The Good Doctor (S07E04) Review/ Recap
Focus is taken off of Charlie as Jordan returns, we meet Dr. Lim’s mom, and see the parents try to keep the spark alive.
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Plot Recap
Trying To Keep The Love Alive – Shaun, Alex, Morgan, Lea
Being in a relationship with a child, sometimes literally between you, is difficult. For Shaun and Lea, while their son is well taken care of, their relationship is changing, and their intimacy isn’t the same. For Morgan and Alex, there is still a desire for intimacy, and they even try to act on it at work, but the timing is terrible.
Both sides struggle, but they realize that while things are different, they are also better and are simply in an adjustment period.
You Don’t Abandon The Ones You Love – Cam, Gilly, Shaun, Asher, Dom, Jerome, Eileen, Dr. Lim, Dr. Glassman
Asher is struggling right now. Jerome is in Australia and isn’t picking up when he calls for a date they set up, and he is going through it. Luckily, jet lag and an uncharged phone were what caused the issue, and once that was handled, they were all right. As for his patient? Luckily for Cam, who was told he has early onset Alzheimer’s, lack of blood to the brain was the issue, not a degenerative disease. Which luckily, between Asher and Dom, combined with Shaun’s expertise, they discovered before Cam’s wife Gilly had an abortion, for she knew she couldn’t handle raising a child while taking care of Cam.
This brings us to Dr. Lim and her mother, Eileen. Since Dr. Lim was a child, it seems Eileen and her butt heads for Dr. Lim was far more like her father. She is stubborn, didn’t like nor know how to ask for help, and damn anyone who pushed the idea they had a problem.
With this in mind, and taking note of Dr. Lim’s PTSD, being in a wheelchair, and everything else that has happened throughout the last few seasons, Eileen joins a clinical trial at the hospital to be in close proximity to Dr. Lim. It’s the only way she can see her, engage with her, and not be hung up on when she pushes too hard.
However, as always, Dr. Lim avoids uncomfortable conversations and even pushes her mother off onto Dr. Glassman, who is the source of many of Dr. Lim’s frustrations. But with Dr. Glassman not having much going on in “The Good Doctor,” naturally, him spending time with Eileen leads to, based on the episode 5 preview, them having relations.
What Matters Is The Messenger – Nathan, Jordan, Dr. Kalu, Charlie, Alex
Charlie ends up on Alex’s team despite her desire to prove to Shaun that she deserves to become a surgeon. This ends up becoming a blessing for Nathan, a member of Jordan’s church, who not only has a crush on her but a benign but growing tumor on his brain stem. The surgery originally proposed could have caused him to go deaf and with singing such a huge part of his life, that wasn’t an option.
Thankfully, Charlie came up with a solution that allowed for the removal of the tumors and had no effect on Nathan’s hearing. However, while she solved that situation, she may have aided in a negative one between Jordan and Dr. Kalu.
Dr. Kalu pushing the idea that Jordan needs to be needed in relationships causes issues between them, for she takes it offensively. Dr. Kalu seemingly meant no harm, but Jordan decides to push back by bringing up what she knows of his relationship history. But, in the end, he offers some kind of rabbit stew, while Jordan is babysitting Steve, so that things could become peaceful, but surely, in Charlie’s mind, this confirms there might be something there.
Cast Guide
| Character’s Name | Actor’s Name |
| Cam | Matt Angel |
| Gilly | Erinn Hayes |
| Nathan | Brandon Scott |
| Eileen Lim | Bess Armstrong |
| Shaun | Freddie Highmore |
| Alex | Will Yun Lee |
| Morgan | Fiona Gubelmann |
| Lea | Paige Spara |
| Asher | Noah Galvin |
| Dom | Wavyy Jonez |
| Jerome | Giacomo Baessato |
| Dr. Lim | Christina Chang |
| Dr. Glassman | Richard Schiff |
| Jordan | Bria Henderson |
| Dr. Kalu | Chuku Modu |
| Charlie | Kayla Cromer |
New Character Description(s)
Cam
Cam is Gilly’s husband, who was dealing with a misdiagnosis of early Alzheimer’s.
- The actor is also known for their role in “Becky 2: The Wrath of Becky.”
Gilly
Gilly is Cam’s wife, who survived breast cancer with his support and was contemplating having an abortion until it was revealed Cam didn’t have a degenerative disease.
Nathan
Nathan is a member of Jordan’s church who has sickle cell disease and has a notable crush on her.
- The actor is also known for their role in “Fantasy Island: Season 2/ Episode 10.”
Eileen Lim
Eileen is Dr. Lim’s mom, with whom she doesn’t have the best relationship because she doesn’t let go of her suspicions that Dr. Lim isn’t doing as fine as she tries to appear.
Review
Highlights
Better Guest Stars Than Usual
One of the things we appreciated about this episode was the guest stars, especially Nathan. Medical bias was touched upon when everyone but Jordan diagnosed him incorrectly since there were many assumptions that he was an addict, while she saw a sickle cell episode. Then, when it came to Cam and Gilly, there was a beautiful story about a wife willing to sacrifice her child for the sake of taking care of her husband.
