Medical shows have been a popular genre on television for many years. They cover a wide range of styles and stories. For example, shows like General Hospital and Grey’s Anatomy focus on dramatic moments and romantic relationships.
On the other hand, shows like ER and Chicago Med present intense, hard-hitting dramas that keep viewers on the edge of their seats. Additionally, comedies like Scrubs offer a lighthearted perspective on life in a hospital.
The hospital setting provides a lot of exciting opportunities for storytelling because healthcare workers often deal with life-and-death situations.
A successful medical show captures the attention of viewers by featuring a cast of attractive doctors with complicated personal lives.
These doctors work in an already chaotic environment, where they face various challenges daily. Their struggles and triumphs in the workplace create engaging narratives.
The humor in medical shows can also come from the patients themselves. Many times, the human body can be incredibly funny.
Patients bring unexpected twists to the plot, providing a necessary break from the more serious moments in the hospital. This combination of high stakes, emotional depth, and humor makes medical shows an appealing genre that attracts a broad audience.
The Rise of Mockumentaries
In recent years, mockumentaries have become a significant part of television programming. These shows use a unique filming style that mimics documentaries but often incorporates humor.
American version of The Office didn’t invent this format, but it played a huge role in popularizing it.
The show ran for nine successful seasons and featured employees of the Dunder Mifflin paper company. The characters frequently broke the fourth wall by staring directly at the camera, creating a relatable and comedic connection with the audience.
Modern mockumentaries like What We Do in the Shadows and Abbott Elementary keep the format fresh while introducing new and surprising elements to hold viewers’ interest.
These shows maintain the core ideas of mockumentaries but also find ways to keep the storytelling engaging and relevant. The combination of humor and real-life situations makes them appealing to audiences.
NBC’s upcoming sitcom, St. Denis Medical, seems ready to follow in the footsteps of these successful shows. It aims to merge medical themes with mockumentary humor, creating a unique and charming viewing experience.
What Is ‘St. Denis Medical’ About?
St. Denis Medical Center is described as an “underfunded, understaffed Oregon hospital.” Despite facing many challenges, the hospital and its staff hold big dreams for the future.
Still from St. Denis Medical (Credit: NBC)
The goal of St. Denis is to become a “destination medical facility” where all patients receive quality care, regardless of their financial situations or insurance coverage. The journey toward this ideal is slow and often filled with obstacles.
The hospital’s executive director, Joyce, played by Wendi McLendon-Covey from The Goldbergs, has big dreams and a hopeful outlook.
She believes that every patient deserves good care. Joyce’s optimism and determination shine through, even as she faces the everyday struggles of managing a hospital.
On the other hand, Joyce’s staff is constantly trying to find a balance between their work and personal lives. This can be very challenging in a profession that often takes up all of their time and energy.
The staff at St. Denis often work long hours and earn low salaries. They deal with unexpected medical emergencies and must face the drama that comes from working with strong personalities.
What Makes ‘St. Denis Medical’ Unique?
St. Denis Medical brings a fresh perspective to the mockumentary format. The show is created by Eric Ledgin, known for his work on Superstore and American Auto, along with co-creator Justin Spitzer, who also worked on The Office.
Based on the six episodes provided for review, their collaboration captures the chaos and unpredictability needed for a successful weekly mockumentary.
For each complicated medical case the staff faces, there is often a funny subplot that adds an extra layer of humor to the show.
Ledgin and Spitzer have experience with this format, and it shows in the way they develop the storylines. The show starts strong, moving quickly with a sense of confidence that keeps viewers engaged.
Many of the situations faced by the staff at St. Denis are either common in the healthcare industry or relatable aspects of workplace culture.
This balance between the serious and the silly makes St. Denis Medical enjoyable to watch. Joyce’s hopeful goals often clash with the realities of running a hospital.
For instance, when she insists that St. Denis install an expensive 3D mammogram machine, only for it to cause significant issues with the hospital’s computer system, viewers can relate to the humor in the chaos.
