(Warning: the following message contains spoilers for Doctor Odyssey(the last episode of, episode 7, “Oh, Daddy!”)

Since the maiden voyage of Doctor Odyssey this fall, Don JohnsonCaptain Robert Massey served as everyone’s cheerful guide during the series’ joyous – and yes, sometimes injury and illness-prone – escape on the titular ship. Never has his character’s genuine goodness been more clear than in Thursday night’s November 14 episode, “Oh, Dad!”

Yes, for Gay Week, the Odyssey welcomes a multitude of proud guests with whom the crew members are happy to mingle and flirt. One of these passengers is Massey’s own brother, Craig, played by John Stamos. Although the Captain expects to meet only one of Craig’s boyfriends, he brings with him two notable pals, echoing the steamy couple situation that unfolds with the Doctors after Max (Joshua Jackson), Avery (Phillipa Soo), and Tristan (Sean Teale) decided to give in to all that sexual tension between them in last week’s segment. Although initially surprised, Robert doesn’t miss a second to welcome another man into the family. And that’s not even the most charming thing he does in this episode.

As we learn, Craig is an alcoholic. His recovery is a major point of pride for Robert, who helped raise him as a child but learned more from his younger brother about unconditional love and acceptance through his journey to sobriety . When Craig repeatedly exhibits behavior indicative of intoxication, Robert holds his hand and shows him understanding and compassion, as his lab results indicate a high blood alcohol level. However, when his brother still insists that he hasn’t been drinking, Robert is the first to lead the charge to establish – rightly – another reason for his brother’s symptoms.

So why is the captain so quick to believe his brother when all signs point to the contrary? As Johnson told TV Insider: “I think he’s probably been through this with him many, many times before.” Alcoholism is a very difficult disease, and it’s a disease of relapse… I imagine that Robert already had this experience with his brother, and I tried to get him not to lecture, not to carry of judgment, of not criticizing, but simply of being loving and concerned.

This attitude has become the modus operandi of the good skipper and the show as a whole. And that transportive spirit is clearly resonating with audiences, as the series has so far logged 16.5 million pilot views in its first month of broadcast and streaming, with a 169% increase in viewership. weekly audience in the weeks following the premiere.

According to Johnson, the actor had the green light from creator Ryan Murphy to create the Captain’s character however he saw fit. “The most important thing for me was to make the captain this empathetic and compassionate figure who commands respect but doesn’t demand it. Very often we encounter this harsh number among people in authority. I don’t see it that way. I see it as family. I see it as a structure where we all come together, and we have a guy that we trust, and the reason we trust him is because he’s authentic,” he said. “Ryan told me I could do whatever I wanted with him, and I don’t think anyone was prepared for what I actually designed here, but I’m very happy with it, and there are so many room for me to grow.”

The character’s radiance of radical acceptance may even partly explain why his doctors took their thro-mance to the next level. In last week’s episode, “I Always Cry at Weddings,” he tells the trio, “Everyone needs love — all kinds of love,” which seems like tacit permission for what is about to happen between them.

Disney/Tina Thorpe

“The captain knows everything,” Johnson joked about this scene. “He may not have known it at the time, but in hindsight he sure does because he knows everything that happens on that ship.” In fact, Johnson cautions fans against limiting this polyamorous relationship to just these three guys. “If the show stays on the air as long as I think it will, you never know about the captain. It’s still pretty vital. You never know. You never know,” Johnson said with a laugh.

Johnson gives full credit to Murphy for putting together such a chemistry-fueled team. “His genius, if I may be so bold, is that Ryan is a master at identifying compatible energies and putting them together,” he said. “We all have this similar kind of happy energy where there’s a great confidence that we have instantly, and you can only attribute that to Ryan’s ability to read people’s innate energy.”

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the show has become a revolving door of guest stars. “We love it because every week we get to share our toys and play with our toys with people we love, and it’s very family-friendly there,” Johnson said. “People who come on the show all say, ‘This is the best experience of my career,’ because we keep it fun. We continue to move forward. There’s not a lot of nonsense because I’ve been around a tick, and Josh has been around a tick, and Pippa and Sean look to us for advice… Josh and I are so bonded and we support each other so much that we just create this environment where, “You’re safe here, man. You are safe here. You can do whatever you want, barring any other issues.“

As for this week’s guest stars in particular, it marked a big first for Johnson, who had never shared the screen with Stamos despite both being legends of the small screen for decades: ” He’s a really good actor and he brought some really cool authenticity to the character and we kind of created something from things that maybe weren’t necessarily on the page as well. praised longtime Murphy collaborator Cheyenne Johnson, saying, “He’s so present.

Speaking of high energy, the airy nature of some of the set pieces and dialogue has led to numerous fan theories, including one in which Captain Robert Massey is a celestial version of Virgil, leading his passengers into the afterlife.

“I love it. I love that narrative,” Johnson said in reaction. “In full disclosure, this isn’t something where we all sat down and said, ‘Oh yeah, this is a fever dream, and this is the afterlife, and Max is dead.’ That could be so…but they’ll find out later.

“I like things that are unfamiliar to me. And Miami Vice was part of it. Nash Bridges was part of it. Even though they both looked like other detective shows, they were completely different. Miami Vice was much darker and overwhelming nature of the drug trade, and Nash Bridges was much lighter because it was San Francisco, and I formatted it after The Bob Newhart Showand I designed the dialogue and everything to sound more like My daughter Fridaythe great Frank Capra film,” Johnson continued. “But it’s pure fantasy… Doctor Odyssey is a dream. I think that’s what’s so fascinating because we let it work for us as we slip in and out of these dream sequences and then it happens and it becomes very real. And it’s like having a dream.

As for what’s next as our collective journeys continue throughout the season? “I can tell you this: from what I can see, when you get to the end of this season, you’ll know you’re in for one hell of an adventure.”

Doctor OdysseyThursdays, 9/8c, ABC

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, contact Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services AdministrationNational Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.