#ZacksMovieClub

I’m gonna pick up #ZacksMovieClub after Thanksgiving! Happy turkey day fam!

But as I mentioned, b/c we have characters with such specific wants and flaws, Doctor Odyssey has a strong engine that pulls from more than just “medical show” tropes.

There’s external conflict stories like the Odyssey’s parent company conflicting with the Captain’s mission of joy… #ZacksMovieClub

I’ve mentioned “story engine” a few times, so let’s pause for a definition:

A story engine is the mechanic (or mechanics) that exist within the show’s arena—where the show takes place—that allows for organic story generation.

For example: a medical emergency with a cruise guest.

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Thanks to a tightly written engine, there are three types of stories that can come aboard in any episode of Doctor Odyssey. Our arena, a luxury cruise liner, allows for anything to walk in the door:

A: Medical stories.
B: Core relationship stories.
C: External conflict stories.

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With the core characters introduced in the pilot, we already have an irreconcilable conflict. Unlike a film, or more recently, some hyper-serialized shows that are essentially long movies, we WANT our heroes trapped. Because now we can turn the engine on and throw story at them! #ZacksMovieClub

What I love about the captain is how much joy radiates from him. We get a full range of depth from Johnson, particularly in the sadness behind his omnipresent smile. It’s that joy, whether authentic or needed to mask other feelings, that we all chase in our lives. He’s our anchor.

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Don Johnson’s Captain Stubi—err Captain Massey—is the embodiment of the show’s themes. He’s charismatic and warm; a widower who seeks to provide the happiness to strangers that has been stripped from his own life. He is a father figure to our found family, and our conduit to story…

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Tristan & Max get into some chest beating early in the pilot as well. Max wants to assert his authority as the ship’s doctor and Tristan’s boss. Tristan feels professional & personal jealousy over Max.

Once again: the show gets our heroes stuck between their job and their feelings.

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Doctor Odyssey thrives on the playful and spicy interpersonal relationships that Ryan Murphy does so well. Rounding out our classic love triangle is Sean Teale’s Nurse Tristan, a young & attractive nurse who pines for Avery but whose only rudder is the direction the wind is blowing. #ZacksMovieClub

Max and Avery hook up in the pilot! It’s wild because this is a beat usually saved for a finale. This ain’t your mama’s Love Boat.

It works narratively because it gets our characters’ mutually-exclusive concerns at odds: They can’t do their jobs if they’re doing each other.

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Phillipa Soo plays Nurse Avery Morgan, a seasoned nurse who gets passed over for a promotion in the pilot. The professional and personal tension between her and Max is at a high out of the gate. Another show would have dragged out the “will they-won’t they?” story all season…

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Joshua Jackson plays Dr. Max Bankman, the eponymous “Dr. Odyssey.” He’s a great and well-travelled doctor who, after a close call with death thanks to an early case of Covid, dedicates his life to medicine and living w/ no regrets.

The show gets him into trouble almost immediately.

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Reason #1 this show works: the dynamic relationship of our cast. My fmr TV writing professor Frank Puglese always talked about having our lead characters’ professional expertise come into direct conflict with their domestic concern. And boy does Doctor Odyssey launch right into that… #ZacksMovieClub

Zack Morrison on X: "No joke, I teach this movie in my screenwriting class. Structurally it’s perfect. Every joke has a second shoe. All 8 sequences have clear breaks. How do you not cry at the end? https://t.co/I9KedUz285" / X No joke, I teach this movie in my screenwriting class. Structurally it’s perfect. Every joke has a second shoe. All 8 sequences have clear breaks. How do you not cry at the end? https://t.co/I9KedUz285

And here’s my #ZacksMovieClub Thread of Threads if you’re still on Twitter. I’ll be migrating them over here soon…

twitter.com/zackmorrison...

Before we get into it…if you’re new to #ZacksMovieClub, or just now following me in your migration from the other place, welcome! I break down the story structure of different shows and movies—but like, the fun ones. I apply a film school eye to very not-film school films. Class is back in session…

Created by Ryan Murphy, Jon Robin Baitz, and Joe Bakin for ABC, the show follows the medical staff of the Odyssey, a flagship luxury cruise liner that aims to offer guests an escape into paradise with themed voyages.

It stars Joshua Jackson, Philipa Soo, Sean Teale, and Don Johnson. #ZacksMovieClub

My first #ZacksMovieClub on here is going to be about Doctor Odyssey, and why Ryan Murphy’s new “Love Boat” is, structurally, a perfect show.

Why this show is so enjoyable? Honestly IMO it comes down to the character dynamics, as well as the engine and arena of The Odyssey.

This will be a slow 🧵

I’m gonna be bringing #ZacksMovieClub over here from the eX-bird place. If you haven’t seen it, it’s where I break down the story structure of popular movies in a way typically reserved for “film school” movies. I’ve previously done The Dark Night, My Cousin Vinny, The Princess Bride, and more!