'St. Denis Medical' Returns: Weddings, Bubbles, and David Alan Grier in Rare Form
Comedy, patient care, and chaos collide as St. Denis Medical returns without missing a beat
St. Denis Medical returns from its midseason break and immediately reminds us that this hospital runs on two things: caffeine and barely managed emotional boundaries. Season 2, Episode 9—”You’re In His Bubble Space”—delivers exactly what the title promises: bubbles everywhere, metaphorically speaking, and absolutely everyone failing at respecting them the way they need to.
Monday night’s episode centers on a young patient, Jacob, whose parents practice gentle parenting to a degree that makes Matt and Ron stare blankly. Jacob—autonomous, articulate, and fiercely protective of his “bubble space”—is encouraged by his parents to independently make medical decisions, a head scratcher that has Matt and Ron going through a series of events to render care with his consent and on his terms.
This episode cleverly uses Jacob’s insistence on deciding who gets to enter his emotional orbit to mirror Joyce’s very adult version of the same dilemma: marriage. Joyce is planning a wedding, and by “planning” we mean asking Alex for help and then discovering that asking Alex for help is its own journey. Nothing is going as planned—which feels right, because nothing at St. Denis ever does. But in between the spreadsheets, color swatches, a whiteboard, and slight panic, Joyce is negotiating a deeper truth. Letting someone permanently into your bubble requires risk. It requires trust. It hinges on accepting that “yes this is my person, chaos included.”
While the entire ensemble continues to deliver comedic genius week after week—sharp timing, layered reactions, and synergy—David Alan Grier as Ron simply owns the episode. Ron’s reaction to ultra-modern parenting techniques deserves its own billing. His seriousness is so serious that it becomes hysterical, turning clipped compassion into comedic art. He cares—truly—he just desperately wants everyone to “parent like the old days.” The tension between instinct and expectations affect how he approaches care, making the Ron-vs-Jacob showdown the best part of the return.
St. Denis Medical airs every Monday at 8/7c only on NBC. Episodes can be streamed next day on Peacock. Check out a clip from last night’s episode below.