Was that an unfortunate story when it was believed she would have to get an abortion? Absolutely. However, writing like that forces you to take note of the guest stars and not just see them as fodder to further the series regulars’ storylines.
Charlie’s Cold War With Shaun
The issues between Charlie and Shaun are unfortunate, but it is also the type of conflict we like since Shaun can’t do much about it. Yes, he has a certain level of power, but let’s not pretend Charlie wouldn’t sue the hospital and potentially take down Shaun if she had to. So, with that in mind, I like the idea having the potential for mutually assured destruction.
Shaun Pushing The Idea Relationships Might Be Different But Better After A Child
It is a genuine fear for many what can happen to their relationship after a third party, specifically a child, is included. How will that dynamic work, will the relationship be set aside for being mom and dad can become more important that being someone’s spouse? Lest we forget, “The Good Doctor” isn’t just about Shaun being a person with autism and the trials and tribulations he goes through, it is also about him being a young adult navigating through life.
So when it comes to his relationship, or even Morgan’s, getting to see that children, babies especially, may mean a change in the relationship, but the narrative being it is a change for the better since it brings you closer to your spouse, is a wonderful change of pace.
Low Points
Dr. Kalu and Jordan
When two characters have nothing better to do, they are put on a path towards dating. Dr. Kalu and Jordan would be the worst match since Alex and Morgan, or even Dr. Glassman and his ex-wife.
On The Fence
Eileen and Dr. Glassman
Speaking of Dr. Glassman, considering all Eileen could provide and confront when it comes to Dr. Lim, her becoming a love interest for Dr. Glassman is frustrating. Granted, the man isn’t really doing all that much right now since he doesn’t like being co-president, and Morgan is handling the clinic far more than he is depicted as doing.
But considering how big of a storyline meeting someone’s parent, or parents, has been for Shaun, Claire, and Morgan, or even extended family in the case of Dr. Andrews and Dr. Melendez, having a parent introduced and then attached to someone else who has been sputtering for multiple seasons? Never mind it being Dr. Lim, whose personal life has rarely been focused on unless she was dating a colleague. It’s frustrating.
Background Information
| Episode Title | Date Night |
| Release Date | March 26, 2024 |
| Network | ABC |
| Director(s) | Allison Liddi Brown |
| Writer(s) | David Hoselton, Tracy Taylor |
| Previous Episode | Season 7/ Episode 3 |
| Series Page | The Good Doctor |
| Character Guide | The Good Doctor |
Hi Amari!
Wow! This is the first time I ever felt like we watched two separate episodes of The Good Doctor. IMO, this was the worst episode of The Good Doctor ever!! First was the cringe-inducing, ewww part of the episode that was Alex and Morgan trying to have sex. While Shaun and Lea were sweet in their acceptance of how Steve makes their relationship different, Alex and Morgan just made me want to press the fast-forward button.
Then there was the man with early onset Alzheimer’s and how his wife was going to have an abortion so she could take care of him. My mother has Alzheimer’s, but instead of devoting my life to taking care of her, my brother, sister-in-law, and I are making plans to put her in a senior facility. So I spent 90% of this storyline feeling very uncomfortable or very, very guilty. I watch tv to escape, not to be reminded of what will be one of the hardest things I’ve ever done or how I could/perhaps should be doing it differently.
Is Jordan and Dr. Kalu lazy writing? Yes, but compared to Alex and Morgan, I didn’t mind them. Should we spend more time with Dr. Lim and her mom, not Dr. Glassman and Dr. Lim’s mom? Yes, but compared to the Azheimer’s storyline, this one was great!
Maybe next week I will be annoyed with Charlie and Shaun again or with Dr. Glassman sleeping with Dr. Lim’s mom. But I will try to remember how much I disliked this episode and be thankful if they never mention Alzheimer’s again!
I don’t know if I would ever call “The Good Doctor” escapism TV. It does have storylines that seem to have a low percentage chance of happening as frequently as it does, but since I watch TV for work and not to escape, I’m probably coming at it from a different angle.
It’s unfortunate your mom has Alzheimer’s, but it’s good to know you have assistance when it comes to their future care and decision making.
As for Dr. Kalu and Jordan, all I know is, Claire is supposed to appear before the final and I’d rather not see some weird scene where she is awkwardly talking about it is fine, she doesn’t have feelings for him, and talking him up to Jordan.
And, you know, while I’m not fond of Charlie, I do find myself questioning if it might be for the same reasons I wasn’t fond with Shaun in earlier parts of the series. For Shaun, others advocated for him to be considered and not discriminated against, and because he had that backing, or safety net, it could feel like he did the most because he knew he could. With Charlie, I think she has a similar attitude but feels like the law is her backing, thus her having a sense of entitlement. Which may not be the best word or terms to use, but I do think there is a need to recognize, like how some adjustments were made when Dr. Lim was in a wheelchair, you have to recognize that it’s not all about making the work environment ideal for you, but rather good enough so you can get the job done.