REVIEW: ‘St. Denis Medical’ Season 2 Episode 12 Marks a Slow Point in an Otherwise Steady Season
- Emma Fisher
- 4 minutes ago
- 5 min read
This article contains spoilers for St. Denis Medical S2E12.
St. Denis Medical airs its final episode before the Winter Olympics on February 2, after which the show will take a month break, returning on March 2. The episode, "Nod and Agree," sees Ron (David Alan Grier) attempt to wrap up a perfect visit from his son, Michael (Sam Richardson). Elsewhere, Alex (Allison Tolman) questions Val’s (Kaliko Kauahi) return from jury duty, while Bruce (Josh Lawson) feels iced out of a juicy business opportunity.
As revealed in "You’re in His Bubble Space" weeks prior, Ron believes he wasn’t the greatest father to his son growing up. However, he’s trying to make amends. He reveals that when he visited Michael in Austin, they fell into old patterns: Michael poked, Ron took it to ten, which in turn triggered Michael. This time around, he's adamant he will remain calm no matter what.
Yet he isn’t putting in the effort; instead, he agrees with everything Michael says. Joyce disagrees, questioning whether this approach is healthy, as it feels like an act. Ron argues that his son is sensitive and that this is the easiest way to manage things, adding that Joyce wouldn't understand because she doesn't have children. Joyce pushes back, saying she understands human relationships and that conflict is a natural part of them.
After a confrontation with another doctor, Michael tells Ron that he’s proud of him for breaking the cycle of masculine aggression, but questions whether Ron will report what happened. Michael argues that staying silent only reinforces a culture that allows this behaviour. Ron initially insists he will act, but it soon becomes clear that he only agreed with Michael to appear calm and accommodating. He later admits that he wanted the visit to be perfect, believing it would prove he isn’t always the bad guy. Michael reassures him that he wants honesty. The moment ends on a warm note, allowing Ron to declare the visit a success.
Following her absence from recent episodes, Val returns to St. Denis after completing jury duty. Alex tells Serena (Kahyun Kim) she’s glad Val’s time off didn’t last long, as they need the bodies. She finds it strange that she’s never been summoned herself and earnestly believes that the city must be saving her for something bigger. Alex claims she can always tell when someone is lying, and it’s all in the pupils. If someone looks up and to the right, it means they’re lying as they’re using the creative part of their brain. She says she should have taught Val this. Serena wastes no time letting Alex know that Val wasn’t on jury duty at all, but she went to Cabo. Alex is shocked, but insists she’s fine, even as she starts slamming things down.
Alex later goes to Val, asking further questions about jury duty, but Val doesn't miss a beat with her answers. This frustrates Alex, who likes honesty. Serena suggests that Val is only lying because Alex is her boss. Alex insists she makes it clear that she's a cool boss, until Serena counters that being cool has nothing to do with it. You make up an excuse, no one looks too closely, and it's easier for everyone. It’s just the system, Serena says, and Alex should leave it alone, which of course means that Alex won’t.
Unable to recognise when to leave something alone, Alex gathers the nurses for a meeting, noting that it’s more of a hang. She informs them that if something comes up and you're out of vacation days, they should talk to her and she’ll make it work. Val immediately realises that Serena has told Alex about Cabo. Alex then pulls Val aside and asks where she was, reassuring her that she doesn't have to lie. Val admits she went to Cabo with Shelly, explaining that she's been numb lately and that the stress has been affecting her relationship. Shelly, she adds, has been spending time at Joann Fabrics, where her ex works, and not much crafting is being done. Val says she whisked Shelly off to Mexico; now she's not a pressure cooker, she's a crockpot. Alex admits she prefers the jury duty story, but, as a friend, asks whether Val had fun in Cabo. Val says it was amazing, proving Kauahi has been missing from an ensemble she is not given enough to do with in the first place.
Meanwhile, Matt (Mekki Leeper) brings juice into work, made from a secret family recipe. He explains that his family used to make it on hot summer days on the farm. Bruce thinks it’s delicious and tells Matt to slap a label on it, claiming he’s got himself a premium end cap at Whole Foods. He insists it could be a serious business opportunity and calls Keith (Dave Theune) over to try it. Keith likes it too. When Bruce asks how much he’d pay for it, he cuts him off, declaring it an $8 bottle.
Later, Matt approaches Bruce with a business logo and slogan: “Nurse Matt’s Tonic. Just what the doctor ordered.” Bruce asks whether the “doctor” refers to anyone in particular. Matt brushes it off as background detail, but it’s clear the comment bothers Bruce, who feels left out of the business opportunity he proposed.
Feeling hurt by Matt’s betrayal, Bruce begins offering tasters of Bruce Juice. He argues that competition is good for the marketplace, so he put down seed money, bought a juicer, and registered an S-corp. Matt thinks it's great that Bruce is selling juice too, and even reveals he’s written a jingle. Bruce insists he’s not buying it, but repeats it, comparing Matt to Randy Newman.
Desperate to be included in whatever he’s missing out on, Bruce approaches Matt and offers him $1000 for the business. Serena negotiates on Matt’s behalf. Bruce raises the offer to $2000, Serena counters with $5000, and, at Matt’s request, he gets to keep the logo. Naturally, the secret recipe turns out to be worth little, but perhaps Bruce will learn something from this. Lawson continues to deliver the very best this show has to offer, turning in a performance worthy of much more recognition than it gets.
"Nod and Agree" is the slowest episode of St. Denis Medical Season 2 thus far, and unfortunately, it does not feel like the right note for the show to end on before it disappears from screens for a month. However, with Season 3 announced for the 2026-27 season, one episode cannot completely weaken what has become one of television's most steady shows.
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.
Distribution: 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.
