Fall television has returned, including some of the most beloved series, especially for us here at TV Fanatic.
If you’ve been following along with our coverage, you’d know that Doc has been a breakout hit, reinventing the genre of medical dramas with its compelling characters, including indelible lead, Amy Larsen.
And we’ve been thrilled about what’s in story for Doc Season 2. Fortunately, some of the cast and the showrunners came together for a preview of what’s to come at a PaleyFest Panel.
If you happen to catch the special early premiere of Doc Season 2 Episode 1, then you’ll know about some of the teases for the first episode.
The biggest takeaway from the panel is that we will have a bigger and better season (it has 22 episodes), but those behind the series have a deep understanding of what made it so great, and they intend to bring more of that same energy to the sophomore season.
Showrunner Barbie Kligman chalks up the series success to the fact that many people love a good old-fashioned medical drama. She also credits Doc’s appeal to its “incredible” cast and the talent that brings these stories to life.
It’s something that Molly Parker echoes when she goes into detail about how gripping the central storyline is. The hook of a woman losing a huge chunk of her memory and seeing how that one event “creates ripple effects” to all of the people around her is just deeply compelling.
She also talked about the appeal of the series serving as a medical mystery type of show with its cases, operating as a procedural, and still having this hook of great characters.
But there’s one big question that many of us had regarding how the sophomore season would play out. Many of us wondered: Can Doc handle a 22-episode count?
If you watch the panel, you’ll see that both Kligman and executive producer Hank Steinberg are pretty vocal and expressive about how much work this entails.
The two have been hard at working trying to plan out the overarching stories, and there was some trepidation when they learned that the series would double its episodes.
But despite the work, and Steinberg taking Vitamin B and C just to get through the days, only six episodes into their filming, there’s a buzz of excitement over what this super-sized season means.
They talk about how it gives them the opportunity to “stretch the storytelling, widen it and expand on the characters orbiting Amy.”
It means that we’ll have a strong season that will delve deep into the other characters, which is really promising since all of the cast are so capable, the characters compelling, and we’re eager to learn more about them.
Molly Parker describes this new feat as an “honor and terrifying,” which Amirah Vann echos, describing how the full season news had her both “elated and horrified” at the same time.
But Molly Parker is clearly a voice of the people as she discusses how people are more interested in long-form storytelling, with Vann also talking about how we’ve gotten past the binge-formatting in many cases, and people crave having conversations.
There’s an emphasis on the return of watercooler TV.
Which brings us to the cliffhanger. Klingman talks about how the love triangle will always have a lingering role in the show. The “push pull elements” of it will always be there, and they do touch on how one can love two people at once.
To that end, Jon Ecker speaks about Jake’s empathy for Amy given how conflicting her position is, but he also talks about how Jake doesn’t want to be the “Plan B” either.
For Jake lovers, we’ll get some more background into Jake, maybe exploring his history of dealing with infidelity before, and also an opportunity to meet his family and explore him in that way more.
And that extends to Gina a bit as well, with the season getting to see the “other “side of what it’s like for this woman who “carries the burdens of everyone,” Vann shares.
Apparently, there will also be some tension between her and Joan Ridley, Felicity Huffman’s quirky, “unorthodox” character.
Vann teases that they have a history, and it seems like she may be one of the few who doesn’t take too well to Joan.
And Huffman describes her character as “unorthodox and fun” and jokes about how she probably slept with one of the Rolling Stones and competes for Amy’s affection and attention, too.
It sounds like Joan is a free-spirit type.
The cast and showrunners tease a season with incredible guest stars, deep exploration of its characters this season, and lots of excitement.
Klingman makes an interesting point about life, and how there aren’t exactly any “Big Bads” in all of this, just an exploration of what life has to offer and its challenges. It keeps to the humanity of this show that appeals to the masses.
Doc is such a special show with a tight-knit cast, something Steinberg highlights when speaking of his history working on shows.
And that collaborative passion, respect, and love for the medium unites them and leads to a great series — this season expanding on that further.
Check out the video below for all the goods!
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