The Good Doctor: Season 6/ Episode 5 – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)
As Shaun comes up with a potential fix to Dr. Lim’s spine, Daniel reveals the kind of secrets that he may not want to become public knowledge.
As Shaun comes up with a potential fix to Dr. Lim’s spine, Daniel reveals the kind of secrets that he doesn’t want to become public knowledge.
| Aired (ABC) | 10/31/2022 |
| Episode Title | Growth Opportunities |
| Director(s) | Daniel Dae Kim |
| Writer(s) | Peter Blake |
| Introduced This Episode | |
| Skyler | Diana Tsoy |
| Chris | Jonathan Sadowski |
| Ollie | Reggie Herold |
| Jacob | Joel de la Fuente |
| Mick | Dennis Oh |
| Daisy | Julienne Hanzelka Kim |
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Recap
You Raised Her, But Are Not The Father – Skyler, Mick, Jacob, Daisy, Asher, Danica, Shaun, Lea
For a young girl named Skyler, show tunes and performing are her life. Which makes stomach pains quite the issue. Luckily, it is a minor case of having elevated iron levels in her blood, which originally was a quick fix. However, as the issue is discovered to be affecting her liver in a way that could kill her, her parents, Daisy and Jacob, are tested for not only the gene affecting Skyler but to potentially donate part of their liver.
Daisy has the recessive gene, Jacob does not, and we learn that is because Jacob is not Skyler’s father, it is Mick, a guy Daisy cheated on Jacob with when they were in college, and Mick was Jacob’s roommate. This leads to a lot of drama as Jacob finds out, Mick does as well, and before Asher and Danica can ask him to donate a part of his liver, a fight breaks out, and Asher gets hit. Shaun follows up and fails to convince Mick to help. Lea, however, saves the day and Skyler’s life.
Empathy Doesn’t Have To Have Limits – Chris, Ollie, Alex, Jordan, Daniel
Two brothers, Chris and Ollie, come to the hospital, originally, due to Ollie. But when Chris raises Alex’s eyebrow due to the pains he is experiencing, he is admitted and learns he has stage three pancreatic cancer. This is a major thing since he is taking care of Ollie, who is an adult, but suffered a head injury because of him, when they were kids. Mind you, because he was expected to watch him rather than live his own life, but guilt is guilt.
Either way, Chris does whatever it would take to rid himself of the cancer, but unfortunately, it has metastasized to the point that Ollie may need a group home as Chris may not live for more than a few months. As this happens, Daniel finds himself trying to reassure Chris by telling a story of his brother who was an addict, who hit rock bottom, but eventually turned it around. This seems to be the inspiration Chris needed to know Ollie may have it hard on his own, but he’ll make it.
But, we come to find out Daniel was talking about himself, not his brother. He was the one who became an addict, and the reason he curved Jordan is that, between his sobriety and then his career, he doesn’t feel like he has the ability to add a girlfriend to that. So while there is a mutual interest, he helps Jordan understand why he is hot and cold sometimes.
Love What Was, Accept What Is – Danica, Shaun, Dr. Glassman, Dr. Lim, Dr. Andrews, Joseph, Morgan, Lea, Maddie
Shaun is hellbent on ending the conversation that he made a mistake he needs to own up to or apologize for by coming up with a surgery that could allow Dr. Lim to walk again. Originally, she is all ears, as is Dr. Andrews, but with Dr. Glassman protesting because of potential risks, Shaun is tasked with convincing him. Which, due to personal reasons, Dr. Glassman constantly criticizes what Shaun comes up with until Lea steps in and reminds Dr. Glassman that Shaun is his son and he needs to stop being petty.
This triggers memories of Dr. Glassman raising Maddie and pushing her away by not taking her side or trying to see it but rather going against her. Leading to Dr. Glassman eventually trying to help Shaun rather than punish him. But, it may all be in vain.
