I don’t know much, but I know my senses are already tingling about Joan Ridley.
If you tuned into Doc Season 2 Episode 2, you’ll know that the series finally introduced Felicity Huffman’s new character, Joan Ridley, and it resulted in some interesting moments that have many of us on the fence.
And now, changes abound for Westside as Ridley steps into her new role on Doc Season 2 Episode 3.
Did Michael Make a Deal with the Devil Unknowingly?
What was interesting about the episode was that Joan Ridley has been a part of many of these characters’ lives for some time, and she also has had a role at the hospital before.
She wasn’t unfamiliar to any of the other characters, only to us as viewers, and that’s a fascinating place to introduce a new character, because it means she comes with a storied, deeply embedded history that we know little about.
Joan also comes with predetermined dynamics with other characters.
As a result, it made sense on the surface with the board on Michael’s derriere, that his last-ditch effort to control things before he took his highly recommended paternity leave would mean choosing a Chief of Medicine on his own terms.
Michael’s interest in this also meant that he could protect Amy as well. In any other situation or hospital, they would have ousted Amy because she’s such a liability.
But Michael likely hoped that putting in a “friendly” who he knows cares about Amy would mean that she’d have some protection at the job, since he has spent a lot of time standing between Amy and the board like a human shield.
Interestingly, he was so eager to get a jump on the board that he didn’t seem to bat an eye at how Joan was steering him toward picking her and then eagerly agreeing to all of her proposals.
Joan is the New Blood That May Be a Problem, Not a Solution
This decision has Gina and Amy reeling, and it’s clear that Gina isn’t a big fan of Joan, but now there are new reasons for Amy to be alarmed.
Now that she’s getting more flashes, her first fully formed memory involves Joan essentially telling her to divorce Michael, and it’s apparent that it’s not something Amy is taking lightly.
Joan, as a trigger point to prompt memories, makes the character even more fascinating, and now I wonder how far that will take Amy in her quest to regain her memories, and just how much she will want to know.
But the most pressing issue is that “New Blood,” a title that will likely factor into a medical case and also reference Joan’s position, will likely place Amy and Joan at odds.
In the promo, Amy is playful about Joan keeping her seat warm, but Joan must’ve had her sights on this position, and she’s not taking it lightly.
Joan is implementing an evaluation after two months to determine who will stay and who will leave. It puts people on edge, because she’s clear that she’s not keeping everyone.
Amy Places Herself in Jeopardy and May Not Go Unscathed
It sparks a competitive edge in everyone that we haven’t seen thus far.
Still, it would put Amy directly in the line of fire because Amy doesn’t exactly abide by the rules often, and every other case, she’s putting herself, her medical license, and the hospital in jeopardy for the greater good of saving a life.
Joan doesn’t sound like she intends to cut Amy any slack; if anything, she may go harder on her because Amy’s absence could be to Joan’s benefit.
Of course, Amy taking on a medical tourism case that puts her at risk of jeopardizing the hospital by using stem cells on a patient and then possibly shocking her against medical advice seems like Amy is already on Joan’s radar and in trouble.
Will she even last the two months in time for evaluation at this point?
The synopsis also teases that a recovering TJ will help a fellow veteran with his prosthetic leg, and I’m excited about the continuation of this arc for him on his road to recovery.
Plus, I love when they do arcs that showcase his being a veteran.
We also get some glimpses of the episode via photos, and I have so many questions about the messy love lives of these characters!
Will Michael Have to Confront His Marital Issues Without Escaping?
Michael managed to dodge Nora’s question about whether he was still in love with Amy, and now that he’s at home, he has all this time to focus on his new baby and deal with his marriage.
Work has been a great distraction for him, but without it, will the last fissures continue to tear them apart?
It seems like he’ll have some loving moments with Nora, but also some tense ones with Katie.
Meanwhile, Sonya and Jake appear to be getting closer, quite literally based on one photo.
I’m wondering if Sonya is taking his clear breakup with Amy as a sign that she can pursue him.
They’ve been hanging out more after hours and made up, and Sonya is probably still riding high on telling Amy about herself.
But hilariously enough, we could be in for a complicated backlside because we also get a still of a very cozy-looking Jake and Amy.
While he’s made things clear about how he feels and his uncertainty, there’s no denying that he loves Amy, and she has an effect on him.
Maybe they’ll share a moment, just enough to give the shippers hope and keep that alive.
Over to you, Doc Fanatics.
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