The Good Doctor: Season 2/ Episode 12 “Aftermath” – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)
While a lot of people heal old wounds, even find loved ones, some are left as lonely as they were when we first met them.
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While a lot of people heal old wounds, even find loved ones, some are left as lonely as they were when we first met them.
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| Network | ||
| ABC | ||
| Director(s) | Dawn Wilkinson | |
| Writer(s) | Thomas L. Moran | |
| Air Date | 1/21/2019 | |
| Introduced This Episode | ||
| Governor’s Representative | Cheryl White | |
| Jake | Andres Joseph | |
| Carmel | Garfield Wilson | |
| Mia | Jennifer Birmingham Lee | |
Images and text in this post may contain affiliate links which, If you make a purchase, I may earn money or products from the company. Most affiliate links contain an upward facing, superscript, arrow.
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Time To Close Ranks & Love Again: Governor’s Representative, Dr. Andrews, Dr. Melendez, Dr. Lim
Naturally, when people die someone has to answer for it. So, after a bit of an investigation, it is decided Dr. Lim has to answer for doing a procedure she wasn’t authorized to do, Dr. Melendez for ignoring a DNR, and Dr. Murphy for being in the fetal position. As for Dr. Park who broke a quarantine? Well, he gets off scot-free because, well he has a bigger storyline to deal with than possibly losing his license. Which is something Dr. Andrews tries to prevent for his three staff members but the Governor’s rep is pretty adamant, and it doesn’t help that Dr. Andrews gets in her face.
But, if there is one good thing to come from the virus and the possibility of people losing their license to practice medicine, it is that it gives Dr. Lim and Dr. Melendez a kick in the pants. For with almost losing each other, now the possibility of losing their jobs, it makes them realize it is now or never. Dr. Lim has to move past the pains her ex caused, and Dr. Melendez has to be willing to be daring enough to keep up with Dr. Lim. For while he can’t compete with her professionally, she’d love for him to be her match romantically.
Commentary
Let’s be real, no one is losing their license here. It isn’t going to happen. If anything, this will just be the thing Dr. Andrews needs to give up his position as Chief of Surgery, at last, and probably throw a monkey wrench in Dr. Lim and Melendez’s relationship. With that said, how in the hell did Dr. Park get off scot-free? Never mind Lim and Melendez losing a patient each, Dr. Park could have exposed at least a dozen people, including a pregnant woman and two resident physicians! Is this storyline being set up with him getting back with his ex-wife so important they’d let him slide on a far more serious issue than what Lim, Melendez, and even Andrews are getting flack for?
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Patching Up Old Wounds: Breeze, Claire, Morgan, Dr. Park, Mia, Carmel
From what it seems, the reason Dr. Park is single, besides Mia having an affair, is because he kept Mia on a need to know basis. Something which went beyond now knowing what his cases were, but he didn’t even tell her when he decided to quit being a cop and get into med school. As you can imagine, if you are someone’s wife, even if you aren’t a housewife and reliant on them for money, not knowing about such a big shift is insulting. So, one thing led to another and now, for some reason, Dr. Park is damn near begging for Mia to take him back.
This goes on for most of the episode with Mia giving one reason or another it shouldn’t happen. She even compares the idea of them getting back together with walking on hot coals, amongst other painful things. Yet, for some reason, maybe his persistence or nostalgia, she eventually gives in. Mia even kisses him to seal the deal of taking things slow.
Meanwhile, after not being seen for nearly a season worth of episodes, Breeze, Claire’s mom, shows up. This happens to come at a time when Morgan is trying to avoid dealing with Tyler, so she ends up tagging along for quite the journey. One which begins with the idea a man named Carmel is assaulting Breeze when really he wants to marry her. But, with thinking he is an abuser, Morgan brings out a gun, gets in this man’s face, and shows there is some bark behind this woman’s bite.
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Luckily though, in the end, Morgan and Claire learn the truth and Claire helps her mom deal with Carmel asking for such a huge step. Also, after spending a whole day together, Morgan and Claire’s old beef seems cooked, eaten and processed. Pushing the idea that Tyler’s death won’t impede the process Morgan has been on. If anything, it may push her to continue her path for it could lead to more like Tyler wanting to be in her life.
Commentary
For both Dr. Park and Claire, I wanted something more, a new storyline for both, but honestly, this wasn’t it. While I’m sure the actor who plays Dr. Park is glad his wife is working with him, I don’t see her bringing much to his character or the show. Granted, they could grow on me, but nothing about those characters pushed me to think, “She should give them another chance.” I was left wondering what chemistry they had to get together in the first place.
Then with Claire, honestly, I feel like she spent this episode being a ladder for Morgan to reach new heights. Between the gun and Morgan getting into Carmel’s face, I took more note of her than Claire knowing how to play guitar and sing. For with Morgan stepping to that man like that, it showed there is some bite with her bark and now this whole idea of Claire meeting her mom, I’m so ready for that. I need to see who and where this child came from. For in the matter of one episode, Fiona Gubelmann damn near outshined the actors who have been on this show since the first half of season 1.
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In The Lonely Hours: Lea, Shaun, Dr. Glassman, Jake
Being that Dr. Glassman isn’t in the happiest of places, his animosity towards his mortality spills over into criticizing Shaun’s relationship with Lea and questioning Lea herself. This isn’t due to anything Lea said or has done recently, but while Dr. Glassman is tired of Shaun pestering him, he probably didn’t like Lea meddling with their relationship either. So, when Shaun invites him to lunch with Lea, he begins to poke at her not having friends at work, and questioning why is Shaun, a rather new person to her life, the one she is closest to right now?
