The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy: Review
By Sioph Leal
Amazon’s The Second-Best Hospital in the Galaxy follows two intergalactically renowned alien surgeons, Dr. Sleech (Stephanie Hsu) and Dr. Klak (Keke Palmer), as they tackle a variety of patients from anxiety-eating parasites to illegal time loops and deep-space STIs. Dr. Klak and Dr. Sleech break protocol and take on a highly dangerous and potentially groundbreaking case. The anxiety-eating parasite puts many aliens and the galaxy at risk, but considering their personal lives, maybe oblivion could be an improvement on their personal situations.
When it comes to treating the wide variety of alien patients, there is no other pair better suited than Dr. Sleech and Dr. Klak as they try to keep up with the comedic medical emergencies that are the high point of the series, especially when Dr. Sleech and Dr. Klak find themselves in over their heads or in a chaotic situation of their own doing. One of the standout patients involves something called a death gasm, which sexually charges those around them but brings itself closer to death. Oddly, that patient’s episode is one of the strongest in terms of comedy, story, and story progression.
The Second-Best Hospital in the Galaxy has a big focus on Dr. Klak’s anxiety, so much so that it encapsulates her entire being, leaving no room for her to have any other personality trait. Dr. Klak’s anxiety was caused by her mother (Tracee Ellis Ross), who has used her daughter’s anxiety to further her own talk show and writer fame. When the chance comes to possibly cure anxiety, Dr. Kalk jumps at the chance for a few episodes before other things take priority. While the topic of anxiety, especially in the medical field, is a brave choice to explore, this plot line hinders the comedy aspect of the show instead of elevating it. It gets tiresome to watch the same thing happen: Dr. Klak struggles to overcome her anxiety; something more pressing comes along; and then, by the end of the episode, she is back to being in the same state as she was at the start of the episode. As the series progresses, Dr. Kalk’s anxiety takes form in her relationship doubts with another character, but again, it is overlooked as quickly as it begins.
As with any medical drama, there is always a sexualized plot involved, and The Second-Best Hospital in the Galaxy is no different. The first few times, it was a funny comparison to those medical dramas that are still on our screens, but after each episode having its own steamy intergalactic rendezvous, it gets a bit tiring. There’s only so many times you can see Dr. Sleech hooking up with another alien before you get tired of the receptiveness.
Aside from the interesting array of patients, the supporting cast of characters outshines the main characters in a lot of the episodes, none more so than Dr. Plowp (Keiran Culkin) and Valm (Maya Rudolph). Both are very different characters; with Culkin’s as an empathetic bird and Rudolph’s as an immortal robot, they offer a lot more in the way of personality to their roles, which could be down to the writing and not necessarily the performance. The episodes are better when these two characters take the lead, and the show would have been stronger had these two characters had more input.
Overall, The Second-Best Hospital in the Galaxy had the potential to come close to the success of Amazon’s other animated series, but for a comedy show, it missed the mark. The main characters lacked any personality due to the repetitive attempt at humour that will have you questioning what episode you are up to as they all merge into one tedious episode. While the series has its flaws, Culkin and Rudoph’s characters, along with the interesting patients, lift the show out of mediocrity, but not enough to make it a satisfying watch.
The Second-Best Hospital in the Galaxy premiers on Amazon Prime, Feb 23rd 2024.