Exciting new guests Jim O’Heir and Christopher Gorham in Episode 17 of ‘Doctor Odyssey’: A Story of Waves

If this really is the end for Doctor Odyssey, Ryan Murphy is going down like the captain of the Titanic and having the orchestra play him out.

**Spoilers ahead for Doctor Odyssey Episode 17**

The Odyssey has a history of featuring well-known guest stars, and in the penultimate episode, familiar faces such as Annie Mumolo, Jonathan Bennett, Jim O’Heir, Christopher Gorham, and Natalia Cigliuti make surprise appearances. Given that the show, produced by Murphy, is still at risk of being canceled, it’s not entirely unexpected that the co-creator of Glee would bring in some favors.

As more guest stars join the cast, the drama intensifies. In the latest episode, “The Wave,” characters like Dr. Max, Avery, Tristan, and Captain Robert find themselves facing two natural disasters – one on land and one at sea. While docked in Mexico for a day of seaside enjoyment, an earthquake followed by a tsunami warning rattles The Odyssey’s crew and passengers. Amidst the chaos, one passenger falls off a cliff and sustains an injury, leading Max and Barry, a chatty coroner on board, to rescue him. However, the situation takes a drastic turn when the ship sets sail, leaving Max, Barry, and the injured passenger behind to ensure the safety of the other passengers.

On a separate front, the relationship between Max and Avery hits a rough patch after Max confesses his love for her in the previous episode, “Double-Booked.” Avery is furious with Max, accusing him of selfishness for complicating their situation, especially since she is about to start medical school soon. Despite their strained dynamic, the thought of Avery motivates Max as they, along with Barry and the injured passenger, seek refuge on higher ground while awaiting the impending tsunami.

Back on board, Tristan and Avery are in charge of the infirmary after a series of waves rock the ship and leave a bevy of passengers with injuries ranging from superficial to severe. The two nurses are so out of their depth that they even have to recruit random passengers with varying degrees of medical knowledge — from psychologist to teacher — to help out with injuries. One of those injured passengers is Marcus (Gorham) who was searching for his stepdaughter’s missing book when a chandelier fell and sent a glass shard into his heart.

Of course, for every passenger taking the situation seriously, there’s one like Blair (Mumolo), who is lying out on the pool deck as the sirens sound to take cover. She even fusses as Tristan tells her that the ship is harboring locals who could otherwise be injured if they stayed on land, leading her to make a pointed comment about “helping immigrants.” Yes, in their own country, she called them the immigrants.

The pressure of the situation combined with an awkward confrontation over his “no strings attached” sexual relationship with Avery causes Tristan to relapse, drinking what looks like half a bottle of liquor and passing out half-naked in his cabin. It immediately comes back to bite him in the ass, however, as he wakes up with a raging hangover and a frustrated best friend waiting on him to help try and treat Marcus, whose condition is worsening.

After avoiding the wave and providing first aid to people on dry land, Max and Barry head down closer to the beach where they find a gravely injured vendor who they met the day before. The pair are able to pull him to a small church and try to make him comfortable, but Max heartbreakingly shares that his injuries are too grave to survive, even if they were in a hospital. In a last-ditch attempt to comfort him, Barry goes out and finds the vendor’s dog, who lies with him as he dies, making for a surprisingly emotional scene that I did not see coming.

Just before the episode unfairly comes to an end (darn you, two-part finale!) Avery and Tristan are finally able to make contact with Max on land and explain Marcus’ worsening condition. As Max tells Avery that she is going to have to open him up and perform a complicated procedure she’s never done before — yeah, totally, that makes sense — his transmission cuts out as another earthquake hits and causes the steeple to collapse on top of Max.

The episode ultimately ends with Captain Robert telling the crew to ignore corporate orders and head back to shore as he does not intend to leave a man behind. But is there even a man, i.e. Max, that can be saved? We’ll have to wait and see.

The first 17 episodes of Doctor Odyssey are currently streaming on Hulu and Disney+. The second part of the season finale will air Thursday, May 15 on ABC and stream the next day.