‘Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy’ Should Be the Next ‘Rick and Morty’
Since the premiere of Bojack Horseman, adult animation has undergone a significant narrative shift. Shows began focusing more on emotions and mental health, offering frank storylines about anxiety, depression, and how they affect relationship dynamics in the workplace and at home. Big Mouth and its short-lived spinoff Human Resources took that subject and made it raunchier, with lighter, more sex-focused storytelling. With comedy as the anchor, these shows have been able to tell relatable stories without getting bogged down by the soapier elements of live-action drama. The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy, premiering Feb. 23 on Prime Video, continues that trend by using workplace comedy to explore anxiety in one of the most hectic and stressful workplaces imaginable: an alien hospital.
The series follows Dr. Sleech (Stephanie Hsu) and Dr. Klak (Keke Palmer), two surgeons and best friends who have been working side-by-side since medical school. They’re a classic duo: Sleech is confident in the operating room and the bedroom, while Klak is brilliant but anxious, and desperately in love with her ex, Dr. Azel (singer-songwriter Sam Smith). She also has a famous mother (Tracee Ellis Ross) who has made a career off her anxiety via best-selling books that positioned Klak as the poster child for mental illness.
Meanwhile, Dr. Plowp (Kieran Culkin) is the resident empath, his powers allowing him to directly identify with his patients and their emotions. There’s also the equally anxious surgical intern Dr. Vlam (Maya Rudolph), an immortal robot who has lived many lives and wears her heart on her sleeve. Rounding out the cast is the surly Nurse Tup (Natasha Lyonne), who tries to keep everything together, despite wanting to quit every other day. Each character is a different species of alien creature, making the hospital loud, colorful, and chaotic.