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Dr. San
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| Dr. San |
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| First appearance | On Cinema at the Cinema Season 4 Episode 3: "I, Frankenstein" and "Gimme Shelter" |
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| Last appearance | s09e06 (alive) trial2 (pre-recorded) |
| Cause of death | Suicide |
| Aliases | Dr. Luther |
| Portrayed by | Zac Holtzman |
Luther Sanchez, better known as Dr. San, was an American acupuncturist and practitioner of alternative medicine. He had a variety of business dealings with entrepreneur and movie reviewer Tim Heidecker. After the events of the Electric Sun Desert Music Festival, he committed suicide in prison.
Despite being frequently referred to as “Doctor” San, his medical credentials have been disputed. He felt that other doctors relied too much on medication that balanced emotions, putting them through life in a “gray tone,” positing that they were “probably killing the artists of the future.”[1] Dr. San did not take medical insurance for his treatments, which cost $50 a session, often several times a day.[2]
History
In January 2014, Heidecker began to complain of a numbness in his foot.[3] After a recommendation from his nephew,[4] Heidecker met with San, who immediately took him under his care.[1] Stating that Heidecker had to be under constant medical observation for 72 hours, San was brought onto Heidecker's movie review show On Cinema at the Cinema during S04E03. Heidecker also declared that San was now a permanent part of the show,[1] which was revamped into On Alternative Medicine On Cinema.[2]
However, Heidecker soon discovered that the needles used by San were unsanitized, leading to Heidecker developing infected sores at the points of insertion. Heidecker cut ties with San, threatening legal action. San subsequently went into hiding, with Heidecker demanding that viewers of On Cinema send in any known information as to San's whereabouts. Heidecker pledged that they would never speak of San again on the show.[5]
After Ayaka Ohwaki returned to the United States with Tom Cruise Heidecker Jr. and married Tim, she began to work for Dr. San. Tim, oblivious, thought Ayaka was working for a Dr. Luther, mistaking her pronunciation of “Luther San” as a Japanese honorific (“Luther-san”). However, Gregg Turkington discovered Dr. Luther's identity after he and Ayaka were invited to a “wellness picnic.” Gregg informed Tim, who was enraged that Dr. San had been “right under my nose” all along.[6] However, Tim chose to forgive Dr. San for his past transgressions, and hired him as a full-time live-in doctor, treating Tom Cruise Jr.'s health problems.[7]
Tom's health deteriorated under Dr. San's care, and the child passed away after being rushed to the hospital at the end of season 7. San attempted a variety of holistic treatments to save Tom's life, including foraging for herbs and using magnets to “pull the iron in his blood back into alignment,” but to no avail.[8]
Despite the loss of Tom Cruise Jr., Tim retained San as his doctor. Dr. San put Tim on a “nutritional vaping system” that ostensibly consisted of a blend of Chinese mushrooms. The vape was intended to directly nourish the body, replacing all ingested sustenance except for water. Tim said he lost 15 pounds in 72 hours using the system.[9]
Trivia
[META]
- Dr. San is portrayed by Zac Holtzman, also known for being the co-songwriter and guitarist for the bands Dengue Fever and Dieselhed, the latter of which was part of the roster of Amarillo Records, Gregg Turkington's music label.