Max's Doctor Odyssey Episode 15 Sacrifice Shows What Ryan Murphy's Show Needs For Long-Term Success

Warning: SPOILERS for Doctor Odyssey episode 15.Doctor Odyssey episode 15 laid out the perfect job for Max, but his refusal speaks to a commitment that the series needs to explore. Joshua Jackson’s Dr. Max Bankman leads the Doctor Odyssey cast of characters alongside the other medical professionals, Phillipa Soo’s Avery Morgan and Sean Teale’s Tristan Silva, and the ship’s captain, Robert Massey (Don Johnson). Along with many other hardworking characters aboard the titular Odyssey, the crew deals with absurd and intense medical emergencies on the high seas.

Unfortunately, Doctor Odyssey season 2 is still up in the air, and there’s no telling yet whether the season 1 finale will also serve as a series finale. As such, Doctor Odyssey needs to make the most out of however much time it has left. Even though episode 15 offered Max a steady role and an ending fate practically tied up with a bow, his role in Doctor Odyssey has proven too important for him to give up quite yet.

Doctor Odyssey Episode 15 Proved Max Could Help More People In A Hospital

His Job Interview Unexpectedly Turned Into A Practical

While the bulk of the action takes place on Doctor Odyssey’s luxury cruise ship, every so often the medical drama includes a significant storyline on land (or, at the very least, on the shoreline). Doctor Odyssey episode 15 took it a step further, with Max venturing to his hometown to interview for a position at a hospital run by well-intended but overwhelmed Rodney (Mike O’Malley). His twin brother, Merrill— also uncannily portrayed by Joshua Jackson— expresses concern over Max’s tendency to run without putting down roots, and the sentiment culminates in the final scene.

Max and Avery in Doctor Odyssey season 1, episode 13

After Seeing Doctor Odyssey Episode 14’s Guest Star, I Want ABC’s Medical Drama To Do A Risky Ryan Murphy Signature

Doctor Odyssey has included an impressive array of guest stars, but an understated character from episode 14 opens the door for a Ryan Murphy staple.

Despite how overrun and understaffed the hospital is when he visits, Max decides to stay on the Odyssey. On paper, it’s a confusing decision. Max could have helped turn the hospital around and settled down in his hometown, making a difference on a much grander scale. However, as he explains to Avery, it wasn’t enough for him. While his reasoning for staying veers a bit saccharine as he professes that Avery is the missing piece he’s been looking for, the debate over which path was best for Max unearthed a more fruitful question about Doctor Odyssey’s crew at large.

Doctor Odyssey Needs To Highlight Max & The Crew’s Dedication To Their Job

The Characters Can Be Taken Seriously And Still Be Entertaining

It shouldn’t be so hard to believe that Max would opt to stay on the cruise ship, and Doctor Odyssey could solve that by fleshing out the collaborative teamwork of the full crew. Characters like the ship’s engineer (Jacqueline Toboni’s Rosie) and First Officer Spencer Monroe (Marcus Emanuel Mitchell) have already become bigger figures in the plot, but their motivations and allegiance to the Odyssey has been underutilized thus far. However, giving the characters depth doesn’t mean Doctor Odyssey needs to sacrifice its fun.

New episodes of Doctor Odyssey can be streamed on Hulu the day after they air on ABC.

There’s an inescapable camp factor in Doctor Odyssey and its ridiculous theme weeks, but the diligent crew don’t have to be a punchline. Each person that helps keep the ship running is devoted to their work, and it would be invaluable to learn why. Doctor Odyssey can by all means continue its soapy plotlines, but expanding on the team it has created would offer so much more to explore in future seasons and make up for how the ensemble cast has been overlooked.

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