In case you’ve intently adopted our protection, you’ll know we’re loopy about Doc.
And we’re not alone. The breakout hit medical drama is dominating community tv and turning into some of the profitable new sequence of the yr.
The sequence is coming to an in depth of its first season, however luckily, Doc has cemented a pleasantly shocking 22-episode season two renewal, and we are able to discover consolation in realizing that we’ll spend extra time with all of those nice characters.
One of many characters we’re most excited to study extra about is TJ Coleman, performed by the affable and charming Patrick Walker.
Throughout Doc Season 1 Episode 9, we lastly realized about TJ and Amy’s historical past, how they met, and the way she impressed him to turn out to be a physician.
Sadly, the hour ended on a disconcerting notice, as one in every of Amy’s most loyal, trusted, and devoted colleagues and mates since her return to the hospital is now damage by her actions.
After TJ’s father had a troubling prognosis, TJ felt betrayed when his father selected Amy’s “Hail Mary” remedy plan over the logic of his personal, and now the way forward for the Coleman males and their relationship is up within the air.
TV Fanatic was thrilled to meet up with Patrick Walker to rejoice the renewal of season two, unpack the occasions of that emotional episode, and talk about the significance of this function for him.
Please take pleasure in our unique interview, and don’t neglect to indicate him some love!
In fact, I need to congratulate you on the renewal of season two. Twenty-two episodes on this local weather is unprecedented!
Sure, thanks a lot. We’re excited for positive!
On that notice, have been you shocked by how effectively viewers have acquired the present? Individuals actually adore it.
It has been thrilling. You don’t know what to anticipate whenever you do a venture. I’ve been a part of some nice tasks — my final tasks have been actually nice.
Earlier than this, I did Classes in Chemistry for Apple TV+ and Gaslit for Starz. I did The Final Days of Ptolemy Gray for Apple TV+. These had mega stars in them.
Community TV has a a lot completely different feeling than streaming. I anticipated an even bigger buzz and numbers from these exhibits. They usually weren’t as huge, however the content material was so good that I used to be like, “That’s okay!” Transferring ahead, I didn’t have any expectations. Simply do your finest work, and regardless of the numbers are, they are going to be.
The numbers on this present blew me away. I used to be like, “Wait, 10 million per episode. What? That’s loopy!” So it’s been a terrific reception.
What initially attracted you to this venture and the function of TJ?
Once I first learn it, I believed the premise was very effectively accomplished: a physician with a horrible bedside method who loses her reminiscence for eight years after which turns into primarily an entire new particular person. It caught me in a short time.
Getting an opportunity to play younger TJ — being a first-year resident. That character was interesting as a result of, on tv, I’ve seen African-American docs, and so they usually are a bit older. There’s not loads of youthful ones simply beginning out.
I used to be speaking to my girlfriend the opposite day. She mentioned, “Oh no, there’s been docs on TV.” I’m like, yeah, however they weren’t this younger.
You’re watching any individual who was a fight medic after which went straight to the hospital. What he’s capable of do at the moment and this age could be very enjoyable to observe. And I needed to be part of one thing like that.
I all the time joke about what number of docs on this present danger their medical licenses each different episode, however TJ could be very structured and disciplined and likes to stroll the road. Is that one thing he acquired from his father?
Sure, that’s positively one thing he acquired from his father, which made him much more structured when he was a fight medic, after which that transition proper over into the hospital world. So I feel we’ve seen him bend the principles just a little, however he hasn’t damaged something too dangerous.
On Doc Season 1 Episode 4, when the navy is available in, TJ presents his evaluation of the affected person, and there’s no precise proof of it, however he provides a risk. That risk is sufficient for a lawsuit to come back on the navy.
In order that one second was like, Hey, it’s not totally like reality, however you bought to get to it.
They’re so messy on the hospital, however I recognize that he’s very mature and affordable for the newborn of the bunch. I like the flip of that.
Sure, I agree. I like that, too. I like that.
I additionally recognize that. TJ is a really self-aware physician. Like this season, he had these little moments when he would understand that possibly his black-and-white mind-set wasn’t all the time the most effective. For him to be as youthful as he’s, he appears extra self-aware generally than the opposite characters.
Yeah, for positive. I agree.
He’s additionally been one in every of Amy’s most trusted allies. However on this episode, we should perceive their historical past and the place it stems from. Are you able to discuss a bit about how that near-death expertise with Amy modified the course of his life?
Sure. First, I feel it is vitally heroic {that a} human being can save one other human being’s life. That alone blows my thoughts that there are individuals on this world who may also help you reside longer whenever you’re sick or no matter.
That’s wonderful. And on this episode watching, I really feel like whilst younger TJ watching this lady, like watching like him, like younger TJ being in that predicament, that place the place he may have, he may have died. She saved his life.
So, watching any individual be there and have the ability to save his life and be impressed and motivated modified his life as a result of he needed to do this for different individuals.
He needed to be that for others. He needed to be the one who may, if there was an emergency on a airplane that he may help or one thing was happening wherever close to him; he needed to be of service in that manner, which then led him into the navy and being a fight medic on the bottom, with the ability to save the lives of his fellow brothers and sisters in arms.
With that, there was just a little spark of inspiration with Amy saving his life. It made him who he’s. And one thing that’s actually fascinating to me is that the viewers doesn’t even know what number of lives TJ saved on the battlefield earlier than he acquired to a hospital, you recognize?
