If you’re unfamiliar with St. Denis Medical, this clip is a good introduction to the show’s colorful ensemble. There’s Joyce (Wendi McLendon-Covey), the well-meaning but overbearing hospital administrator; Alex (Allison Tolman), the dedicated workaholic head nurse; Ron (David Alan Grier), the long-suffering and cynical ER doctor; Bruce (Josh Lawson), the arrogant and narcissistic ER surgeon; Serena (Kahyun Kim), Alex’s sweet and competent right-hand nurse; and Matt (Mekki Leeper), the kind but inexperienced new nurse on staff. This morsel of “People Just Say Stuff Online” offers a taste of each of their personalities and their relationships.
The break room chat in this St. Denis Medical exclusive clip also illustrates one of the show’s strengths, which is comic insight into the real struggles of the healthcare industry—on both sides of the equation. For patients, having doctors suggest they simply “lose weight” is a frequent complaint in the face of potentially serious medical issues. But pushback causes the sometimes old fashioned Ron to bristle: “They’re making me sound like I’m some high school mean girl,” he objects. For the healthcare workers, the indignity of being judged on Yelp like a below-average McDonald’s is an understandable source of frustration, especially when they’re overworked, underpaid, and doing their best to provide patients with great care.
St. Denis Medical manages to weave all this together with heart and humor. As The A.V. Club‘s Saloni Gajjar noted in her B+ review, the show is “sharp yet wholesome” with “an undeniably appealing ensemble.” “People Just Say Stuff Online” airs February 4 at 8 PM E.T. on NBC.