Dissecting Doctor Odyssey’s Death Sequences — Are They Vital to TVLine’s Fever Dream Theory?
Doctor Odyssey isn’t afraid to kill off its passengers. But do the scenes leading up to a patient’s death mean something larger within the lore of the show — the greater mythology that we’re obsessively trying to piece together, week after week?
In the ABC drama’s Nov. 7 episode, a groom died by suicide. But before he jumped ship, he embarked on a solitary, emotional journey set to an acoustic --cover of The Killers’ “Human.” He looked in the mirror, buttoned up his shirt, fastened his cufflinks and wandered through the ship’s corridors. Finally, he leapt from the vessel’s balcony, marking the second death in the ABC medical drama.
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The first casualty came in Episode 3, during Plastic Surgery Week. The lead-up felt — and looked — oddly similar to our most recent death. With no dialogue, and an acoustic rendition of Sleeping at Last’s “Three” playing in the background, Human Ken seemed to be preparing for his impending doom in front of a mirror. He lathered his face in oils, creams and serums just moments before a medical event took his life.
Both death scenes stand out. Tonally and visually, they feel different than the rest of the show. Instead of the usual luxe, bright, shiny imagery we’ve come to expect from Doctor Odyssey — the kind that Joshua Jackson described as having “sparkle” — these scenes are lit by the soft glow of night. Each man undergoes parallel pre-death rituals: He examines his somber reflection before he primps and polishes his appearance as if he’s going to Sunday church. And the songs — the songs! They linger for so long on characters we barely know. This has to mean something… right?
TVLine has already pitched its Doctor Odyssey dream theory, which argues that the entire ship — including its passengers and crew — are trapped somewhere between dead and alive. So what does death even mean if we’re lingering in a liminal space? Perhaps the people who exit the boat have somehow made a full recovery. Meanwhile, those who never make it off the boat aren’t just dying in the alternate reality that is The Odyssey, but also failing to recover wherever they physically sit in the real world.
Perhaps these deaths are more significant to the show than we think. They are simply too playful, and too heightened, to merely be commentaries on the tragedy of death. What if the dramatic lead-ups are telegraphing to viewers that it’s not just lives being lost, but souls being sent away? Those who are dead, or about to be dead, are powdering their noses and fastening their neckties in preparation for their next destination.
Whether it’s heaven or hell, we aren’t quite sure.
Plus, as we mentioned above, the soundtrack is so pointed. The names of both artists allude to death, and the songs themselves seem to reinforce something not yet revealed. As our theory goes, the series employs specific songs, with specific language, in both its marketing and episodes, to drop hints that the entire thing is a dream. Take, for instance, an early promo that used the Beach Boys’ “Wouldn’t It Be Nice.”
But now we want to know what you think! What makes Doctor Odyssey’s death scenes stand out? And is there a reason why? Log your theories in Comments.
Doctor Odyssey Feels Like a Fever Dream Because It Is a Fever Dream (Theory)
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