Dr. Brick Breeland -- referred to early on as Brick the D*** -- is a forceful personality and very defensive of his turf as the leading physician in the bucolic town of Bluebell, Alabama.His competitive nature quickly surfaces with the arrival of Zoe Hart, a New York surgeon making a rather reluctant one-year stop to serve as a general practitioner. Zoe inherits half of the practice shared by Brick, who doesn't appreciate the help of the younger, city-slicker doctor who becomes his sudden partner in medicine and business. Brick is also the father of quintessential Southern belle Lemon Breeland, who also clashes with Zoe for a number of other, relationship-related reasons. Bottom line: the Breeland clan feels collectively threatened by the town's new arrival. Brick is also the father of Magnolia Breeland.To be fair, Brick is a professional physician, capable of setting broken bones, mending cuts and bruises and even delivering babies.