SPOILER ALERT: The following contains spoilers for Best Medicine Season 2, Episode 1.
There’s not much of a time jump between the Best Medicine Season 2 premiere and Season 1, which makes sense because not much about the FOX show has changed. “Be Careful What You Fish For” still has Josh Charles leading the way as it balances broad comedy with a charming sense of community. Season 2 still has the same flaws, too, but more importantly it preserves what made the Doc Martin remake successful.
The premiere’s major plotline involves a woman named Cecilia (played well by guest star Ellen Soraya Nikbakht), whom Martin rescues in the water off Port Wenn only to find that she’s dressed as a mermaid. Obviously she’s not a mermaid, but the whole town wants to make mermaid jokes. It’s another example of how the humor in Best Medicine can be broad and a little corny. At the same time, Cecilia’s arrival gives Mark his best storyline yet, as Josh Segarra gets to show more depth for his character. Mark and Martin make great allies as they work to help Cecilia, both medically and emotionally; it’s a wonderful contrast compared to the quasi-rivalry they had at the start of the series.
Cecilia’s storyline turns out to be a way to reintroduce the audience to the town of Port Wenn. It’s no surprise that solving her problem leads to all of the townspeople confessing their own quirks, including Martin announcing the blood phobia that he tried so hard to keep secret in Season 1. This is obviously a huge turning point for the character and the entire series, and Josh Charles handles it perfectly; the audience sees Martin wrestling with whether or not to say it and building up that courage before he finally comes out with it. The emotional impact is unfortunately spoiled by FOX having used part of the scene in its Season 2 commercial, but that doesn’t change how impressive Charles’ performance is.
And that climactic scene is Best Medicine in a nutshell. The townsfolk blurting everything out is essentially a catch-up for Season 1, as they’re just mentioning things that happened in previous episodes. It’s functionally a way to drop a ton of exposition. But simultaneously, it’s heartwarming and a reminder of why everyone other than Martin finds Port Wenn so charming. It captures that small-town spirit that Best Medicine thrives on. Do fans see it coming? Yes. But is it also exactly what they want to see coming? Also yes.
Elsewhere, the Best Medicine Season 2 premiere shows that everyone else in town is pretty much the same, presumably because there hasn’t been enough time between seasons for change. Judith gets out of the hospital and blows up two houses smoking; the joke is only funny the first time. Elaine has become a local celebrity thanks to a Port Wenn tourism ad, which is giving Bart Simpson on The Krusty the Klown Show vibes, down to her being frustrated by everyone repeating her catchphrase. And Eliza Coupe returns for a few brief scenes as Eden, just to remind everyone that she still exists. That relative lack of development is the weak spot in “Be Careful What You Fish For.” The joy of second seasons is that the writers get to move their characters ahead and try new things, and there’s not much here that feels like it’s moving forward.
Instead, the premiere is like a warm blanket that the audience comes home to. The characters other than Martin are still slightly exaggerated, the jokes are still often on the nose, but there’s still no doubt that everyone (including the creative team) means well and wants to put something good out into the world. Audience members looking for a creative leap forward will be disappointed, at least until future episodes play out the effects of Martin announcing his phobia. But viewers who just want to laugh and love with these quirky characters will be thrilled. The quirks and the charms of Port Wenn are still very much intact.
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.