Character Dynamics and Humor
The relationships between characters at St. Denis are a key element of the show. The social dynamics can be tricky to face, with some characters resembling high school cliques.
Tension exists between doctors and nurses, with nurses feeling overlooked and overworked due to their higher patient load.
Meanwhile, doctors often complain about the tedious paperwork that takes up their time, making it harder for them to provide patient care.
These interpersonal dynamics lead to humorous moments that can quickly spiral into chaos. The characters sometimes create their own problems, while other times, their challenges arise from the demands of their busy profession.
No one at St. Denis Medical is immune to making mistakes, acting petty, or having their plans go awry. However, the show does not mock healthcare workers; instead, the characters use humor to cope with the stresses of their jobs. This approach humanizes their flaws, making them relatable and endearing.
A Talented Ensemble Cast
The success of St. Denis Medical can be attributed in large part to its talented cast. Ledgin and Spitzer’s experience in the mockumentary genre helps the show shine, but the performances of the actors upgrade the material.
The characters’ humorous reactions to various situations — whether they are disbelieving, pleading, or giving a stink-eye — add depth to the comedy.
Wendi McLendon-Covey plays Joyce, who embodies awkward enthusiasm and idealism. Her character is earnest and relatable, and despite making decisions that can frustrate her staff, her genuine care for her team sets her apart from typical sitcom bosses. She faces her role with humor and heart, making Joyce a character viewers can root for.
Allison Tolman portrays Alex, a newly promoted supervising nurse who stands out as a voice of reason. As an empathetic character, she struggles to manage her increased responsibilities while balancing her role as a mother.
Alex tries to address the problems created by her colleagues while also attending her daughter’s school play, which adds depth to her character.
Mekki Leeper plays Matt, the naive new floor nurse whose inexperience often leads to mistakes. His blunders create chaos in the hospital, earning him some good-natured teasing from the more experienced nurses, Serena and Val, played by Kahyun Kim and Kaliko Kauahi, respectively.
David Alan Grier takes on the role of Ron, the grumpy emergency doctor, who is quick with a sarcastic remark and has little patience for nonsense.
Lastly, Josh Lawson plays Bruce, the serious trauma surgeon obsessed with rare diseases, which complicates his ability to focus on patient care.
As the show progresses, there is still much to learn about the characters. While they have not fully distinguished themselves from other mockumentary characters yet, the talented ensemble cast shows great potential for development.
With 18 episodes planned for the season, viewers can look forward to deeper character scheme in future episodes.
The Promise of ‘St. Denis Medical’
Although St. Denis Medical has just begun its journey, it has already established a strong identity. The blend of humor, relatable workplace challenges, and a diverse cast creates a foundation for success.
The show’s ability to tackle serious issues while maintaining a comedic tone is a formula that has worked well in the past for other mockumentaries.
Still from St. Denis Medical (Credit: NBC)
The interactions between characters and the ways they face their complex work environment make St. Denis Medical a promising addition to the television show.
With its unique take on the medical genre and a talented creative team behind it, the show has the potential to capture the hearts of viewers.
St. Denis Medical is set to premiere on November 12 on NBC in the U.S. Viewers can also stream new episodes the following day on Peacock.
Fans of medical dramas and mockumentaries alike will want to tune in to see how this new series unfolds.
“Agatha All Along” has come to its thrilling end with its last two episodes, “Follow Me My Friend / To Glory At The End” and “Mother Maiden Crone.”
The journey has been filled with tragedy and unexpected twists, as Agatha Harkness, played by Kathryn Hahn, and her makeshift coven face many challenges along the Witches’ Road. Some of these challenges lead to loss and death.
Yet, Agatha’s path also unveils many significant revelations, including some that fans expected and others that were quite surprising.
For instance, Joe Locke’s character, Teen, turns out to be the resurrected Billy Maximoff, while Aubrey Plaza’s character reveals herself to be Death.
As the series reaches its climax, only Agatha, Billy, and Jennifer Kale, portrayed by Sasheer Zamata, remain from the coven. Together, they face one final trial before they can escape the road that has brought them so much grief and hardship.
