Is it just me, or did the penultimate episode strike the right chord?
Doc Season 2 Episode 20 was a solid penultimate finale, and it captured the season at its best when it found its rhythm.
Of course, the odd thing is that we get this perfect formula and balance of storylines, character focus, insightful history, and character dynamics and relationships as the season comes to a close.
It pulled things out in this final stretch, but naturally, it’s enough to leave you wondering why we didn’t have this energy consistently the entire season, and what could possibly be in store for the two-hour finale!
To my surprise (and delight), Joan made it out of this hour alive, even when it appeared as though everything was against her and she was knocking on heaven’s door.
It also marked one hell of a first day in their respective promotions for Amy, Sonya, and Michael.
The Chair proved that Doc is very much capable of balancing the story arcs of all its primary characters without sidelining anyone too much.
It also showed that there’s a great way to focus on medical cases that get our collective hearts pumping while still advancing personal story arcs.
And despite a look here or there, the primary love triangle even took a back seat, and the hour was all the better for it, as we saw Michael and Jake in roles that are far more interesting to watch and round them out a bit better.
For Jake, sure, it sent him back to Rachel, and I’d be remiss not to acknowledge that there is still a crackling chemistry there.
I don’t think Rachel is actively trying to jump Jake’s bones these days, but she’s certainly enjoying the sweet spot they’re in as co-parents.
I like seeing Jake in “Dad-Mode.” It opens up a whole other side to him that we don’t always get to see, and it’s clear that he’s great with kids. So great in fact that he’s starting his fellowship in Pediatrics.
Who knew?! We didn’t, because over two seasons, they haven’t spent nearly enough time on Jake’s career aspirations and passions. I’m excited about this!
Jake has always been great with kids, pediatrics suits him perfectly, and we’ve had enough glimmers of how well he does on those cases.
This is something I wish we had spent more time on. A fellowship in Pedes leaves me craving so much more from Jake professionally.
And then, of course, it took two seasons, but Doc finally let our guy Jon Michael-Ecker bust out his bilingual skills.
How very hot of him! Amy certainly agreed. For a talented actor who cut his teeth in the industry with telenovelas, I may or may not have fistpumped over a little Español usage.
The hour also remembered that Jake and Sonya, regardless of how many felt about them, were friends. And that’s the thing, aside from Sonya’s frustrating pining and Amy shade-throwing, she and Jake had a solid friendship that I do miss seeing.
We got it back, with Jake almost admitting that he fell off because he’s been too busy with Amy and his family situation to actually know what’s been going on with anyone else around him.
This is the balanced Jake that works best for me. A guy who is a great doctor and a great dad, with his own goals and identity beyond just the role he plays in a love triangle.
It’s refreshing to see that Jake can exist outside of Amy, and it makes the final moments, with those two catching up together on their day and giggling about hospital gossip, all the more rewarding and sweeter.
It’s always hard to tell if they’re in a good place or not, frankly.
When it comes to Doc’s love triangle, it gives me whiplash, and since it’s not the most compelling angle, it’s easier to check out. It seems like Jake and Amy are on solid ground, but with a two-hour finale ahead of us, I’m wary.
The hour also used this opportunity to expand on Sonya and sell us more on why Joan made the decision she did about co-chiefs.
She spent the hour going out of her way to ensure that Liz was okay and to advocate for her, even if it meant butting heads with Michael.
It was admirable, and it did raise some essential questions about this Miller arrangement that they probably should’ve addressed ages ago.
Sonya was right in that it was unfair for them to drop Miller back in the hospital and expect Liz to get over her. But I did agree with Michael that Liz not only made her own choices but also didn’t push any of this further when it happened.
She should’ve gone to her union rep or something. Instead, it was like she was upset about the uncomfortable position she was in and wanted changes that she didn’t even ask about.
Did Joan leave those parting words with Liz so that she could take them out with Sonya and challenge the status quo?
Because my only real irritation on that front is that Joan knew what happened and didn’t do anything when she was Chief of Medicine.
She had the power to act that day, rather than just telling Liz at the last minute to “find her voice.”
Liz is rarely a prominent figure on the series. Still, it was nice to revisit the power dynamic issue she had with Miller and have her with something substantive beyond just potentially getting upset that TJ is dating Sonya now.
And Liz was able to have this without it detracting or interfering with the other characters or primary arcs. This is the formula that works!
Sonya leveling with Michael was a great scene, and she held her foot to his neck to ensure he wouldn’t keep giving her the “company” answer without doing anything.
Sonya is right in that, given how the hospital always wants to avoid scandal, they should be willing to do something for Liz before she raises hell.
It was a tough first day for Michael. His acknowledgment that the high leadership turnover could be unsettling for people was a nice wink to viewers, as we often express frustration with the constant switch-ups.
I can appreciate the self-awareness.
