St. Denis Medicalshares many similarities withThe Office, as both are ensemble workplace mockumentaries, and now, the medical sitcom has officially anointed its own Michael Scott.St. Denis Medical’s cast of charactersis a quirky group of doctors and nurses, led by executive director Joyce. Like Michael Scott inThe Office, who began as a skilled salesman before being promoted to an incompetent branch manager, Joyce is a former oncological surgeon now serving as the hospital’s executive director.
Joyce shares Michael Scott’s most defining characteristic: a deep need to be liked. Both characters struggle to balance their roles as boss and friend, leading to emotional oversharing and poor workplace boundaries that create discomfort for both their colleagues and the audience. InSt. Denis Medicalseason 1, episode 11,Joyce’s gullibility is highlighted, echoing Michael’s naivety inThe Office. WithSt. Denis Medicalseason 2 confirmed, hopefully, the show can keep Joyce’s humor without leaning too much into the cringe comedy that defined Michael in the later seasons ofThe Office.
Joyce Continues To Be St. Denis Medical’s Version Of Michael Scott
Joyce’s Gullibility Gets The Better Of Her In Episode 11
Like Michael Scott,Joyce lacks social awareness and struggles with respecting boundaries. This is evident when she asks nurse Alex to be the executor of her will, overwhelming her with personal requests in episode 9, “You Got to Have a Plan.” Michael was unusually gullible, like when Holly Flax invented the fictional “Lunch Party” holiday, and he wholeheartedly believed her. InSt. Denis Medicalseason 1, episode 11, “Nobody Even Mentions the Brownies!”, Joyce continues to mirror Michael Scott when she falls for an obvious lie about a patient.
The supervising nurse
Allison Tolman
Molly Solverson in Fargo (season 1), Alma Fillcot in Why Women Kill (season 2)
A cocky trauma surgeon
A nurse
A newly hired nurse with a crush on Serena
Mekki Leeper
Eric in The Sex Lives of College Girls, Noah Price (Juror #11) in Jury Duty
A curmudgeonly emergency physician
David Alan Grier
In Living Color (multiple roles), Reverend Leon Lonnie Love in Martin
St. Denis Medical’s strengthmeans that sometimes the sitcom delves into heavier topics. As the hospital executive director, Joyce tends to prioritize flashy additions over basic improvements, and her VIP suite is the latest example. Alex kindly allows a “frequent flyer” unhoused woman to rest in the VIP suite, but when Joyce catches them, Alex lies and claims the woman is an heiress. Joyce believes this despite obvious signs of the patient’s destitution, even fantasizing about building a koi pond with the large donation she imagines is coming. In this moment, Joyce reaches Michael Scott-levels of delusion.
Hopefully St. Denis Medical Avoids The Worst Parts Of Michael Scott For Joyce
The St. Denis Medical Staff Can Keep Joyce Grounded
While Michael Scott was a fan-favorite character, he shifted from being an ensemble member to the show’s central figure, evolving into a more exaggerated version of the relatable, if sometimes cringe-worthy, character he was in the early seasons. A prime example of the show’s uncomfortable humor is the episode “Scott’s Tots,” where he must confess to a group of high school graduates that he can’t provide the college scholarships he once promised them.
St. Denis Medical Episode 9 Highlights The Medical Sitcom’s Hidden Strength
St. Denis Medical has one important quality that sets the show apart from many of its competitors, and this strength is tied to its setting.
InSt. Denis Medical’s pilot, Joyce purchases an expensive mammography machine but ultimately returns it to pay for less flashy but more necessary maintenance.Joyce is at her worst when she treats the hospital like a business, like in episode 11 when she tastelessly incentivizes the staff to “upsell” medical procedures by offering concert tickets to whoever makes the most sales.
New episodes ofSt. Denis Medicalair Tuedays at 8 PM on NBC.St. Denis Medicalwill return June 10, 2025 with season 1, episode 12, “Buffalo Bruce and Matty the Kid.”
St. Denis Medicalfosters a warmer dynamic between characters thanThe Officegenerally had, which could help keep Joyce from veering too far into cringe comedy territory. Joyce shares similarities to Michael Scott, but right now she is surrounded by coworkers like Alex who can ground and guide her. This dynamic may allowSt. Denis Medicalto balance Joyce’s comical obliviousness without relying on the more uncomfortable traits that defined Michael in later seasons.
St. Denis Medical
Cast
St. Denis Medical follows a diverse team of doctors and nurses at an underfunded Oregon hospital as they manage patient care and maintain camaraderie amid challenging circumstances.
The Office
This mockumentary comedy series observes the mundane and humorous daily lives of employees at the Scranton branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. It offers insights into office dynamics, personalities, and the eccentric behavior of both management and staff, depicting an ordinary workplace with extraordinary characters.
