Finally, after hundreds of fancams and pleas from fans online, Doctor Odyssey moved on and allowed their central love triangle to develop into a full-fledged threesome. There had been speculation for weeks about whether or not this would actually happen, but it finally became a reality.

Since the series debuted in late September on alphabetFans of the show have noted the overwhelming chemistry between the three central characters, Dr. Max Bankman (Joshua Jackson), Avery Morgan (Phillipa Soo) and Tristan Silva (Sean Teale). Known to fans as ODY3, we have seen how each member of this trio has fought for the attention and affection of the others.

Like most romantic plots starring two men and a woman, the jealousy that overflows between the three is mainly found in Max and Tristan. However, even though they try to fight for Avery’s attention, it doesn’t really seem like they’re competing. This rivalry between them, on the other hand, feels charged in a way that’s a few degrees above homoerotic. Seeking Avery’s attention, Max and Tristan want the other to notice. them also, something that Avery herself recognizes.

This fight for mutual affection comes to a head in Doctor OdysseyThe sixth episode, when the cruise ship these characters work on becomes the host of a dysfunctional wedding party. When the bride becomes too ill to participate in the wedding rehearsal, Max and Avery are chosen to act as substitutes for the engaged couple. As they go through an abbreviated version of their vows and try to seal the deal with a kiss, Tristan objects in the crowd. While he takes it as a joke, there is a semblance of truth beneath his objection. It’s clear that Tristan doesn’t want to be the odd one out, and the idea of ​​Max and Avery sharing a life together without him is unfathomable.

Luckily for him, the other two laugh, but seem to agree as they both shake his hand and the trio walk down the hallway together. It’s as if the marriage between Max and Avery, no matter how fake it was, couldn’t happen without Tristan too. In the final minutes of the episode, Avery receives a late-night visit from Tristan, who wants her to join him in raiding the kitchen, where Max quickly finds them. The three of them eat the leftover wedding cake from what has now become a mess, since this is Doctor Odyssey and the boyfriend has died after jumping off the cruise ship after discovering that his wife has not been faithful to him. Eating the wedding cake pushes these three further into relationship territory, as if they are celebrating their fake marriage together just like fans of the show do.

Later, when Max decides that the three of them should set five life goals and then help each other achieve them, of course, a trio emerges. Although Tristan is the one who brings it up, Avery immediately comes down and the two start kissing. It slowly moves down his body, as Max watches from across the room, taking in the image of the two people he cares about most. Finally, after Avery invites him with a heady look, Max enters from his left and the three bodies finally collide into one. It feels almost too good to be true, and if fan and critic reactions are anything to go by, there’s a serious lack of television (network and prestige) that really engages with its co-stars’ chemistry in this way.

The episode then cuts to black, with what would happen between the trio only hinted at and not fully explored. I have no doubt that not only will this trio be talked about among themselves as the show progresses, but that it will become a focal point in the episodes to come. Fans have fallen in love with these three characters as people, yes, but also as a united unit. When Jackson, Soo, and Teale share the screen, it feels like you’re watching three actors who were meant to be on screen together. They make the show and there’s no way these characters’ futures won’t involve each other.

By allowing these three to finally enter into a sexual relationship with each other, Doctor Odyssey has shown that television networks are no longer afraid to get sexy. It’s a bold choice, and one that can only really exist because it’s a Ryan Murphy production, but it still feels unlike anything we’ve seen before outside of prestige television.

In this decision to show Max, Avery, and Tristan having sex, the writers have also left room for the show to show its seriousness. While the show feels just as cheesy as the shenanigans that happen in Murphy’s other series 9-1-1The way this episode plays out shows that these characters and their love for each other is the beating heart of Doctor Odyssey. Couples are in fashion, from Ted Lasso Keeley, Jamie and Roy to Challengers‘ Tashi, Art and Patrick. But there is an air of hope here that is not usually present in other love triangles.

if he puzzle for episode 7 there is something that can guide you, Doctor Odyssey doesn’t shy away from the threesome that happened last week. In it, Avery suggests that although they initially said it would be a one-time thing, maybe they should continue their sexual relationship. This trailer gives me hope that Episode 6 wasn’t just a means for these characters to check something off their bucket list. Rather, by forming a trio, Max, Avery, and Tristan finally allowed themselves to explore the idea that they may not be in love with just one person. Appropriately for this show, episode 7 also takes place during Gay Week aboard the Odyssey, which to me indicates that this group is here to stay.