Doc on FOX season 2, episode 3 review: More drama

SPOILER ALERT: The following contains spoilers for Doc Season 2, Episode 3.

Many TV medical dramas eventually become more about the personal lives of the doctors than the actual medicine. Doc Season 2, Episode 3, “New Blood” is an example of that phenomenon. Despite a top-tier guest star anchoring the case of the week, most of the storylines exist primarily to fuel Dr. Amy Larsen’s personal conflicts.

Doc has always been split into two halves: one part about Amy’s recovery and the other about the hospital. But “New Blood” leans far too much into the former, while nearly everything seems to orbit around Amy. One can’t blame Nora for getting frustrated when a lot of the core cast is measured by their connection to Amy. The biggest example of this is Dr. Jake Heller; the episode opens with him thinking about his relationship with Amy and ends in part with her making a romantic move on him. The other major plot point is that Jake becomes aware of Dr. Sonya Maitra’s feelings for him — from Amy. The only thing he does on his own is hire an intern, but as a preview for Episode 4 indicates, that’s more setting up a future storyline. Jake is a great character and Jon Ecker is a great actor; there should be more for him than unresolved feelings.