Doctor Odyssey’s Crossover With 9-1-1 Will Officially Kill The Worst Theory

Doctor Odyssey's exciting crossover with 9-1-1 is great news for the characters but bad news for its biggest theory. The news about the Doctor Odyssey and 9-1-1 crossover came shortly after the release of Doctor Odyssey's midseason trailer. While no 9-1-1 characters appeared in the short video, part 2 is set to be even more dramatic than part 1. When the show returns, it will feature new characters, complicated romances, and crossovers.

While a crossover in Doctor Odyssey is surprising since the show is still in its first season, it is not entirely unexpected. Both Doctor Odyssey and 9-1-1 were created by Ryan Murphy, who also acts as a producer for both shows. 9-1-1 has also had its fair share of crossovers during its seven-year run as it also featured a crossover with the popular 9-1-1 spinoff, 9-1-1: Lone Star. The crossover with the Doctor Odyssey characters will be exciting, but it will also damage Doctor Odyssey's strangest Max Bankman theory.

The Doctor Odyssey & 9-1-1 Crossover Explained

Athena Grant-Nash Will Board The Odyssey

Details about the Doctor Odyssey and 9-1-1 crossover have been sparse, but one thing has been revealed. Doctor Odyssey's episode "Casino Week" will see 9-1-1's Athena Grant-Nash boarding The Odyssey while following a lead on a case. As Athena is a sergeant in the LAPD, her jurisdiction aboard The Odyssey is murky depending on where the cruise ship travels to. As a result, she will need help from The Odyssey's crew to follow her suspects and conduct a proper investigation.

Doctor Odyssey's "Casino Week" airs on March 20, 2025, on ABC.

Athena boarding The Odyssey comes shortly after she and her team almost lost their lives in 9-1-1 season 7 on a sinking cruise ship when she and Bobby had to divert from their honeymoon to help people in need. Athena's appearance in Doctor Odyssey will be a testament to her strength and bravery following the harrowing events. While Athena may feel safe enough to board a cruise ship in the pursuit of justice, she will likely still have some nerves before officially boarding.

How Max's Coma Theory Won't Make Sense After The Doctor Odyssey & 9-1-1 Crossover

Joshua Jackson as Max in Doctor Odyssey pilot.

When Athena boards The Odyssey, it will make the Max Bankman coma theory completely void. As Athena is not a celebrity and does not appear on television, there is no way that Max could have known about her. Athena's character and mannerisms would be new to him, so he could not have dreamed her up in a fever-dream state of mind because she did not exist to him beforehand. If Athena mentions her team or any of her family members by name, it will make the possibility that the theory is real even less likely.

Joshua Jackson basking in the sun in Doctor Odyssey

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The theory that Max is still in a coma after becoming patient zero during the pandemic seemed most realistic in Doctor Odyssey's "Plastic Surgery Week." In the episode, Max is star-struck when he meets Ken, the star of a reality show he used to watch when he was recovering in the hospital. The theory made sense in the episode because Max felt so connected to Ken that he could have dreamed of him. However, there is no way that Max could have known about Athena, making her appearance real and Max's coma theory debunked.

Why Max's Coma Theory Happening Is Bad For Doctor Odyssey Anyway

It Just Doesn't Make Sense

Max's coma theory is more than just a medical theory. It also implies that The Odyssey is a purgatory and Max is hanging in the balance between life and death. As The Odyssey is meant to represent a utopia as Max awaits his fate, Doctor Odyssey throws too many curveballs at the doctor. Life is meant to be perfect on board the ship, but it is clearly not. Max has felt anger, jealousy, sadness, and even grief while he has worked as the medical team's lead doctor. That isn't even considering what the rest of the crew has experienced.

Life is meant to be perfect on board the ship, but it is not.

Max's purgatory theory would be good if Doctor Odyssey stayed consistent. However, the added drama in the show makes the ship too real. It makes for exciting stories but does not make the coma theory realistic. Switching the direction of Doctor Odyssey's narrative in part 2 to reveal that Max really is in a coma would not follow the logic that the show has set up in season 1. As a result, it is better to let Max off the hook, forget the coma theory, and believe that Doctor Odyssey and 9-1-1 really do take place in the same universe.

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