Warning: this article contains SPOILERS for St. Denis Medical season 1, episode 5.St. Denis Medical has proven itself to be a comedic powerhouse, but episode 5 (“A Peanut and Caramel-Filled Miracle”) reveals the serious setting underlying the sitcom. Mekki Leeper’s Matt is the bumbling rookie of St. Denis Medical’s cast of characters, but episode 5 confronts Matt with the harsh reality of working as a healthcare professional. After performing CPR on a man who eventually survives, Matt fixates on the patient and routinely visits him and his family in hopes of thanks. NBC’s medical workplace mockumentary instead forces him to face an ugly truth: nursing can be a thankless job.
St. Denis Medical goes beyond the patient neglecting to thank Matt, however. After Val’s (Kaliko Kauahi) advice to forget about it goes ignored, Matt has a chance encounter with the patient after he’s discharged, picking up his sweatshirt when it falls on the floor. After he neglects to thank Matt again, the nurse confronts the patient about his lack of manners. The patient loudly berates Matt for thinking he’s entitled to gratitude for saving his life. With St. Denis Medical season 2 still unconfirmed, this experience could be a formative one for the new nurse.
Matt’s St. Denis Medical Episode 5 Shows The Harsh Reality Of Being A Nurse
Healthcare Workers Don’t Always Get The Thanks They Deserve
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St. Denis Medical’s critical response has been positive, due in part to its realistic portrayal of nursing. As the world has discovered in recent years, nurses are truly essential workers. Healthcare professionals make a career out of helping others, but they certainly don’t do it for praise. Matt’s inability to accept that the patient doesn’t overtly appreciate him is a reflection of his rookie status. Despite not being the most skilled, Matt’s the most optimistic due to being a recent hire. Compared to seasoned professionals like Val and Alex (Allison Tolman), Matt is still naive in his inexperience.
St. Denis Medical airs Tuesday nights at 8 ET on NBC, but episodes can be streamed the next day on Peacock.
Being scolded in front of his colleagues by a patient will be a turning point for Matt, for better or worse. St. Denis Medical is a great Superstore replacement, but the lessons learned seem to hit harder when they’re learned by nurses. On one hand, it would be beneficial in the long run for Matt to swap his optimism for realism. Still, Matt’s constant sense of childlike wonder and discovery is a critical part of St. Denis Medical’s viewing experience, and it feels too early for him to abandon all hope (regardless of how unrealistic that hope may be).
What Matt’s St. Denis Medical Episode 5 Story Reveals About St. Denis Medical’s Brand Of Comedy
Big Laughs Can Make Way For Big Truths
Unlike similar mockumentary hits like The Office, St. Denis Medical is set in a high-stakes industry with serious consequences. The quiet sense of urgency runs as an undercurrent, making the show feel reminiscent of the best medical dramas and the best comedies at the same time. NBC balances the real-world risks of working at a hospital with all the silly subplots a viewer would expect from a sitcom, with Mat’s shenanigans being a prime example of that. St. Denis Medical plays on tropes from similar shows, but it maintains a unique sense of identity that sets it apart from contemporaries and opens up opportunities for serious moments.
Related Superstore’s Reunion Is Great But Threatens St. Denis’ Success The cast of NBC’s new workplace mockumentary gave viewers a Superstore reunion, but it runs the risk of hindering St. Denis Medical’s future.
While St. Denis Medical is primarily a comedy, focusing on healthcare professionals makes realistic beats necessary. A large part of St. Denis Medical’s humor stems from the real absurdity that nurses deal with daily, but that has to be occasionally cut by the stress and concern that comes with the job. St. Denis Medical allows those moments to hit abruptly, like a woman suddenly collapsing in the parking lot (
St. Denis Medical Episode 5 Exposes The Concealed Dark Side Of The NBC’s New Sitcom
