14 and a half weeks have passed since the last episode, and while Dr. Lim is adjusting to life in a wheelchair, new residents test Shaun and the others after their promotion.
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14 and a half weeks have passed since the last episode, and while Dr. Lim is adjusting to life in a wheelchair, new residents test Shaun and the others after their promotion.
| Aired (ABC) | 10/10/2022 |
| Director(s) | Anne Renton |
| Writer(s) | April Fitzsimmons, Thomas L. Moran |
| Introduced This Episode | |
| Danica | Savannah Welch |
| Daniel | Brandon Larracuente |
This content contains pertinent spoilers.
Recap
Newbies – Dr. Lim, Shaun, Morgan, Alex, Asher, Jordan, Danica, Daniel
It’s time for new residents, and with Shaun and Alex being promoted to attending surgeons, they are now in the power position of being mentors and having the power to fire people. But, when it comes to Alex, he is more consumed by him and Morgan bickering than trying to be anything to Daniel, who is recruited to his team.
Now, the benefit of having Daniel is, while Morgan and Alex are going back and forth, Jordan can do Alex’s job, while trying to not be as smitten as every other woman, and Asher. Plus, as she learns, he isn’t just a pretty face. He has life experience, and the knowledge required, that makes working with him quite easy.
As for Danica, the other new resident? She is with Shaun and Asher and, oddly, despite past apprehension, if not refusal to be a mentor, Shaun takes to this well. For Asher he presents him with opportunities to do difficult surgical techniques while Danica watches, and though it hangs over his head what he did to Dr. Lim, he doesn’t see himself at fault. Also, because he saved her life, initially, Dr. Lim makes it appear she doesn’t blame Shaun for what happened.
A Life Adjustment – Dr. Glassman, Dr. Lim, Dr. Andrews
However, as it becomes clear that life at the hospital will not be easy by any means, that opinion starts to shift. For if it isn’t Dr. Andrews questioning what Dr. Lim can or should be doing, thus leading her to remind him that ADA laws exist, it is the challenge of doing the actual job. Trying to do surgery in a chair that holds you upright is hard when you can’t lean forward as you want or move about as you please. And while the nurses, including Villanueva, are accommodating, especially since she was looking out for one of their own, they can only do so much.
Luckily, Dr. Glassman takes a different approach to all of this. He believes, as shown he pushed with Shaun at times, that maybe you should worry less about adapting to the situation and instead have it adapt to you. Case in point, in a surgical room, have the table lowered so you can operate from your chair and have everyone else adjust, rather than the other way around. After all, she is a high-ranking employee, so why not use her privilege to justify a change that makes life easier for her?
A Shift In Thought and Perspective – Dr. Lim, Shaun, Danica, Asher
But, while the advice is noted and useful, it doesn’t mean the challenge of adjusting to life in a wheelchair is suddenly made easy. Lest we forget, Dr. Lim was a motorcycle rider, and now she can’t do that. Also, getting her wheelchair in and out of her new car isn’t easy. Add in all the physical therapy and exercise she has to do to even try to be the doctor she once was? It’s all too much and frustrating to the point of reconsidering whether or not she wishes to blame Shaun for what happened, especially since all signs of whether this could have been avoidable have thus far been deemed inconclusive.
Though Dr. Lim isn’t the only one having an issue with Shaun’s judgement. Danica, a navy veteran, is also an animal rights person, and when a procedure calls for taking a pig’s heart, she refuses, similar to how Jordan refused to conduct an abortion one or two seasons ago. This frustrates Shaun to the point of wanting to fire Danica, but he instead remembers and is reminded he had a history as a resident of ignoring not only his attending surgeon but even chiefs.
So, with that in mind, he has her watch to know and, in the last second, the pig is spared since someone gets into a motorcycle accident and a human heart becomes available.
Things To Note
Question(s) Left Unanswered
- Who is the guy that was helping Dr. Lim?
- Where did they get the money to hire Shaun and Alex, considering Andrews more often talks about the budget not being where he wants than there being some kind of surplus? Never mind, for nearly 5 whole seasons, the idea was pushed only one person was going to be hired.
- What exactly is Morgan’s title at this point? She isn’t a surgeon, she isn’t running the clinic anymore, so what is her role besides being a patient advocate? Unless that is her job?
What Could Happen Next
- Lim going after Shaun and his license
- Morgan and Alex getting back together (sadly)
- Daniel either getting with Jordan, or revealing something that makes her his confidant at work
- Someone Danica served with showing up at the hospital
- Likely more Villanueva than we have ever seen (maybe other nurses too)
Review
Highlights
Showing There In No Good Way or Best Way, Just The Common Way
Thus far, “The Good Doctor” has primarily focused on how to show how many industries, like medicine, don’t know how to handle and adapt so that those who aren’t atypical, like Shaun, can not only succeed but thrive. However, with Dr. Lim being someone who uses a wheelchair, now it has a new avenue to explore.