You see, Joseph appeared to want a date with Dr. Lim, and this leads to some excitement that even calls for Morgan to get her rare appearance to help Dr. Lim pick an outfit. This leads to a night that goes well until Dr. Lim makes a move, and Joseph makes it clear he doesn’t see her like that. With that happening, you can see a level of devastation that really pushes the idea that, to get back to normal, she needs surgery.
However, Danica makes it clear that the chase for what she, Dr. Lim, was, is something she needs to move past. This new life is something she can get used to, and even excel in, if she tries, but if you get stuck on who you were, you may never know who you can be. So, with that in mind, Dr. Lim tells Shaun thanks but no thanks, which leaves him bewildered and flipping out in a way that is uncomfortable for Dr. Lim, and a bit embarrassing for Dr. Glassman.
Things To Note
What Could Happen Next
- Someone from Danica and Daniel’s individual pasts coming to the hospital
- Hopefully, Morgan gets a storyline besides Alex being her ex
Review
Highlights
Daniel and Danica Made A Comeback
It took a few episodes, but now we can see Daniel and Danica as valued members of “The Good Doctor.” Danica, speaking for those who don’t want human advancement at the cost of other animals, brings a different perspective. Add in being someone missing part of her leg and being a veteran, it makes her unique in ways that can’t easily be compared at this point.
Then with Daniel, making him an addict creates a notable complication. He is someone who works around all types of drugs throughout the day, and while five years sober, who knows whether the stress from being a resident isn’t taxing on him? This isn’t to say I expect him to relapse, but there is something about seeing a former addict, especially Daniel’s age, hit rock bottom, and make something of himself.
Dr. Lim Accepting Her New Life
Dr. Lim miraculously being healed would have been such a disservice to anyone who has ever experienced an injury like hers. Granted, Shaun and the others come up with miraculous procedures every episode, but there is a world of difference between someone like Skyler getting a last-minute save that changes their life to a series regular.
As noted previously, what “The Good Doctor” has above other medical dramas is that its diversity branches to more than just race, sexuality, and gender. Shaun has autism, Danica and now Dr. Lim qualify as someone disabled, Asher is gay, Danica advocates for animal rights and is a veteran, Jordan is a Christian, and it goes on and on. So by not stripping Dr. Lim of something inconvenient for her, because she formally was mobile, it presents the idea that being in a wheelchair isn’t a punishment or something waiting to be fixed, but simply her new way of living life.
A Reminder Of How Shaun Is The Closest Thing To Having A Child For Dr. Glassman
Through both Shaun’s experience with Mick, and Alex pointing out similarities between Ollie’s and Chris’ story to his, you can see a reminder of what Shaun has been through. Mick abandoning his daughter for his other kids and their sakes, was a potential trigger. Being reminded, through Ollie, the helplessness Shaun felt when Steve died, and he was forced to live on a bus wasn’t appreciated. Especially since Shaun had it far worse than Ollie, and Ollie doesn’t have autism.
But, it isn’t just Shaun reminded of his past. Dr. Glassman, who has let petty arguments ruin most of his relationships, finds himself consistently reminded that all he has left, in terms of personal relationships, is Shaun. He is the only family he has, and he lets the personal affect the professional and vice versa.
Now, can you submit Shaun doing a surgery against Dr. Glassman’s orders justifies his attitude? To a point. Dr. Lim did coerce Dr. Glassman to see the flaws in Shaun’s surgery and made it so he couldn’t easily will himself to the idea that Shaun, at the very least, kept Dr. Lim alive. But, lest we forget, Dr. Glassman isn’t in a black or white position. He is the former president of the hospital, one of the most experienced surgeons, even after going through cancer, and no matter what, he is seen as the main person who can breakthrough to Shaun and manage him when he starts having a moment.
And in some ways you can see Dr. Glassman, at one time, would relish in this, but Shaun isn’t a child anymore, and with that slap in season 1, Dr. Glassman doesn’t like from anyone, Lea included, to be pushed to be Shaun’s keeper. Yet, outside of Lea, who else will look out for Shaun? His dad died without making amends, and mother has yet to make the effort to properly reconcile with him. So while a mentor, and a friend, Dr. Glassman can’t abandon also being a father figure, despite how much that would make certain issues easier for him.
