Warning: SPOILERS for Doctor Odyssey season 1, episode 18, "The Wave, Part 2."

There have been countless ups and downs leading up to the Doctor Odyssey cast rate among the series’ primary selling points for many fans, but the real star of the show is the off-the-wall story that unfolds across the episodes. From a lovestruck throuple to a routine orca attack, the series has covered ground that most other medical dramas would leave firmly untrodden.

It remains to be seen whether the show gets renewed, but it seems likely the story will get even zanier in Doctor Odyssey’s ratings have topped even those of ABC’s long-running hit drama Grey’s Anatomy. If the show does get another season, it will be entertaining to see how they keep up the momentum after a few major story beats in the finale.

Avery’s Game-Changing Decision Explained

She Finally Had To Choose Between School And Max

Ever since the three-way tryst between Max, Avery, and Tristan in episode 6, Doctor Odyssey’s love triangle has been one of the core features of the show. But Max threw that out the window when he confessed that he was in love with Avery. Despite getting to explore exciting new challenges like running her own impromptu emergency wing and assisting a surgery performed with a power drill, Avery spent both halves of the finale struggling to decide whether she secretly shared Max’s feelings. By the end of the season, she arrives at an answer.

Avery’s main problem with entering a real partnership with Max is that she doesn’t think she can manage a long-distance relationship while trying to med school at the same time. But after initially deciding to put her career first, Avery concludes in the final moments that she loves Max enough to juggle career and romance at the same time. This is a great season closer, but it does raise the question of how to bring Avery back for a second season. Hopefully, the show’s possible renewal won’t mean Avery’s education has to fail in order to justify her return.

Doctor Odyssey Season 1 Ends With Both Max & Massey Staying

Both Had Considered Leaving The Odyssey

Dr. Max Bankman and Captain Robert Massey don’t interact much in the Doctor Odyssey season 1 finale, but they do both take part in a particularly touching scene toward the end. One of the main unanswered questions after the Doctor Odyssey season 1 finale is whether the show will come back at all, but there was a period during which it seemed as if the finale would write off either Max or Massey. This likely would have been a temporary exit meant to help the season 1 finale double as a series closer in case the series didn’t get renewed.

But whether their exits would have been undone in Doctor Odyssey season 2 or become permanent, both were avoided. Although he couldn’t picture life on the ship without Avery after she leaves for school, Max embraces the Odyssey as a fascinating adventure set somewhere between Heaven and Hell. And while Massey was nearly fired after defying orders to help the tsunami survivors, the crew changes corporate’s minds by threatening to quit in unity if Massey doesn’t keep his job. The ship would feel wrong without Robert or Max, so keeping both makes a stronger case for renewal.

Tristan Proves Himself As A Capable Medical Worker

His Dedication To The Job Was Nearly In Question

Although he’s more than qualified by most real-world standards, Tristan hasn’t been given a chance to prove himself as a medical professional to the same extent as Max and Avery. He’s had his moments, but Avery tends to be in the right when she and Tristan disagree on how to proceed with a patient. On top of that, Avery has to remove Tristan from a procedure in the Doctor Odyssey season 1 finale because he’s too hungover from the night before to be reliable.

This obviously raises the question of whether Tristan’s apparent relapse will continue or even worsen in Doctor Odyssey season 2, since he was already fairly new to recovery. However, Tristan makes the most of his time flying solo by delivering a baby without help from Avery or Max, utilizing only the assistance of a Spanish-speaking midwife onboard the ship. Although his temporary assistant does a lot of the heavy lifting, this hopefully sets Tristan up to pursue more big firsts as a medical professional if the series continues.

How Doctor Odyssey Season 1 Finale Sets Up Season 2

Is The Series’ Throuple Finished For Good?

Prior to the crew reaffirming his faith in himself as a captain, Massey had been going through an existential crisis following the loss of his baby with Shania Twain that made it seem as if he might step away from the ship. Now that he seems happy with his place, he’ll need a new throughline in Doctor Odyssey season 2. First Officer Monroe is set up to play an even more important role in the next season as well, especially after his brief stint as acting captain in the finale.

Assuming she doesn’t come back from med school on bad , The Odyssey may additionally require at least a temporary replacement for Avery at the start of next season. Meanwhile, Tristan’s AA group could demand a more substantial role if he’s to keep developing his skills as a nurse without further complications. But if there’s one thing Avery and Tristan share, it’s that they’re both going to have to start exploring their love lives from a new perspective now that their throuple seems to have dissolved into something more platonic in the wake of Avery and Max’s relationship.

What To Expect From Doctor Odyssey Season 2

Max’s Coma Theory Likely Won’t Gain Much Ground

Given the Doctor Odyssey season 1 finale’s rather grounded ending, it seems unlikely to expect much from the Doctor Odyssey coma theory, although certain lines from the finale will inevitably still have some fans convinced that The Odyssey is a dream Max is living in Purgatory. If the series does continue, they’ll likely either resolve that theory or add some fun bait to keep the theory’s ers on the edges of their seats. But the main thing to expect from Doctor Odyssey season 2 is a deeper dive into the relationships developed over the first season.

Max and Avery haven’t spent one full day on The Odyssey as a traditional couple, so their relationship might hit some bumpy waves as they attempt to navigate it. Tristan will also likely find a new romance, having seemingly forgotten about Vivian in all but one episode of Doctor Odyssey season 1’s latter half. And while the crew navigate new relationships and professional goals, the outlandish theme weeks should get nuttier than ever while future two-parters raise the stakes enough to rival tsunamis and orca attacks, all of which equates to a smashingly fun season if the series returns.

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