So, realizing what he’s been by way of and realizing that all of it got here from this scuba diving or one thing, him going scuba diving/ plan second, after which this lady simply being there to avoid wasting his life, I feel that actually modified the course of his life.
Following up on that, TJ and Amy left issues on a tense notice.
An fascinating scene was TJ interesting to his father, whom he all the time looked for recommendation and issues, and begging him to belief his experience and heed his phrase at this second. But it surely didn’t work. Can we anticipate that rigidity shifting ahead within the the rest of the season between TJ and Amy and even TJ and his father.
Sure. After Doc Season 1 Episode 9, we’re put in a really harsh place as a result of TJ, such as you, simply mentioned, when pleading to his father, “Please take heed to me. I’m the man now. I do know the solutions.”
I’m a physician to know that his father doesn’t, didn’t take heed to him and that his father doesn’t belief him or belief his management. It makes TJ really feel extraordinarily underappreciated and undervalued that, like all of the years of coaching, the particular person he’s talked to essentially the most about it and even helped him get by way of these moments doesn’t belief him proper now. And that impacts him.
It makes him; it breaks him a bit.
After which realizing that the one who has impressed this journey, he’s been on, and why he’s right here, like she helped match him at Westside, is the explanation for this rift between him and his father, which is much more hurtful. It’s much more hurtful to know that, oh, these are two people who find themselves very near me, and neither one in every of them respects me.
It’s like neither one in every of them respects me. They don’t respect who I’m or what I say.
And all these issues culminate into a really, simply not the most effective mindset for TJ shifting previous episode 9.
I’d like to know what essentially the most difficult facet of this function has been for you.
Probably the most difficult half was that I used to be a bit self-conscious initially as a result of I performed characters of significance and dignity who have been upstanding. However being a physician was fascinating for me as a result of, primary, I grew up within the South. So the best way that I converse and the best way that I do issues isn’t just like the docs that I’ve seen on TV.
My preliminary method was, “Oh, I’ve to vary how I discuss. I’ve to talk like everybody else. I gotta be this.” And that actually bothered me to start with earlier than we began taking pictures.
After which I spoke to my aunt, my aunt Fetty. My Aunt Fetty is a physician in Jacksonville, Florida, the place I’m from. My youthful sister can also be going to highschool to be a physician.
They usually each are, they each are Southern Belles. They love on you. They care about you.
They’ve thick Southern accents, and that has nothing to do with how a lot they may save your life. So I considered it, and I used to be like, simply because on TV, all people talks a sure manner or sounds the identical, I’m like, hey, all docs don’t sound the identical.
All docs don’t discuss the identical. They’re all completely different. And my aunt is a good instance of that.
She is a robust Black lady. The process that TJ does in episode three is the floating the Swan process; my aunt has accomplished the identical process on a affected person earlier than. I acquired an opportunity to speak to her about it … she walked me by way of the process and talked about it.
I realized that my problem was getting wrapped up in what it all the time looks as if a physician ought to seem like. And I noticed, “Oh no, docs are available all sizes and styles, all types. A very powerful half is, are you able to do the job? Are you able to save the life?”
I like that you simply get to deliver this private contact to the sequence, and it evokes your method to the function.
And last query: With a second season secured, what would you like to discover along with your character sooner or later? Are there any dynamics you haven’t gotten to play that you simply’d like to play? We’ve seen you in scenes with Amy and possibly Jake.
Yeah, I’m wanting ahead to having 22 episodes. It is rather useful as a result of you could have extra episodes to give attention to completely different characters and various things that they’re doing.
I’m fascinated with TJ’s exterior life and who he’s exterior of the hospital. For the entire first season, each scene I did was within the hospital. I don’t consider I did any scenes exterior of the hospital.
Yeah. I’m fascinated with seeing TJ exterior of the hospital and what that appears like—what sort of automotive he drives, what his condominium appears to be like like, and issues like that. I do know in Doc Season 1 Episode 7, we noticed Sonya Maitra’s private life. It was very unhappy, however Anya [Banerjee] killed that, she was so wonderful.
She did!
However yeah, we noticed her at residence, in her bed room, and at a restaurant. It might be cool for the viewers to see TJ in numerous methods, even his love life. I do know that that’s a giant a part of medical exhibits, getting an opportunity to see what a physician’s actual life appears to be like like.
I’m additionally fascinated with his interactions with the opposite docs. I didn’t get an opportunity to do as many scenes with Amirah Vann as I went by way of the primary season, and Omar Metwally, Dr. Michael Hamda!
Yeah. I like them a lot, too. That will be wonderful.
I don’t know what the season two storyline is but, however watching TJ be extra mature and older, shifting ahead in time just a little bit like most exhibits do, it’d be a very good probability to see the place he goes in his medical journey. I’m enthusiastic about turning into a extra advanced TJ.
I’m enthusiastic about that, too. That’s one of many largest causes I’m tremendous stoked about not solely the renewal but additionally the variety of episodes we get. We’ll get to dive even deeper into the secondary characters.
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We’ve edited this interview for size and readability.
Over to you, Doc Fanatics.
What did you concentrate on TJ’s arc? What are you hoping to see within the season finale? Did you benefit from the interview? Pontificate under!
Doc returns Tuesday at 9/8c on FOX with a must-see season finale!
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