Anyone catch the Off The Map premiere? It’s basically Grey’s Anatomy at a South American Doctor without Borders.
I basically liked it. There were some hokey moments, and some rough patches, but over all a good start, and a pretty cool premise. After watching Lost for so many years, it’s hard not being hyper aware that they are really on Hawaii and not in South America. But the scenery is still beautiful. I loved the cliff diving. I wonder if the actors got to do it themselves. That was quite a jump! The “fireflies” were a little too CGI. I wonder if lakes like that really exist though. The whole arm stuck in a zipline thing was very gruesome. granted, you expect gore on doctor shows, but something about them not being in a pristine hospital setting made it seem more real for some reason. I loved all the makeshift medicine. I wonder if the coconut IV thing is for real.
The characters - as usual, I had to look them up because it takes awhile for me to remember anyone’s names.
Jonathan Castellanos as Charlie - Cute local kid who acts as guide and translator. I really like this character. Love his snarking to Tommy and refusal to translate certain things.
Valerie Cruz as Zitajalehrena Alvarez (Zee) - Local doctor. Seems a bit uppity and resentful of the US interns. At first I thought she was dating Otis but by the end I think he’s just flirting with her to no avail.
Caroline Dhavernas as Lily Brenner - I guess she’s the “favorite” intern. She got the ‘cool’ assignment and seemed the most competent. Also liked that she fought for the patient to get closure at the firefly lake - although I was wondering why they couldn’t just ask the chopper to just fly over it.
Jason Winston George as Dr. Otis Cole - I’ve liked this actor in almost everything else so I was happy to see him here. Given that it’s a Shondaland production, I was thinking he’d be an actual crossover from his Doctor character on Grey’s Anatomy, but it looks like he’s a new character. I didn’t like his answer of “be a doctor!” though. Granted Tommy needed to be smacked. But he also genuinely needed advice. Even if he had been a model med student, dealing with a stubborn local is something that he’s not likely to know how to handle from his training whereas Otis should have some helpful advice in this regards from his own experience.
Zach Gilford as Tommy Fuller - I liked him in The Dare, so I was happy to see him here. I guess he’s the goof off who learns how to care about being a doctor. I have to wonder though, if he’s such a goof off, why did he get chosen?
Mamie Gummer as Mina Minard - Expects to be fighting rare diseases and end up playing nurse instead. She helps an old woman with asthma once she figures out what’s wrong with her. Gets a chicken as a present. I have to wonder though, what happens when she runs out of the inhalers she brought with her?
Martin Henderson as Dr. Ben Keeton - seems to be the head of the program. Has extensive knowledge of obscure in-the-field ad hoc medicine. Has some sort of affair with Rachelle though he can’t commit due to issues with his exwife (or dead wife?). Slightly disappointed because from the previews I thought he was going to be James Tupper.
Rachelle Lefevre - seems like she’s a pissed off intern who couldn’t handle the program and leaves. But then we come back and find her problems were of a romantic nature. Although I do like this actress, I was a little disappointed that it wasn’t Natasha Lyonne as I thought from the trailer.