While some of Ryan Murphy‘s TV dramas are dark to say the least, Doctor Odyssey has more in common with 9-1-1 and 9-1-1: Lone Star than the many seasons of American Horror Story. But although the premise of a doctor getting hired on a cruise ship sounds fun and intriguing, that’s not why everyone is tuning in.
X users are celebrating the fact that Joshua Jackson, the beloved star of Dawson’s Creek, is back on TV. They’re thrilled they can see his beautiful face every week (Thursday nights, to be exact) and can’t believe he looks so baby-faced at 46!
And as one X user pointed out, they’re tuning into Murphy’s new show “for the plot” which is, of course, the man of the hour.
As someone who strongly believes that Pacey Witter and Joey Potter (Katie Holmes) were meant to be together and that Jackson can do no wrong, I was excited about Doctor Odyssey. After watching the pilot, I can agree that Jackson is the best thing about it. There’s not much that separates it from other medical procedurals besides, you know, the seafaring. At least the first episode gives him the grand entrance he deserves. It’s almost like you hear angels singing when he steps onto the ship and his new coworkers see him.
While Jackson has played layered characters before, from rebellious and funny Pacey to the mysterious Cole on The Affair, Max feels like a paint-by-numbers kind of TV drama character. He explains that he took this job because he wanted a better work/life balance after he was patient zero when the COVID-19 pandemic started. While that adds a depressing element to his character, he’s your basic workaholic, and I’d love to learn more about him. Although of course not everything can be shared in a pilot, I wanted more. Pretending that Pacey has grown up and gotten a job helping cruise ship guests with shrimp poisoning (yes, that’s real!) makes the show more enjoyable.
Murphy created Doctor Odyssey along with Joe Baken and Jon Robin Baitz, and the three also worked together to bring Grotesquerie to life. While a lot of talented actors have starred on Murphy’s shows, I’m glad Jackson is getting his moment in the sun. Or on the water. In an interview with The Wrap, Jackson shared that he told Murphy he was looking to shoot a TV series in Los Angeles because he lives there with his daughter, and he was interested in a “lighter” project. Even Jackson himself thinks the show looks great! While he didn’t praise his own great looks since he’s humble (just one more thing to love about him), he praised the way Doctor Odyssey looks in general. He said, “I don’t think I’ve ever worked on a prettier show — the boat, the clothes, the people all look incredible.”
TV Line thinks that Max is in a coma and still dealing with COVID. Whether or not that ends up being true, I’m with all the other Dawson’s Creek fans who will continue to watch because of Jackson.