Max reveals why he chose the life of a cruise ship doctor in Doctor Odyssey

Every character in a new show has a backstory. It often takes time to learn the main motivations of the lead character, but Doctor Odyssey changed that. It didn’t take long for Max Bankman to find someone he could open up about.

Caution: This post contains SPOILERS for Doctor Odyssey season 1, episode 1.

When Doctor Odyssey began, we learned that Max had a varied career of providing medical care around the world. He wanted to head to places where medical care wasn’t that easy to gain. This is a man who wanted to use his talents to actually help people who needed it.

So, what made him change his mind? Why would he stop doing that for the job as the doctor of a cruise ship? Why would he opt to help the elite rather than those who need him? His backstory was quickly explained.

Doctor Odyssey connects the story to the real issue of COVID-19

We all remember when the world shut down. We all remember the initial fear, but there was a time before that; a time when nobody knew bout COVID-19. Well, it turns out that Max has a backstory connected directly to that.

After some day drinking, Max and Avery head back to her quarters to make out. They decide that it’s wrong and they can’t go any further, so Avery pulls out everything she needs to help deal with the alcohol in their systems. This is when Max opens up, as he clearly has an issue with needles.

He was in China before the pandemic started. While there, he started struggling with the flu-like symptoms, but nobody could initially figure out what was going on. It turns out that he was Patient Zero when it came to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nobody knew how to help him at first, and he eventually slipped into a coma.

Fortunately, he woke up. It was after that he realized he needed to make some changes in his life. He needed to live it, and that led to him applying for the job as a doctor on a cruise ship. What better way to see the world while also still helping people?

Joshua Jackson talked with Screen Rant about this storyline, sharing how great it is. Nobody was able to escape the pandemic, whether they remained away from everyone or they had it or even lost somebody to it. This is something everyone can connect to, and almost everyone will have had thoughts about restarting their lives. We can understand Max’s need to get a fresh start after the traumatic event we’ve all been through.

"Everybody’s been in the spot that Max is at, and that’s what launches the show. That’s the mission here: Let’s all collectively exhale, turn the page and commit to life."

Doctor Odyssey airs Thursdays at 9/8c on ABC. Catch up the following day on Hulu.