On Having Children and the Cancellation of Dr Odyssey

This past television season I became fully invested in possibly one of the most ridiculous tv shows in recent memory: Doctor Odyssey. It starred Joshua Jackson as a doctor on a cruise ship called the Odyssey, that was captained by Don Johnson.  Joshua Jackson’s character’s name is Max but he is frequently referred to as “Doc Odd” or “Big Daddy Max”. Gina Gershon shows up a few times wearing a wig so ridiculous that it should’ve been credited separately as its own character.

The entire medical staff on this cruise ship consisted of Tristan, a nurse, Avery, a nurse practitioner, and their boss, Big Daddy Max. Each week multiple passengers would have medical emergencies and these three people would perform procedures that had no business being performed on a boat. The patients always pulled through and the medical instruments were all gold plated. 

A major plot point for the show revolved around a threesome that Big Daddy Max had with Avery & Tristan–his subordinates. This is never viewed or even discussed as potentially problematic. There is a discussion about whether or not the three of them should form a throuple. To my dismay, they did not. ABC to their discredit, cancelled the show and we are all worse off for it. 

Watching Doctor Odyssey was maybe not the best use of my time, especially on a Saturday afternoon when the weather was nice and I could’ve been outside doing….something. Weekends especially are the time to catch up on errands, socialize with friends, or spend some quality time with the kids. The thing is, I don’t have kids–my free time continues to have very little demand put upon it and is therefore easily wasted. 

A large portion of the one and only season of Doctor Odyssey that the world will be blessed with was dedicated to the aftermath of the threesome (which of course led to a pregnancy scare). Avery had gotten into med school and she didn’t know if she could do that while pregnant, or nursing, or while raising a toddler. The men (who were both in love with her) had offered their support, but would they really be able to give it? Especially if they live on a cruise ship? Avery’s concerns were valid. 

I’m not sure when my desire to not be a parent solidified. If you asked me in high school if I thought I would have children I would have said “yes”. If you asked me in college I would have said, “no way!” If you asked me at any point between the age of 25-35 it would have been a polite “probably not but we’ll see” with an internal monologue raging about “how can I afford a child, would I even be a good parent, if I don’t have children what am I missing out on, would children make me happier or less happy? Where would I live if I had kids? I can’t afford to move out of my apartment and there’s only one bathroom–what about the school systems and child care and–why is America so hostile to women, and children and families? Sure it would be good to have someone take care of me when I’m old, but that’s not a given even with children–what if my child hates me? Plus children turn into teenagers and teenagers scare me. They can be so mean.” 

Not having children was not an easy decision, and the guilt about what I may be missing out on hasn’t gone away completely. I see the joy that parenthood brings to my friends and family; their lives are full of love and gratification and wonder. They’re also very, very tired. 

So, you may be asking, “well if she’s feeling so conflicted and guilty about this, why not have a child? It may be just the thing to make her life feel complete!” Except my life already does feel complete. Not having kids means I have the time and resources to visit my friends who live across the country from me so I can spend time with them, continuing to nurture those relationships. It means my husband and I can stay at the adult only resort when we go on vacation that is SO QUIET and SO NICE. It means I can spend hours on a Tuesday wandering Nordstrom with my best friend, enjoying an unplanned evening of looking at purses and drinking free mocktails. 

Not having my own kids means I hope to become a safe space for my niece and nephews when they’re older, someone they can come to for help or for a different perspective, and I hope to develop close and meaningful relationships with them. It also means I get to sleep in on weekends if I want to. Because I can. 

I am free not just from children, but from the expectations, pressure and guilt to be the perfect mother while balancing work, my relationships, my physical and mental well being, after school activities & the laundry. Where would Doctor Odyssey fit into all this? I might be able to get some entertainment from the drama of a mommy group or a PTA meeting, but nothing could compare to the drama and excitement of an episode of Doctor Odyssey about a shark attack that is immediately followed by an episode about an orca attack. 

Like Avery, I have weighed the decision carefully and thoughtfully. I recognize that while there are going to be things I will miss out on, I will not lack for new experiences, adventures, and ridiculous shows to binge watch - and I won’t feel guilty about that. 

Kerry is a new writer who loves to watch tv and then read about the tv she just watched. She is excited to expand her creative endeavors by partnering with Gal Pal. She is based in Queens, NY, the world’s borough, and lives with her husband and their two jerk cat sons.