Doctor Odyssey has taken huge swings all season but did the ABC series just go too far by potentially killing off Joshua Jackson?
During the penultimate episode, which aired on Thursday, May 8, Max (Jackson) joined the guests on an excursion on land that took a turn when there was an earthquake, which was then followed by a deadly tsunami.
Max was separated from Avery (Phillipa Soo) and Tristan (Sean Teale), who remained on board to help the rest of the guests. After getting to higher ground, Max was doing fine and even helping the locals who were injured. The fictional doctor, however, couldn’t save everyone though and that led to a scene where an owner was reunited with his dog moments before he died.
The end of the episode hinted that Max would soon be reunited with the rest of his fellow crew members on the Odyssey. He was even coaching Avery on a medical procedure when suddenly the church he was in started to shake. Avery and Tristan heard the noise and their radio connection with Max cut out.
Elsewhere on the boat, Captain Massey (Don Johnson) confirmed there were aftershocks as the camera panned back to a wreckage in the church, where Max was on his own moments before there was a seemingly deadly collapse.
The concerning revelation came right before the show’s possible series finale. ABC has yet to renew the show, which premiered in September 2024, amid rumors that Doctor Odyssey is too costly to pick up for more seasons.
Ryan Murphy‘s hit medical drama won Us over with its out-of-the-box medical cases, star-studded guest stars and a chance for Jackson, 46, to bring some excitement to our screens.
“[Cocreator] Ryan [Murphy]’s imagination is prolific and bizarre in its ability to hold [space] for the absolutely grotesque and absurd — and then there are his lighter and happier shows. All of that being inside of one man’s imagination is amazing,” Jackson exclusively told Us Weekly in March. “I will say that for myself, I have wanted to work for Ryan for quite a long time.”
Jackson credited Murphy for being the reason why he joined the project. “Ryan’s word was sparkle. He said, ‘Make sure that my show sparkles,'” he recalled. “And we have tried to make sure that this show sparkles as much as possible and just hope that the joy that we feel in performing it and doing it all together is what comes across while you’re watching it.”
If Doctor Odyssey did decide to kill off Max, it would join the several shows that recently shocked Us with surprising cast exits. ABC has already received backlash after 9-1-1 showed Peter Krause‘s character, Bobby, getting killed off after eight seasons. Fire Country followed one week later with both Stephanie Arcila and Billy Burke leaving after three seasons on the hit CBS series.
NBC later followed suit with Daniel Kyri and Jake Lockett reportedly leaving Chicago Fire after season 13. Meanwhile, on CBS’ Elsbeth, Carra Patterson confirmed she would be stepping down as a series regular. There is also Law and Order: SVU which is preparing to say goodbye to Octavio Pisano and Juliana Martinez.
Doctor Odyssey airs on ABC Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET and is available to stream on Hulu.
