Doc Season 2 Episode 4 Review: Who is “Red Flag” Ryan Clark?

Critic’s Rating: 4 / 5.0

4

Memories and mysteries: Doc always leaves me reeling.

Who is Ryan Clark? What exactly was he up to? And why do I have the sinking feeling in my stomach by the close of Doc Season 2 Episode 4?

It seems that Amy’s past is always finding new ways to haunt her, and Ryan Clark is the latest in a long list.

Should We Be Wary of Hannah?

Hannah has a connection to Westside and Amy, and after all of this time, I’m wondering if she’s genuine in her friendship with Amy, or if there’s something else going on?

She was conveniently away when Ryan and Amy had their first conversation about his behavior, specifically his tendency to abandon people on the surgical table.

And it seems that Ryan lied to his family about the real reason that he was resigning from his job. But we also know that Ryan is dead now, which leaves us to ponder how he died, when, and if it connects to Amy in any way.

I don’t know what’s scarier: that Amy has so many people who have beef with her, or that she can’t remember anything about them to be on guard! It’s no way to live!

It cannot be a coincidence that Hannah is back at the same hospital where her father worked, right? And why exactly did she behave as if she didn’t know who Amy was, only to tell her that she did later on?

Given that the focal point of Amy regaining memories connected to Ryan, one can only be concerned that seemingly sweet and nice Hannah could be there for alternative reasons.

What is the Ryan Mystery? It’s Feeling Thriller-ish

The whole thing with Ryan was alarming. For one, I loved the timing of this particular flashback sequence, because it was in 2021, which means many doctors had gone through hell trying to make it through the COVID pandemic.

It would make sense if Ryan were one of those doctors who burned out by then, which could have contributed to his strange behavior, and why hospitals were more attentive than usual about what everyone was doing.

In reality, we don’t know what was going on with Ryan. Maybe he really did burn out and wasn’t coping well, and that’s why it was affecting his job.

Hearing what he was doing was alarming, and his tantrum in Amy’s office was particularly unsettling. Ryan came across like a man on edge, but we don’t know why that is yet, and he had an ax to grind with Amy.

She stood firm in that she wouldn’t smear his name or anything like that, but he didn’t seem to believe her when she was getting around to that, so I’m fascinated to know what was at the root of Ryan’s issues.

Spending so much time with a brand new character like this was interesting, but I’ll trust that it’s leading to something significant.

Like Amy, these memories she’s recovering may lead her to things she might not have needed to recall.

Jake Establishes His Boundary Again

On the one hand, it’s ridiculous for Joan to essentially tell Jake that he and Amy can’t date anymore, or else it’ll cost him his job. The ethical issues that arise at this hospital, along with the actions taken, always get to me.

Whether they date each other or not, it still doesn’t address the issue of Amy’s influence on Jake and the choices he makes regarding her.

Jake struggles to be impartial when it comes to Amy. It’s become a hallmark of his character, so I don’t see that changing as long as they’re roaming the halls together.

But it definitely is another one of those things where there’s some validity here. Jake is aware of how he behaves specifically because of his feelings for Amy, and because nothing has changed for him regarding their relationship, the boundary feels necessary.

Plus, I love Amy, but she cannot even control herself when it comes to flirting with Jake at work all the time.

If people already have an issue with the fact that Amy has these connections to Michael, Joan, and Gina, then throwing Jake into the mix, too, and so publicly, does not help.

Joan’s Influence Continues to Raise Questions

It’s also interesting to see Amy unable to step out of the teaching mode, a trait we often observed in Hannah.

But it’s also fascinating how Joan likes to shape so much around Amy’s life. There’s a maternal edge to Joan, but it still makes me wonder what it is about Joan’s line of thinking that she seems resistant to things like love and family.

Does she know you can have all of it? You don’t have to sacrifice your ambition for love or family.

She basically made it known that if Jake reignites things with Amy and any issues arise, he’ll be the one cast out of the hospital. So it severely hampers yet another love story.

It makes me think back to the situation with Michael. Sure, their marriage had issues, and who knows? Amy may want the go-ahead to get out of it, but also, maybe not.

Michael and Amy’s Dynamic Remains Complicated

Also, did you guys catch how Joan was behaving toward the idea of Michael on paternity leave? She couldn’t seem to fathom why he would do that and what he could offer to a baby during that time anyway.

Nevertheless, we learned a bit more about Joan, and she doesn’t have the best luck with family either. Her son isn’t even returning her calls, and it doesn’t sound like he’d be the ideal caretaker for her as her health declines.

They must have a severely fractured relationship. Who wants to guess as to why?

Joan is still trying to keep her health issues under wraps and seems adamant about her doctor not violating HIPAA. But he was perturbed that she took on such a grueling job when she should be somewhere resting and getting regular transfusions.

I cannot fathom Joan keeping this secret for long. Something tells me that her health is going to take a severe decline.

Cases Allowed for Self-Reflection

The cases had some interesting moments. Seth’s case explored one of those unexamined situations regarding porn addiction and its impact on others, especially at such a young age.

He almost lost his sight and practically his life because of off-brand Viagra and other things he was doing to keep up and function.

Jake’s moments with Seth were great, and it was nice to see him come from the position of a guy who gets it but knows that sex without intimacy is trash anyway.

But mostly, I’m just eager to see more of Daddy Jake on Doc.

And the whole case with Matt, Grant, and Nathan was mostly the type of fodder to have Michael reflecting.

I’m not surprised that Amy is still his proxy. And, I understand why it would likely remain that way. The series does a decent job of reaffirming that it wasn’t just Amy and Michael’s grief that defined them.

They genuinely seemed like best friends and each other’s “person.” And that doesn’t just go away, and is difficult to navigate with new relationships. Even now, for as much as everyone loves to talk about how Michael can’t let Amy go, it’s completely mutual.

She keeps going back to him for things, too, and she acknowledged as much. It’s hard to shake.

Can Amy and Michael Ever Let Each Other Go?

The proxy thing is an interesting point to raise because, in the perfect world, we’re supposed to believe that Michael should immediately switch things over to Nora, given that she’s his wife now and they have their own family.

But the thing about proxies is that I always viewed them as the best person most equipped to handle some big decisions, and frankly, Michael can get married another half dozen times, and I’d still say that his rockstar ex-wife and friend is still the person who will make the best calls.

Michael’s moment with Jake was a bit awkward, especially since Jake didn’t even know why he was talking to him in the first place.

But overall, it was a case that led to some reflection for him. Meanwhile, Gina was doing some of her own, and she’s apparently in a darker place than we thought.

Gina hides her pain well, as it didn’t occur to me that she’d still feel compelled to atone for the trainwreck incident, donating money and other things as a result.

I did love that Amy wouldn’t leave her alone, even if it meant talking to Gina’s wife (who apparently doesn’t like Amy). It definitely sounds like Gina needs a new therapist if she’s having these issues and spiraling the way that she is.

Amy is desperate to get their friendship on track, and I love her gestures. They’re in such an odd place, though, aren’t they? I still can’t figure out what’s going on there, and I’m eager to delve into their friendship and its intricacies more.

Where are all my Doc Fanatics? Let’s keep the conversation going — it’s the only way the good stuff survives.
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