When the wife of a traveling magician duo dies at the Salty Breeze, Martin must help the husband who is unable to grasp that she is gone. Eden finds a letter Martin wrote to Louisa thinking it was for her. Martin gets a new male medical monitor who has an instant connection to Louisa.
Martin is under monitoring from the state board of medicine. The threat of potentially losing his license was dire news at the conclusion of the first season. It's mostly been unrealized in the second season so far. Renee has existed solely to annoy Martin. She was presented as someone who didn't take her job seriously. She invaded Martin's life. She was an aggravating presence. That didn't translate into a threat. The show continued functioning as it always has. And now, a new monitor is introduced. It plays almost as if the narrative decided to embrace a new story idea halfway through. Parker arrives in Port Wenn. He's introduced as a new love interest for Louisa before assuming his professional duty at Martin's practice. That makes it awkward for Louisa as she wasn't expecting to him into him there. She wanted to warn Martin about a miscommunication regarding Eden. She never got to issue that warning. Instead, Eden was blindsided. Louisa got a romantic date. That action happens even though it falls into the predictable pattern of will-they/won't-they storytelling. In the early seasons, a couple destined to be together can never admit they have feelings for each other at the same time.
Eden found a note in Martin's desk she incorrectly believes is for her. He declares his love. She sees it as a grand gesture. He was uncomfortable expressing himself out loud. Instead, she loves that he found connection through the written word. They click. They are so similar. They are destined to be together. It only makes sense. It's confusing that he's attracted to Louisa. Eden doesn't see the compatibility. Martin doesn't even provide a reasonable explanation for why her missed her gala either. He gets too caught up in the medical mystery of the week to provide clarity. Eden wanted to help him decompress after everything. She only gets her heart broken as a result. Martin doesn't love her. It's Louisa. It was always going to be Louisa. And now, she's no longer available. Martin is single and she's not. As such, the painful yearning continues once more. It's a familiar trope. Nothing new is being offered. It's meaningful when he finally gets to cry. She's there with open arms. It's completely unexpected. She doesn't know what it's about. She didn't go on that journey with him. It's just meaningful that she's there.
Elaine understands that impulse. When something tragic happens, people should be there for one another. That's what helped her after her dad died. That's how she responds (and expects her loved ones to as well) when tragedy strikes the traveling magician couple. Sunny and Paul are so in love. They compliment each other completely. They're perfect. And then, she dies suddenly. It comes out of the blue. He woke up and she was dead. He called for an ambulance. She was taken to the medical examiner for an autopsy. Martin needed to find an answer. He saw her the day before after she was bitten by a rabbit. It wasn't serious. Martin feared there was bacteria in the shot he gave her. That wasn't it. Instead, she died from a random pulmonary embolism. No explanation exists for why it happened to her. It's tragic. There is no point in denying that. This situation sucks. Port Wenn rallies around Paul. He's in denial. He believes she will magically come back to life. He puts on a show expecting that to occur. He punches Martin when he breaks his reality. Martin needs Paul to have a normal response. This isn't how shock typically behaves. Sarah once again calls out Martin for being rude. He knows a lot but he doesn't know everything.
Martin didn't have a normal reaction when Rosemary died either. Sarah has to remind him of that. He did all the things she loved. That way it was as if she was never truly gone. That didn't work. He never cried. That's the most alarming detail. Sarah never judged him for it. She was there for him the best way she could. She still tries. It's frustrating a lot of the time. She doesn't understand how he can be so cold and distant. He needs to make his point all the time. It's not pleasant. And yet, his heart breaks just like his patient's does. Paul's emotions lead to broken heart syndrome. It can be treated. He still doesn't believe his life can go on without Sunny. Martin doesn't have much advice for how to handle it. Taking things one magic trick at a time is all he can muster. He's trying to do the same thing. He too mourns. That's partly from the unprocessed grief from his childhood tragedy. It's also from waking up all alone. He no longer has Eden. She wants to get out of town as fast as possible. Mark stops her along the way. That leads to an unexpected hookup. That has the potential to be intriguing. It keeps her active in the story apart from Martin. Meanwhile, the doctor has his dog. He returns home seeking attention. Martin is able to give it.