One of the central conflicts revolves around Billy Maximoff. Unbeknownst to him, Agatha has been in contact with Death.
This event allowed Billy to cheat Death, which broke the “Green Cycle,” a crucial rule in the life and death realm. However, Death cannot simply take Billy’s soul. He must willingly surrender himself to her.
As the story unfolds, viewers are left wondering: does Death manage to take Billy’s soul? Does anyone else perish by the end of the Witches’ Road? What fate awaits Agatha herself?
Agatha’s Coven Faces One Last Trial
In the final episodes, Agatha, Jen, and Billy finally arrive at the end of the Witches’ Road. However, they discover that this end is not what they expected.
Instead of a clear destination, they find themselves on a circular path. This twist frustrates Billy, who has had enough of the journey.
In a moment of irritation, he begins to put on his boots as if preparing to leave. Yet, instead of leaving, he suddenly wakes up in a mysterious room with Agatha and Jen.
As they take in their surroundings, they realize that the trial they must face involves green magic.
The room is stark and metallic, with flickering lights that create a sense of time passing. As they face this strange place, Jen discovers that she is bound and powerless.
Agatha had cast a spell on her in the past without realizing Jen was a witch being restrained. Furious at this revelation, Jen performs an unbinding ritual and disappears from the room. Agatha theorizes that the Road has granted Jen what she desired: her freedom.
Seeing Jen’s success inspires Agatha. She decides to do the same for Billy, placing him in a trance. In this trance, he is meant to find his brother Tommy’s soul.
However, there is a catch: Tommy must inhabit a dead body for this to work. Billy eventually focuses on a drowning boy, who is a victim of a cruel prank.
In a moment of panic, Billy shouts, “Am I killing this boy so my brother can live?” Before Agatha can respond, Billy vanishes, indicating that he has achieved his goal.
Time is running out for Agatha. She starts to dig up part of the floor and retrieves a lock of hair and a seed that she had kept in her brooch. She hydrates these items with her tears and plants them into the soil.
Still from Agatha All Along (Credit: Disney)
To her amazement, the seed quickly blossoms into a beautiful yellow flower before transforming into a dandelion.
In the final moments of this episode, Agatha finds herself back in her Westview backyard. There, she comes face to face with a displeased Death.
Agatha Faces Death with Unexpected Support
When Agatha meets Death, the mood is tense. Death is not happy with Agatha. She feels betrayed because Agatha has not kept her end of the bargain.
As a punishment, Death decides to end Agatha’s life in a torturous manner known as “a thousand cuts.” These cuts come from various sources, including shards of glass, poison ivy, and a painful whip from a garden hose.
Just when it seems that all hope is lost for Agatha, help arrives in the form of Billy. He appears in a costume that closely resembles his comic book outfit as the Young Avengers’ Wiccan. With a powerful blast of magic, Billy repowers Agatha, giving her a fighting chance. Despite having her powers restored and Billy’s support, Agatha finds herself unable to match Death’s formidable strength.
Staying true to her character, Agatha makes a shocking decision. She chooses to surrender Billy to Death.
However, as Billy reads Agatha’s mind, he realizes her intentions. Instead of allowing this to happen, he decides to sacrifice Agatha instead, sealing their fate with a kiss from Death.
As Agatha dies, the power drains from her body, and she collapses to the ground. In her final moments, she transforms into a mass of flowers, marking a tragic end to her journey. However, even in death, Agatha’s story is not over yet, and neither is Billy’s.
The Truth Behind the Witches’ Road
After returning home, Billy begins to notice strange elements in his room. These details resemble the trials he and Agatha’s coven faced while on the Witches’ Road.
It is a sobering moment when he realizes that he inadvertently created the Road through his own powers.
This revelation is significant, as it aligns with Billy’s history in the comics. Like his mother, Wanda, he has the ability to warp reality.
This ability allows him to bring things back to life, which is how he managed to give Tommy’s soul a new home.
