Doctor Odyssey’s Cancellation Fits Right Into Our Fever Dream Theory (Just Let Us Have This One)
You didn’t think I’d let Doctor Odyssey sink without bringing back TVLine’s Fever Dream Theory one last time, did you?
Though all signs point to Doctor Odyssey being cancelled, the show hasn’t gotten the official ax from ABC (yet). Instead it received something much more poetic: The cast’s options for a second season simply expired, according to our sister site Deadline, meaning that as of today they are free to book other roles. If ABC does eventually want the medical drama to return, producers would need to re-sign all lead actors to new deals.
Let’s break that down for a moment: Doctor Odyssey is neither technically dead, though it practically is, nor is it functionally alive. One might say it’s stuck in a state of limbo, lingering between life and death. Much like a comatose Dr. Max, the series doesn’t exist in real time anymore, it only survives in the public consciousness over on Hulu. This has got to be a message, doesn’t it?
Let’s put the show — which I’ve argued over and over is stuck in Max’s subconscious — in its own state of purgatory. AKA limbo, albeit the pleasant one hinted at in the Season 1 finale’s dream-like beach party, where everyone’s dreams comes true and all our characters live happily ever after.
If we can treat ABC’s failure to renew Doctor Odyssey’s cast options as an informal cancellation, then I will use that same precedent when determining the validity of TVLine’s Fever Dream Theory. Though there’s no official acknowledgment that the theory is sound, the series dropped hints all season, including calling the ship heaven, giving max a twin, having Avery panic over a (false) pregnancy and killing off unimportant characters.
As we send our favorite soapy sudser out to sea, how about we just accept the Fever Dream Theory as fact? Let the gold-plated scalpels, the hot tub hallucinations and Shania Twain’s post-menopausal pregnancy speak for themselves.
What’s your take? Is Doctor Odyssey’s cancellation more Fever Dream fodder? Hit the comments with your thoughts!
It could have been great. Don Johnson and Joshua Jackson were perfectly campy. Some of the guests were funny as well; kinda Love Boaty? I didn’t love the other supporting cast.
Make perfect sense! I hope someone resuscitates it. Although to be honest I think Joshua Jackson is capable of much more
Agreed. He will always be Pacey for me. He has been a favorite of mine since then.
This is just brilliant… BRAVO!
I know Ryan Murphy is one of the creators and writers, but I felt it just didn’t have the Ryan Murphy spice his other shows have.
Sorry to say, but I think it’s dead. It was definitely strange with the network basically saying it was up to Ryan. Clearly, they wanted to keep it going. In a nutshell, actors like to work and I imagine most of the principal cast is hard at work for a new project. Once any of them book something else–that’s it.
I never understood why they left it solely on Ryan Murphy to continue this show. He co-created it with two other writers who could’ve kept it going without him. It’s not like Ryan Murphy is still involved in 9-1-1. He hasn’t written an episode for that show since season 1 and it’s basically Tim Minear’s show at this point.
*Sits next to you. Typically, everyone signs a 7 year contract in television. Everything was in place to keep it going, so why did it all hinge on Ryan? If ABC wanted to renew for season 2 and the other writers, had it mapped out–then why let it fade away like this? It feels like there is more to the story.
Are they still doing 7 year contracts for broadcast shows? Even for a Ryan Murphy level EP?
What does Ryan Murphy’s level have to do with it? Whatever the standard is–I don’t see how he would be exempt from it. Whether there was a 1, 3, 5 or 7 year contract–there was clearly an out clause if the renewal didn’t happen by a certain date.
In my head canon, the Fever Dream Theory is correct, with one small change. When “Max” wakes up, he is his twin brother. The one who we saw with the very ordinary life. In my theory, Max was never a doctor at all, but he was an early victim of COVID. And the entire series, including Max’s fabulous career as a doctor, was a fever dream of what his life could have been. In my head, the twin (who is not a twin at all but simply the real, simple, Max), wakes up, surrounded by his loving family. And tells them this crazy dream he had…
Schrodinger’s Odyssey lol
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I can’t understand why they are canceling Dr. Odyssey. It is a pleasant change from all the violent shows . The actors are good and the story lines are very entertaining. It reminds me of the other show that took place on a ship. Please try to change your mind and sign this up for another season. I’m quite sorry for the decision.
😂 I <3 you TVLine, never change
Tbh – you guys figuring this out so quick and then beating it to death probably made Ryan Murphy not want to make the show anymore lol
It kills me to see that ABC will renew The Bachelor, which is not must see TV and then they cancel Doctor Odyssey.
This was a show I really enjoyed and watched. The only network tv show worth watching and the only one I watched. Wish the execs would keep a show people enjoyed instead of the shows not worth watching. Sad days for tv. Why not just eliminate ABC and sell show to Netflix. They seem to renew shows people watch.
I don’t by the dream thing but will be very sad to see it go.