There aren’t many people who are pining for a job in the most remote parts of Northern Canada. But those who land one there either can’t hang or can’t leave.
That’s especially true for the SkyMed unit, a group of nurses and medical personnel who are responsible for flying to the middle of nowhere, saving people on the brink of death and transporting them to a local hospital via cargo plane where they’ll receive more thorough care.
That’s what Haley Roberts has just left her job in Toronto to come to Thompson, Manitoba to do. She used to be a labor and delivery nurse. But she’s confident she has the ability to tough it out in her new emergency medicine job. She just has to convince the rest of the team that she’s capable. Some will need more convincing than others.
Weezer, the group’s married, veteran pilot, thinks Haley needs time to acclimate. Pilots Bodie and Chopper aren’t sure of her abilities, but they’re convinced she’s too attractive to forfeit. Crystal is the only one who isn’t so sure about Haley. A nurse from anindigenous territory, no one quite knows the ropes like Crystal, and she’s seen a lot of “Haleys” in her day who don’t last past the first month.
And for good reason. This isn’t an easy job. Not many people can handle being on call 24/7 and living by the motto “eat when you can, pee when you can and sleep when you can.” Not to mention the patients who are typically in gruesome conditions once reached.
There’s no doubt that this is truly the survival of the fittest–and only time will tell who is fit enough to make it through.
I’ll bet you’ve never seen a show where physically attractive people are front and center, battling through difficult medical procedures and hooking up to get through the lonely hours. Oh, you have? Well, it makes sense. Because an endless number of shows are built on that premise.
But let’s dive into what sets Paramount +’s latest TV-14 original apart.
SkyMed is founded, it seems, on some pretty incredible scenery, First Nations issues, steamy sexual encounters, unnecessary profanity, a few mysteries that present themselves right in the first episode and a whole lot of adrenaline.
A lot of the drama takes place in the air, which is really SkyMed’s claim to fame. But there’s a lot of hooking up behind closed doors back on the ground, too. It’s implied that gay and straight couples have sex, one character finds out his girlfriend is pregnant, and the home that the entire team shares looks like it’ll be fertile ground for more hormonal connections in future episodes.
Intimacy, action and adrenaline are the name of the game in this formulaic, medical-drama import from Canada.
New nurse Haley Roberts lands in Northern Canada to join the air ambulance crew, but has no idea what she’s getting herself into–including saving a man whose plane has crashed. That’s after she’s helped to deliver a baby without a full medical team.
A man is attacked by a bear in the wilderness, and nurses attend to his open, gushing wound. A nurse helps a pilot escape from a crashed plane; later, she describes him as having internal lacerations and many fear he’ll never be able to walk again.
Haley and a male pilot make out and have sex with one another. They remove most of their clothes, and we see them in boxers, bra and underwear. A woman sports a bathing suit and a cleavage-baring top. Two men make a few sexual jokes.
A man describes the communal home that all the air ambulance crew share as a place for “hook ups, break ups and throw ups.” People consume beer and hard liquor at a party.
God’s name is misused twice, once paired with “d–n.” Jesus’ name is misused once. There’s a hefty amount of profanity used, including the s-word which is heard nearly 10 times; someone says “f-ing” once. Other vulgarities such as “b–ch,” “a–,” “h—,” “d–mit, “d–n,” “p-ssy,” “d-cks” and “p-ss off” are all uttered multiple times each.
Kristin Smith joined the Plugged In team in 2017. Formerly a Spanish and English teacher, Kristin loves reading literature and eating authentic Mexican tacos. She and her husband, Eddy, love raising their children Judah and Selah. Kristin also has a deep affection for coffee, music, her dog (Cali) and cat (Aslan).
Language mars this otherwise powerful, poignant and sometimes funny series about moving on from unimaginable grief.
This new Peacock show deals in an intriguing setup and fine performances, but it comes with a flush of problems. And that’s no lie.