However, Billy’s powers have a dark side. His ability to alter reality also resulted in the deaths of three witches: Lilia Calderu, played by Patti LuPone, Alice Wu-Gulliver, portrayed by Ali Ahn, and Sharon Davis, played by Debra Jo Rupp.
The history of the Witches’ Road is not just a product of Billy’s powers; it is also deeply tied to Agatha herself.
Many centuries ago, Agatha had pleaded with Death to spare her son, Nicholas Scratch. Death agreed to give Agatha time but warned her that she would return one day to claim him.
As the years passed, Agatha absorbed the powers of other witches. She created what would become known as the Ballad of the Witches’ Road, which she and Nicholas composed together. This song ultimately became part of a trap to lure covens to their demise.
During one pivotal night, Agatha chose not to kill a coven of witches because Nicholas did not want her to. That night, Death came to take Nicholas while he slept.
The exact details of how Nicholas managed to live longer than expected remain unclear, but it feels connected to the deaths of those witches.
The loss of Nicholas devastated Agatha. In her grief, she continued to absorb magic from other witches.
She tricked them into forming covens with her, leading them down the Witches’ Road. Agatha would provoke them to attack her, allowing her to claim their magic.
This backstory adds a tragic depth to Agatha’s character, giving viewers insight into her motivations, though it does not excuse her past actions.
A New Duo and a Fresh Quest
In a surprising twist, Agatha’s death does not mark the end of her presence in the story. Even after her passing, she appears as a ghost to Billy.
She confirms that he created the Witches’ Road through his powers, even as he grapples with the realization that he is partly responsible for the deaths of three of their coven members.
Still from Agatha All Along (Credit: Disney)
However, there is hope for Billy. Jen, who had seemingly disappeared, survives and regains her powers.
In a dramatic scene, she crawls out from the ground in front of the Westview sign, fully restored and powerful. She takes to the sky, free and unscathed.
Despite the chaos surrounding them, Billy finds himself fed up with Agatha’s lies and haunting presence. He attempts to banish her using her brooch, a symbolic act of severing ties with her past.
In a moment of vulnerability, Agatha confesses that she cannot move on because she is afraid to face Nicholas in the afterlife.
This revelation raises questions about the truth of her feelings and her motivations. With the seed Agatha planted blossoming at the end of the road, viewers are left to ponder how much of her statement is genuine.
Yet, instead of casting her away, Billy hesitates. The bond between him and Agatha is complex. They decide to form a new coven of two.
Together, they go on a quest to find the reincarnated Tommy. Before they leave, Billy uses his powers to create a simple headstone. This headstone bears the names of Alice, Lilia, and Mrs. Davis, honoring their memories.
The fate of “Agatha All Along” remains uncertain. There has been no official announcement about whether the series will receive a second season or remain a limited series. However, it is clear that the events of “WandaVision” will continue.
The next chapter, titled “Vision Quest,” will center on Paul Bettany’s resurrected Vision.
Marvel Television head Brad Winderbaum has revealed that Agatha and “WandaVision” showrunner Jac Schaeffer, who was initially set to oversee “Vision Quest,” have had discussions with the new showrunner, Terry Matalas, about the direction of the show.
This leaves the door open for “Agatha All Along” to connect with “Vision Quest.” Regardless of the series’ future, more of Agatha Harkness is on the way, even in death.
In the final moments of “Agatha All Along,” viewers witness the culmination of Agatha Harkness’s complex character arc.
From a powerful witch entangled in her own tragic past to a ghostly figure seeking redemption, Agatha’s journey is rich with emotions, twists, and revelations.
Still from Agatha All Along (Credit: Disney)
Her story is not just about power and manipulation; it is also about loss, love, and the enduring bonds that transcend even death.
As Agatha and Billy set out on their new quest, fans are left eager to see what adventures await them. Will they find Tommy and bring him back? How will their relationship evolve as they face the challenges ahead?
With unanswered questions lingering, the anticipation for future stories in the Marvel universe continues to grow.
The end of one journey marks the beginning of another, leaving viewers attracted and hopeful for more tales of magic, mystery, and friendship.
