Lifetime Review: 'Just What the Doctor Ordered'

The last time we saw Dr. Albert Beck (Eric Roberts), it seemed like his days on the run were over. Institutionalized after his latest crime spree and sentenced to electro-shock therapy, things appeared pretty bleak for the lovelorn doctor. But in the midst of a fire at the mental hospital, Albert was able to escape and take refuge inside an abandoned house. Too bad for Albert that his hiding place is also the new home of Maggie Newell (Carrie Schroeder) and her 18-year-old daughter Alex (Grace Patterson). But before Albert can make his escape, his lustful eyes are locked on Alex and a new obsession is born.

And when Alex is revealed to have a severe heart defect that will require a heart transplant, Albert seizes the opportunity to get closer to his latest fixation. After killing a nurse and taking over her identity, Albert (under the alias Chris McCoy) gets hired to be Alex's caregiver and relishes in the time he gets to spend with her--all while plotting to get Alex a new heart by any means necessary. The mad ex-doctor is back and ready to get to work!

With the way Stalked by My Doctor: A Sleepwalker's Revenge ended, I was convinced that it was meant to be the swan song for Lifetime's deliciously hammy film franchise. And after two years, it seemed that we'd seen the last of Eric Roberts' sinister surgeon. But then, out of the blue, Just What the Doctor Ordered came along. While I was a little disappointed to see the Stalked by My Doctor moniker was gone, I was still happy to see that Lifetime had decided to continue the series. While this latest installment doesn't rise to the franchise's high point, Just What the Doctor Ordered is still a fairly fun return to the madhouse that is Dr. Albert Beck's life.

Story-wise, it's neat to see how much of a callback Just What the Doctor Ordered is to where the Stalked by My Doctor saga began. Beck's obsession with Alex is sparked by him saving her when she has a heart attack, much like how he became obsessed with Sophie Green after giving her life-saving heart surgery. Both movies even have a scene where the main protagonist frets over a chest scar they received from their medical ordeal. But while these connections may be cool to make for well-versed fans like me, it segues into the film's overarching problem: the plot is too back-to-basics for its own good. It almost feels like Jeff Hare (who also directed Sleepwalker's Nightmare) was trying to tone down the over-the-top craziness for this chapter of Beck's journey through insanity. For a franchise that's so well-known because of that over-the-top craziness, it's a thoroughly perplexing route to take. Beck's snarky second personality is nowhere to be seen for most of the movie, and the times when Roberts is able to go full-on looney tunes feel more spaced out than the previous films. It doesn't go far enough to make the movie boring, but the droppage can still be felt.

Eric Roberts, though, maintains his status as this film series' constant positive. Even with a reduced amount of super-psycho Dr. Beck moments to work with, Roberts makes the most of what he has and keeps Beck as lovably kooky as ever. With his escape from the hospital behind him, Beck spends a lot of time professing to be "cured," despite his actions making it clear that he's still off his rocker even if he's not seeing his Hawaiian-shirt-wearing doppelganger anymore. And in another departure from past films, Beck's darker side isn't on display nearly as much as his Faux Affably Evil qualities are. These changes are accepted in stride by Roberts, who keeps Dr. Beck entertaining to watch in action as he schemes to "win Alex's heart" by literally getting one for her. We also get a deliciously off-the-wall Beck hallucination that might have you feeling a twinge of sympathy as it shows just how far the once-promising doctor has fallen into his own delusions.

(There's only two things that I didn't care for in regards to Beck's characterization: SPOILER ALERT 1. His initial reaction to Alex and Maggie's arrival is "Guess I'm moving out," said in a tone that suggests he has no interest in the former, only to immediately afterward become infatuated with Alex. While it's not a surprising move by any means, it's a little frustrating to tease a formula deviation that the movie doesn't follow. 2. The whole business with Beck kidnapping Dr. Carlyle for the heart transplant surgery felt like a bizarre move, even for him. Even taking into consideration Beck's shock at Gail Matthews being a cop, I don't see why that would lead him to dismiss her as a potential transplant in favor of the heart-disease-prone Carlyle. Michael Rubino's clunky attempt at hamminess--amid an overall rigid performance--doesn't help matters, as Carlyle's pre-demise freakout is only funny in how forced it is.) Spoilers Over

The non-psychopathic characters in the cast are fairly compelling, even though Beck's Villain Protagonist status keeps them out of the spotlight for much of the film. Seemingly on her way to becoming a Lifetime regular, Grace Patterson is likable and sympathetic as Alex Newell. While she does have a moment of reckless teenage rebellion later in the movie, Patterson allows us to see that under normal circumstances, Alex is a good kid. It's only after finding out about her heart disease and facing the possibility of dying at 18 that she goes into her fit of defiance. And even then, it's for a non-petty and surprisingly introspective reason tied to her late father's demise. Patterson does fairly well during Alex's more emotionally charged moments, particularly during the final act, and it's cool to see Alex and Maggie have a bit of Genre Savvy going on for them. While they don't pick up on Beck's true nature until it's too late, they also never truly fall for his artificial charms like some of his past victims have.

Speaking of Maggie, I must say that between the two of them, Carrie Schroeder outdoes Patterson in the emoting department. Whether she's dealing with the news about Alex's disease or grappling with the possibility of losing her husband and her daughter, Schroeder pulls you into Maggie's maternal dismay and the moments when Maggie's fiercer side comes to light. Brandon Tyler Moore gives a lovable debut Lifetime performance as Alex's adorable boyfriend Scott, who plays a greater role in the action than any of this series' past "Heroine's Boyfriend" characters and is the pinnacle of wholesome sweetness. SPOILER ALERT Mirroring Patterson's good work with physically depicting Alex's heart troubles, Moore is excellent during the climax. After getting two big doses of sedative courtesy of Dr. Beck, Scott is left a drugged-up mess as he and Alex try to escape--a sequence that Moore plays with impressive authenticity.

Lastly, there's Adrian Eppley as Gail Matthews, a target of Beck's "Find Alex a Transplant Heart" campaign. Starting out, Eppley's charm as the bold and sensual Gail is almost infectious as we see her literally flirting with disaster during her date with Beck. Following her surprise reveal as a cop, Gail inadvertently ends up on Beck's tail for the climax following a chuckle-worthy scene of Gail and Maggie simultaneously gasping as they learn who "Chris McCoy" really is. After that, Eppley's performance becomes compelling in another way as Gail ferociously vows to take Beck down. It's too bad Gail ends up being abruptly killed by Beck, as I could've definitely seen Gail becoming a recurring character/archenemy for Albert now that he's back on the loose. Spoilers Over

While I may have ranked Just What the Doctor Ordered the lowest of the series thus far, don't take that as a sign of Seasonal Rot on the franchise's part. There's a notable decrease in the campy chaos that made past Stalked by My Doctor films so popular and a few milder issues pop up as well. But overall, this new installment retains most of the series' charm thanks to Eric Roberts' effortlessly appealing performance, consistent pacing, and an overall efficient cast. If the franchise continues after this, we'll hopefully see a return of the histrionics that made Dr. Albert Beck Lifetime royalty.

Score: 7.5 out of 10 pacemaker apps.