ll put up with me.” That’s what he said. This is the kind of statement that will overshadow many episodes to come. Maybe the rest of the whole series. And after Best Medicine Season 2, Episode 5, I will be there for all of it.
Best Medicine airs on FOX on Tuesdays at 8 PM and streams the next day on Hulu.
