When a flashy surgeon comes into the hospital to show off his new surgical method, Doogie is enamored with his style in the latest episode of the Disney+ Original Series, “Doogie Kameāloha, M.D.” Doogie’s mother, who has always enjoyed being Doogie’s medical inspiration, experiences a bout of jealousy when Doogie starts looking up to another doctor but becomes a protective mother when Doogie is disqualified from a potential fellowship due to her age. Meanwhile, Doogie’s father is ready to enter the annual surf competition but has reached the minimum age for the senior, or sunset, division, leading him to a mid-life crisis.

In my opinion, this is the best episode of the series. We see character growth from Doogie, her mother, her father, and even a tiny bit from her older brother. Meanwhile, we also get a disgusting scene from Doogie’s younger brother that encapsulates childhood perfectly. The best part is the scene in the emergency room when they are inspecting an influx of patients. Doogie, her mother, and all of their coworkers step up and take care of the patients while the flashy surgeon wasn’t prepared. His skill set is designed for an operating room where everything is controlled. An emergency room doesn’t have that kind of control. Hospitals need both settings and doctors who are prepared for both. It’s a great image of how someone who is an excellent surgeon won’t succeed in an ER and how some people in the emergency room setting might not thrive in the operating room.

I also loved seeing the dad’s mid-life crisis plotline. He’s 45. It’s not old, but it’s not young either. He clearly can’t do some of the things he used to do, but he’s also young enough to still surf. He finds that his back won’t let him surf the 12-foot waves, but he can still run into the water and the sunset division treats him like a kid, something he thoroughly enjoys. It’s a great way for him to transition from being a young man to a middle-aged man. It’s a natural progression and it’s handled well. Plus, we get to see some growth from his son who recognizes surfing on the 12-foot waves is a bad idea for the teens who are doing it, and as a family man, he shouldn’t do it either. Meanwhile, while the younger son is left alone, he ends up eating all the snowcone flavoring from the truck leading to him getting really sick. It’s disgusting, but something to expect from a young kid left alone with everything in a snowcone truck.

I hope this is a sign of the series taking a turn. It hasn’t been a great series so far, but this was a great episode. I really enjoyed this and want more episodes like this going forward.

Ranking:

Series: 2 stars out of 5

Episode: 4 stars out of 5

What did you think of the latest episode of Doogie Kameāloha, M.D.?

Jeremy Brown

Jeremy has been a big Disney fan since he was a kid growing up during the Disney Renaissance. One day he hopes to go to every Disney Park in the world.

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