Doctor Odyssey Did the Funniest Thing Possible

Doctor Odyssey Is the program that consistently delivers. far more than we could have asked for It might appear unlikely that this cruise ship fever-dream medical drama could still manage to come up with another shocking twist. How do they pull off delivering an authentic surprise when everything is cuckoo bananas ? By going old school . On Thursday’s episode, the series performed a classic soap-opera maneuver when Max “Dr. Odyssey” Bankman (Joshua Jackson) made a brief trip home to visit HIS TWIN BROTHER, ALSO PLAYED BY JOSHUA JACKSON. Twice the enjoyment, twice the excitement!

In “Crew Week,” Max takes some time off the boat to visit family. He pulls up to a neat little house in the suburbs with a white-picket fence, and who should open the door but another Joshua Jackson, this one with wavy hair and a quarter-zip. The two greet each other with a hug, showing off the series’ cutting-edge duplicative Josh special effects. Once inside, the twin’s homely wife greets Max, saying, “Who is this man who looks just like my husband but tan and handsome with a much better haircut?” Also, his twin brother, named Merrill Bankman, has twin daughters.

Twin reveals are the sort of trope we’re used to seeing on soap operas like All My Children , The Bold and the Beautiful , and General Hospital , which makes it wonderful to witness its implementation in a modern high-production-value prime-time show. This serves as yet another example of Doctor Odyssey acknowledging its own absurdity as a sort of freeing force, allowing it to get more playful than most other programs. And Jackson seems like he’s having a blast playing the schlubby suburban-dad version of Max (with body-doubling by Tyler Cook). The real highlight, however, is when the twins toss the ol’ pigskin back and forth in Merrill’s living room; Jackson playing catch with himself is basically the show going, “Hey! Look over here! It’s the magic of television!”

Therefore, beyond the evident entertainment value, why introduce an identical twin revelation so late in the season? What purpose does it serve for the storyline? This twist can be interpreted in two different ways. If we’re considering Doctor Odyssey at face value, Max’s happily settled, suburban twin is a symbol of what his life could be. It’s especially poignant after last week’s reveal that Avery (Philippa Soo) is not pregnant. It also opens the door for Merrill to return, as Max invites him and the family to be his guests aboard the Odyssey .

The second read—provided you have a subscription the popular theory that the entire show unfolds within a kind of purgatorial dreamscape as Max lies comatose after becoming Connecticut’s first case of COVID—Max’s shore leave involves him grappling with this situation real The twin is himself, the family belongs to him, and these are the circumstances he abandoned. At some juncture, Merrill remarks to Max, "I understand you better than you comprehend your own self." Is it necessary for them to make it clearer for you?

Regardless of what Doc Odd’s double might actually be, this only serves as another instance demonstrating how the program stands out from all other shows presently broadcasting on television. Doctor Odyssey If they can manage an identical twin revelation, then this series could really accomplish anything, and I'd be thrilled to watch at least one more season of such brilliance.