OFF THE MAP

OFF THE MAP

JANUARY 12, 2011-APRIL 6, 2011

First thought: "Oh, no. Not another medical show!", but this one is different.  Having not watched Grey’s Anatomy, there can be no comparison from this writer.  The feel is not dark and dwelling but has remarkably upbeat storylines.  The show combines intensity with human emotion that makes great compelling television.  Even the night scenes are lit with bright white and colored lights that give the show a unique feel. 

The show combines love interests with medical situations in a South American remote village.  Seven doctor’s personal and professional lives often blur lines and collide directly into each other.  Each back story is spread out and builds into episodes slowly, putting a little suspense in the mix.

Dr. Benjamin Keaton (Martin Henderson) is married to Abby and had a daughter. They were both in an accident and only the wife survived.  Abby now lays in a hospital bed on life support at San Miguel hospital.  Ben's humanitarianism is the basic reason he does not take her off support, because her trust fund is the capital for the clinic. 

Dr. Otis Cole (Jason Winston George) is equivalent to a St. Bernard in that his bark is huge but his cuddly soft side is only exposed after a day’s work is complete.  Once addicted to morphine and heroin, candy is the only thing that keeps him clean.  There are situations that put him in close contact with these drugs and this will test his ability to stay sober.

Zita Alareina Toledo Alvarez (Valerie Cruz) has a casual relationship with Cole but shows little sympathy for romances between the medical staff.  She watches over the team like big brother with love in her heart.  Everyone knows they can go to her for sound advice.

Dr. Lily Brenner (Caroline Dhavernas) sent her fiancé to the store, and while he was riding his bike there he was killed in an accident. She is attracted to Ben who is in an on-again-off-again relationship with Dr. Clark while his wife lays in a coma in a nearby hospital.  She becomes fascinated with a local, Matteo, whose family grows coca which is then used to make cocaine.  Matteo has broken down the controlling personality of Lily, which leaves her questioning who she has become.

Dr. Tommy Fuller (Zach Gilford) is promiscuous and has very little substance to his personality.  His only care is for the patients and at times he even wanes from those obligations.  Even though there is a language barrier, Fuller finds himself drawn to Alma, a local girl who he feels has won his heart.  Conflict erupts when his attraction sways to Mina, a doctor on staff with her own baggage.

Dr. Mina Minard (Mamie Gummer, the niece of Meryl Streep) is a competitive doctor whose father got her resume cleared after a misdiagnosis caused the death of a young boy named Eric.  She is literal and has no patience for children or day to day life outside her job.  She is highly intelligent but lacks the ability to have human interaction. 

Dr. Ryan Clark (Rachelle Lefevre) has traveled the world with her missionary parents.  When she was 8 years old she was bitten by an assassin bug but went untreated.  She developed Chagas disease which caused irreversible damage to her heart.  Her relationship with Ben has kept them both on edge about their future due to incidents in their pasts.  A heart transplant is her only option for a full recovery but she needs to be on the list and cannot do that while not living in the United States. 

Charlie (Jonathan Castellanos) a local whose parents abandoned him when he was 9 years old.  He lets people believe he lives in hostels but actually house-sits condos in the area for periods of time and sometimes sleeps in the clinic under the beds in the lab.  He often helps the medical team connect to the things they need to run the facility when money is limited.   He is a welcome asset who knows the rules of the locals and gives guidance when necessary.

Jenna Bans has created a well-balanced cast of characters that combines life on Survivor with Medical Center.  Reality is that not everyone survives in life and she uses that realism in her plot lines.  She has an amazing ability to counterbalance what people want to see with what can happen in these situations.  The directors are bountiful with Eric Stoltz, who has an incredible relationship with the television audience.  "On The Mean Streets Of San Miguel" (episode 4), written by Christine Boylan and directed by Stoltz was one of the best the season had to offer.  Off The Map is a late season addition with much potential.