This gets to Lea, and while the day time has her, Shaun and Dr. Glassman have fun with go-karts, it also seems to trigger her finding a Jake. Her finding Jake comes soon after Dr. Glassman accepts Lea in his life, as well as Shaun’s, but not before Dr. Glassman leaves the question of what the long-term possibilities between Shaun and Lea are. Which, with meeting Jake and Lea going out with him, undoubtedly will remain just a friendship.
Commentary
I think Dr. Glassman has come to a point, after getting dizzy from go-karting, of wanting to both fight harder and maybe be more open to Shaun and Lea. They are the people who remain, no matter how much he pushes them both away, and he seems willing to care about them in some form or fashion. However, with Shaun specifically, it seems he is trying to make sure he doesn’t get his hopes up which feels kind of cruel but perhaps necessary.
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The reason I say that is, if Dr. Glassman passes away, there will be no one to help Shaun deal with this heartbreak. He’ll probably close himself off in his room, and the only one who may check on him is the one who broke his heart. So while planting seeds of doubt may seem mean, it isn’t like Lea didn’t warn Shaun about her dating habits if they become roommates. Which, whether Jake is a nice guy, a one night stand, or jerk, Shaun will have to deal with that whether he likes it or not.
With that said, Dr. Glassman brought up something very interesting – why is it he and Lea don’t have friends? We haven’t seen anyone from the hospital check on Dr. Glassman or even ask Shaun much about him. Debbie hasn’t even talked to Shaun to check up on Dr. Glassman without him snapping on her. On top of that, considering how bubbly Lea is, why is she calling Shaun during the middle of a workday and playing hooky with him? I get he had off, and they live together, but why does she not have any friends?
At this moment, the only thing I can figure is Lea might be the type of finds boyfriends more than friends. Also, her relationships go south in such a way that friendship isn’t an option when it is over. Leaving her in the state she’s in when this guy she barely knows, all things considered, has quickly zoomed to becoming her best friend. For let’s be real here, while Shaun and Lea have spent a good amount of time together, at this point, they didn’t hang out all that much before she up and left. On top of that, if Shaun was the kind of guy with options, romantic or friends wise, she may not have been able to get back in his life so easily.
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However, since Dr. Glassman has been in a funk, and Shaun not developing a significant relationship with anyone at work, while they had their issues, it seems Shaun realized it isn’t like he had the pick of the litter. For, again, while Claire is nice, she isn’t trying to hang out with Shaun outside of work. She doesn’t call and check on him after all that happened during the quarantine. They’re cordial, but nothing more. So while it may break the poor boy’s heart, Lea is his choice, and with Jake entering Lea’s life, Shaun is going to have to learn to live with his choice.
Highlights
- Be it because so many characters have hit a low point, or Morgan is just written and performed that damn good, she has soared on this show. To the point, I’d argue she is competing only with Shaun when it comes to having the most engaging story.
Low Point
- Claire finally had something happen, and it was used to build up her mom and raise Morgan.
On The Fence
- If Mia is going to become a regular, I need her and Dr. Park to step it up. Having a kid and history isn’t enough.
- With you knowing no one is losing their medical license, and all that may come from the medical board review is Dr. Andrews giving up being chief of surgery, the upcoming drama seems so unnecessary. Especially since it so conveniently left Dr. Park out.
- Being that Dr. Lim and Dr. Melendez only recently have shown themselves as anything more than co-workers, it should be intriguing to see how their relationship develops. Particularly with it strengthening in secret.
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LOL “since it seems they want her to stick around but have no life what so ever.”!! Give this attractive, intelligent, and close to my age character something to do outside the hospital!
Oh, that possible West Wing reboot/revival/whatever. Got it.
Here’s what I want to happen – Dr. Park and his wife get back together and Dr. Park quits this hospital and moves to wherever his ex-wife lives. Because you’re right, he’s barely working as a solo act. Plus, they can now give Claire a better, more full story line, and I want to see more of Allegra, too, and definitely more of Drs. Melendez and Lim. There is so much that can be done in the space that would be otherwise given to Dr. Park.
I forget about Allegra since it seems they want her to stick around but have no life what so ever. Her dating life they never minded with that donor and… Well, that was the only time she had a storyline beyond commenting, or critiquing how someone was trying to run the hospital.
Just to clarify, Dr. Glassman’s actor has pitched working on The West Wing set in present day. So he doesn’t have another show currently, but clearly is keeping options open.
And honestly, I am starting to feel like Dr. Park is going to be a drain on this show if the writers aren’t careful. He is just barely working as a solo act, bringing in his wife and kid almost feels like they are force feeding him to us without him having a storyline to back that up.
First, I’ll write about the response you had to my latest comment (in last week’s episode). The actor who plays Dr. Glassman has another show?!? I guess Dr. Glassman is going to die then. I don’t know why he keeps getting better and better diagnosis and has become friend with Shaun and even Lea (sort of) by the end of this episode if he’s going to die. But then without any friends but Shaun and Lea, as you pointed out, his death won’t make an impact past Shaun. But I just can’t see him dying any time soon the way his medical prognosis keeps improving.
I miss Claire. You are absolutely right that even with Claire having a story line with her mom, it became all about Morgan. And while I enjoyed Morgan’s part, I still miss Claire. And your previous comment about the show dropping the ball with the story line about Claire and the #MeToo Movement was an excellent one. Even without Dr. Whats-his-name (unwanted advances guy) on the show, Claire fighting this problem totally within the hospital with Dr. Andrews and Dr. Melendez and that nurse and anathesiologist(sp) from a previous episode would have been great! Oh well.
Dr. Park’s story line was boring. And I didn’t even notice that he got away scot- free – nice catch! And Shaun needs to get at least a slap on the wrist or something. He was lying helpless on the floor, for goodness sake!