Jon-Michael Ecker Unpacks Doc's Devastating Cliffhanger and Jake & Amy's Love Story

There isn’t a single Doc Fanatic who isn’t reeling after that pulse-pounding and emotional season finale.

Should you tuned into the ultimate moments of Doc Season 1 Episode 10, you’ll know that fan-favorite Jake Heller confronted the last word blow after witnessing the girl he loves along with her ex.

It was a stunning, devastating improvement for somebody who’s inarguably probably the most beloved and sweetest character within the collection so far.

We all know the cliffhanger left viewers in shambles, prompting extra discourse amongst passionate followers deeply invested in who ought to win Amy’s coronary heart.

We had absolutely the pleasure of catching up with the person who stole our hearts as Jake himself, Jon-Michael Ecker, to discuss Jake’s emotional state, Doc’s success, what he hopes for in season two, and, in fact, the gorgeous however complicated Jake/Amy romance.

Test it out beneath!

Congratulations, in fact, on the second season! A 22-episode renewal is huge and thrilling on this present local weather.

Since your final chat with TV Fanatic, you’ve had the chance to see how everyone seems to be responding to the collection. Are you shocked by how properly folks have obtained the present? Why do you assume Doc resonates with audiences a lot?

No, I wouldn’t say I’m shocked. It’s very satisfying. You’re employed so lengthy on a undertaking; on this case, we needed to wait a number of months till it aired. For it to lastly air and for all of the arduous work of the solid, crew, manufacturing, and creatives to repay is satisfying. Simply seeing folks really reply to it’s actually satisfying.

Typically, you don’t fairly perceive the rhyme or cause why some reveals hit with audiences and a few reveals don’t. We’re all stoked that we’re doing a second season and can be again up there fairly quickly.

Every time I attempt to describe Doc, I say it’s a medical drama, but it surely has a lot coronary heart and humanity with all of the characters. It’s very character-driven. Is that one thing that attracted you to the position?

Yeah. Earlier than doing the present, I didn’t have a lot expertise watching medical dramas. Then, I tuned into some to get an concept of that style.

However I used to be undoubtedly shocked studying the primary episode after which, after getting solid, additional episodes, that there are these private {and professional} relationship throughlines that run all through the entire season.

It’s not simply these weekly instances that are available in. That’s simply sort of a crutch to fill each episode. It’s actually in regards to the relationships between these completely different medical doctors, their household lives, and issues occurring inside and out of doors the hospital. I feel it simply provides it one other stage to make it interesting to the viewers.

Should you wished to see these instances of someone dying and we will’t determine why, we bought that, however we even have that non-public drama for people who find themselves extra into that aspect of issues.

I feel Jake might be the one character on Doc that everybody constantly loves on a regular basis. He’s the proper man, in order that finale is devastating for Jake and Jake followers. They kicked the pet.

Yeah.

Followers are actually keen on Jake and this nice romance, which is just about on the hub of the whole lot. Did you anticipate folks having such a robust response to it? Viewers immediately fell in love with Jake and Amy’s love story.

I hoped folks would actually be into it and relate to or reply to it. However I feel an excellent love triangle could be very interesting on TV.

We like to see all these actuality reveals and drama — and a love triangle is stuffed with potential drama. Working with Omar and Molly, they’re simply nice folks and nice actors, and so it’s simply nice that individuals really loved watching all that play out.

We began seeing Amy pushing Jake away and possibly retreating to the pre-amnesia model of herself. She’s placing her partitions up with Jake now, so are you able to speak about that just a little?

From an goal standpoint, I undoubtedly perceive the robust spot that Amy’s in as a result of she has principally misplaced eight years of her reminiscence and life. She says in one of many episodes that Amy and Michael being deeply in love for her was only a reminiscence of two weeks in the past.

So it’s comprehensible that being in his arms simply feels extra snug than me. For as a lot as we get alongside and have a connection, a spark, and chemistry, it’s nonetheless new, whereas that’s the outdated and the acquainted and the consolation, particularly at a time of her life when she actually appears for that, to have shelter and luxury and simply one thing that feels stable.

I perceive, but it surely’s clearly heartbreaking for Jake because the character as a result of he loves this individual and thinks she’s higher off with him.

Do you assume Jake could remorse leaping in too quickly after her accident? She doesn’t bear in mind their first relationship, whereas Jake appears to choose up the place they left off a bit.

