“King of Swords” (written by Laura Valdivia, directed Darnell Martin)
Part one of the #sharpwin couplet.
Whether you ship them or not, “King of Swords” is best known as the episode that calls into question Max and Helen’s relationship. Referred to as a “vibe” by Dr. Akash Panthaki, Helen’s boyfriend and the director of the clinical trials Max is participating in, their bond clearly goes deeper than colleagues and friends.
Helen spends the whole episode, yes, in the midst of a blizzard, examining her relationship with Max. A clairvoyant is even brought into the mix introducing a sense of mysticism. But Helen isn’t the only one thrown off by the implication that there is more to their relationship than she’s cared to think about. Max must confront the idea of losing Helen which the clairvoyant predicts will happen.
“King of Swords” is the first episode that strives to define what sharpwin are to one another. It doesn’t land on an answer, but we do find out that Max loves his doctor to the surprise of one Dr. Helen Sharpe and nobody else.