NBC hit the jackpot last season with St. Denis Medical, the latest addition to the network's mockumentary lineup. The two-episode second season premiere proves it's still just as good. "Aloha, Everyone" and "Mama Bear Activated" are two very different episodes, but they share common strengths and, of course, a top-notch cast.
St. Denis Medical is naturally compared to The Office and Parks & Recreation due to the network it airs on; NBC even uses this in its season two promos and is about to air the show alongside The Office spin-off, The Paper. But what makes this show a success is that it doesn't strictly follow in the footsteps of those shows. It has found a good balance between absurdist humor and genuine moments, without overusing the mockumentary format.
Creators: Eric Ledgin, Justin Spitzer
Stars: Allison Tolman, Kahyun Kim, Wendi McLendon-Covey
It's a smart move to premiere two episodes back-to-back, because "Aloha, Everyone" primarily serves to set the stage for season two. Most of the plot catches viewers up on what's happened to the characters since the end of season one. Joyce spent the massive donation St. Denis received at the gala on building a new maternity ward (because in episode two she's back to saying there's no money in the budget). This provides most of the humor, as she tries to make it look perfect, and then imperfect, in repeated attempts to please the donor.
But when things calm down, the best scene is the heartfelt conversation between Joyce and Alex, whose good vacation vibes have, predictably, been ruined. Joyce is discouraged because the maternity ward was her idea, so she can't blame the problems on the previous hospital administration. Wendi McLendon-Covey plays the moment excellently; there's a great comedic beat when Joyce compares it to her childhood birthday parties, but at the same time, it's clear she genuinely cares. And that touch of emotion is important to balance all of Joyce's other outlandish behavior, which is especially on display in "Mama Bear Activated" when she tries to offer self-defense tips she made up herself.
This episode begins with Dr. Bruce Schweitz being attacked in the hospital parking lot, and once again, Josh Lawson comes up with a completely ridiculous idea and runs with it. It's eventually revealed that his attacker is a goose; Joyce's final scene in the parking lot trying to scare off the entire flock with a simple air horn is the best gag of the night on St. Denis Medical. But Lawson is fantastic at showing how something so absurd completely shatters Bruce's ego. And it's a complete 180 from his arrogance in the first episode, when Bruce feels a patient is stealing his spotlight (played by NBA star Draymond Green, who does a great job in a brief role).
Once again, St. Denis Medical uses outlandish and sometimes even childish humor, but with an underlying truth. "Mama Bear Activated" tackles the very real problem of violence against healthcare workers. The show's writers consistently manage to start with a realistic situation and then find a way to exaggerate it and make it ridiculous for comedic effect. It's never simply about throwing random jokes out there to see what sticks. And just as importantly, the scripts don't forget about these issues just because they've gotten to the funny part.
The episode continues to take the problem seriously, particularly through the character of Alex (an impeccable Allison Tolman), it simply adds humor by having her attempt to bring attention to the problem fall apart when she discovers what actually happened to Bruce. The scene where Tolman, McLendon-Covey, and Lawson team up with a local news reporter is a perfect comedic trio that piles one absurdity on top of another.
The second season of St. Denis Medical has gotten off to an excellent start. The cast is full of comedic professionals, so the only question was whether the writers could continue to provide them with good material. While the first episode has a bit too much exposition, watching the two episodes together transports the viewer right back into the heart of the chaos. It also reminds them why they want to be there. St. Denis Medical airs on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
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