By Dominica Nemec
When NBC came out with Do No Harm in 2013, it seemed like just another medical drama with a quirky “twist.” In the pilot, the acting, cinematography and music score wouldn’t be described as a masterpiece, but viewers couldn’t help but wonder what was going to happen. Why was Dr. Jason Cole, played by Steven Pasquale, racing against the clock? Then the big reveal came: he has an alternate personality that emerges for 12 hours each day, starting at 8:25 p.m. After a few exciting minutes of originality, it’s Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde all over again. You’re slightly disappointed in the lack of original thought, but you stick around to watch and see how well the writers twist the story into their own.
The show has good intentions. The battle between Jason and Ian, the alternate personality, is a classic tale of good vs. evil. Jason is a responsible, smart neurosurgeon who is a total gentleman to Dr. Lena Solis (played by Alana De La Garza), a fellow doctor romantically interested in her colleague. He’s also genuinely and affectionately concerned for the safety of his ex-fiancée, Olivia, who appears to have dumped him (for Ian’s poor behavior, not Jason’s). Simply put, though, he is too perfect. Enter Ian, who is everything Jason is not. He’s a drug-abusing, partying, womanizing jerk who knows nothing about being a doctor, tries to sexually abuse Lena and stalks Olivia. The intentions of the writers were to create a compelling contrast, but it would have made for more intriguing cognitive dissonance — and much more entertaining viewing — if the line between the two personalities wasn’t as clear.
While it’s important to keep in mind that TV shows don’t reflect reality, it can sometimes be hard to get over small details that you just know are unrealistic. If Jason is such a superstar surgeon, how was he able to get through college, medical school and residency while only being able to function 12 hours a day? If there is one thing we have learned from Grey’s Anatomy, it’s that doctors do not sleep. The creators of Do No Harm could have thought this through a little better.
While the pilot grabbed our attention by becoming more entertaining toward the end, it started as a poorly written, poorly acted show. Lines were predictable and almost bordered on plain cheesy (like when Jason said, “I promised Ruby I wouldn’t rush” during Ruby’s brain surgery), and the writers took away any element of surprise (was the line “it’s not working” really necessary when it was obvious the drugs were not working?). However, not only did the end of the episode create enough suspense to overcome these pitfalls, but the following episodes greatly improved. Although the actors still could have not tried so hard to seem genuine (sometimes less is more, guys), other aspects such as the score became much more fitting, such as the use of popular tunes like “Paint It Black” by The Rolling Stones.
The cinematography also improved as the series went on, and could even be described as excellent by the beginning of third episode, “Morning, Sunshine.” That’s when the camera alternated shots between Jason speaking in his support group, describing the rules he came up with for Ian, and Ian walking down a dark road, lighting a cigarette. Also by the third episode, the writers eased up on the expository storytelling, and at times we could hardly distinguish between the show and a horror movie, it was that good. Despite a slow, underdeveloped start, the show surprisingly took a turn for the better, leaving us wanting more.
What really makes the show work is the constant banter between the two drastically different personalities. Ian’s bad boy image and care-free attitude gives the show much-needed comedic relief, like when Jason wakes up while driving a new car with a high-class blow-up doll riding shotgun. We all watch television for the same reason, to exchange our own realities for a few hours of pure entertainment. Our obsession with bad boys is just that, entertainment. Most of us wouldn’t dare become meth dealers like Walter White from Breaking Bad, or heads of organized crime like Tony Soprano from The Sopranos, but we sure enjoy watching them on TV. With Do No Harm, we find ourselves craving more of Ian, and Jason just seems like a necessary nuisance. Relax Jason, and live a little.
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