The latest season of The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy might just be the First Best of the two seasons so far. And they set a high bar in season one!
This season, our favorite queer bundle of alien anxiety — Dr. Klak (Keke Palmer) and her best friend in all the universe Dr. Sleech (Stephanie Hsu) — find themselves in the spotlight. For better or worse, this dynamic duo caught public attention last season with their ability to break every single known rule (in a fairly rule-less world) in order to save their patients — oh, and also kind of save the world. This causes some jealousy from Klak’s ex Dr. Azel (Sam Smith), and it brings a cyborg reporter snooping around the hospital. The familiar voices of Natasha Lyonne, Maya Rudolph, Bowen Yang, Lennon Parham, and more return not only as hospital staff, but as many random voices throughout the season. Plus, of course, we have the staff of female and LGBTQ+ writers and directors behind the scenes, led by showrunner Cirocco Dunlap.
Also returning this season is cute doctor Zypha (Abbi Jacobson) who always makes Dr. Klak a bit nervous. For example, during a very normal conversation, Klak tells Zypha, “the way you said that made me stop breathing,” in that kind of under-her-breath, hope-no-one-heard-that kind of way. It’s very cute. After a brief hiccup where it seems like Zypha might be taken, Klak and Zypha do get to explore their relationship throughout this season, and it’s very adorable to see; turns out Zypha isn’t exactly cool and confident herself. I won’t spoil their whole cute trajectory, but I will tell you they went on what might be the gayest date I’ve personally ever heard of: after a series of micro-dates (so Klak could avoid “messing it up”), their first real date was going to a hotel where time stops so only 20 minutes would pass and Klak wouldn’t miss any work, but they would get to spend 20 hours together. And in my experience, if there’s one thing lesbians love, it’s a 20-hour first date.
Another very real situation that happens in this absurd and whimsically nonsensical show about alien doctors is that as Klak and Zypha start getting closer, Sleech starts to get a little jealous. Between Klak spending so much free time with her new gal pal and Sleech harboring a pretty big secret, the besties feel themselves start to drift. They have to figure out if they are growing apart or if there’s a way for their relationship to survive these changes. And this is so real! Who hasn’t been in Sleech’s situation, trying to be happy for your friend and their new partner, but also finding it harder to figure out where you fit into their life now that things have changed.
I personally love a show that focuses on adult women and their friendships — even in animated alien form. It’s become less rare these days, but I’ll never get sick of shows that focus on the complexities of adult relationships that go beyond the romantic. Klak and Sleech’s friendship is at the heart of this show, and watching them navigate the hardships of being an adult together is something I really enjoy, no matter how messy it sometimes gets.
Overall, the show remains the quirky, hilarious comedy we’ve come to know and love. It balances relationship and friendship dynamics that are grounded in reality with wild and wacky medical maladies that can only happen to aliens in space. (Like needing your brain washed, or having to be extracted from a very sweet sentient blob who accidentally absorbed you during a job interview.) It tackles real-world issues like medical discrimination and capitalism while also doing brilliant surrealist world-building, like showing you what a sentient space whale ambulance does on her day off. It’s smart and funny and GAY, and with its 30-minute episodes, it’s the perfect show to add a shot of much-needed queer joy into a long day.
The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy is now available on Prime.