How can you be a surgeon when everything is made for people who can stand and walk without additional equipment? To what degree can you expect people to change how things are normally done and get them to realize that is just one way of doing it?
It could be submitted, unlike Shaun, Dr. Lim has far more power and sway to get the accommodations she wants and needs. However, unlike Shaun, this isn’t about personality. What Dr. Lim is calling for is physically having people change the way they do things, and while it is just a lower table, let’s not pretend there are likely surgeons beyond Shaun who believe things should be done a certain way because that’s what they are comfortable with. And considering Dr. Andrews is tap dancing that line where, if it was anyone else, an ADA complaint could be logged, expect to see Dr. Lim’s frustrations rise by the episode.
Shaun Giving Danica Grace
Throughout the series, you could say Shaun was given the kind of leeway any atypical person would love to have. For the most part, his mistakes and his bedside manner were excused because of someone sticking up for him, whether it was Claire or Dr. Glassman. So to see Shaun now be in a position of power and take note of all the chances he was given? While you have to acknowledge one of his first thoughts was firing Danica, ultimately, he gave her grace.
To me, that action, which can seem minor, really shows how much growth Shaun has experienced since season 1. For if earlier season Shaun was given the power to fire someone, I believe he would do it just to know what it feels like to be someone who can dictate what is or isn’t allowed. But, as shown, Shaun has learned, while privileged because of his talents and network, that doesn’t mean he should use that power anytime he can. Rather, there is a time and place for everything, and with Danica, to fire her wouldn’t just be a disservice to the hospital but Shaun learning so that he could, one day, maybe become Chief of Surgery.
Dr. Lim v. Shaun
But, of course, that would be over Dr. Lim’s dead body. As seen at the end of the episode, while she wanted to be thankful Shaun saved her life, slowly but surely she is going to shift focus from him doing the bare minimum, which is saving her, to him doing the maximum damage to her quality of life. Now, how can she take on Shaun? That’s hard to say. She is his boss, so she can increase scrutiny, but then she has to worry about it looking like she is picking on him, as many of his bosses have done in the past.
So, how she decides to handle Shaun, and what he did, and whether she’ll go after his license, sue him, or what have you, is hard to say. But being that this isn’t just a scar or note on her record, but rather he completely altered her personal and professional life, I doubt this will be something she gets past anytime soon.
Dr. Lim Slowing Down Maybe Meaning A Personal Life
With that said, because Dr. Lim can’t be the doctor she used to be, it may mean she can’t be that person either. Take note of the guy willing to help her get her chair in and out of her car. She might have never met him if it wasn’t for Shaun’s surgery. After all, she was a workaholic who sped to work on her bike and probably only went home to rest, drink a little, eat the bare minimum, and then back to work.
This is why we’re presenting this positive spin which could mean Dr. Lim finally having a life outside the hospital. For that might be the only way she may ever forgive Shaun or at least move past what he did. If she can find something that, because of how he changed her life, she actually benefitted from.
Seeing The Nurses More Than Ever
Between Nurse Villanueva and the one swooning over Daniel, this has been the most I’ve seen nurses faces, heard them talk, or even can recall their names being said. Is this a shift in “The Good Doctor” where nurses aren’t just extras in the scene, but now they matter?
On The Fence
Danica Being A Remixed Jordan
To be fair, Danica isn’t a apples to apple remix of Jordan. Also, Jordan being religious is barely, if ever, played upon and isn’t central to her character. But, I feel that with presenting Danica as an animal rights person, they are taking a page from how Jordan was built to make Danica stand out. For while being a veteran is notable, as shown by Alex being a former cop, that may not have the kind of legs that could create interesting storylines season after season.
However, as Jordan, and maybe also Dr. Lim noted, being that a lot of the medical field is built off experimentation using animals, it should be interesting to see what Danica comes up with as alternatives to animal products or general uses.
Daniel as Jordan’s Love Interest
Jordan, admittedly, seems overdue to have a love interest. She has been dating, to no avail, and with Asher finding a boyfriend and damn near everyone else having one love interest, at least in the past, Jordan being left out does raise an eyebrow. But, her going for Daniel, the one everyone is interested in, I have mixed feelings about it. Mainly due to the worry this will lead to her having some kind of insecurities and that being brought into her character development.
For, don’t get me wrong, I get it. Since Jordan is dark skin, thick, and a Black woman, that can lead to a lot of insecurities. But, it’s hard to know how this show will handle it since “The Good Doctor” has been hot and cold regarding handling life as a person of color, never mind in combination with being a woman.
Morgan v. Alex
From lovers to enemies, and, honestly, it’s hard to know what has changed beyond there not being the presumption of makeup sex? So, with that in mind, I’m hoping this isn’t the case of them going back and forth for part of the season, realizing they fight like this because they still have feelings for one another, and then reconciling.
After all, Morgan could do better, and Alex? He could do something. Maybe go to therapy since it seems being with Morgan, and doubling down on that relationship, was a means for him to avoid what isn’t going right in his life.
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