The Good Doctor: Season 6/ Episode 14 “Hard Heart” – Recap/ Review

Jordan’s grandmother comes to the hospital needing surgery, and Shaun faces new challenges at home and work regarding dealing with children.

Aired (ABC)	February 27, 2023
Director(s)	James Genn
Writer(s)	Garrett Lerner
Newly Noted Characters
Grandma Evelyn	L. Scott Caldwell
Previously Noted Characters
Jordan	Bria Henderson
Asher	Noah Galvin
Dr. Glassman	Richard Schiff
Shaun	Freddie Highmore
Lea	Paige Spara
Alex	Will Yun Lee
Shaun	Freddie Highmore
Dr. Andrews	Hill Harper
Daniel	Brandon Larracuente
Nurse Hawks	April Cameron
Dr. Lim	Christina Chang

Recap

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There Has To Be A Better Way – Grandma Evelyn, Jordan, Asher, Dr. Glassman, Shaun, Lea, Daniel, Dr. Andrews

For Daniel, no one could be worse than Shaun to have to check in with. Just being a minute late triggers a drug test from him and leads to Daniel rushing, for multiple days, to make it before Shaun feels the need to make a comment. But what can Daniel do? He needs to go to NA, and going in the morning sets his day off right, but the best NA meeting is far, and the closest one is so old-fashioned it doesn’t give him the support he needs.

Lucky for him, Jordan’s grandmother, Miss Evelyn, is in the hospital and encourages Daniel to just make his own NA meeting, set the tone and culture, and with Dr. Andrews’ approval, he does it. Now, only one person, Nurse Hawks, shows up, but at least someone does.

Speaking of grandparents, Dr. Glassman is very gung-ho on fulfilling that role, and Lea is a bit uncomfortable with that. Not the idea of Glassman being the grandfather, but more so him child-proofing the house, butting into the naming conversation, and just not being a neutral house guest. So, Shaun and Dr. Glassman agree that, since there is an apartment down the hall, Dr. Glassman should just move in there.

You Have So Much To Learn About Kids – Alex, Shaun

While prepping for a child is part of Shaun’s to-do list, his lack of experience is still a problem. Case in point, his patient is a 4-year-old and Shaun, who has empathy, but mainly after he knows your routine and patterns, struggles. The child would like their stuffed animal to be part of the operations and everything, and because Shaun was a very logical child and thinks children don’t like being lied to, he is a bit stern.

Alex, who has raised a child, a son at that, finds himself having to do the emotional labor and show Shaun how to handle a patient like the kid. Which, by the end of the episode, he catches on, and it allows for Alex to, for once, not seem like a butthead.

Twice As Hard, Zero Acknowledgement – Dr. Andrews, Grandma Evelyn, Asher, Jordan, Dr. Lim

Jordan’s grandmother being in the hospital is stressful. What doesn’t help is also what her grandmother represents in her life. She has been such a force that, a lot of who Jordan is, is thanks to Evelyn. But, like any Black family, Jordan got the talk about being twice as good and working twice as hard. She internalized that, and while she succeeded, it also created a burden. One in which, due to not receiving the kind of praise she’d want, needed, or expected, has made her perpetually exhausted.

So when it comes to Dr. Andrews presenting the idea of Jordan talking to young women of color to act as an inspiration, she sees this as homework. Asher, perplexed by a resident not getting the brownie points he’d love to get, questions Jordan not taking the opportunity and her answer? It’s not her job or responsibility to act as a form of representation or to be an inspiration. Just being herself and putting that person out there is hard enough.

But, when it comes to Evelyn and Dr. Andrews, that is who they want these young girls to see. However, it takes Evelyn being in the middle of head butting between Dr. Lim and Jordan and Jordan coming up with the life-saving procedure for her to realize this is something she should do. Nervous, feeling unprepared, but as worthy as the girls who could use her influence.

Things To Note

Question(s) Left Unanswered

1. All things considered, you’d think Lea’s parents would have swooped in by now, right?

What Could Happen Next

1. Meeting one of Jordan’s five siblings

Review

Notable Performances or Moments

The Burden Of Representation

2% of surgeons are Black, according to Dr. Andrews, though the JAMA Network (Journal of American Medical Association) notes 6.3% of surgical residents are Black. With that in mind, it means any surgeon is a rare commodity and with doctors held in such high regard, it means they are naturally seen as a role model or leader. As Jordan showed, that is a lot.

Can you imagine, you are barely comfortable with your place in an organization, yet you are thrusted to talk about your story, be a role model, and example? There is a reason why Jordan says that is homework and a burden. To be the level of perfect required means working even harder on looking right, having not only the professional life that is enviable but also personal life, and your ability to have a bad day limited. For snapping on someone? Being wrong? Now you have to really factor in how many people, beyond your own friends, family, maybe a spouse, you have let down.

Who would want to take that on? But, at the same time, when someone does, as Jordan does for over a dozen of girls on that call, you have to recognize the benefit to the lives they touch.

Highlights

Alex Schooling Shaun Without Coming Off Condescending

We’re far more critical than we should be, at times, when it comes to Alex. However, it’s mainly because he hasn’t had a storyline that benefitted him, without it being at the cost of someone else. I would even say, playing a prominent role in a storyline just wasn’t working. However, there is something about his dynamic with Shaun that works.

Unlike with Morgan, there isn’t this feeling of competition or pettiness. After all, Shaun is not going back and forth with you and wasting his time on nonsense. So, that only leaves Alex in a place to be a teacher, and as a teacher, Alex plays a role that works for him. That is where you can see his authority from being a cop come in, mixed with with him being a parent and learning, as a doctor, that sometimes you have to have a soft touch.

To me, this is a lane Alex can excel in and make it so he won’t have to latch onto Morgan.

On The Fence

The Inconsistency Of Nurse Storylines

Nurse Villanueva has faded back into the ethos, and now Nurse Hawks, who I think had an issue with Shaun, and got him his first write-up, is back into play and shows up for Daniel’s NA meeting. To me, I’d rather them add more focus to the nurses, especially in light of us losing a resident, than the alternatives. So, hopefully, we may not only get this nurse’s story but also see more from her peers.

But, just to preface this: They better not set up a love triangle with Daniel drawn to Nurse Hawks because “she gets it.”

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