‘DOC’ Season 3 Premiere Review: Amy’s Memories Return as a New Mystery Begins
DOC wastes little time getting Amy back into complicated territory in the Season 3 premiere. Her memories are continuing to return, but rather than being overwhelmed by painful flashes, Amy is beginning to see a much clearer picture of what her life looked like before she lost them. Some of what she remembers is comforting, while other moments force her to confront parts of herself she may not particularly like.
One of the biggest memories involves Jake. Amy remembers the moment Jake told her he loved her after she said she wanted to tell Katie about their relationship. The returning memory adds another layer to Amy and Jake’s already complicated history because Amy is no longer simply being told what happened between them. She is beginning to remember the emotions and decisions for herself.
Amy’s memories also bring her relationship with Sonya back into focus. She starts recognizing just how difficult she could be with Sonya before the accident, something that becomes especially noticeable when a new group of interns arrives at the hospital for their first day. Amy takes a noticeably kinder and more patient approach with them, while Sonya finds herself becoming the tougher attending in the room.
There is an interesting reversal happening between the two women. Sonya now carries some of the harder edges that Amy once had, while Amy appears determined not to repeat some of her old behavior. It gives the premiere a strong way to show Amy’s growth without pretending the person she used to be never existed.
The medical case of the week begins when a teenager suffers a seizure during a rehearsal of Romeo and Juliet. Things become much more alarming when the teacher begins experiencing seizures as well, followed by several other students. With multiple people suddenly presenting with similar symptoms, the hospital team initially appears to be dealing with some type of widespread medical event.
Eventually, however, they discover that the students are experiencing mass psychogenic illness connected to the stress surrounding active-shooter drills at their school. The first student’s seizure was triggered during rehearsal when the sound of the prop gun used during Juliet’s death scene brought those fears rushing back. One student’s panic then helped set off similar symptoms throughout the group.
The case fits surprisingly well with Amy’s storyline. Both involve the way buried stress and past experiences can resurface even when someone believes they have moved beyond them. For Amy, those memories are slowly rebuilding the story of her former life. For the students, anxiety that had been pushed beneath the surface manifests physically.
Meanwhile, Blair Underwood’s character is officially joining the hospital, but his arrival comes with a major question mark. It quickly becomes clear that he and Amy share a secret involving something they did wrong in the past, and whatever happened has not disappeared simply because Amy cannot fully remember it yet.
That mystery gives DOC another thread to pull throughout Season 3. Amy may be happy to finally regain more pieces of her life, but the premiere makes one thing clear: remembering everything could bring back some things she might have preferred to leave forgotten.
What did you think?
Loved it
Hated it
So/So
Comments