1 of 5 | Jessica Lowe and Mekki Leeper star in Monday’s episode of “St. Denis Medical” on NBC. Photo courtesy of NBC
Note: This article contains spoilers for Season 2, Episode 6 of St. Denis Medical, “I Left a Woman on the Table.”
Monday’s episode of St. Denis Medical features a guest star who reveals a lot more about nurse Matt’s (Mekki Leeper) life before the hospital. Jessica Lowe plays Violet, Matt’s ex-wife from their homestead community.
In a recent Zoom interview with UPI, Leeper reacted to learning his character was once married. Matt previously spoke about leaving a homestead to enter the medical field but did not mention a marriage.
“I was tremendously surprised but it’s nice to have another half of your weird character to be like, ‘Okay nice, now I have twice as much information about our insular homestead world,'” Leeper said. “The sheer idea that Matt has an ex-wife both made perfect sense and is the most out there thing in the show.”
Showrunner Eric Ledgin said the character of Violet started smaller. The writers then elaborated upon Matt’s previous relationship.
“It started as Matt’s ex-girlfriend and somebody was like, ‘Well, why not just his ex-wife?'” Ledgin said. “That just got one of those big laughs in the room that was like, we should definitely do that. So that was the genesis of that episode.”
Matt has been seen pining and being awkward around his onetime crush, nurse Serena (Kahyun Kim). He appeared smoother with his ex and even gave her a goodbye kiss when she was discharged.
“I think that Matt gets comfortable with people one by one as they diligently and clearly explain to them what their dynamic is,” Leeper said. “I think that’s what he needs.”
Kim was pretty shocked to learn Matt had a wife before, too.
“It’s shocking to watch Mekki kiss another girl just in general,” Kim joked. “It was a really fun episode though. As Serena, to be the other was a really fun dynamic.”
Earlier this season, Matt claimed to be over Serena so they could remain working professionals. Leeper isn’t so sure he really is.
“I think he has a lot of reason to push that down,” Leeper said. “I think Matt’s trying to keep it together, keep it professional and keep his cool which is not his mode.”
Ledgin would not confirm or deny Matt’s feelings either.
“Sometimes we say things and we don’t mean them,” Ledgin said. “Sometimes we say things and we think we mean them.”
Of course, once Serena heard it, she became more interested in Matt.
“Obviously, because that’s how love works and relationships work,” Kim said. “It’s super fun to feel desperate and needing attention, which is not far from who I am.”
Ledgin added that Season 2 will pay off by showing Matt and Serena’s new dynamic.
“All I can say is that it feels like in the front half of the season, Serena seems to be the one a little more on her heels, given that she’s heard that Matt is over her, which I don’t think people love to hear,” Ledgin said. “It’s definitely something that comes to a head in the second half of the season.”
The episode also introduced an ex-girlfriend of surgeon Bruce (Josh Lawson). Ariana Madix plays Brooke, the surgeon with whom Bruce broke up.
“I think Bruce is his own worst enemy,” Lawson said. “Oftentimes, he’s presented with an opportunity of a kind of relationship with someone wonderful. He self-sabotages all the time.”
Ledgin said Madix captured the energy of a colleague who would have no patience for Bruce.
“She just hit it out of the park and was wonderful to work with,” Ledgin said. “It seemed like such a fun chemistry with Josh and with our people.”
That subplot ended with Bruce forming a new friendship with Chaplain Steve (Stephen Schneider). Lawson said Bruce seems mild by comparison.
“I think it’s a great relationship for Bruce to have because by comparison, I think Bruce seems pretty good,” Lawson said. “A great way to endear people to Bruce is to put him next to someone who’s much, much worse. In that way, I would love to keep him around.”
That friendship however, Ledgin teased, “gets complicated” later in the season.
Bruce and Steve bonded over dancing to “Baby” by Brandy in the hospital hall, as an annoyed Brooke watched. Bruce had several dance scenes in Season 1 as well.
“I think Eric Ledgin is a bit of a dancing fanatic,” Lawson said. “I hope I haven’t thrown him under the bus there but I think he’s living vicariously through me by giving me all these dancing sequences. I hope he’s gotten them out of his system but I’m cautiously optimistic.”
Ledgin said he’s not singling Lawson out.
“I’m just out here trying to normalize middle-aged men dancing,” Ledgin said. “Any man of a certain age is welcome to express themselves through the art of dance on St. Denis Medical.”
David Alan Grier’s character, Dr. Ron, is older than Bruce but has not felt the rhythm yet. Ledgin is hopeful.
“We’ll get there,” Ledgin said. “Ron’s a bit of a tougher public dancer. I don’t think he’s as willing to get down like that but we’ll get there.”
