SPOILER ALERT: The following contains spoilers for Doc Season 2, Episode 5. It also contains reference to sexual assault.

The second season of Doc has already had highs and lows, but the FOX medical drama takes a big step forward in Season 2, Episode 5. “Tightrope” features a case of the week that hits on a significant medical issue. But even more importantly, it creates space for Dr. Sonya Maitra.

There are two medical plots in this episode, but the one likely to draw more attention is Dr. Amy Larsen’s case, as she treats a couple who are both taking Ozempic. Dawn’s use of the injections is a cautionary tale about the GLP-1 weight loss trend, which has made national headlines for years now. A CNN opinion piece in 2024 spoke about patients asking to commit medical fraud or even wanting to become diabetic in order to obtain Ozempic. Doc‘s fictional universe offers no answers to this problem, and it shouldn’t, but her story does prompt viewers to think about all those commercials offering access to GLP-1’s that they see on a daily basis.

Elsewhere, the subplot in “Tightrope” is actually its most interesting. Dr. Michael Hamda finally gets back to work after his not quite paternity leave, and is immediately told to secure a massive donation by the end of the day. Making matters even more improbable is that the potential donor is Dr. Sonya Maitra’s father. This seems like it’s going to be a relatively boring story, but Doc jumps on it to actually give Sonya some real character development. The scenes go beyond the awkwardness of trotting Sonya out for show. They go back to the chilling events of Season 1, as Sonya confronts her father about how his business partner assaulted her and her parents have turned a blind eye to it.

There’s so much to appreciate about this subplot. First and foremost, it’s the first time all season that Sonya has felt like a three-dimensional character again. Most of her early material has either been antagonizing Amy or in regards to her crush on Dr. Jake Heller (and what that means for Jake and Amy). But this is material that Sonya owns, that is solely about her. It’s very well-written material as Sonya asserts herself, both in terms of drawing professional boundaries and personally as Harsha’s daughter. It shows how much strength is in her character that hasn’t always gotten used. Furthermore, it’s a lovely touch that the characters partly speak in Bengali with subtitles, acknowledging their culture instead of just writing the whole scene in English.

Anya Banerjee knocks this scene out of the park, as she did with the original storyline in Season 1. There’s also another great scene between her and Omar Metwally elsewhere in the episode, when Michael turns up for Sonya. Those two characters rarely interact, and yet there’s an incredible depth to that scene. It resonates for both of them, because what Michael is saying to Sonya directly connects to the therapy flashbacks Doc provides of Michael and his daughter Katie. In one moment the audience sees a surprising, worthwhile connection and evidence of how far Michael has come. The only downside is that Sonya’s character development comes out of the assault storyline. It would be even better to see her get this kind of material with plotlines that have nothing to do with that trauma.

Doc has to develop its supporting characters beyond their dynamics with Amy, and it should because all of the actors playing them can do a lot more. “Tightrope” also spotlights how much Season 2 has fallen short in that respect. Jake and new intern Dr. Hannah Clark have a case in which Jake offers some solid observations, but the two biggest moments that come out of it are that the patient kisses Jake, and her sister hits on him (naturally as Amy is down the hall). Jake shouldn’t be solely about his romantic tension with Amy. Just like Michael now has his own possible problem with the hospital board to deal with, Jake needs more to do that’s about him and where he may be going.

Doc Season 2 has been entertaining, but it’s also at times been frustrating because of this untapped potential. The show could become even better if it expands its world, and the ongoing back and forth between Amy and Dr. Joan Ridley doesn’t count. “Tightrope” shows how the writers can tell timely stories and also make great use of their stars. It also has an example of when that doesn’t happen. One storyline pops and the other falls flat. With five episodes in the books, the creative team has laid enough groundwork; now they need to dig deeper.

Doc airs Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on FOX. Photo Credit: Courtesy of FOX.

Article content is (c)2020-2025 Brittany Frederick and may not be excerpted or reproduced without express written permission by the author. Follow me on Twitter at @BFTVTwtr and on Instagram at @BFTVGram. For story pitches, contact me at tvbrittanyf@yahoo.com.