This ‘analysis’—which is really more of an opinion—is far too general, based solely on my wild imagination, as well as a projection of my idealised vision (seriously). It may contain inconsistencies, as well as some disjointed writing due to the emotion with which I’m sharing this… which isn’t the absolute truth.
Talking about Mel and Langdon is complicated, though I’ll keep it simple. First… who are they?
Mel King, a compassionate doctor, albeit sometimes socially awkward—which makes her very special to me—and incredibly focused and precise, with a great capacity for empathy, something that, as a doctor, is ‘dangerous’.
Frank Langdon is the perfect complement to her, and as an individual he is charismatic, certainly optimistic, and yes, cynical. He has an interesting backstory, as we learn that his career was previously affected by an addiction to a certain medication, benzodiazepines.
Leaving that aside, I want to talk about my reasons for why they are a potential couple, beyond the platonic, which, yes, is nice, because television entertainment needs more friendships between men and women, but this time I’m making an exception for them. A not-so-healthy exception.
This will be quick because, honestly, I’m not up for long texts, but let’s see…
I’m aware that ‘they’ve only just met’, but please, they see each other all the time during their 12-hour shift; it’s impossible not to develop feelings during that time. Let’s see, I’m going to contradict myself a bit here, as I’m a huge fan of ‘slow burn’ relationships, and I really want them to have that dynamic, but I need to see signs that something more is happening between them, you know?
The way they interacted at the start seemed awkward to me, in a nice way. And I feel that’s what a real couple is like at the start. Awkward.
Later on, I felt they moved forward—still awkward, yet they seemed to tackle any ‘daunting’ task with such ease when they were together. Just, please, watch those scenes where they work together. What incredible professional chemistry. They work in perfect harmony.
Likewise, they both have that ‘dangerous’ quality I mentioned earlier, an empathy for patients that’s so human it’s quite powerful—or at least it was for me—though at first I could also see how Langdon was trying to avoid getting ‘hooked in’, but he became more and more human as time went on. A great development.
Goodness, I keep coming back to the same point: they’re both so human, in so many ways. Each deals with different limitations and excels in different areas. A quick example: Langdon seeking that reconciliation with Dr Robby, which to me is like wanting your proud father back.
Also, Mel is a fascinating and refreshing portrayal of a neurodivergent person on television, and we see (albeit not in great detail) how she became a doctor driven by the experience of growing up with a twin sister on the autism spectrum. I wanted to go into more detail on this, but I’ll leave it for later, just saying: Mel is such a brilliantly written character – funny, intelligent and, once again, human.
But would the two of them actually work as a couple within the series, leaving fanfiction aside?
To be honest, it’s complicated. They’re complicated, but I’d say yes… sort of.
The thing is, putting them in a work environment, seeing how well they work together and how they support each other amidst the stress of the job, it’s easy to say yes; however, we also see that they aren’t exactly mentally stable.
If we want them to work, we’ll need to see their relationship progress outside of work, because the hospital is actually so hostile that making them a couple is a double-edged sword.
And the thing is, that potential can’t be wasted; although they aren’t exactly polar opposites, they are somewhat different, which creates an interesting dynamic to develop. I also love how Langdon seems to be that safe space for Mel at a certain point—this within my hallucination. And how Mel is someone Langdon can talk to without feeling overwhelmed.
Even though the actors themselves have slightly dismissed this relationship in the romantic way.
Thanks for reading ts if you did it.