REVIEW: ‘St. Denis Medical’ Season 2 Returns With A Strong Two-Episode Premiere
- Emma Fisher
- 5h
- 6 min read
This article contains spoilers for S02E01 and S02E02 of St. Denis Medical.
St. Denis Medical returns to NBC on Monday, November 3. If the first two episodes are anything to go by, the mockumentary hospital comedy has lost none of the warmth, wit, or disorder that made its debut last year such a joy to watch. Kicking off with "Aloha, Everyone" and "Mama Bear Activated," the series welcomes us back to St. Denis’ madness, with emphasis placed on the awkward will-they-won’t-they stalemate between Matt (Mekki Leeper) and Serena (Kahyun Kim).
"Aloha, Everyone"
Season two kicks off with a cold open to laugh at. A father-to-be and his pregnant partner are rushed into the hospital after a gender reveal mishap gone wrong, leading to Matt walking a powder-filled balloon into a door frame and coating himself in pink powder. It’s perfectly timed and a smart reintroduction to the lack of crisis management the staff of St. Denis have.
Fresh off a restorative trip to Hawaii with husband Tim, Alex (Allison Tolman) returns determined to keep her newly acquired inner peace intact after a promotion the year previously left her frazzled. She’s “Chill Alex” now, unbothered and refusing to be dragged into anyone’s drama. Of course, this is St. Denis, and within minutes she’s juggling Joyce’s escalating birthing-centre meltdown, Serena and Matt’s obvious feelings for the other, and Bruce’s desperate need for someone to notice his new tattoo. She doesn’t stand a chance. Watching her grasp weaken on her zen while everything unravels around her is both hilarious and will pull at your heartstrings. We may have just returned, but somebody give her a break already.
Joyce (Wendi McLendon-Covey), meanwhile, is spiraling. A generous donation has allowed her to build a birthing centre at the hospital, complete with themed suites ranging from under the sea to Old Hollywood, because nothing says a calm labour like a Cary Grant cardboard cutout. McLendon-Covey continues to be one of television’s great deadpan reactors. Her eagerness, tight smiles, and glances to the camera earn a guaranteed chuckle every time. The looming visit from benefactor Amelia, however, sends her into a tizzy so severe that she decides every elaborately themed room must be stripped bare so that Amelia can have a blank slate to work with.
During this, Matt and Serena continue the path of their will-they-won’t-they relationship. Following her discovery of Matt’s crush on her, Serena had asked Alex to schedule them in different zones. After they joke around like old times, she informs Alex that they’re fine working together again, having clearly missed him. However, when Alex tells her that Matt had also asked to be moved away from her, she’s devastated, even if she won’t admit it. Matt, to his credit, has apparently used the time to focus on himself, though his bumbling ability to speak near Serena suggests otherwise. When Matt finally tells Serena he’s over her, clearly believing this is what she wants to hear, her disappointment is palpable. Beyond Matt, she’s convincing no one, least of all herself. It's safe to say that this season will explore their feelings for each other, much to the delight of the audience. After all, it wouldn't be a network sitcom without a couple to root for.
By the time Amelia cancels her visit (after everyone has stripped the birthing centre in line with Joyce’s panic), Joyce’s anxiety finally cracks. Alex’s reassurance that people will come and the birthing centre is not a pointless venture adds a touching note to what is an amusing return.
"Mama Bear Activated"
The second instalment of the night begins with Bruce (Josh Lawson) entering the hospital, bloodied, claiming he’s been attacked in the car park. Someone came up from behind, hitting him in the back of the head and knocking him down. The team gathers around him, wanting to check him for a concussion, despite the wound seeming superficial. Bruce, rattled and dramatic, insists that he has above-average reflexes, so this shouldn’t have happened to him. Ron (David Alan Grier) dryly dismisses him as fine, but Bruce spirals into regret that his attacker didn’t finish the job. It’s a deliciously over-the-top cold open that only gets funnier once the truth comes out. First, the show lets the paranoia spiral.
Alex informs Joyce about the attack and reveals that half of the hospital’s security cameras no longer work. Joyce’s mama bear mode is activated, and she vows to make the hospital safer by any means necessary. Elsewhere, Serena proudly boasts her Pilates-honed core strength and claims she can defend herself, only for Ron to tell her she could, unless her attacker was a man. The two immediately descend into a competitive debate over who could take who out, leading to Ron trying to scare her, subsequently throwing his back out, and stubbornly refusing help as Serena delightfully toys with him. Their father-daughter-like relationship could easily become the heart of the series if committed to.
Under the guise of mentorship, Bruce takes Matt under his wing. To the audience, it's clear that the former has been affected by what happened in the car park, even if he denies it. First, he makes Matt inform a patient that he'll need kidney stone surgery, repeating "Matt Pearson" for the patient to remember. It's an obvious attempt to redirect blame onto his co-worker, but to Matt, ever naive, Bruce is putting his name out there. When he comes up behind Bruce and frightens him, he’s kicked for his efforts. Lawson shines in this episode, and you can only hope that as the season continues, he'll be given more to do within the ensemble.
Ever the mama bear, Joyce has Leslie (Frankie Quinones) scrambling to fix the security system, which turns out to be comprised of two broken cameras and one that faces down as a bird sat on it. However, the fix will cost $2000, which the hospital cannot afford. So, she buys a self-defence book to teach the staff tips and tricks. It’s as earnest as it is useless.
Matters escalate when Alex reaches out to Channel 3’s investigative team, believing Bruce’s attack to be associated with the rising violence against healthcare workers. Soon, the network and Carl Justice are outside St. Denis, and in front of a hilariously bad green screen, ready to film a report. Before Alex can share her piece on workplace safety for healthcare workers, Leslie informs her that the 7/11 across the street caught the attack on their cameras. Bruce’s vicious assailant was not an angry patient, but a lone goose that hit him and knocked him flat.
As the news wraps, Serena takes pity on Ron and helps him hobble to his car, offering a sweet end to their petty strength argument. Bruce has gained a new phobia, while in one final burst of misplaced confidence, Joyce attempts to honk the geese away from the car park, only to find herself pursued. It’s a brilliantly silly episode that only a sitcom can make work.
Verdict
While many have branded the series NBC’s answer to Abbott Elementary, the opening of season two proves it stands firmly in its own lane, especially in the era of hospital-set The Pitt, carving out a distinctly sillier and surprisingly heartfelt corner of workplace-comedy television.
If you loved the first season, season two feels like a confident evolution rather than a retread. The humour is sharper and the ensemble chemistry even stronger. St. Denis Medical is back, and it has the potential to grow and remind us all why network television does comedies better than anywhere else.
Rating: ★★★★☆
About St. Denis Medical
Premiere Date: November 3, 2025.
Episode Count: 18
Showrunner: Eric Ledgin
Executive Producers: Eric Ledgin, Justin Spitzer, Simon Heuer, Ruben Fleischer, Bridget Kyle, and Vicky Luu.
Production: Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, More Bees, Inc. and Spitzer Holding Company.
Cast: Wendi McLendon-Covey, David Alan Grier, Allison Tolman, Josh Lawson, Kahyun Kim, Mekki Leeper, and Kaliko Kauahi.
Synopsis: “St Denis Medical” is a mockumentary about an underfunded, understaffed Oregon hospital where the dedicated doctors and nurses try their best to treat patients while maintaining their own sanity. In season two, after receiving a large private donation, hospital administrator Joyce bites off more than she can chew while her employees navigate staff shortages, office conflicts and their own personal lives.