Spoilers ahead for Season 2, Episode 1, “Be Careful What You Fish For.”
The Season 2 premiere of Best Medicine wastes little time reminding viewers why the Fox dramedy works. “Be Careful What You Fish For” mixes eccentric medical cases, small-town absurdity and genuine emotional vulnerability, but underneath all the comedy is a much more important story: Martin Best is finally being forced to confront the thing he has spent so much of his life trying to hide.
After Season 1 established Martin as a brilliant surgeon whose career was derailed by his debilitating fear of blood, the premiere puts that problem front and center. And by the end of the episode, Martin makes a decision that could fundamentally change his relationship with Port Wenn.
It is easily one of the show’s strongest character developments to date.
The Mermaid Case Is Classic Best Medicine
The episode’s strangest storyline begins when a mysterious woman dressed as a mermaid washes ashore in Port Wenn.
Martin discovers the woman, Cecilia, struggling in the water. She eventually reveals that she has a medical condition that causes thick, scaly skin on her legs, explaining the bizarre appearance that initially makes the townspeople think they’ve found an actual mermaid.
The medical mystery eventually becomes secondary to Cecilia’s emotional crisis.
After drinking heavily at a party on a boat, Cecilia was apparently left behind by the people she considered friends. Her despair ultimately leads her to the lighthouse, where Martin and the townspeople attempt to convince her that she isn’t alone.
It’s a ridiculous premise on the surface, but the episode handles the emotional material surprisingly well.
Instead of simply telling Cecilia that she has nothing to be ashamed of, the townspeople begin confessing embarrassing truths about themselves.
And that changes everything.
Martin Finally Reveals His Secret
The episode’s defining moment comes when Martin realizes that he can’t ask Cecilia to be honest about her insecurities while continuing to hide his own.
So Martin finally tells the entire town the truth:
He has a blood phobia.
For Martin, this isn’t a small confession.
His entire professional identity has been built around being the brilliant doctor who can solve problems other people can’t. His fear of blood is the one thing that makes him feel fundamentally inadequate.
Throughout the series, Martin’s blunt personality has often functioned as armor. He pushes people away because emotional intimacy makes him uncomfortable.
Here, however, he voluntarily drops that armor.
The reveal works because it isn’t treated as a miraculous cure. Martin doesn’t suddenly overcome his phobia. Instead, he simply stops allowing shame to dictate who knows about it.
That’s a much more believable — and more meaningful — step forward.
Josh Charles Is the Episode’s Secret Weapon
Josh Charles continues to prove that Martin is much more than a curmudgeon.
The actor is particularly effective when Martin is uncomfortable but trying desperately not to show it. His physical reactions provide plenty of the episode’s comedy, but Charles also understands the sadness underneath the character.
Martin’s eventual confession lands because Charles doesn’t overplay it.
There is no giant melodramatic speech.
It’s simply a man who has reached the point where hiding the truth has become more painful than admitting it.
That restraint makes the scene work.
Louisa’s Story Gets More Complicated
Louisa is also moving forward with a major personal decision.
After determining that co-parenting with Mark would be too complicated, she continues pursuing the possibility of having a baby on her own. She’s juggling fertility treatment with her job as a school principal and even taking additional work to help cover the expenses.
The storyline gives Abigail Spencer some strong material because Louisa’s determination is accompanied by a very real fear: what if she gets everything she wants and still ends up alone?
Her connection with Martin remains one of the show’s most intriguing slow-burn relationships.
Neither character is particularly good at expressing what they actually feel, which makes their increasingly obvious attraction more entertaining.
Martin’s reaction to Louisa’s honesty is particularly telling.
He may not be ready to admit what he wants, but the audience can see it.
Eden’s Return Creates Another Complication
Eden’s continued presence also prevents Martin’s personal life from becoming too straightforward.
She is still involved with the practice while Martin remains under scrutiny from the medical board, and her presence gives the season another source of tension.
