As Doctor Odyssey wrapped up its season one finale, it left viewers with one overarching question: What was the point? Unlike the emotional season finale of 9-1-1 or Grey's Anatomy's explosive finale, which aired on either side of the freshman medical drama, Doctor Odyssey has nothing new to say, or anything emotional to tease as the first season comes to a conclusion. It relies on the same tame storylines that have done nothing of significance for the series thus far, and in the event that ABC and Ryan Murphy do cancel the show, Doctor Odyssey can not even be described as a compelling limited series. "The Wave, Part 2" sets up a potential action-packed tsunami without the punch.
Instead of leaning into a sea crisis, not entirely unlike the season seven premiere of 9-1-1 that saw Bobby and Athena struggling to keep themselves and others alive until rescue came, Doctor Odyssey stays in calmer waters, never quite willing to navigate the more emotional elements that truly come with putting the ship at risk. As predicted, the love triangle between Max, Avery, and Tristan remains a key plot point, but in "The Wave, Part 2," it is more about how Avery and Max come together than about whether Avery has feelings for Tristan. Avery's revelation that she is in love with Max comes after the plot has been pushing them together, actively using dialogue as a way to convince audiences that the two have chemistry that simply is not there. Max's love confession is more out of left field than anything else, and Avery's reciprocation of those feelings is just as random. It is not that Doctor Odyssey did not tell the audience that this is a relationship to root for; it is that the series never actually showed it in a convincing manner.
As for Tristan, his alleged drinking problem attempts to rear its ugly head, but it is entirely about introducing Matt, Barry's financé, more so than demonstrating consequences for Tristan's drinking. Tristan exhibits no references to breaking sobriety and needing to attend a meeting, and the episode continues on without it ever really being relevant. Tristan does not even get to lead the primary medical emergency birth that he is a part of, leaning on a midwife for help as the birth becomes trickier. Tristan does not get to prove anything here other than his bedside manner.
The other main plot point that attempts to be its own emotional moment follows the entire Odyssey crew stating that if the Captain is fired, the rest of the staff will follow him. Except, the crew is not shown actually doing this on screen, and it is only told to the Captain and the viewers afterward. The moment is supposed to be a kind reference to loyalty and unity. However, due to Doctor Odyssey's refusal to expand on any of the other staff members who work on the ship, it is just underwhelming. Viewers are left questioning who the rest of these staff members are and where they came from, rather than celebrating an ensemble's ability to save their Captain.
There are some ways in which "The Wave, Part 2" comes across as a series finale in the manner that it is developed, but given it only has one season under its belt, the stakes and build-up for some of these elements are just not there. Instead, Doctor Odyssey calmly walks through its freshman season's final episode rather than offering a season finale that has audiences on the edge of their seat begging for more. Doctor Odyssey has never been ABC's strongest series or medical drama, but to offer a season finale that does not make anything that led up to it worth the wait makes it worse. If season one is all that Doctor Odyssey gets, it is a show that could be easily forgotten.