Stream It Or Skip It: ‘The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy’ on Prime Video, A Quirky Animated Space Adventure About Two Alien Surgeons

The new Prime Video animated comedy The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy follows two alien surgeons, Dr. Sleech and Dr. Klak, as they navigate working in deep-space health care. From major medical cases to hospital grants, these two tackle it all while still also dealing with their complicated personal lives. Everything Everywhere All At Once breakout actor Stephanie Hsu stars in the series alongside Keke Palmer, Kieran Culkin, Maya Rudolph, and Natasha Lyonne.

THE SECOND BEST HOSPITAL IN THE GALAXY: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy opens with a woman coding during a procedure conducted by the two bickering surgeons. After agreeing on a plan of action, one injects the woman with a liquid while the other makes an incision in her abdomen.

The incision causes a large blood splatter, but the patient’s heart monitor slowly begins to find a steady beat. When the scene focuses back on the patient, it is revealed that the doctors were saving an alien creature that was stuck inside of the woman, and not the woman herself.

The Gist: The animated comedy follows Dr. Sleech (Hsu) and Dr. Klak (Palmer), best friends and deep-space surgeons, as they work on various medical cases involving alien creatures. The two are polar opposites in the operating room with Dr. Sleech demonstrating confidence and bravado, and Dr. Klak being highly intelligent but overwhelmed with anxiety.

In the first episode, called “Sometimes Heads Break,” Dr. Sleech and Dr. Klak receive a patient with a large tumor on her head. In addition to the growth, the patient is experiencing an odd feeling of relaxation, despite having a deep history of anxiety.

After some investigation, the surgeons discover that the patient has a worm-like parasite in her body that “eats and eradicates anxiety.” They find that removing the worm will kill the patient, but leaving it in will cause the tumor on her head to explode due to the parasite’s accelerated growth — also causing the patient to die.

At this time, the patient reveals that they were given the same diagnosis by Dr. Azel (Sam Smith), whom Dr. Klak is infatuated with. The other doctor refused to operate on them in order to avoid messy situations that would affect with relationship with their hospital’s corporate sponsor Uniyum.

Dr. Sleech and Dr. Klak consult Dr. Azel about the patient, and are told that pursuing the case could cause “unnecessary pain” and may lead to them getting their medical licenses revoked. The respected doctor tells them to report the case. But of course, the surgeons decide to treat the patient anyway, with the intention of saving the patient’s life and for their own interest in studying the worm — which Dr. Sleech’s wants to use to pursue the Uniyum grant, to Dr. Klak’s dismay. Will they be successful in removing the worm from the patient? If so, what will they learn about the parasite? When it comes to the grant will Dr. Sleech and Dr. Klak’s conflicting views get in the way of their friendship?

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy takes the rather wholesome space adventures of Futurama and combines it with the best friends-slash-girl-power energy of Tuca & Bertie.

Our Take: Created by Russian Doll and Big Mouth writer Cirocco Dunlap, The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy is an animated workplace comedy that’s filled with endless witty jokes and deep-space adventures. The show instantly sets up an exciting candy-colored world with various oddities, complex characters, and societal woes. While extremely ambitious, the first episode will leave viewers wanting to know more about Dr. Sleech and Dr. Klak’s rule-breaking research, and the other hospital workers in the series, which includes Dr. Plowp (Culkin), robot Dr. Vlam (Rudolph), and Nurse Tup (Lyonne).

The first 27-minute episode introduces the crew of hospital workers, the close dynamic between Dr. Sleech and Dr. Klak, the anxiety-curing parasite, the corporate grant that’s setting the medicine field back, and various romantic interests. That said, it is a bit whiplash inducing, much like the start of the streamer’s recent animated hit Hazbin Hotel. While it is great to see Prime Video invest in animated shows during a time where the genre has been brutalized with cancellations by Netflix and Max, it would be even greater to see these shows receive seasons that are longer than eight 30-minute episodes to establish their unique worlds and epic storylines, and be optimized for success. While non-network animated shows may never receive the supersized season orders of The Simpsons and Bob’s Burgers, even Netflix gave Tuca & Bertie, BoJack Horseman, and Inside Job longer debut seasons with 10-12 episodes.

Knowing this, the first episode of The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy can’t be blamed for feeling like it was being watched on 2x speed. The fact that the first episode was still memorable and hilarious, despite feeling as such, proves just how great its foundation is.

Sex and Skin: None in the first episode. Though, there’s a lot of longing, so we’re expecting some of the aliens to hook up in future episodes.

Parting Shot: Dr. Sleech reveals that the parasite is still alive after the removal surgery and she has captured it, which pleases Dr. Klak, despite the risk it imposes on their career and the universe. The surgeons decide to keep the parasite’s existence a secret for the time being, but plan to proceed with their research in hopes to find a cure for anxiety and to obtain the grant. As the two discuss their plans, the worm transforms into a Stranger Things-esque monster.

Sleeper Star: “Stay With Me” singer-songwriter Sam Smith plays Dr. Azel, a respected and standoffish surgeon who recently won the Uniyum grant. “If you pursue this, you could die… or even worse, lose your licenses,” Dr. Azel warns Dr. Sleech and Dr. Klak as they express interest in the parasite case. Direct and witty, Dr. Azel makes themselves a memorable character who’s bound to play a bigger role in the later episodes.

Most Pilot-y Line: “A case came in this morning that only two delusion narcissists would attempt, and lo and behold, they asked for you,” Nurse Tup tells Dr. Sleech and Dr. Klak when the parasite patient arrives. Ha-ha. Another memorable line comes moments later when the patient reminds Dr. Klak that her reputation precedes her. It is revealed that the doctor’s mother, a famous author, experimented on her in her youth and wrote books detailing her experience with anxiety. “Thinking about my mom before lunch makes it hard to digest,” Dr. Klak says to the patient when the topic is mentioned.

Our Call: STREAM IT! The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy throws viewers into a strange and exciting cosmic world with oddities at every turn. Though the episodes take on several subplots and medical cases, the overarching storyline with the deadly parasite is very interesting and will encourage viewers to follow Dr. Sleech and Dr. Klak on their research.