It was tough for him to navigate the situation with Sonya and Liz, and we don’t have an overt solution onscreen, so I’m still curious about that. Joan’s coming into the hospital threw everything off, especially when he had to police Amy and Miller.
And then he nearly lost Walter. We didn’t even need those flashback moments to see how deeply that moment affected him and had him reliving Danny’s loss.
It was a stressful sequence, and it certainly looked like everything was over for Walter, but fortunately, they brought him back
I love that Michael and Amy had that brief moment of acknowledgment about what happened and what it brought up, but that was it.
Any other time, Amy would have gone to Michael to have a chat, acknowledge the mutual pain and loss. But she didn’t, which was a notable change.
For an hour that was about boundaries, that was notable.
The new flashbacks we got did make me think about what both Michael and Jake have represented in Amy’s life.
It was exciting to see flashbacks to Amy’s mother, and we finally got a piece of the puzzle about her background. Amy’s mother didn’t take care of herself, got sick, and died when Amy was in med school.
For some reason, I assumed her mother died a lot earlier. But from their interactions, it’s clear they had a strained relationship.
Amy’s mother felt like Amy was an independent woman who always knew what she wanted and didn’t require much from her. Whereas Amy likely had to be that way because of her mother.
Amy had to parent her mother a lot, and what she craved was a mom who cared about her enough to push her, speak life into her, and inspire her.
Her mother died when she stepped out of the room, and she feels that the doctors dropped the ball, which reveals why Amy is the way that she is as a doctor, as well as why she feels that she can’t trust that anything is done correctly unless she does it herself.
It’s the type of insight and background about Amy that I’ve been clamoring for, and it’s nice to put Amy into perspective beyond just that of how Danny’s death affected her.
Interestingly, it makes so many of her dynamics fall into place. It sounds like maybe she hadn’t fully, seriously pursued Michael until after her mother died.
She didn’t fully mourn, at least not in the necessary, normalized ways. She threw herself into school and work to keep busy, and then her relationship with Michael became something that anchored her after her mother’s death.
And then she found the maternal validation, interest, and passion she desired and needed in Joan thereafter, too.
Joan became everything that Amy’s mother wasn’t, stepping into the role of mentor (something she didn’t do with just anyone) in the time following her death.
And she had all the words and validation that Amy cherished. It’s no wonder she’s had the connection with Joan that she did for decades.
Through one of the toughest times of her life, when she instinctively pushed down and shut down her emotions, she buried herself in Michael and Joan.
And then, when it happened again with Danny, she used Jake as a lifeline and anchor for her. I’m fascinated by this pattern.
Of course, it doesn’t diminish her feelings or relationships with any of these people. It merely gives us more context.
Doc has done a stronger job of capturing the depth of Joan and Amy’s bond in the back half of the season, and I’ve come to really appreciate that dynamic.
It was because of Amy’s love for Joan and the way it reminded her of her mother that she was too close to be on the case. And even Joan reminded her of that at one point.
The entire case also meant she and Miller had to work together, and for at least the first three quarters of the episode, they were at odds. Amy couldn’t trust Miller, and he was tired of her undermining him.
His going out of his way to tell Joan’s son that Amy made an error was petty and childish. And the bickering was ridiculous.
But they came around to working as a team, and Amy could extend his race when necessary. I love that she also made it clear by the end of the hour that she doesn’t trust him and never will.
Miller has been consistent in just wanting to get back to work, and he’s doing everything right. But it probably won’t matter. It definitely feels like there will be some move to get him out ther of there sooner rather than later.
Now, with Gina? I know the best thing for her is to remember to draw boundaries. Amy was right about that, and I love that they had little moments during this hour. I’ve missed their friendship having any prominence.
It was also great to see Wendy because we haven’t spent enough time with her to get a feel for whether they’re a great couple or not, or whether she’s a great balance for Gina.
Apparently, she is. I hope she sees the writing on the wall and that the two of them can talk about Walter and what’s next.
Wendy kept emphasizing that she is starting to understand how hard it is for Gina to leave work behind.
And she put up with Gina forgetting their anniversary dinner and being so distracted that she had to go to the hospital to see her and check in.
Wendy seems cool. But is she cool enough to deal with her wife wanting to adopt a child who will require some help?
It doesn’t sound like children were ever part of their plan, and when someone switches up in a major way like that, it can cause marital issues.
Gina has fallen for sweet little Walter hook, line, and sinker. Hell, she’s already thinking more like a mother than a medical doctor when it comes to making decisions for his care.
I’ve loved the Walter case, that Gina and TJ work so well together here, and even that it may lead to her wanting to adopt this kid. Who can blame her?
I do think boundaries are important, and Gina tends to go off the cuff fast and make big decisions after getting too personally attached.
But this doesn’t feel like her jumping at something impulsively so much as her feeling a tug and trusting her gut and heart.
Over to you, Doc Fanatics.
Was this a strong episode for the season? Did you enjoy the balance? How do you feel about the flashbacks?
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