Editor’s note: The recap below contains spoilers for Doctor Odyssey Episode 12.
At the tail end of last week’sDoctor Odysseyand9-1-1crossoverepisode, Max (Joshua Jackson) and Avery (Phillipa Soo) finally discussed their ongoing misunderstanding around Avery’s pregnancy, with mixed results.Episode 12 picks things up in the wake of Avery’s revelation that she’s going to keep the baby— however, she hasn’t made a decision on whether she wants Max or Tristan (Sean Teale) to be involved. (Both gents think they’re the #1 pick.)
This week’s episode, aptly titled “Sophisticated Ladies,” brings back a fan-favorite sophisticated lady:Shania Twain. Heather first appearedten episodes ago, and she returns to romance Captain Massey (Don Johnson) once more. Their little tryst is a welcome reprieve from the throuple drama playing out in the foreground, at least until they join the mayhem in the most unexpected way. Last year,Ryan Murphy’s silly little show made everyone theorize that the Odysseywas theship of death,and this year,it’s apparently the ship of life — in the procreating sense.
Given Max’s traumatic backstory,Doctor Odysseyhasn’t shied away from the COVID-19 pandemic, and Episode 12 serves as an excellent reminder that, even five years on, the pandemic hasn’treallyended, especially not on cruise ships like the Odyssey. The episode opens with the crew playing poker, but rather than bringing real money into the mix, Max brings the latest COVID booster shot as a winning incentive. Most of the crew — including Tristan — balk at the idea of being vaccinated again, given some of its side effects, but Avery is eager to protect herself. She realizes that only two of the players know about herdelicate conditionand quickly lies that she needs the booster because she’s a nurse. Despite being inoculated against COVID-19,Max spends the majority of the episode afflicted with a mild case of the virusthanks to the infuriating and charming Olivia (Donna Mills).
Shania Twain Returns to ‘Doctor Odyssey’ in Episode 12
Episode 12 makes itveryclear that Avery is actively trying to decide whether she wants Max or Tristan to be involved in her pregnancy, regardless of the paternity. At the top of the episode, Max and Tristan share a few words about what “fatherhood” means, and it’s a conversation that sticks in Tristan’s mind throughout most of the episode. He even stages a separate chat with Avery to discuss how “ready” he is to be a father, which she isn’t entirely convinced of, much to his chagrin. Admittedly,Tristan hasn’t been the most exemplary example of adulthood. He’s been petty and childish, and he often makes Avery fulfill a motherly role, which is very much rooted in his mommy issues — all of which Avery is aware of, and maybe a little hesitant to getthatinvolved with. The conversation does prove beneficial for Tristan, as he then spends the rest of Sophisticated Ladies Week trying to prove that he is an adult who can do his job and file his paperwork on time. His impressive bedside manners also do not go unnoticed by Avery — though neither does Max’s similarly astute counsel to his patient.
This week’s trio of medical cases directly connect to the throuple’s dilemma. Olivia’s COVID-19, which spreads to Max, forces him to confront his near-death experience during the pandemic, as well as his own mother’s death. Olivia is an absolute spitfire and she and Max spend most of the episode butting heads over her disinterest in being quarantined, but they eventually bond over a game of Texas Hold ‘Em and a midnight wander on the upper deck. Max confides in her about the fact that he is going to become a father (he’sveryconfident that he is the father, it seems) and admits that he’s terrified — not about the baby, but aboutstaying. He also shares that he lost his mother to a stroke before he fell into a coma, and he has a lot of mixed feelings about the fact that she was always caring for everyone else, but not taking care of herself. Something that parents understand. This seems to underscorethe sense of stability that Max can bring to the relationship, and the show has already shown that this is something she will need if she intends to pursue medical school.
On the other hand, the moral of the story with Tristan’s patients is carpe diem: seize it while you have it. Sam (Graham Rogers) and Deliah (Jaclyn Smith) are a delightful age-gap couple who have come aboard the Odysseyto celebrate Deliah’s cancer going into remission, only that’s not the truth. As the cruise is underway, Deliah is forced to reveal that her cancer is back, it’s metastasized, and she has four months to live. Her real goal in bringing Sam on the cruise was to find someone for him to move on with while she dies. This causes quite a bit of friction between the couple, as Sam doesn’t just want to move on, and ultimately, they come to terms with the fact that he’s in it for the long haul.But in the midst of this heartwarming and tragic romance, Avery gets to hear Tristan giving wise adviceabout enjoying something while you still have it. It’s fascinating howDoctor Odysseycrafted two medical cases that paired nicely with who Max and Tristan are as people and how their personality types might affect Avery’s future.
“I Think It’s Quite Beautiful”: ‘Doctor Odyssey’s Phillipa Soo Teases Tristan and Avery’s Relationship After Max Drama
What’s happening to our throuple?
Captain Massey, You Are the Father in ‘Doctor Odyssey’ Episode 12
Doctor Odysseydelivered a major twist with Episode 12, by making it so Tristan and Max aren’t theonlyprospective fathers aboard theOdyssey. Early on in the episode, Heather talks a little about being menopausal, and she eventually comes toCaptain Masseyabout the fact that she’s been feeling a little “weird,” which, at first, one might assume is her way of telling him that she’s maybe started riding the red wave, but no… She is, in fact, pregnant. Naturally, they head down to the clinic to get it confirmed, and after Avery rules out tumors, hormones, and everything else under the sun,Heather and Captain Massey learn that they’re having a baby!
Towards the end of the third act of the episode, Heather starts spotting, and it looks like she might lose the baby, but she ends up being entirely fine. Hopefully this isn’t foreshadowing anything untoward happening to Avery, as she seems quite settled with the idea of becoming a mother. And you know who else is thrilled about prospective parenthood? Captain Massey! After delivering the news that Heather and the baby are safe,Avery and the Captain have a sweet conversationabout how happy he is about becoming a father, even if it is later in life. He has a lot of regrets about how he handled fatherhood before, particularly how absent he was, and he’s eager to correct it with his child with Heather. Herein lies what the episode forces Avery to consider:the type of father she wants for her child.
Episode 12 winds down with Avery and Tristan sharing a giggly moment as the guests disembark, but unlike with previous episodes, Max doesn’t seem intimidated at all by their closeness. If anything, he seems even more confident of his placement in the running for parenthood. Given the teaser for next week’sDoctor Odyssey, perhaps another near-death experience will push Avery in his direction after all. One thing is for certain,this series is fully shaping up to become Murphy’s very own soap opera.
New episodes ofDoctor Odysseypremiere Thursdays on ABC and next day on Hulu.
Doctor Odyssey
Max and Tristan aren’t the only daddies-to-be in this week’s episode of Doctor Odyssey.
