‘Dr. Ken’ Episode Review: “Allison Finds a Lump”

Dr. Ken, Season 2, Episode 18: “Allison Finds a Lump”
Original airdate February 24, 2017.

I Can’t Seem to Face Up to the Facts

Allison finds a lump during a self-examination.  Ken and the Welltopia gang are super-supportive, but Allison has difficulty getting an appointment with a surgeon.  Dave has the lead in the school production of Peter Pan and is oblivious to his parents’ concerns, but Molly overhears her mother’s conversation on the phone.  Pat is especially affected by the Parks’ situation, and is determined not to let more time pass before trying things he’s always wanted to learn.

I’m Tense and Nervous and I Can’t Relax

I mostly try to avoid being overly critical of young actors, but Albert Tsai is pretty terrible in this.  He has a few strengths, which the show usually makes good use of, but perhaps because the acting from the rest of the cast this week is especially strong, it’s tough to ignore how poorly he’s directed.  He’s got some good lines, so I don’t think it’s the writing.

I Can’t Sleep ‘Cause My Bed’s on Fire

It isn’t the seriousness of the content itself that makes this such an effective episode, but the seriousness really highlights some of the smaller comedic moments.  Dr. Ken has been good about inserting these little moments throughout its run, yet they’re often drowned out by the wackiness.  The bit with the pineapple begins with Suzy Nakamura’s flair for deflating dialogue, then continues with Clark’s funny bit about not getting a pineapple.  The quick bit with Carl in the group hug is cute–I laughed aloud in a nice way.  Even the slightly less subtle hold music when Allison’s on the phone is pretty funny.  There’s stuff like that throughout the episode, and I can’t remember when I last laughed so many times at this show.

Don’t Touch Me; I’m a Real Live-Wire

You could see the Pat-Damona thing coming for the past few weeks, and it makes sense for it to happen now, but I enjoyed the tension and the air of wistful melancholy Pat brought to recent episodes.  I can’t predict where it goes from here; somehow I have some faith in the writers to handle it well, since it’s the best thing the show’s done since its premiere.  I’m really looking forward to seeing how this develops.

Strong episode with (mostly!) really good acting and nice laughs.  4 labcoats out of 5.