The Patricia Heaton medical comedy had so much potential. Instead, it's kind of a rehash of Scrubs, says Robyn Bahr. "When I first read that CBS was developing a vehicle for Heaton about a middle-aged woman who chooses to go back to medical school after completing her first career, I was struck by the sheer number of creative opportunities built into this conceit: the revelatory moment Carol decides to pursue the impossible; the mixed reactions from her friends and family; the Sturm und Drang of MCATs and medical school and Match Day; then finally, professional practice. I was excited to take this journey with her," says Bahr. "In hindsight, the fact that Carol's Second Act actually begins on the first day of our protagonist's medical residency — cutting out the slog of study and aiming straight for hospital-set antics — makes more sense given the network's staid programming. But by eliminating origin story, the show ends up doing a lot more telling than showing when it comes to Carol's unique background and seasoned social-emotional skill set. Based on the two episodes available to critics, I worry that each episode will follow the structural path of (1) Carol jumping headfirst into a patient problem, (2) Carol getting admonished by her much-younger boss for stepping out of line and (3) Carol saving the day anyway."
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TOPICS: Carol's Second Act, CBS, Scrubs, Patricia Heaton