St. Denis Medical's Wendi McLendon-Covey Wants to See A Very Specific Flashback in Season 2
The actress who plays Joyce on St. Denis Medical wants to see more of her character's backstory in Season 2.
Beloved St. Denis Medical character Joyce definitely has some hidden talents to explore, like playing marimbas, dancing, and making mugs, said series star Wendi McLendon-Covey.
In a conversation with NBC Insider, the comedian dished on her “weird but capable” character, revealing her hopes and dreams for Season 2, which has already been green lit. They includesa little musical duet with Dr. Ron (David Alan Grier). Though production on the second season hasn’t even begun, that didn’t stop McLendon-Covey from brainstorming ideas!
It’s easy to forget that St. Denis Medical is just in its first season. The half-hour NBC comedy, which follows a group of doctors and staff at a rural Oregon hospital, unleashed its silly satire and endearing characters so effectively that it had an outsized effect on weeknight TV — making Tuesday nights so much more interesting.
The ensemble cast is sprawling, the guest appearances are epic, but a highlight of every episode is Joyce, the overzealous and weird-as-she-wants-to-be hospital administrator.
“She’s an oddball for sure, but of course I love her so much,” said the former star of The Goldbergs and Reno 911!.
Wendi McLendon-Covey’s vision for St. Denis Medical Season 2
High on her list of dreams for Season 2 is breaking out the old marimbas again, but this time with David Alan Grier doing jazz-funk vocals a la “Roy Ayers.” But McLendon-Covey quickly segued into deeper topics.
“I would like to explore why Joyce is an emotional wreck. Like what happened?” said the actress, explaining how her character’s backstory might be incredible fodder for the show’s writers.
“She’s just pushing everything uphill in front of her, and what’s she gonna do? Switch careers at this stage in the game? Hell no! She is stuck.”
“I would like to see Joyce have some kind of minor win in Season 2 that she can lord over everybody,” she joked. “Who knows what that would be?”
As far as the actress is concerned, that “minor win” will not be in the realm of love. Joyce is currently in a relationship with a guy named Sanderson (Steve Little), who McLendon-Covey joked is a sort of “place-saver for God knows what” in Joyce’s “unlucky” love life. The actress doesn’t possess a crystal ball (and the writers have yet to reveal any storylines), but she predicts Joyce will continue to get “a solid C-” in romance going into Season 2.
The one flashback she wants to see in St. Denis Medical Season 2
McLendon-Covey admitted she’s a “rabid fan” of Grier’s legendary career, and sometimes even forgets her lines when acting in scenes with him.
“I catch myself staring at him, and he must think I’m such a weirdo because I can’t believe he’s next to me,” she shared.
Naturally, her flashback wish involves more scenes with the Tony-winning actor. Though Joyce is the executive director of an underfunded hospital, her character was an oncologist and holds a medical degree, which she believes could help her relate to Ron more than the other staff members.
“Something was said earlier in the season about [how] his character and my character were residents at the same time. I don’t know if we’re the kind of show that does flashbacks, but I sure would like to see some of those two in the trenches during their residencies.”
She continued: “Like we know he’s divorced and his kids moved away and he lives in some condo in rural Oregon, and we know Joyce has this useless boyfriend…so I would like to see what that backstory is that made them both such miserable people. Good hearts, but basically miserable.”
But despite Joyce’s flaws and hilariously strange ways — or perhaps because of them — McLendon-Covey fell in love with the character the minute she read the script. “She’s so weird, and yet capable. I just thought she was irresistible.”
Catch new episodes of St. Denis Medical when they premiere on Tuesday on NBC at 8/7c. Episodes are available to stream on Peacock the next day.
