Although Doctor Odyssey season 2 could still happen, season 1’s finale ironically made this less likely. Doctor Odyssey’s season 1 finale was good. The episode wasn’t the strongest of the season, but it did wrap up most of the show’s subplots in a satisfying manner for the time being.
Considering its creator, TV legend and uber-producer Ryan Murphy, is infamous for his use of cliffhanger endings, it is somewhat surprising that there weren’t more unanswered Doctor Odyssey questions after season 1’s finale. The ABC series wrapped up with the confidence of a show unconcerned about its renewal status.
Doctor Odyssey Season 1 Resolved All Of Its Major Plots
Doctor Odyssey Didn’t Make A Season 2 Renewal Its Major Priority
Tristan, Rob, Max, and Avery in an episode of Doctor Odyssey, watching
Phillipa Soo as Avery Morgan in the Doctor Odyssey season 1 finale.
Tristan in an episode of Doctor Odyssey, with a big smile
Don Johnson as Captain Robert Massey in Doctor Odyssey
Tristan, Avery, and Max in an episode of Doctor Odyssey, talking
Ironically, this could prove to be the undoing of the Joshua Jackson vehicle. As surprising as it might sound, Doctor Odyssey’s satisfying and cohesive season 1 finale actually makes a season 2 renewal less likely. After all, the show’s story is already complete, meaning season 2 would now need to follow a whole new plot.
Admittedly, Doctor Odyssey’s wild coma theory wasn’t confirmed or denied in season 1, and season 2 could quickly upend things by revealing that all of season 1 was merely Max's coma dream. This might seem far-fetched, but one of Murphy’s other 2024 debuts, FX’s Grotesquerie, did just this in episode 7.
There's No Real Motivation For Ryan Murphy To Do Doctor Odyssey Season 2
Doctor Odyssey Season 1 Told A Self-Contained Story
Kenneth Choi as Chimney in his work gear in a scene from 9-1-1
Jessica Lange as Constance Langdon in American Horror Story
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Julian Works in 911 Lonestar
The season 1 finale could have easily doubled as a series finale, which it may now become if the show isn’t renewed. According to recent reports, the cast wanted to do season 2 and ABC was seemingly willing to greenlight a second outing, but the ultimate decision was going to come from Murphy.
Considering all his other projects, Doctor Odyssey’s season 1 offers its creator no major artistic drive to continue the show. If season 1 ended with a cliffhanger, both viewers and Murphy would have a compelling reason to return to the world of the series.
Doctor Odyssey's Main Cast & Who They Play | |
|---|---|
Joshua Jackson | Max Bankman |
Don Johnson | Captain Robert Massey |
Phillipa Soo | Avery Morgan |
Sean Teale | Tristan Silva |
Instead, although Doctor Odyssey’s coma theory is intriguing and Max’s story still had some character development to iron out, the cruise ship medical drama was ultimately left with no reason to continue. While Doctor Odyssey fans might be let down by this, it’s hard to deny that the show’s ending does feel like a fully-fledged series finale.
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