After a five-month hiatus, the doctor is officially back in. And by that, we mean Season 2 of FOX’s hit medical dramedy Best Medicine has finally arrived! Based on the hit UK series Doc Martin, the feel-good comfort watch from showrunner and executive producer Liz Tuccillo (Sex and the City, Divorce, Sweetbitter) stars Josh Charles as Dr. Martin Best, a big-time Boston surgeon whose crippling blood phobia inspired him to relocate to the small fishing town of Port Wenn, Maine, and work as a local physician. The move was supposed to be temporary, but locals like his spunky Aunt Sarah (Annie Potts), quirky administrative assistant Elaine (Cree), lovable Sheriff Mark Mylow (Josh Segarra), and charming crush Louisa (Abigail Spencer) have undeniably grown on him. So if he overcomes his traumas in Season 2 will he stick around?

BEST MEDICINE SEASON 2: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT? 

Opening Shot:  After a handy Season 1 recap, Best Medicine Season 2 opens with Dr. Best looking into a child’s ear as his concerned mother rattles off potential diagnoses.

The Gist: Best Medicine Season 2 picks up five months after Martin learned his medical license was at risk for having Elaine take blood to help him manage his phobia. The good news? Elaine got licensed so she can legally assist. The bad news? Martin has to be professionally assessed by a series of monitors (including Jack Cutmore-Scott’s Parker) who will determine the fate of his career. Despite his feelings for Louisa and much to the town’s dismay, Martin is still dating Eden (Eliza Coupe). And after Mark’s generous offer to co-parent Lousia’s child, she’s still deciding if she wants to have a baby on her own. (She’ll also be sharing unexpected “sparks” with Parker later in the season.) Outside of the love triangle (or square, and eventually love pentagon) drama, Port Wenn’s economy and Greg (Stephen Spinella) and George’s (Jason Veasey) restaurant, The Salty Breeze, are booming thanks to Aunt Sarah’s sea urchin discovery.

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? Obviously, Best Medicine has big Doc Martin energy. But it’s also been compared to Royal Pains, Scrubs, M*A*S*H, Northern Exposure, and a personal favorite comfort watch Hart of Dixie.

Our Take: Only three episodes of Season 2 were made available for review, but they show Best Medicine dialing up the comedy, drama, and small-town charm. The series returns incredibly sure of itself and its strengths, well aware that laughter is the best medicine, but striking a brilliant balance of humor and heart in each episode. With the scene already set, Best Medicine‘s sophomore season allows for deeper dives into character development, the exploration of exciting new dynamics, and more clever and quirky town events and medical emergencies that viewers crave. From a mermaid (Ellen Soraya Nikbakht) mysteriously washing up on shore to the iconic Andrea Marin seamlessly joining the show as Aunt Sarah’s sassy, stubborn friend Judith, Season 2’s guest star list is stacked. And between Al’s impending trip to New York and the epic Crate Race episode, Best Medicine proves it’s ambitiously trying to expand the show’s world.

Louisa’s IVF and single motherhood journey is a big part of the season, and it’s refreshing to see such a relatable, weighty issue that’s rarely explored on-screen approached so thoughtfully. Spencer flexes her dramatic chops as Louisa weighs her options, and we get the sense that Martin will go on a similarly powerful journey in Season 2 as he looks inward, takes stock of what he truly wants in life, and attempts to unpack his own emotional baggage. Though they’ve placed some necessary distance between themselves, Louisa and Martin still have off-the-charts chemistry. And though I need them to be endgame, Eden is so delightfully entertaining that I’m not even mad she’s still around. Mark is like a lost puppy at the start of Season 2, but Segarra is sweet, soulful, and silly as ever. And new series regulars Veasey and Spinella remain fabulous scene stealers.

Our set visit gave us a big, behind-the-scenes look at Season 2, so if you want more Best Medicine teases, be sure to read!

Performance Worth Watching: It’s hard to explain just how phenomenal Eliza Coupe is playing every shade of Eden. She nails the fertility doctor’s socially awkward, buttoned-up persona, but finds humanity in the complex character when needed. While Eden has some of the season’s most unintentionally hilarious scenes, it looks like Spencer might be giving us some of Season 2’s most moving performances.

Parting Shot: Martin stands alone, looking up at a lighthouse and exhaling as though a weight’s been lifted off his shoulders.

Our Call: STREAM IT. With a charming cast and warm, welcoming setting, Best Medicine Season 2 is a wacky, wild, hilarious escape that isn’t afraid to get serious when the moment calls for it. So Port Wenn are you watching?!