Doctor Odyssey’s Joshua Jackson Weighs In on TVLine’s Fever Dream Speculation, Admits ‘We Had a Similar Theory Operating on Set’
Joshua Jackson can neither confirm nor deny our Doctor Odyssey suspicions — but that won’t stop him from offering his two cents.
As you’ll recall, we here at TVLine have developed a working theory: Dr. Max Bankman (played by Jackson) never recovered from COVID, and The Odyssey isn’t a ship it all — it’s heaven, beckoning Max to cross over to the other side.
More from TVLine
“I love this theory,” Jackson tells TVLine, though he can’t say whether we’re on the right track. (If this was a video interview, we’d ask him to blink twice for confirmation!)
“I cannot tell you what goes on inside the mind of [series co-creator] Ryan Murphy, but we also had a similar theory operating on set,” Jackson reveals ahead of Episode 3 (airing Thursday at 9/8c). “Only Ryan Murphy knows.”
Right off the bat, the series looks like a fever dream. The Odyssey boasts unreal aesthetics, Max possesses an otherworldly aura and Captain Massey literally says that the Odyssey is “about as far from hell as you can get… This ship is heaven.” Not to mention the actual definition of “Odyssey” is “an intellectual or spiritual wandering or quest,” which may suggest that Max is voyaging through his own consciousness. Plus, we can’t be the only ones who noticed that the crew exited the ship in Episode 2 via an ascending staircase surrounded by bright light, mimicking a stairway to heaven.
So, what does Jackson make of our frenzied reaction to the dream-like nature of the ABC series? “I have appreciated the internet sleuths’ work on it and I think it’s great,” he says.
We’ll have more from our interview with Jackson later this week. In the meantime, hit the comments and let us know where you stand: Is Doctor Odyssey all a fever dream?
Doctor Odyssey Feels Like a Fever Dream Because It Is a Fever Dream (Theory)
Best of TVLine
Sign up for TVLine's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.