It’s a type of issues the place it’s all Monday morning quarterbacking, and there’s actually no handbook on easy methods to deal with a relationship when your girlfriend forgets about you, like easy methods to go about it.

I’m positive there’s some second-guessing. Had we finished issues in another way, wouldn’t it have ended up in another way? However you understand we’re coming again for 22 episodes. We nonetheless don’t know the way it will find yourself, so possibly issues will work.

I don’t even know if the writers know the place it’s going to go at this level, so we don’t know, however yeah, it’s a type of issues like, who is aware of? Inform her, don’t inform her, let her determine it out. She’s going to get up at some point and have her reminiscence again? I don’t actually know easy methods to navigate that state of affairs.

I’m genuinely curious the place his head can be after that as a result of he additionally has a historical past with infidelity in his earlier relationship. It appears to be a delicate kind of subject. Will we see a unique aspect to Jake in spite of everything that?

He undoubtedly has some sensitivity in direction of infidelity. We don’t hash out an excessive amount of his relationship together with his ex-wife and his relationship together with his daughter within the first season.

It’s simply talked about, however that’s one thing that the writers put in there, so I feel it can make it even tougher for him to recover from seeing them collectively.

Will he be empathetic and understanding and recover from it? Will she even need him to recover from it? I don’t know, however I’m as curious as all people else to learn the following script and maintain her going.

The youngsters name it “crashing out,” so I’m trying ahead to possibly seeing Jake just a little ruffled up. Everybody’s so messy, and Jake is the port in a storm. He’s allowed to be messily human typically, too.

He’s just a little too managed, yeah. That’d be a pleasant change.

After all, there’s the Sonya element. It jogs my memory of My Greatest Pal’s Marriage ceremony with the entire “He’s chasing after her, and also you’re chasing after him, however nobody’s chasing after you!”

How could that relationship evolve? He and Sonya are in a sore spot after the finale, too.

I don’t even assume Jake has even actually realized Sonia’s emotions for him, so I don’t know. Relying on what occurs between him and Amy, possibly he begins to open his eyes to that relationship and see one thing there, or it’s only a rebound factor.

I don’t assume he’s observed. It’s nearly like just a little sister sort of factor in his eyes. Will it all the time be like that, or will he see her in a unique gentle at some point? I don’t know. There are many completely different doorways that might be open right here.

I do know you haven’t any concept what’s in retailer for subsequent season, however do you’ve your personal want record of what you’d prefer to see explored along with your character?

I strive to not have too many expectations so far as the place the character goes and simply place confidence in the writers. They did such a fantastic job with season one and have been doing this for some time.

They know easy methods to flesh out and map out the entire season that may work as a cohesive story with all the opposite storylines.

I simply belief that they know what’s going to work greatest for the viewers, however I feel as a spectator or no less than just a little bit biased in direction of Jake, I’d be curious to see just a little bit extra of his relationship together with his ex-wife and daughter, to convey that into the combo and make it extra than simply mentioning it in passing. That might be good.

In [Doc Season 1 Episode 8], I labored with a fantastic younger actress, and I had by no means labored with a child actor earlier than. I’m curious if I’ll get to have my daughter in season 2. That might be enjoyable. I’ve two younger daughters now, so it’d be attention-grabbing to work with my appearing daughter.

I maintain listening to about how properly everybody will get alongside offscreen. So, are there different dynamics on the present you look ahead to exploring subsequent season? Are there any particular characters you’d prefer to work with extra?

I don’t know if extra characters will come into play in season two. Now we have the state of affairs with Sonya and the one with Omar, so how does that get dealt with? The connection will get messier, however we nonetheless should be skilled, in order that’ll be attention-grabbing.

Then, I didn’t get to cross paths an excessive amount of with Amirah, after which I did some with Patrick, which was nice. I can see extra head-to-head interactions with him with completely different opinions of diagnostics and stuff sooner or later as a result of his character is headstrong, so I can see some various things occurring there, however yeah, I don’t know. I’m anxious to obtain the episodes!

We edited this interview for size and readability.

Should you’re something like us and would love relive the whole collection over again, you possibly can stream the complete first season on Hulu.

Doc will return within the Fall with all-new episodes.

Over to you, Doc Fanatics!

What had been your favourite juicy bits from the interview? Do you’ve any ideas and theories about what’s to return? Hit the feedback beneath!

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