Think of St. Denis as if it were Dunder-Mifflin Medical. Our vantage point comes from the camera recording a documentary about the hospital, which presumably will become Frederick Wiseman-length, if the show runs for multiple seasons. Alex the supervising RN is a kind soul, perhaps to a fault. She is so conscientious, she has trouble tearing herself away from the ER madness. In fact, the opening episode, “Welcome to St. Denis” entirely focuses on her struggle to leave well after her shift ends, so she can watch her daughter perform in her high school musical.
Of course, Dr. Ron, the admitting ER doctor bets against her. He is not mean, per se. He is just extremely cynical. He is also quite selfishly set in his ways, as we can fully see in episode five, “A Peanut and Caramel-Filled Miracle,” in which he goes to outrageous lengths to enjoy his regular afternoon treat, a NutRageous candy bar.
What is stopping him? That would be arrogant trauma surgeon Dr. Bruce, who bought up all NutRageous bars from the vending machines, gift shop, and surrounding convenience stores, just to mess with his colleague. You could say Dr. Bruce is a bit petty and enormously vain. He goes to outrageous lengths to avoid giving blood in episode seven, “50 CC’s of Kindness.” (Apparently, episode six still needs more time baking in the oven.) On the other hand, the two rival gang members from a nearby prison spill plenty of each other’s blood. The fact that Ledgin and Spitzer consider prison shivving a valid subject for comedy is definitely a promising sign.
The best of the six episodes provided to critics would be episode four, “Salamat You Too,” in which Nurse Alex tries to assert her authority over a “mean girl” clique of Filipino nurses, but ends with the supervising nurse in some very hot DEI water. Frankly, this episode is an instant classic, ranking with the best of The Office. When they come for Seinfeld’s “Puerto Rican Day Parade,” they will include this one on the same blacklist too, so watch it while you can (on November 26th).
Allison Tolman nicely anchors the series as Nurse Alex, making her easy to identify with. She is funny in a more lowkey way, without competing with her more outrageous co-stars. If these characters were real-life caregivers, her Nurse Alex is probably the only one you would want to see at your bedside.
Frankly, David Alan Grier deserves Emmy consideration for his work as the pompous Dr. Ron. He is shameless and ruthlessly sarcastic, but Grier’s portrayal will remind viewers of people they might know from their own workplace, in much the way Dan Larroquette did on the original Night Court.
The third episode, “Weird Stuff You Can’t Explain,” is another strong showcase for Grier’s comedic chops. This time around, Dr. Ron takes a lot of flak for defiantly calling down a hex on St. Denis, just to prove the ridiculousness of supernatural beliefs. Of course, once he does, the emergency room seems to be plagued by a genuine curse. This episode is also a good example of recurring cast-member Dave Theune’s very funny contributions as the world’s most deadpan and morose orderly.
Unfortunately, Joyce, the oncologist turned hospital administrator, feels like an overly familiar, desperately manic character, sort of like a combination of Steve Carell’s Office character and Lisa Edelstein’s Dr. Cuddy, the Dean of Medicine, on House M.D. Arguably, she is often a little too much (especially since Grier and Lawson are so successful going all in).
The most important thing about St. Denis Medical is that it really is funny. That should go without saying, since it is a sitcom, but that is not always the case. Part of the reason it is so amusing, is because it is willing to mock touchy subjects like DEI policies as well as universal workplace behavior. Maybe sitcoms are making a comeback, because this series is almost as funny as Animal Control. Recommended for its dependably sharp humor, St. Denis Medical premieres Tuesday (11/12) on NBC (and streams the next day on Peacock).
