There was one reason only that I wanted to watch Saving Hope and that was Erica Durance. If you’ve read my blog then you know that I am a huge fan of Smallville and pretty much anyone who was in it (except for Kristin Kreuk). Also, Erica’s Lois Lane is far and away my favourite interpretation of the role.

So I was so happy that she had a new TV show. So I tuned in for and I stayed for the whole season because of her. But the one pleasant surprise out of all this was Kristopher Turner’s Dr. Gavin Murphy.

At first he was the typically dorky hospital psychiatrist who had an unrequited crush on a fellow doctor, Maggie Lin (Julia Taylor Ross) but Gavin totally grew on me with his limited screen time and storyline. When he was being a psychiatrist is when I found him the most attractive, especially his last case with the Alzheimer’s patient. He was darn cute and so compassionate that I wondered why Maggie just didn’t see what a great guy that he was so it was great in episode 12, “Ride Hard of Go Home,” that she finally woke up and returned his feelings.

But overall, Saving Hope was a standard medical show with that slight supernatural twist. None of the medical cases were memorable neither were the stories of those that Charlie (Michael Shanks) helped to the other side.

I am glad that they toned down the use of light flares that was so annoying in the pilot.

Some of the smart things that the show did was cast Wendy Crewson as Dr. Dana Kinney. I love Wendy Crewson and her Kinney was a ballsy, take no prisoner’s type of doctor. What I didn’t like was the predictable hook-up with Joel Goren (Daniel Gillies).

Speaking of Goren, there really was no good qualities about him. He was a jerk boyfriend to Maggie, an arrogant doctor and then tried to kiss Alex (Erica Durance) while her fiance lied in a coma. So in the season 1 finale, “Pink Clouds,” with him having quit the hospital, I wasn’t at all surprised that he was offered the Chief of Staff job that was held by Charlie and then taken over by Dana.

So in the season finale, Charlie has woken up and is now in recovery mode. But the twist is that the experience that he had while in coma has transfered to the real world and he can now see and communicate with dead people. Before that though he confides to his ex-wife, Dawn (Michelle Nolden) what he experienced while in a coma, and she believes him.

Also before that Alex and Charlie decide to final get married that day but in light of Charlie now realizing that he can see dead people seems have left Alex at the altar.

And I really hope not. I want to see them get married. It took me awhile to accept Erica Durance having a love interest that wasn’t Tom Welling but her and Michael Shanks have a really great chemistry together and I really did like all of their romantic flashbacks of Alex and Charlie’s life together.

I don’t want to see Charlie keep the fact that he can see dead people a secret from Alex and that he turns to Dawn for support on this because Dawn might just use that to get him back because she has confessed that she still loves him (“Heartsick”). One side note, I think Michelle Nolden is a natural brunette like Erica Durnace but the producers of Saving Hope (and I am assuming here) made her go blonde so we won’t confuse her for Erica Durance. It reminds of what Smallville did to Erica and made her get blonde highlights so we woulnd’t confuse Lois and Lana (stupid if you ask me).

Anyways, the thing is I think Alex could handle knowing that Charlie can see dead people.

Alex is someone with such pure heart and gentle grace that even though the can be pragmatic at times, I think this experience with Charlie has made her less.

In season 2, I want to see Alex and Charlie get married, Charlie telling her his experience while in a coma and what he can do now. I think she could help him through all of this.

What I hope to see in season 2 is more flashbacks actually. I want to see how Alex and Charlie fell in love, I am sure there is more to that story than what we saw in “Bea, Again.” Also, more character development from the other doctors at Hope-Zion. I want to know more about the ER doctor (Benjamin Ayers), Alex’s friend Malanda (Glenda Braganza) and more about Maggie and Gavin.

So I am grateful that CTV has renewed Saving Hope another season. And now I know what I will be watching next summer.