Present and future relationships are being established and tested as people take leaps or push some out of their comfort zone.
| Network | |
| ABC | |
| Director(s) | Sharat Raju |
| Writer(s) | Liz Friedman |
| Air Date | 10/29/2018 |
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The Perils Of Getting Close To Me: Shaun, Lea
Though Shaun doesn’t pick up on every sign, gesture, and word said to him, it is clear to him something is there with Lea. She kissed him, ran away with him, when she came back she came directly to him, so something is there right? Maybe. Initially, Lea softly rejects whatever could be seen as Shaun trying to test the waters but part of the reason why is she hasn’t had the best track record in relationships. So, with that in mind, she isn’t trying to ruin this friendship she has with Shaun.
However, with the idea of moving in together, officially being roommates, something Shaun is persistent about, she eventually reneges. If only for the sake of the friendship. For as Shaun exhibits, if they don’t live together they’d likely never see each other. Shaun would be working, barely staying in for more than a meal and sleep and Lea will be working, dating some drummer, trying to get over some drummer, and Shaun would no longer be someone who she could easily fit into her life. So while she, by no means, wants Shaun to believe their friendship could become a relationship, she wants him to at least know, since he says it will be, their friendship is strong enough to continue co-habituating.
Commentary
I really don’t know how to feel about the “Will they or won’t they?” of this situation. It’s not hard to understand Lea’s apprehension because, even when she met Shaun, she could have been emotionally recovering from her last relationship. Hence her loving Shaun’s openness, wanting to be reckless with him, and maybe kissing him as well? Not to make it sound Shaun was just a well-timed rebound but I think Lea is just starting to realize she has Shaun sprung in a way.
Which, maybe a little, possibly a lot, she is feeling guilty about for she doesn’t want to feel like she is taking advantage of Shaun. After all, she is Shaun’s only friend and it seems, at this point, while Claire is nice and Dr. Glassman is a father figure, neither will have as active a role as Lea will. Claire is a good ear for problems at work, but she hasn’t been invited over and Shaun hasn’t been asked to hang out since they got a beer in season 1. Then, with Dr. Glassman, he is just so prickly now since his ego is making all of his relationships difficult.
Dropped the Ball: Dr. Lim, Dr. Park, Dr. Glassman, Debbie, Dr. Blaize, Shaun
As for how his ego is making things difficult? Well, as they say most doctors are, Dr. Glassman is being a rather difficult patient. The big thing is him not walking about which, according to Dr. Blaize, is because he doesn’t want to seem weak to the people who used to be his employees. So, Shaun tries multiple ways to try to get him out of the bed but, like a stubborn child, Dr. Glassman refuses. That is until Debbie, the woman who works in the café, comes to visit and, using her knowledge from formerly being a nurse, gets Dr. Glassman to walk – in the middle of the night. That way, his anxiety about being seen, possibly falling in front of people, would cease.
But ego isn’t just something affecting Dr. Glassman. In a way, Dr. Lim and Dr. Park are going through their own thing. Mostly in the forms of being divorced. However, while it seems Dr. Lim is cool with her divorce, Dr. Park? Not so much. It seems his wife had an affair and he still wonders what could have been if he didn’t catch her. Leading to the need to question if his ex-wife may pop up in the future?
Commentary
Is it wrong that I completely forgot about Debbie? It’s just, between Shaun, Dr. Glassman’s daughter, and the way he was dealing with the surgery, she became a bit of an afterthought. But, hopefully, she’ll be more active because it is always nice to see people of a certain age dating and having lives outside of work. Rather than simply be mentors and only have use when servicing the youth.
Then again, considering how this show doesn’t seem to desire to give anyone but Shaun a personal life for us to see, maybe we won’t see much of Debbie? It’s hard to say since, you’d think after Jared left, we would have gotten a bit more Claire. Be it seeing how difficult it is for her to date with her baggage, her dealing with coming home to an empty space or roommates – something. I know this is Shaun’s world and they just live in it but sometimes I wish this show was treated as more an ensemble. For certain characters you just want more of.
