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Advance Review: The Mob Doctor – “Pilot”

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  • September 10, 2012

  • 6 mins to read

Advance Review: The Mob Doctor, S1, E1 – “Pilot”

Air Date: Mondays, 9/8c on Fox

Rating: ★★★★★

Ensemble Cast:
Jordana Spiro (Harry’s Law) as Dr. Grace Devlin
William Forsythe (Boardwalk Empire) as Constantine Alexander
Floriana Lima (My Boys) as Nurse Rosa “Ro” Quintero
Zach Gilford (Friday Night Lights, Off the Map) as Dr. Brett Robinson
Jaime Lee Kirchner (Mercy) as Dr. Olivia Wilcox
Željko Ivanek (24, Oz, The Event) as Dr. Stafford White
James Carpinello (The Good Wife) as Franco
Jesse Lee Soffer (As the World Turns) as Nate Devlin
Wendy Makkena (NCIS, Judging Amy) as Daniella Devlin

 

Cast of The Mob Doctor (L-R): Wendy Makkena, William Forsythe, James Carpinello, Jesse Lee Soffer, Jordana Spiro, Jaime Lee Kirchner, Zach Gilford, Zeljko Ivanek and Floriana Lima.

With a cast as diverse as this, you might think someone would get lost in the shuffle. But that’s not what happens on Fox’s new medical drama, the inaptly titled The Mob Doctor. Each actor shines despite the spotlight being on Spiro as Dr. Grace Devlin. The premise of the show is simple: Grace, a Chicago Roosevelt Medical Center resident is a dedicated woman—dedicated to her family and her profession. She’s smart, extremely self-confident, and one of the country’s upcoming new thoracic surgeons. But she’s indebted to the mob, paying off her brother Nate’s—need I say life-threatening—gambling debt. So, what happens when these two very diverse worlds collide? You get interesting medical cases, exciting and intriguing mobster drama, and edge-of-your-seat intensity—in other words, a must-watch new series.

Brutal mob boss, Paul Moretti, threatens Grace

Filled with the requisite medical stories, The Mob Doctor pulls no punches. There are life-and-death situations both in and out of the hospital, excitement, strong women (and men), a romantic connection, and blood—and I’m not talking blood in the operating room. There’s even a car chase in the Pilot between Grace and guest star Michael Rapaport who plays brutal Southside mob boss Paul Moretti, a scary guy who holds Grace’s debt. Moretti wants Grace to kill a mob informant on the operating table before he can recuperate and testify against him. The decision Grace makes and the fallout from that decision is what makes the Pilot succeed.

Grace and boyfriend Brett don’t always see eye to eye.

I was hooked from the very beginning, seeing Grace as a little girl bent over and touching a dead alcoholic. She has a lot of relationships to deal with, not the least of which is her boorish attending, Dr. Flanigan (David Pasquesi), and their boss, Dr. White, the Chief of Surgery. It’s nice to see Ivanek playing a role other than the bad guy. Then there’s the requisite protagonist, Dr. Wilcox, with whom Grace butts heads, and Grace’s nurse friend Ro, who always has her back. Grace’s charming boyfriend, Dr. Brett Robinson, may have more than he bargained for with Grace as a girlfriend. (I felt bad for him when she makes him lie to a family friend, the father of a young girl facing surgery.) Nate is Grace’s loving brother, but an all-round screw-up, and their mother Daniella, is an interfering, yet well-meaning, cancer survivor. The most interesting relationship is the one with the recently released from prison, former head of the Southside mob, Constantine Alexander. Grace and Constantine seem to care for one another, and I suspect that goes back to her childhood.

I definitely want to know more about all the characters, especially what makes Grace tick, and I’m pretty sure you will too. Oh, did I mention Grace’s former boyfriend and mob secondhand man, Franco? We don’t see a lot of him in the Pilot although the little I saw made my skin crawl. There’s a lot of history there I can’t wait to learn. Franco is the typical stereotypical smarmy mob guy, with greased back black hair reminiscent of John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever. I suspect Franco is going to play a bigger role in upcoming episodes as Constantine is going to use him to help reclaim his position as head of the Southside mob. While Grace’s hospital ties are interesting, it’s the seamy underworld side of The Mob Doctor that sets this new series apart from other medical dramas.

Everyone should have a friend like Ro.

The Mob Doctor is a fast-paced series with intelligent dialogue, superb acting, and interesting and compelling storylines. And with a cast as large as this one, there is a myriad of plot lines for the writers to explore. I hope they focus more on the mob than the hospital, but that’s just me. I also hope Fox gives this new show a chance as the network isn’t exactly known for supporting its shows (think Alcatraz, Human Target and one of my favorites, Chicago Code).

Tune in to the series premiere of The Mob Doctor, Monday, September 17, 2012, 9/8c, only on Fox.

Like The Mob Doctor on Facebook and follow the show on Twitter using hashtag #TheMobDoctor, as well as the following cast members: @TheJimmyCarp (James Carpinello), @Florianalima (Floriana Lima), and @jesseleesoffer (Jesse Lee Soffer).

All photos courtesy of Nathan Bell / ©2012 Fox Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Linda

Love TV, movies, and books--mostly mysteries, with a good love story thrown in every now and then. I have four adopted dogs who I adore. I love trying new recipes, and enjoy eating what I make. English language perfectionist. Reading in bed, Italian food, warm weather, the beach, all types of games = favs!

Linda

Love TV, movies, and books--mostly mysteries, with a good love story thrown in every now and then. I have four adopted dogs who I adore. I love trying new recipes, and enjoy eating what I make. English language perfectionist. Reading in bed, Italian food, warm weather, the beach, all types of games = favs!