When a high school girls' basketball coach is faced with a debilitating illness, Dr. Wolf must help his patient reconnect with her body before it's too late. Ericka and Dana treat a fraternity boy who sees dragons.
As a result of mysterious nerve damage, a recently retired WNBA legend feels disconnected with her body. That story actually serves as a strong metaphor for the overall disconnect between the effectiveness of the show's central narrative. The show wants to be a character study of Dr. Oliver Wolf. He's given all of these defining characteristics as well as a tragic backstory. This aspect of storytelling is the only reason for the inclusion of tortured flashbacks detailing the moments that shaped him. It's teased further when Muriel is certain Carol doesn't know everything about Wolf's past. Again, that suggests there is something to worry about. Wolf wants to be seen as a brilliant mind who cares for people and doesn't play by the rules of the for-profit healthcare industry. He has blown every opportunity he has gotten because of the waves he makes. He doesn't care for protocol. He's singularly focused on understanding the people who need help while in medical crisis. He provides that. In that regard, the show aspires to be a regular medical procedural with an ensemble worth teaching and learning more about. It's about the cases that require mysteries to be solved. These two halves clash in a way that makes it hard to understand the overall message and impulse the show is trying to deliver throughout its storytelling.
Basically, everything amounts to the viewer asking why this story needs to be told. It uplifts Wolf as someone who stands out in every aspect of his life. And yes, it is rewarding to have an openly gay character at the center of a broadcast network drama. The combative nature of his dynamic with Dr. Nichols is very reminiscent of the tortured romantic dynamics that have defined heterosexual couples on television for decades. It's fresh because it's two men instead. Everything is presented as a mystery that needs to be solved though. That doesn't make for interesting and engaging character work. More effort is made in this episode to give the four interns distinct personalities and interests. Jacob had a football career before an injury forced him to switch to medicine. Van is an empath who feels the pain of the people he's doing procedures on. Dana is confident and boasts about it all the time. Ericka wants in on the most engaging cases and is annoyed when she can't pass off something she deems lower priority. These are broad strokes. They all largely remain defined by what they seek from Wolf. He's less reluctant to teach. He doesn't always explain himself though. Instead, he just loudly insists that the system is broken because it has lost touch with basic human empathy.
Wolf is warned constantly not to get too personally attached to his patients. His opening voiceover suggests he is the only one who stops to check in with a total stranger when they are experiencing distress. That's how he responds in that situation. He's more noble because he doesn't turn away. He sees humanity for all its complexities. Because he shows that interest, a college student receives a life-saving diagnosis. The symptoms could have gotten much worse if he was left untreated. It still took awhile for Ericka to find the cause of his near constant hallucination of a dragon. It required a trip to his dorm. Answers were still readily available. Brain surgery is always delicate. However, the doctors know precisely what to do to save his life. That's a huge deal worth celebrating. It highlights how Ericka should do more fun things for herself instead of constantly facing the pressure of impossible stands she sets. She should lean on her fellow interns in order to survive. These are basic plot beats from a typical medical procedural. It's nothing new. Even the roguish qualities of the protagonist are all too familiar. That in contrast to the dueling narrative ambitions makes it hard to see the benefit of investing now.
Wolf understands the hard truth that doctors may never find definitive answers. It's still required of them to treat the patients as they are. At various times, it was suggested Jessie's condition is deteriorating quickly. That's the reason why she can't undergo the elective surgery she came in for. Things change significantly within two hours. Then, they plateau. Nothing is fixed. Wolf examines his patient closer. He has to shift his own perspective to figure out a solution. That's how he approaches this work. He doesn't care for basketball. He knows nothing about the sport. It never interested him. He watches old games to see Jessie's movements. He has to speak to her in a way that motivates her to keep fighting. It still suggests that a patient's resolve is the only factor determining the outcome. Wolf takes a risk that could kill his patient. The interns acknowledge that. He just wants to keep Jessie's body working. He has to break things down to allow her to focus on controlling her body again. It's a change in perspective. One where she will have to adapt to a new status quo. That hard work is necessary. It's also just skipped over to provide that resolution where she embraces her loved ones in a huddle again. The show wants to earn these emotions. When it fails to do so, the whole show basically comes apart. That was the fear after the premiere. It's sadly realized here.
