SPOILER ALERT: The following contains spoilers for Best Medicine Season 1, Episode 2.

After the Best Medicine series premiere established the FOX dramedy’s premise and characters, now it’s the second episodes job to tell viewers what they can expect story-wise. Why should they hang around Port Wenn for the rest of the season? “Bean There, Done That” fills in some of the blanks in a charming way, somewhat like TV comfort food—which is fitting for an episode that revolves around a community dinner.

The main storyline involves a town-wide epidemic that everyone is convinced is just a common allergy, but Dr. Martin Best believes otherwise, and that opinion quickly alienates him from the residents. There is a part of this that feels like a heightened overreaction in order to create further drama between Martin and the neighbors that fans already know he doesn’t fit in with. When he’s talking about people’s health it seems ridiculous that they’d treat him so flippantly. But underneath that, showrunner Liz Tuccillo gets to a more interesting story about how the residents of Port Wenn are set in their ways and their traditions, and that’s why they’re taking Martin’s diagnosis so badly.

It’s clear that the bread and butter of Best Medicine is that push and pull between Martin and the townsfolk. It’s the same kind of dynamic that exists in any one of those “quirky amateur detective works with the police to solve crimes” procedurals. Tuccillo isn’t shying away from the expected laughs and plot developments that come with that; the audience inherently knows that Martin will eventually be won over by the town. But what’s setting this series apart is that Tuccillo’s scripts are then finding something more to add to that first level of comedy and sentimentality.

Another example is a subplot involving Bert Large being afflicted with a series of dizzy spells. Firstly, it’s great to see John DiMaggio with more screen time; he’s so well-known for his voice work on series like Futurama that people may not remember that he’s wonderful in live-action as well. But Bert’s exchange with Martin touches on something everybody can understand: the financial inability to not work when they’re sick. It’s also mentioned elsewhere in this episode, but Bert’s plot is the best example of it. He’s so clearly impaired but can’t afford not to be on the job, and so many people have been there. Lots of TV viewers have gone to work sick at whatever their job is because they don’t have a choice. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a different perspective on that issue, but it’s a pleasant surprise to see it brought up here. Tuccillo seems committed to exploring the realities of small-town life, and not just the surface-level quirks and charms. That’s the dramatic element in the dramedy, without being obvious or heavy-handed about it.

Elsewhere, Louisa Gavin’s breakup with Sheriff Mark Mylow is still a topic of conversation, because Mark is now overeager to play the field. He has a short-lived fling with Mark’s teaching assistant Jeannie before Louisa tries to tell Mark he’s not a playboy. Best Medicine is trying to get audiences invested in character dynamics that don’t include Martin, because that’s how it’s going to last long-term. This part of “Bean There, Done That” is not completely successful. Jeannie holding Louisa responsible for Mark’s behavior (asking “What did you do to him?”) is an eyebrow-arching moment. However, Josh Segarra is still committed full speed to Mark’s high energy, and the contrast between that and Josh Charles’ perfectly deadpan delivery as Martin is becoming one of the series’ high points. The two characters are exact opposites—which is clearly paving the way for Martin and Louisa’s eventual romance, but it’s also just a lot of fun to watch.

Another element of Best Medicine that is a lovely surprise is the physical comedy. It was hinted at with Charles in the first episode, but “Bean There, Done That” proves that the show wants to keep a physical comedy element, which is fantastic. It’s a throwback to classic sitcoms and something that doesn’t show up in modern comedy enough. There are elements of this series that feel like it’s going back to the roots of TV comedy. Whether it’s the physical gags or some of the guest characters from Episode 1 continuing to have a significant presence in Episode 2, there are little details in Best Medicine that elevate the whole show. It’s not hard to figure out where the story is going, but that doesn’t matter if audiences fall in love with the journey.

Best Medicine airs Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on FOX. Photo Credit: Courtesy of FOX.

Article content is (c)2020-2026 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.