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Superstore Alum Nico Santos Guest Stars on St. Denis Medical in Episode 4
The leader of the “mean girls” at St. Denis Medical makes a memorable appearance on the latest episode.
Few shows feature an ensemble cast quite like St. Denis Medical. Comedy veterans Allison Tolman, Mekki Leeper, David Alan Grier, and Wendi McLoven-Covey are the beating heart of the new NBC series. But in Episode Four, the snark levels were off the charts thanks to a thrilling guest star, Nico Santos.
RELATED: St. Denis Medical Co-Creator Eric Ledgin Teases Non-Traditional Will They/Won't They
Santos played veteran RN Rene, the leader of a workplace clique — and total baddie — who clashes with head nurse Alex (Tolman). From his dramatic facial expressions to his subtle sarcastic wit, nurse Rene may not be in a position of official authority, but that doesn’t stop him from strutting down the hospital hallways like he’s in charge.
Nico Santos’ guest role on St. Denis Medical
The creators of St. Denis Medical brought us the hit mocumentary series Superstore, and fans may recognize Santos as Mateo, a gay undocumented Filipino American sales associate at big box retailer Cloud 9. In that role, he perfected the art of snappy insults and humorous shade-throwing. Santos followed it up with Jon Chu’s Crazy Rich Asians, where he played snarky art dealer Oliver T’sien. It seems the 45-year-old actor always finds himself at the center of the drama, and St. Denis Medical is no exception.
The episode called “Salamat You Too” inspired tons of laughs but also touched on some serious topics in a way that was enlightening and relatable.
What happened in St. Denis Medical Episode Four?
Kaliko Kauahi, another Superstore alum who plays nurse Val on St. Denis Medical, introduces viewers to Rene’s influential clique while setting up the conflict to come.
SPOILER ALERT
“That’s the Filipino mafia. Hospitals can feel like high school, there’s cliques, there’s hierarchy, and Mean Girls and I’d say Rene is definitely the Regina George,” she tells Alex, adding “But the mafia’s really good, so just don’t mess with them.”
But that’s exactly what Alex does, egged on by newbie nurse Matt (Leeper). Alex attempts to break up Rene’s clique by reassigning them to different areas in the hospital in a misguided effort to “cultivate inclusivity.” But it soon becomes apparent who’s in charge. Rene and his crew ignore the re-assignment, and Alex goes down an absurdly comedic rabbit hole to reassert her dominance. In one scene, she even orchestrates a fake upbraiding of Matt to show everyone on the hospital floor who’s boss.
Things keep going awry for Alex. She interrupts Rene’s group during lunchtime in the break room for “a little rules refresher,” and they all comment and laugh in Tagalog. Just as she’s exhorting them to stop laughing and shrieking, “English only!” Joyce walks in. The mortified hospital administrator later assigns Alex to “unconscious bias training,” and we learn that Rene had just wanted to be asked first before getting reassigned, making it clear how things can go downhill without communication.
Complicated workplace dynamics and tricky topics are always presented in a funny way on St. Denis Medical, adding interesting layers to the show. As they say, laughter is the best medicine.
Catch new episodes of St. Denis Medical when they premiere on Tuesday on NBC at 8/7c. Episodes are available to stream on Peacock the next day.
