Doctor Odyssey season 1, episode 3 recap and review: "Plastic Surgery Week"

Doctor Odyssey season 1, episode 3 certainly had some hilarious moments, but it also brought the heartfelt storylines to the surface. Let’s dive into the events of the episode.

Caution: This post contains SPOILERS for Doctor Odyssey season 1, episode 3

Titled “Plastic Surgery Week,” we knew that this episode would bring us some superficial people. However, there is some heart under the surface. The series brought that in spades with Justin Jedlica’s character, and there was a beautiful moment at the end.

Doctor Odyssey isn’t afraid to kill its passengers

Death comes for everyone eventually. It comes for some sooner than for others, and in this episode, it was all about Jedlica’s character, a human Ken doll. Max is quick to defend the human Ken doll, sharing that this man is so unapologetically himself. Sure, he’s had a lot of work done, but Ken is happy with his life, and he’s so kind at the same time.

The two bond throughout the episode, and that’s what makes this episode all the more heartbreaking. It tuns out that while Max was left alone in isolation with COVID-19, all he had was the TV. Ken’s show would air over and over again, and Max gained an appreciation for the storyline.

Ken also felt appreciated with the care Max put into him when he went for treatment. Sadly, Max couldn’t do anything to stop Ken from dying overnight. There was a serious infection from all the surgery that Ken has done.

A lot of people would attempt to blame the doctor for this, but not Max. When Ken’s friends come to the ship to claim his body, they share just how grateful they were for Ken to have someone like Max on board. Max saw Ken for who he really was, and everyone needs an ounce of kindness in their last days.

It doesn’t feel like enough for Max, though. This death hit him hard, and part of that was because of what he now feels like he’s lost and what the world has lost. There’s also this look at the way the ship treats the dead. They have to keep the air of perfection on the cruise, and that means Ken is rolled to the flower store on a laundry cart to prevent people realizing that he’s dead. If I knew that was happening on the cruise, I’d be mortified.

Tristan explores his own past and feelings

Tristan and Max also come to a real truce in Doctor Odyssey episode 3, and I’m grateful for this. Having two warring men over one woman gets a little old. I’ve grown up with all the love triangles, and I really didn’t need another one. Having Tristan realize that he’s infatuated but not in love with Avery is a huge moment.

In fact, Tristan figures out a lot more about himself. His mother is one of the cruise guests, and she makes the whole situation about herself. She’s annoyed that she has to book a vacation just to see her son because of the job he’s taken. When Tristan tries to share how much he misses her and that he’s hurt by her not thinking about him, she turns it all on herself. Narcissistic parents are always a problem, and they lead to children having insecurities and mental health issues when they’re older.

Yet, there’s hope in this episode. When Tristan’s mom collapses, Max realizes that she has signs of Huntington’s Disease. Apparently, her grandfather had it and the gene has passed down. I did expect Tristan to be worried about himself, but he focuses on his mom. It continues to show how much he loves her despite her narcissism. Again, this is a great highlight at what being a narcissistic parent is like for the children and how the children grow up. Tristan wants validation from women in power, and I’m proud of him for noticing that as being a problem.

This is where the conversation between Tristan and Max comes up. Tristan is waiting for his mom for dinner, but she doesn’t show. Max shows instead, and Tristan has someone he can open up to. I love seeing this relationship grow already. The two are constantly around each other, and they need to be able to get along. Having walls come down is a huge way for that to happen. They even look like they could be friends soon.

Sadly, Tristan’s mom doesn’t spend much time with him. This diagnosis hasn’t made her change who she wants to spend time with, but there’s hope for Tristan to change. He can learn and grow from this point. I also hope he runs a genome test to see if he carries the Huntington’s Disease gene.

Avery needs to learn how to shut up sometimes

There are times that I think people need to stand up for themselves. There are also times that people just need to keep their opinions to themselves. It was clear from the start that Avery dislikes plastic surgery. It’s not the people who get it, but the area of medicine as a whole. She dislikes how people prey on those with body dysmorphia.

The problem is Avery doesn’t spend any time actually getting to know anyone; not the way Max does. It leads to a real respect problem, and that becomes a problem throughout the episode.

Not only does Avery hate plastic surgery, but she hates the owner’s wife. And to be fair, who wouldn’t hate the owner’s wife. That woman has everything wrong with her, and it’s got nothing to do with her love for plastic surgery. However, there is no way Avery should have gotten away with breaking rules, such as not dressing up for dinner. It’s not like she has had a problem with dressing up in other episodes.

In the end, Avery is lucky. She’s able to help save the life of someone important, and that leads to the wife sharing that she will offer Avery a recommendation for the scholarship so Avery can take the steps to become a doctor. Avery shouldn’t have gotten away with it, though. It’s the first time I’ve really disliked Avery in this series so far.

Overall, the episode delivered some heartfelt storylines. There was more time spent on Tristan, and I appreciated more development on his character. He’s not as superficial as he initially seems, and I look forward to seeing more of him as Doctor Odyssey continues.

Doctor Odyssey airs Thursdays at 9/8c on ABC. Catch up the following day on Hulu.

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