Eden also recognizes something Martin himself doesn’t seem willing to acknowledge: there is a reason he hasn’t simply packed up and returned to Boston.
Louisa’s name coming up during their conversation only makes Martin more uncomfortable.
The show doesn’t need to force a romantic triangle immediately. The tension is more effective when it remains understated.
Andrea Martin Brings the Comedy
One of the premiere’s biggest comedic highlights is Judith, played by the late comedy legend Andrea Martin.
Judith has recently recovered from pneumonia but continues smoking while using supplemental oxygen — an obviously dangerous combination.
The result is exactly the sort of escalating chaos that Best Medicine does particularly well.
Judith’s smoking causes an explosion at her house and later creates another dangerous situation at Sarah’s home.
The comedy is broad, but the character isn’t treated as a joke.
Eventually, Judith admits that quitting is something she desperately wants to accomplish but hasn’t been able to do.
That confession mirrors Martin’s own struggle in an unexpectedly effective way.
Both characters are dealing with something they know they should change but can’t simply switch off.
The Port Wenn Community Remains the Show’s Heart
Perhaps the biggest strength of the premiere is the way it uses the entire town.
Port Wenn is filled with oddballs, busybodies and people who routinely drive Martin crazy. Yet when Cecilia needs help, they come together.
That is the central contradiction of the series.
Martin desperately wants to be left alone.
The people of Port Wenn refuse to let that happen.
And increasingly, that may be exactly what he needs.
The episode’s final scenes make that clear. Martin’s secret is no longer a secret, but instead of being rejected, he finds that the town largely accepts him.
Sarah is hurt that Martin didn’t tell her first, which adds an important emotional complication. Acceptance doesn’t erase the consequences of keeping people at a distance.
What Worked
Best Storyline: Martin revealing his blood phobia
The premiere gives Martin genuine character progression without pretending his problems are suddenly solved.
Best Performance: Josh Charles
Charles balances awkward physical comedy with vulnerability throughout the episode.
Best Guest Performance: Andrea Martin
Judith’s oxygen-fueled chaos provides some of the premiere’s funniest moments.
Most Emotional Moment: Martin’s confession
The scene works because it represents a major psychological step for the character rather than simply functioning as a plot twist.
Best Relationship: Martin and Louisa
Their connection continues to develop through small moments rather than forced declarations.
What Could Be Better
The premiere has a lot happening.
Between the mermaid mystery, Judith’s increasingly dangerous smoking, Louisa’s fertility journey, Eden’s return, Martin’s medical-board situation and the various Port Wenn subplots, the episode occasionally feels crowded.
Some of those stories could have benefited from additional breathing room.
The Cecilia storyline also shifts fairly quickly from bizarre medical mystery to emotional crisis. The transition ultimately works, but the episode might have benefited from spending more time establishing Cecilia before moving toward the lighthouse climax.
Still, those are relatively minor complaints.
The episode’s emotional center is strong enough to hold everything together.
Final Verdict
“Be Careful What You Fish For” is an excellent Season 2 premiere that understands exactly what makes Best Medicine distinctive.
It’s funny without being completely silly, heartfelt without becoming sentimental, and medically quirky without forgetting that the characters are what make the show work.
Most importantly, Martin changes.
For an entire season, he has treated his blood phobia as something that must remain hidden. In the premiere, he finally understands that vulnerability doesn’t necessarily make him weaker.
It may actually make it easier for him to connect with the people around him.
That’s a significant development for a character who has spent so much time insisting that he doesn’t need anyone.
And if Season 2 continues building on that breakthrough, Best Medicine could have an even stronger emotional foundation than it did in its first season.
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Episode Scorecard
- Best Storyline: Martin’s blood-phobia confession
- Best Performance: Josh Charles
- Funniest Story: Judith and the oxygen tank
- Best Emotional Moment: Martin opening up to the town
- Best Relationship: Martin and Louisa
- Biggest Development: Martin’s secret becomes public
- Most Intriguing Question: Can Martin finally allow himself to build a real life in Port Wenn?
