[Warning: The following post contains spoilers about Doctor Odyssey‘s latest episode, Episode 7, “Oh, Daddy!”]
Ever for the reason that maiden voyage of Physician Odyssey this fall, Don Johnson‘s Captain Robert Massey has been everybody’s cheerful information to the present’s joyous — and sure, generally injury- and illness-prone — escape on the titular ship. By no means has the genuine goodness of his character been clearer than in Thursday (November 14) night time’s episode, “Oh, Daddy!”
Sure, for Homosexual Week, the Odyssey welcomes a bevy of out and proud visitors who the crewmembers are comfortable to mingle and flirt with. A type of passengers is Massey’s personal brother Craig, portrayed by John Stamos. Although the captain is anticipating to fulfill only one boyfriend of Craig, he brings alongside two placing beaus — successfully echoing the steamy throuple scenario that’s unfolding with the medics after Max (Joshua Jackson), Avery (Phillipa Soo), and Tristan (Sean Teale) determined to present into that each one that sexual rigidity between them in final week’s section. Although initially stunned, Robert doesn’t miss a beat in welcoming one other man into the household. And that’s not even essentially the most charming factor he does this episode.
As we study, Craig is an alcoholic. His restoration is a significant level of pleasure for Robert, who helped to lift him as a child however discovered extra from his youthful brother about unconditional love and acceptance due to his journey to sobriety. When Craig repeatedly reveals conduct indicating intoxication, Robert holds his hand and affords understanding and compassion as his lab outcomes point out a excessive blood-alcohol content material. When his brother nonetheless insists that he didn’t drink, although, Robert is the primary one main the cost to — appropriately — set up one more reason for his brother’s signs.
So why is the captain so fast to imagine his brother with all indicators pointing on the contrary? As Johnson instructed TV Insider, “I feel he’s most likely been by means of this with him many, many occasions earlier than. Alcoholism is a really difficult affliction, and it’s a illness of relapse … I think about Robert has had this expertise along with his brother earlier than, and I attempted to make him not lecture, not be judgmental, not be important, simply be loving and anxious.”
That angle is one thing that’s turn out to be the modus operandi of the great skipper and the present as an entire. And that transportative spirit is clearly resonating with audiences, because the present has thus far earned 16.5 million pilot views in its first month on air and streaming, with a 169% enhance in weekly viewership within the weeks after the premiere.
In keeping with Johnson, the actor had the inexperienced mild from creator Ryan Murphy to craft the captain’s persona as he noticed match. “A very powerful half for me was to make the captain this compassionate empath determine who instructions respect however doesn’t demand it. So typically, we get in individuals of authority this hard-charging [figure]. I don’t see it that method. I see it as a household. I see it as a construction the place all of us come collectively, and we’ve got a man that we belief, and the rationale we belief him is that he’s genuine,” he mentioned. “Ryan instructed me I may do no matter I wished with him, and I don’t suppose anyone was ready for what I’ve really designed right here, however I’m very happy with it, and there’s a lot room for me to develop.”
The character’s radiation of radical acceptance could even be a part of why his medics have taken their thro-mance to the following degree. In final week’s episode, “I At all times Cry at Weddings,” he tells the trio, “Everyone wants love — every kind of affection,” which looks like a tacit little bit of permission for what’s about to occur between them.
Disney/Tina Thorpe
“The captain is aware of the whole lot,” Johnson joked about that scene. “He could not have recognized it on the time, however after the very fact, for certain he is aware of as a result of he is aware of the whole lot that’s happening on that ship.” In actual fact, Johnson cautions followers in opposition to limiting that polyamorous relationship to simply these three guys. “If the present stays on the air for so long as I feel it would, you by no means know in regards to the captain. He’s nonetheless fairly important. You by no means know. You by no means know,” Johnson mentioned with amusing.
Johnson offers all credit score to Murphy for assembling such a chemistry-fueled crew. “His genius, if I might be so daring, is that Ryan is a grasp at figuring out appropriate energies and placing them collectively,” he mentioned. “All of us have this related form of joyful power the place there’s an ideal belief that we’ve been immediately, and you may solely credit score that to Ryan’s potential to learn the innate power of individuals.”
It doesn’t harm, after all, that the present has turn out to be a revolving door of all-star visitor stars. “We like it as a result of every week, we get to share our toys and play with our toys with individuals we love, and it’s very family-like round there,” Johnson defined. “Those that come into the present, all of them say, ‘It’s the best expertise of my profession’ as a result of we simply hold it enjoyable. We hold it transferring. There’s not loads of nonsense as a result of I’ve been round a tick, and Josh has been round a tick, and Pippa and Sean look to us for steering… Josh and I are so attached and so supportive of one another that we simply create this setting the place, ‘You’re protected right here, man. You might be protected right here. You are able to do regardless of the hell you need barring some other points.’“
Relating to this week’s visitor stars particularly, it marked a significant first for Johnson, who’d one way or the other by no means shared the display screen with Stamos regardless of them each being legends of the small display screen for many years: “He’s a very good actor and introduced some actually cool authenticity to the character. And we kind of made one thing out of issues that possibly weren’t essentially on the web page.” Johnson additionally has excessive reward for long-time Murphy collaborator Cheyenne Johnson, saying, “He’s simply so current. He’s acquired such an ideal power about him.”
Talking of nice power, the ethereal nature of a number of the surroundings and dialogue bits has led to many fan theories, together with one wherein Captain Robert Massey is a few heavenly model of Virgil, main his passengers into the afterlife.
“I really like that. I really like that narrative,” Johnson mentioned in response. “In full disclosure, it wasn’t one thing that all of us sat round and mentioned, ‘Oh yeah, it is a fever dream, and it’s the afterlife, and Max is useless.’ It could possibly be that method … however they’ll discover out method down the street.”
“I like issues the place they’re not acquainted to me. And Miami Vice was a type of. Nash Bridges was a type of. Regardless that they have been each kind of much like different cop reveals, they have been utterly totally different. Miami Vice was a lot darker and kind of the overwhelming nature of the drug commerce, and Nash Bridges was quite a bit lighter as a result of it was San Francisco, and I formatted it after The Bob Newhart Present, and I designed the dialogue and the whole lot to be extra like My Woman Friday, the nice Frank Capra movie,” Johnson continued. “However that is pure fantasy — Physician Odyssey is a dream. I feel that that’s what’s so fascinating about it as a result of we form of let that work for us the place we slide out and in of those dream-like sequences, after which it comes after which it will get very actual. And it’s like having a dream.”
As for what’s subsequent as our collective travels proceed by means of the season? “I can let you know this: So far as I can see, if you get to the tip of this season, you’re gonna know that you simply’re on a hell of a journey.”
Physician Odyssey, Thursdays, 9/8c, ABC
In case you or somebody has habit points, contact the Substance Abuse and Psychological Well being Providers Administration‘s Nationwide Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). In case you or a liked one are in rapid hazard, name 911.