There is an “I” In This Team: Claire, Dr. Melendez
Though, when it comes to Claire, it seems we may see even less of her since Dr. Melendez might have had it. While he is trying to adjust to her being more assertive, he is having a bit of a hard time. Maybe doesn’t like it period and with Claire never minding his decision and going to a patient, either that was the final straw or justification he was looking for to not seem sexist. Since, I’m sure, you can’t just kick a doctor off your team without justification. The hospital is one dedicated to molding the next generation of doctors.
Commentary
All I’m saying is, if Dr. Melendez isn’t Claire’s supervisor it does open him up to be a possible love interest. There is less conflict of interest and they’ve had their moments. I do think Dr. Melendez thinks Claire is a formidable woman and even before Dr. Andrews’ assessment, he admired many qualities of her personality. Especially how caring she is. For with him doting on his sister, in the last episode, and working hard, I think he knows that’s what he needs.
Like Shaun, he doesn’t necessarily need someone to be his everything, for his job provides him with quite a bit of fulfillment, but someone to see and talk to outside of work is necessary. Perhaps so, similar to Athena in 9-1-1, they can leave the job at the door. Meaning, the mistakes, the “What ifs?” and just focus on the person they care about and joy, conversation, sometimes aggravation, they bring to their life.
Question(s) Left Unanswered
- What does Claire do when she isn’t at work? Dr. Melendez, we can assume, often visits his sister, Dr. Park probably cyber stalks his ex-wife, but what about Claire? Heck, what about Morgan? Why can’t we get more than a scene or two an episode, which has to be passed around, of these character’s personal lives?
- How long until we learn who is replacing Dr. Andrews as Chief of Surgery? I’d assume he is still doing the job until he gets a replacement and that has to be taxing on his person and his marriage. On top of being president.
Highlights
- Debbie coming back in Glassman’s life.
- With Claire being kicked off Dr. Melendez’s team, it means them possibly getting together.
- Lea and Shaun officially becoming roommates.
- Us getting something beyond Dr. Park being a cop. Even if you could have missed what little character development he had.
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| Season 3, Episode 3 “Claire” | Someone once said that for every person you steal from death, they take one personal to you. Claire learns that lesson this episode. |
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| Season 3, Episode 1 “Disaster” [Season Premiere] | We got through Shaun’s date with Carly, that he says is a disaster, as cases Shaun and Morgan work on put things in perspective. |
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| Season 3, Episode 2 “Debts” | Shaun continues to be pressed by everyone to give dating another chance as Dr. Andrews tries to embrace his demotion. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Season 2, Episode 18 “Trampoline” | The unexpected happens for Shaun in a multitude of ways, including him taking the kind of leap we’ve been waiting for a long time. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Season 2, Episode 17 “Breakdown” | Shaun tries to assert himself with Dr. Han as he feels largely unsupported. As that happens, Dr. Lim and Melendez contemplate coming out.
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| Season 2, Episode 16 “Believe” | Everyone is forced to be an advocate in some form, but the big challenge for many is being an advocate for themselves.
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| Season 2, Episode 15 “Risk and Reward” | A new chief of surgery comes about, and his style disrupts Shaun’s life as much as a talkative guy when Dr. Glassman gets chemotherapy. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Season 2, Episode 14 “Faces” | Guilt and regrets are prominent themes and emotions in “Faces” as old, and new, faces enter the characters’ lives. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Season 2/ Episode 13 “XIN” |
Shaun finds himself confronted with the idea of being alone as he works with a patient who has autism, and a relationship, as well as Lea and Dr. Glassman asking for space. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Season 2/ Episode 12 “Aftermath” |
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Dr. Andrews pops his head back in to address a Claire situation and Dr. Park’s past continues to be danced around. Also, it is revealed Morgan has friends.
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Present and future relationships are being established and tested as people take leaps or push some out of their comfort zone.
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