Season 3's return cements St. Denis Medical's place in NBC's network comedy hierarchy
A return to the NBC schedule
The season 3 premiere brought the doctors and nurses of St. Denis Medical back to primetime. The series uses a mockumentary format that recalls The Office and Parks & Recreation, while centering on an underfunded Oregon hospital.
The return came later than several other fall premieres. NBC scheduled the show nearly a month after many of its biggest launches and more than a week after its other two comedies, while ABC’s Scrubs reboot arrived earlier in the season.
Two stories resume quickly
Season 2 ended without a cliffhanger, but it left two developments to address. Ron, played by David Alan Grier, had undergone bypass surgery, while Serena and Matt began a relationship after sharing a kiss.
The premiere, titled “He Ain’t Noah Wyle,” moved directly into both threads. Ron was still in physical therapy, and the series did not postpone the consequences of his surgery. Matt and Serena’s relationship also continued without being abandoned or treated only as a joke.
Ron’s recovery and replacement
Ron’s health raised questions about his future at the hospital, particularly because Grier had been a major source of comedy in the first two seasons. The premiere made clear that recovery remained part of the story, even as Ron tried to get the most out of physical therapy.
Damon Wayans guest-starred as Dr. Highland, Ron’s temporary replacement. The two shared limited screen time, but the episode included a scene that nodded to their history as In Living Color cast members before Wayans departed.
Comedy strengths and a shortfall
The premiere showed that the mockumentary style still suits the hospital and its ensemble, including Allison Tolman, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Grier. It also handled Matt and Serena’s new relationship more directly than The Office handled Jim and Pam’s early romance, according to the article’s comparison.
However, the episode did not fully succeed with its storyline about Dr. Ron’s replacement. The return therefore offered both a confident continuation of the show’s comedy and a weakness in one part of its premiere.
Key points
- St. Denis Medical returned to NBC for season 3 with its mockumentary approach intact.
- The premiere addressed Ron’s recovery from bypass surgery and Matt and Serena’s new relationship.
- Damon Wayans guest-starred as Dr. Highland, Ron’s temporary replacement.
- The episode’s replacement storyline fell short, despite strengths in the broader comedy.