Dr. John Becker (Ted Danson) is a bit of an ass. As a doctor in the Bronx, he has an opinion about everything. No, I mean everything. He complains about everything, nothing is ever right and he is always pissed off. At first, it was annoying, but then I begin to see the charm in the show. Playing off Becker's cranky moods are the usual suspects who decorate the diner where the gang hangs out. It's sort of like Cheers, but with Becker and company, no one cares what your name is. Anyway, Reggie (Terry Ferrell) is a model turned diner owner and she seems to ground the motley crew. She and Becker belong together, but neither one seems to realize it. Jake (Alex Desert) is a blind man who sells magazines and cigarettes in Reggie's diner and he is the source of a lot of comedy - funny guy indeed. Bob (Saverio Guerra) is another diner patron who is a mooching sleazeball, recently divorced, who always refers to himself in the third person. He is one of my favorites because he is so laughably cheesy. At Becker's office, there is his trusted nurse, Margaret (Hattie Winston), who keeps him grounded and doesn't take any of his crap. Then there's stupid Linda (Shawnee Smith), air-headed club kid who never seems to get to work on time and can't do her job well. Why do they keep her around? Probably because she is hysterical and pretty hot as well.
This season finds Becker getting himself shot while picking Jake up from a strange neighborhood where he got robbed and became lost. Becker's stint in the hospital has him falling for an equally sharp-tongued doctor named Liz (Frances Fisher) and although the two hit it off, eventually, Liz makes her way to Chicago following a fantastic job offer. Thus, Becker's loser status in the love department continues. On Becker's suggestion, Reggie goes back to school and while there, starts dating a college kid, which Becker naturally mocks her for. Bob finds himself homeless when his ex-wife takes him for all he's worth (which is practically nothing anyway), but Linda takes him in, much to the gang's horror. Awkward moments ensue. Aside from those continuing storylines, its mostly cynical laughs from the gang.
Overall, I found that I really enjoyed Becker: The Second Season once I gave it a chance. The cast works well together and they are a pretty funny group. If you are looking for a show where you can just turn your brain off for 25 minutes, this might just be what the doctor ordered.
