‘Best Medicine’ Season 2 Episode 4 Recap and Ending Explained: Martin Skips Boston for Port Wenn

The latest episode of ‘Best Medicine’ aired Tuesday, October 13, on FOX under the title “No Place Like Om.” It followed Martin as he tried to take time off for the first time to attend a gala in Boston with his girlfriend, Eden, played by Eliza Coupe. The episode was written by Ria Tobaccowala and directed by Kevin Bray.

This ‘Best Medicine’ recap and ending explained breakdown covers the medical mystery, the graduation at Port Wenn Day School and the final scene at the train station. Spoilers follow for the full episode.

‘Best Medicine’ Recap and the Retreat Mystery

Martin’s weekend plans collapsed almost immediately when three older residents began showing strange symptoms after returning from a wellness retreat. Miss Ruth appeared to be high on caffeine, Mary Lou was unexpectedly lactating and Fred, the driver’s education teacher, was sweating more than usual. One of the three was the school’s bandleader, which put the graduation at risk.

Martin and Mark, played by Josh Segarra, visited the Happy Grove Retreat Center, which turned out to be legitimate rather than a cult. Mark connected with the gurus, while Martin ended up falling into a mud bath. One review described the retreat as a dead end for the medical case, though the scenes there hint that Martin is avoiding something about his own life.

The cause was far more ordinary than anyone expected. Tim, a home health aide, had been mixing up the seniors’ medications, and he did not know he was color blind. Ruth’s arthritis pills gave her pancreatitis, and her lithium then sent Fred into renal failure. Martin discovered the mix-up quickly, which prevented a worse outcome.

Ending Explained as Martin Skips the Train to Boston

In the final scene, Martin waits for the train to Boston while watching a livestream of Louisa’s graduation speech, and something shifts in him. He does not board, and he returns to Port Wenn to find Louisa instead. One reviewer noted that he reached the station in time and had no reason to stay, yet he stayed anyway.

The moment lands because of what came earlier. When Fred needed calming, Martin tried to get him to picture a happy place, but he struggled to do it himself, and Louisa stepped in and described the docks. That reviewer read it as a sign that Martin is reassessing what he wants from his life, even if he is not ready to admit it.

Eden never appears in the episode, and her gala remained a destination Martin kept trying to reach while the story kept pulling him back to Port Wenn. The gala would also have been a step toward the surgical career Martin has long wanted to return to, which makes skipping it more significant.

Martin and Louisa After the Negative Pregnancy Test

Louisa spiraled over making graduation perfect, partly because she wanted to prove herself as a first time principal. She was also terrified to take a pregnancy test to see whether her IVF treatment had worked. With Elaine and George beside her, she eventually took the test, and the result was negative.

One review praised Abigail Spencer’s performance in that scene and noted that the result removes one of the barriers between Martin and Louisa, though the same review stressed that the pair still have a way to go. TV Fanatic wrote that the retreat taught Martin he needs real happiness, and the reviewer questioned why the series has not yet reunited the two characters.

Reviewers have taken the ending as a sign that Martin is choosing Louisa over Eden, with circumstances still needing to catch up to his feelings. The same review argued that Martin may not realize he has made that choice at all.

Graduation Day Storylines in Port Wenn

At graduation, Louisa abandoned a polished speech for an honest one about friendships and showing up for each other. She then surprised Mark with a diploma, honoring him as the final graduate after he missed his own commencement because of a high school prank. Teens rushed to give him a cap and gown, and his mother, Sally, played by Clea Lewis, took off her neck brace and let it fly with the caps.

Elsewhere, George wanted to retire the lobster rolls at the Salty Breeze, and his husband Greg worried it meant George was unhappy in their marriage. George reassured him that there is nowhere else he wants to be, and he later put the lobster rolls back on the menu to cheer up Louisa.

Sarah, played by Annie Potts, rented out her spare room for graduation weekend, and her first guest was her ex Eddie McCroy, who pretended to be a visiting father to spend time with her. He cooked her a steak and watched her favorite show with her, and her friends were charmed. TV Fanatic said the episode allowed many characters to appreciate what and who they had in their lives.

‘Best Medicine’ airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on FOX and streams the next day on Hulu. Now that Martin has walked away from the train and toward Louisa, did that final choice feel earned to you, or should Eden have had a say before ‘Best Medicine’ pointed him back to Port Wenn?