On The Fence
So, Just Because Morgan Isn’t Dating Alex, She Is Going To Be Sparsely Seen?
Is it wrong to be a tad upset Morgan has been put on ice? Yes, she has her moments of appearing to bicker with Alex or, in this episode, criticize Dr. Lim’s fashion but is that enough? Yes, with no longer being able to be a surgeon, it is difficult for her to be in the foray everyone else is. But are we really going to neglect her role in the clinic? Have her just pass off patients, as she has done thus far this season, rather than remind us she is as capable as anyone else, it just the damage to her hands keep her from working full-time?
Granted, it’s hard to say what can be done with Morgan, but considering how ambitious she is and how she is one of the few members of Dr. Glassman’s staff we see, surely something can be done. Even if it is just him prepping for the inevitable and training her to be his successor and keep the clinic alive.
Joseph Putting Dr. Lim In The Friendzone
I had high hopes for Joseph. Yes, Dr. Lim learning to accept being in a wheelchair partly thanks to a man coming in her life does lead to mix results. Previously we have romanticized that her becoming a wheelchair user means slowing down and running into people like Joseph. But, as shown, Joseph shouldn’t be treated as the thing she missed, and she shouldn’t see Shaun’s surgery as a long-term blessing.
But, there is something about her making it seem he wasn’t even considering her because she is in a wheelchair, which complicates things. On the one hand, you could push your anger towards him and the idea his lack of communication led Dr. Lim on. But, at the same time, Dr. Lim could still be associating everything wrong in her life with being in a wheelchair and could be projecting why he doesn’t like her on her not being upwardly mobile vs. other facets of her life or personality.
So we’re a bit torn about Joseph and the potential of him friend-zoning Dr. Lim or her thinking there was something more to their friendship beyond companionship.
Hi Amari! Thanks to ABC’s stupid scheduling, I’m actually caught up on The Good Doctor!
I find myself agreeing with you on most everything, as usual. My one issue is with Joseph and Dr. Lim. I was interested in that storyline until he put her in the friendzone. Maybe I’m wrong, but what guy would go to such long lengths just to make a new “friend”? I understand giving her a hand in the parking garage with her wheelchair and groceries, and maybe even having cheese and crackers at her place. But going on a date that’s not really a date because he just wants to be her pal? I thought the ending to that scene would be how awkward the sex was, not how he went to all this trouble with her because she seemed “like a nice person to hang out with”. To me the whole thing was entirely made up to move Dr. Lim’s story forward, which I found very annoying (and I took 10 points off the Community Rating because of it)!
And why we see so much of Alex and so little of Morgan has me annoyed, too!
It was annoying to me too. My line of thinking was that because we’re so deep into the show now, we’re going to expand to show how other differently-abled people have trouble navigating a world that more so tolerates their existence than adapts to it. And, like what you said, I was thinking they were going to touch upon what it is like to be someone who is a wheelchair user when it comes to sex and so many other things. But, increasingly, it seems the show writers have started to back away from diving into how Lim has to adapt to the world, and it seems they don’t want it on par with how Shaun had to adapt or how the world can accommodate people like him, but doesn’t.
At this point, I feel like if Daniel Dae Kim had his original wish of Shaun being Asian, like the original series, the guy who is playing Alex would likely be Shaun. It’s like Alex staying on is an apology for Kim unable to get him the lead role, so he made sure he got a steady gig regardless.
I think it would have been very interesting for them to go deeper into Lim’s issues being in a wheelchair. The writers started off strong with her problems in the operating room but then backed off like you wrote, which is a shame.
I love your comment about how it’s like Alex staying on is an apology from Kim unable to get him the lead role, so he gets a steady gig regardless! I don’t know whether to burst out laughing or toast your brilliance!!