Dr. Ken – “Ken and Allison Share a Patient” Review. Friends with Weirdness.

Season 2, Episode 2

Air Date: Friday, September 30, 2016, 8:30/7:30c on ABC

Rating: ★★★★★

“The only thing sweeter than pineapple is a real relationship with a real person.” – Pat

Welltopia’s cutest couple.

It’s a new day at Welltopia Medical Group as Allison (Suzy Nakamura) begins her new job at the HMO working alongside her husband, Dr. Ken Park (Ken Jeong). Will Allison and Ken become Welltopia’s cutest couple or will their styles and varying medical opinions clash, forcing everyone in the office to take sides? If so, which Park will come out on top?

I initially had some reservations over the decision to have the Parks work together. Quite frankly, nobody wants to see a smooth transition because where is the fun in that? The obvious choice is to have the two doctors face off against each other and that is exactly what we get in “Ken and Allison Share a Patient.” While they’ve had their disagreements in the past, this is the first professional confrontation Allison and Ken have had and their verbal jabs at each other have some serious bite to them. The conflict is a reflection of the show’s growth and maturity now that Dr. Ken is in its second season. In fact, I’m not sure this kind of storyline is one the writers would have even considered tackling during season one.

That’s not to say there is any shortage of funny moments between Allison and Ken. I enjoyed their banter when they both try to get out from under the other’s shadow. I couldn’t help but laugh each time Allison asks Ken for a consult and he repeatedly interprets her request as a code for sex. As Allison continues to work at Welltopia, I’m looking forward to seeing her interact more with the other employees.

Friends with Weirdness.

Meanwhile, Pat’s (Dave Foley) love life hits rock bottom so he makes up a fake relationship with a woman just to make Damona (Tisha Campbell-Martin) jealous. If performed by almost any other actor, Pat’s antics would come across as creepy, yet Foley somehow makes everything appear normal. Seeking someone to confide in, Pat turns to Clark (Jonathan Slavin), who wants nothing to do with Pat’s problems. Slavin’s reactions throughout “Ken and Allison Share a Patient” are absolutely hilarious and I often found myself searching for him in each scene just to watch his reactions.

When I look back at the first season of Dr. Ken, I only remember a handful of scenes involving Ken’s daughter, Molly (Krista Marie Yu). I don’t know why but it’s obvious she was never given much to work with. While we’re only two episodes in this season, Molly has really stood out. It’s great seeing Yu have more material to work with as her performance is quite stellar. Given Yu is portraying a character much younger than her actual age, it gives Molly a level of maturity that might not have been as evident had an actual teen been cast.

Great to see Dana Lee have a extended role this season.

Having briefly appeared in a few episodes during Dr. Ken’s first season, it’s wonderful to see Dana Lee as D.K. Park, Ken’s stern father, in an extended role this season. Having D.K. abruptly move into the Parks’ home for an undetermined period of time creates some entertaining scenes that kept me laughing throughout “Ken and Allison Share a Patient.” D.K. is truly an uninhibited character in that he can be inserted into almost any scene. Not only does D.K have some serious adult scenes with Ken and Allison, he gets to be a big kid around Ken’s kids, Dave (Albert Tsai) and Molly. I really enjoy how D.K. tries to help Dave build some confidence at his middle school, and hope the writers continue to find a way to utilize Lee.

“Ken and Allison Share a Patient” is, in a way, an extension of last week’s entertaining season premiere, “Allison’s Career Move.” With the first season behind them, the cast appears very comfortable walking in their character’s shoes and it reflects in their performances. It is very admirable that Dr. Ken continues to take on more mature storylines without sacrificing the humor.

Tweet me @Staffaroadtrip or leave a comment below to let me know what you think about “Ken and Allison Share a Patient.”

Tune in to Dr. Ken Fridays at 8:30/7:30c, only on ABC.

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Greg Staffa

I provide testosterone to the site. You won’t be reading about how nice a actress looks in a dress or how much of a hunk Matt Bomer is in my reviews. I describe colors using words like brown, not taupe. My twitter name is @staffaroadtrip because I love road trips and have done two different 48-state road trips since 2008. My favorite show is White Collar.