Warning! SPOILERS about Doctor Odyssey season 1, episode 18 ahead.

Doctor Odyssey season 2 should happen. The only ABC show still in a bubble, Doctor Odyssey’s lack of an answer about its fate seems particularly puzzling, especially as all the other shows that didn’t receive early renewals were nonetheless renewed in April, even if their ratings showed they weren’t performing as well as Doctor Odyssey. This makes Doctor Odyssey’s situation unique, as it received no answer instead of being immediately canceled.

Doctor Odyssey season 2 updates about its limbo situation all hint at a wish to keep the over-the-top medical drama going, and the words of Disney Television Studios president Eric Schrier conveying nothing but for Doctor Odyssey prove that. Still, considering how Doctor Odyssey season 1’s finale could easily be reframed as a series finale and the high number of projects Ryan Murphy is involved in, Doctor Odyssey’s future being uncertain makes sense, especially in light of its high production costs and its ratings being lower than expected. Doctor Odyssey season 2 should nevertheless get a chance to happen.

6 Doctor Odyssey's Silliness Makes It One Of A Kind As A Medical Drama

Its Lack Of Seriousness Is A Welcome Change Of Pace

The flourishing of medical dramas on streaming platforms and network TV proves that the revival of the genre has yet to see the end of the road. The procedural nature of Doctor Odyssey wholly mirrors that of other medical dramas, with multiple cases being at the center of each episode. However, there is a massive difference in the approach Doctor Odyssey has with its medical cases compared to other medical dramas, as the ship-confined drama adds much more levity to most of its cases than its more serious counterparts.

This doesn’t mean that patients don’t die on the Odyssey, no matter how Captain Massey would prefer otherwise. After all, Doctor Odyssey season 1, episodes 3 and 18 proved that even on the paradise-like ship deaths happen. Still, the vast majority of cases end happily, and even if some can feel heavier than others, how they came to be is often unusual. When that isn’t the case, Doctor Odyssey’s approach to interpose the cases with the interpersonal drama on the ship makes it easy for the medical drama to feel unlike anything seen before, especially given the levity characterizing it.

5 There Are Many More Special Weeks We Still Need To See In Doctor Odyssey

Its Special Weeks Always Brought Outrageous Drama

Doctor Odyssey’s special weeks included various ridiculous themes that sometimes clashed while other times perfectly worked with its setting on the Odyssey, often referred to as the most exclusive cruise ship in the world of Doctor Odyssey. The themes’ peculiarity, together with the attention to detail that the crew of the Odyssey reserved for its guests, made some episodes unforgettable, especially considering how ridiculous some of the themed events organized for each week sounded. While far-fetched, the special weeks quickly became synonymous with Doctor Odyssey in season 1.

The utter absurdity of some special weeks completely adheres to the whimsical world Doctor Odyssey built.

Without the special weeks, each episode could easily feel the same, except for its different guests and medical cases. The utter absurdity of some special weeks completely adheres to the whimsical world Doctor Odyssey built, creating the impossible conflicts that could have only appeared in the medical drama because of its out-of-this-world setting. Considering how impactful Doctor Odyssey’s special weeks have been in season 1, a renewal could make it possible for the medical drama to expand its roster, helping Doctor Odyssey reach even higher peaks of silliness.

4 Doctor Odyssey Has Yet To Confirm Or Negate Max's Purgatory Theory

Doctor Odyssey Season 1's Finale Likened The Odyssey At Purgatory

The Odyssey being a place where real life could be forgotten, coupled with its somewhat fantastic setting and its changing guests each episode, makes it easy to see it as a kind of limbo. However, Max’s purgatory theory in Doctor Odyssey becomes even less implausible when considering that the medical drama established early on how Max had been in a coma while ill with COVID. Taking into consideration how the illness was referenced throughout Doctor Odyssey season 1 and the odd nature of the Odyssey cruise ship, Max’s time on it being a fever dream wouldn’t be too unbelievable.

Doctor Odyssey is available to stream on Hulu.

Even the times Max wasn’t aboard the Odyssey could be interpreted through the coma lens. Indeed, Max’s trip to see his family in Doctor Odyssey episode 15 could be seen as his getting better, with his return on the Odyssey signifying he wasn’t out of the woods quite yet. His stay onshore during the earthquake and tsunami in Doctor Odyssey season 1’s ending could also be seen in such a light, especially given Max’s direct mention of the Odyssey as a purgatory. Doctor Odyssey season 1 nevertheless hasn’t confirmed or negated Max’s purgatory theory, making a potential season 2 necessary.

3 Tristan Deserves His Storyline To Be Explored Past Max & Avery

There Is Still Much Left Unexplored About Tristan's Story

It’s undeniable that Max Bankman is Doctor Odyssey’s protagonist, with his story being at the heart of the medical drama, whether because Doctor Odyssey effectively started with Max’s arrival on the Odyssey or because his point of view was the one shown more often. Despite this, Tristan quickly became a fan favorite in Doctor Odyssey, with his story becoming especially interesting whenever he told tales about his past, when his mother visited the Odyssey, or even when his problem with alcoholism was finally tackled.

So much of Doctor Odyssey season 1’s focus was on Max and Avery when Tristan was involved, as he was the one with a crush on Avery for the longest time, and viewed Max’s courtship of her as a betrayal. A renewal can make Doctor Odyssey season 2 focus on Tristan, finally exploring him better as a character and putting the spotlight on him and his growth instead of treating him as expendable as he sometimes seemed like in the eyes of Avery or Max.

2 It Would Be A Waste For Doctor Odyssey's Cast To Appear Only For 1 Season

The Strong Cast Made Doctor Odyssey Season 1's Problems Easy To Overcome

Various critiques were aimed at the medical drama, but among the things complained about the most were Doctor Odyssey’s odd pace and lack of realism. This was visible from the show’s series premiere, and despite Doctor Odyssey season 1, episode 1 going at times too fast to set up everything, from several medical cases to the dynamic of the love triangle/potential throuple, the medical drama’s cast made it look seamless.

Considering how packed with stars Doctor Odyssey season 1 was, starting from the trio taking care of the medical suite and including its famous guest stars, it would be a waste to have them only for one season. It would have been different if Doctor Odyssey were an anthology series like many of the TV shows created by Ryan Murphy, but given the procedural nature of Doctor Odyssey and that, despite its narrative problems, audiences are still extremely interested in its story, ending it after one season would be just a pity.

1 Doctor Odyssey's Ratings Prove There's Interest In The World The Show Created

Doctor Odyssey Performed Better Than Grey's Anatomy

While it’s clear that the final decision about whether to renew Doctor Odyssey for a second season lies with Ryan Murphy (via Deadline), ABC would have very little reason to cancel it based on the medical drama’s ratings. Not only was Doctor Odyssey given a rare straight-to-series order, skipping the pilot process, but it also raked in more than 13 million viewers cross-platform in the first week after its premiere.

Doctor Odyssey’s ratings inevitably dipped as season 1 went on, compared to its series premiere, but even considering just the numbers, its average of 3.05 million same-day viewers was still impressive, suring Grey’s Anatomy’s, which was renewed for season 22 in April 2025. The numbers, coupled with the public Doctor Odyssey is receiving from celebrities, all point to interest being high in the medical drama. Hopefully, the “creative conversations” between Ryan Murphy and ABC (via Variety) mean Doctor Odyssey season 2 will see the light of day.

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Sources: Deadline, Variety