NOTE: This article contains spoilers. Read at your own will.
Ron Is Back in the Building
Ron is back, and he walks right into a festive entrance…that’s not for him.
St. Denis Medical Episode 302, “Is That A Dinosaur?,” dives deeper into the relationship dynamics between the staff and how well (or not so well) they pay off.
Between Matt and Serena, Bruce and Brooke, Alex and Val, and Joyce and Ron, these coworkers have a lot to navigate.
As he gets back into the rhythm of the hospital, Ron returns home to his work family, ready to settle back into his routine. But his normal routine included junk food and grease-soaked lunches.
And Joyce can’t handle Ron having another heart attack.
Clearing his old desk that Dr. Highland (Damon Wayans Sr.) turned into a urine collection station, Ron is welcomed back by Joyce with gifts that are meant to extend his lifespan, not clog any more arteries.
While her presence in this episode isn’t out of the ordinary, how much she worries and fusses about what his heart can handle on his first day back doesn’t go unnoticed.
And given his morphine-induced cry of her name, we have to wonder if there’s something more beneath her jokes about him croaking on his first day back.
Inside Jokes and Inside Pain
Bruce is looking to deepen his relationship with Brooke—played by Ariana Madix—by fishing for information from Matt about his relationship with Serena so he can appear to have a love life.
The problem?
Everything Matt says bores him.
But when he secretly tries applying Matt’s relationship advice to Brooke, he bombs.
Unceremoniously.
But in a sweet moment, Brooke asks what’s going on, and he’s honest. He wants connection, depth, and inside jokes that only they know.
When she attempts to meet him halfway, he can’t take the corniness and jokes he dishes out—ending in a genuine moment that the two of them are sure to laugh about for the rest of the day.
Well, Brooke at least.
The Cool Boss or the Clown
Meanwhile, Alex is dealing with asserting her authority, but more specifically with Val.
When Val approaches her with a literal book of old favors, she cashes in on every one of them so that she can spend the day at work doing nothing.
If you’re asking yourself why she didn’t just take the day off, Val has a simple and economic answer for us and Alex.
“Then I wouldn’t get paid, Alex. What are you even talking about?”
Don’t look at us, Alex. We can’t help you.
And instead of Alex asserting herself, she attempts to cash in a favor with Brandon, and it goes over about as well as your boss keeping track of your wax appointments can.
When Joyce comes to see how the floor is running, she remarks to Alex, “I guess you’re the cool boss.”
This is a direct blow to Alex, who embarrassed herself in a staff meeting in “He Ain’t Noah Wyle” by attempting to bond with her coworkers over pointing out Joyce’s quirks.
When in fact, everyone loves Joyce.
I guess it costs to be the boss.
Don’t Snap on a Snapping Turtle
“Thank you, Steve Irwin, for that brilliant insight.”
Serena let the cat out of the bag on why she was so polite to Ron: Joyce wanted him assigned to the easy cases.
And what’s easier than an animal bite?
You check the wound.
Order labs.
Administer shots.
But what do you do when a giant snapping turtle is attached to a man’s arm?
You scare it mid-procedure, Joyce, and make it attach itself to the man’s neck.
Beneath the laughs is genuine medical care. Ron comes back like he never left—expertly running his team during a turtle intubation and extraction from human flesh.
While Joyce may want to protect him from the stress of his return, Ron reminds them that he’s still the doctor they can count on when things get a little wild.
He’s also the doctor taking advantage of his new special treatment.
At least for a little while.
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Laugh Out Loud Funny
Kivonshe—founder of So There’s That—is a film & TV critic who explores compelling storytelling, fandom relationships, character psychology, and the impact of entertainment media through film reviews, episodic recaps, and in-depth theme analysis.
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