St. Denis Medical: Season Two, on NBC

This hospital should certainly count as a workplace comedy setting, because head nurse Alex Mazurkian definitely works as hard as anyone. Yet, the toughest part of her job is keeping her sanity. That’s a universal truth we can all relate to. It also helps that the comedy is still actually funny in the second season of co-creators Eric Ledgin & Justin Spitzer’s St. Denis Medical, which premieres tonight with back-to-back episodes on NBC.

Mazurkian finally got to enjoy a well-deserved break, so now she wants to keep those vacation vibes going in “Aloha, Everyone.” Curmudgeonly Dr. Ron Leonard knows that will never last, but good luck to her. That will be especially true when the Steve Carell-esque hospital administrator Dr. Joyce Henderson starts drafting the nursing staff to finish decorating their new birthing center for a major donor.

Frankly, this is a relatively laidback episode compared to some of the highlights from season one, but it still has far more bite than the toothless The Paper. There is no question St. Denis Medical is the true successor to The Office. Regardless, it serves as a nice showcase for recurring cast-member David Theune as Keith Finger, the deadpan sad sack orderly. It also offers Kahyun Kim an opportunity to act a little nutty as the ordinarily too-cool-for-you Nurse Serena Jung.

Regardless, “Mama Bear Activated” is a prime example of the show’s edgy wit, especially when Dr. Henderson calls a meeting to discuss a recent wave of physical attacks on staff members. On a serious note, medical professionals really are five times more likely to be victims of violent assaults. That is a legit problem, but Henderson is not solving it with her self-defense seminar—in lieu of greater spending on security systems, of course. Seriously, this compares favorably with some of Carrel’s best Office scenes. Arguably, there is no funnier depiction of an obnoxious boss currently on television than Wendi McClendon-Covey’s portrayal of Henderson. That is meant as the highest praise. Yet, what really makes her funny is her after-the-fact realizations of her infractions against current heightened (wokish) sensitivities.

St. Denis Medical: Ho-Ho-Hollo

Nobody wants to be in the hospital around Christmastime. Evidently, that includes the doctors and nurses, because all those sick people are so annoying. This Christmas Eve, the camera crew documenting the titual Oregon hospital captures two particularly sensitive cases in “Ho-Ho-Hollo,” the Christmas-themed episode of St. Denis Medical, which airs tomorrow on NBC.

This episode will make viewers grateful for pixelation, because of the patient who intended to propose to his girlfriend by putting the ring in a rather private place, where it got stuck. Normally, Dr. Bruce is insufferably cocky, but this case maximizes his capacity for sympathy. Still, his katana sword still seems like the wrong approach.

In a way, Dr. Ron can also almost empathize with this week’s other problem patient, Bob Klein. He was admitted after a nasty fall, but it turns out St. Denis also cured his leukemia—because he never had it in the first place. However, he asserts his patient-doctor confidentiality with Dr. Ron and Alex, the supervising RN, because he so enjoys all the attention from his family.

Feeling somewhat abandoned by his grown children, Dr. Ron almost sort of gets it, even though he still finds it horribly slimy. Instead of his real-life namesake, this Robert Klein is portrayed by the perfectly cast David Paymer, who makes a perfect foil for series stars David Alan Grier and Allison Tolman.

St. Denis Medical, on NBC

Some things are easier to appreciate with distant. For instance, medical dramas are entertaining on television, but miserable in real life. Similarly, it is easier to appreciate the workplace humor of hospitals, if you are not confined to one. In fact, there are a lot of laughs to be found in this mid-sized Oregon hospital, but you really, really would not want to be a patient in co-creators Eric Ledgin (also showrunner) & Justin Spitzer’s St. Denis Medical, which premieres Tuesday on NBC.

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 26^th).

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.

Joe Pickett, on Spectrum

Wyoming is one of the least populated states, but it probably ranks relatively highly when it comes to authors per capita. Not surprisingly, their crime novelists often incorporate neo-western elements, as in Craig Johnson’s Longmire books. C.J. Box’s novels also follow in that tradition (they have horses and sheriffs). His signature character, game warden Joe Pickett is more comfortable around nature than people, so WY should be the best place for him. Unfortunately, he uncovers a thorny mess of trouble in season one of showrunners John Erick Dowdle & Drew Dowdle’s  Joe Pickett, which premieres Monday on Spectrum.

Pickett is still fresh on the job, but he is already notorious for ticketing the governor for fishing without a license. He believes the rules should be enforced, so he is not inclined to look the other way when he catches low-life Ote Keeley poaching. In the resulting scuffle, he temporarily loses his gun to Keeley, before getting it back. Obviously, there is bad blood between them, so Pickett is duly surprised when Keeley rides his horse all the way to Pickett’s yard, to die from the illegally modified arrow shot through his torso.

Although not considered a suspect, the situation is uncomfortable for Pickett, especially because he worries for the safety of his pregnant wife Marybeth and their two daughters. His slightly sleazy predecessor, Vern Dunnegan cautions him to let everything blow over. However, Pickett is too much of a cowboy to resist following up on his own leads, especially when he suspects the lazy sheriff has arrested the wrong man, Nate Romanowski, a rather intimidating survivalist and falconer.

Immediately starting with Pickett’s standoff with Keeley, the pilot episode (directed by John Erick Dowdle) really grabs viewers. It is a tense action sequence, but it viscerally establishes how high the stakes are for both men. Evidently, the mortality rate for game wardens is shockingly high—and you can see why during this sequence.

It also introduces the lingering trauma of Pickett’s difficult childhood, which often rears up in the present for Pickett. We understand right from the beginning why he is so socially awkward. The truth is the Dowdles maybe overdo his angst a bit. It seems like poor Joe can’t even get a cup of Joe without a flashback. Regardless, the restraint and gritty integrity of Michael Dornan’s lead performance provides an impressive foundation for the series.