The Good Doctor: Season 3 Episode 14 “Influence” – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

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Shaun may have found a way to bring Lea back into the fold, which bothers Carly. However, not as much as Alex is bothered by Dr. Melendez not siding with him.

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Directed By		Barbara Brown
Written By		Peter Noah, David Shore
Aired (ABC)		2/10/2020
Introduced This Episode
Kayley	Chelsea Alden

Episode Recap

Haters Gonna Hate: Alex, Claire, Dr. Melendez, Dr. Lim, Morgan

With Claire and Dr. Melendez openly jogging with one another, this is starting to catch people’s eyes. But, while Morgan thinks nothing of it, Alex thinks it is leading to favoritism. How? Well, not in any obvious way. Claire isn’t getting to lead more surgeries, isn’t told she doesn’t have to do her usual duties, like being the sympathetic one or go the extra mile and do work that has nothing to do with surgery. Nope. Alex just doesn’t like Dr. Melendez is agreeing with Claire more. Making it seem, the often isolated Alex, is mad just because Dr. Melendez isn’t co-signing his opinion.

Though, admittedly, one could submit Alex maybe feels embarrassed that Dr. Melendez keeps saying Claire presents a better argument. But, considering nothing was said when Claire was going through various forms of sexism, it seems Alex is just being childish (though I would love to use a very specific curse word).

Living Beyond The Prefix: Shaun, Carly, Dr. Glassman, Kayley

Kayley, a social media influencer, ends up Shaun’s patient and with him properly diagnosing her after a half a dozen specialist fail, she returns the favor by trying to make him famous. However, there is a big problem in doing that – it makes Shaun uncomfortable. Yet, on the flip side, Dr. Glassman tries to push the idea of how it could be good for Shaun to tell his story, and Carly notes that her sister, who we’ve yet to meet, also feels inspired by Shaun.

The Big Green Monster: Shaun, Carly, Lea, Dr. Glassman, Morgan

But, being that Shaun deeply doesn’t want being autistic to define him, while Carly is supportive, but ultimately says for Shaun to do what is comfortable for him, and Lea says it would be selfish for him to keep his story to himself, Shaun ultimately decides not to do a interview. This is fine for all parties, but Carly does feel a bit jilted by the fact when Shaun didn’t like her answer, he went to Lea. On top of that, being that Shaun took Lea to help him deal with his father’s death, and his parents abandoning him, jealousy lurks about in her mind.

Making the fact Shaun is trying to arrange for Lea to get a job at the hospital, working under Dr. Glassman, difficult to manage for Carly. Primarily due to her seeing Lea as a looming presence, and now with her at work, it would mean another threat to Carly and Shaun’s relationship.

And just to prove how frazzled Carly is, she confides in Morgan, of all people. The person who questioned why Carly was with Shaun. Thus showing how, despite all these so-called friends Carly has, the show doesn’t want to necessarily venture and establish anyone’s personal life too much. But, criticism aside, Morgan basically tells Carly that her jealousy is healthy. At least in the form of helping her, Carly, realize how passionate and committed she is to her relationship.

Mistakes Were Made: Dr. Andrews, Dr. Lim, Shaun, Kayley, Morgan, Dr. Glassman

With Kayley potentially bringing notoriety to the hospital, there is a major buzz about what to do after Morgan, who leads her surgery, makes a mistake. Dr. Andrews would rather omit speaking of it since the operation was ultimately a success. Dr. Lim, on the other hand, would rather transparency.

Now, as for how Morgan feels? Well, considering her career would be on the line, she prefers silence. But with Dr. Glassman catching wind of what happened, a red flag is raised with him, and with him intimately knowing Morgan’s secret, her days could be numbered. As for Shaun? Well, despite his commitment to honesty, Kayley ends up none the wiser.

Collected Quote(s) & .Gifs

We are the decisions we make. And you let other people make them for you. So you’re not being anyone.
— Shaun

Other Noteworthy Facts, Moments, and Random Thoughts

• Are the shoes the female doctors wear comfortable considering the hours they work, the fact they are often seen on their feet, and most of them are wearing shoes beyond a kitten heel?

Review/ Commentary

Highlights

Shaun Wanting To Be More Than Good Despite Of

Shaun being a doctor who happens to be autistic is the bedrock of the show. Him having close friendships, an intimate relationship, and being one of the best doctors, is often pushed to be seen as exceptional since he is someone with autism. Yet, in Shaun reminding us he wants to be a good doctor, not one good despite having autism, you’re reminded that while Shaun embraces who he is, he doesn’t want that to act as a prefix.

For, as shown throughout the show, each person who meets him, from Dr. Andrews to Morgan, they base everything they think and think they know about Shaun based off his diagnosis. And take note of how long it took both to not make that the cornerstone of how they see Shaun. So imagine Shaun doing an interview, letting Kayley truly make him famous, and how that would make him struggle in the long run.

After all, lest we forget, the show continually reminds us they are at a teaching college, and while Morgan doesn’t bring up that only one of them could potentially be hired, that thought still looms. So if Shaun has the opportunity to move on, let’s not pretend he may not have to help people unlearn all their biases all over if he had to interview or got a job at another hospital. If not, as shown last season, him getting snatched from dealing with patients, or surgery, and being put where only other staff members would interact with him.

Lea Being Brought Into The Hospital

Incorporating Lea has always been difficult for the show since she wasn’t where everyone else was. So, that meant her getting the kind of one on one time only Dr. Glassman ever got for extended periods of time. This makes her joining the hospital both exciting but a reason to be scared.

Excited since her butting heads with Dr. Glassman is hilarious. However, considering Carly didn’t become a major character until the tail end of the last season, she still seems fragile. Not just emotionally, since it does feel like we may soon learn that Carly has a sordid relationship history, but also in terms of her longevity.

Yet, that is the essential problem with Carly right now. Outside of working in pathology, her life revolves around Shaun. Lea, on the other hand, expanded and now has a tit for tat with Dr. Glassman, her backstory with her family and job-hopping, and while Shaun is a close friend, you aren’t led to believe he is her world. And while we see Carly talk to Morgan, that was more awkward, and seemingly forgetful of past interactions, than the start of something new.

On The Fence

Alex Being Mad Dr. Melendez Agreed With Claire, Repeatedly

In my mind, Alex being mad about Claire getting “Favoritism” could be a means to reopen that sexism storyline Claire was in. Maybe not to the point of a #MeToo situation, but at the very least addressing the boys club which they could say exists. After all, the way Alex treats Shaun compared to Morgan and Claire is very different. The way he competes with them and handles them when subject to partnering with them could be seen as a set up for him to feel neglected when Dr. Melendez doesn’t push and bolster him.

And I know this idea hasn’t been presented previously but considering how long Alex has been on the backburner, this could be the ideal storyline for him. He has shown himself as traditional, is a former cop, and while I can’t recall him ever mouthing off to Dr. Lim, it could be because he knows who to pick battles with.

Either way, this is an assumption. Alex has more reason to report Dr. Melendez and Claire this episode than Morgan, but she did see the two of them as well. But considering Morgan has a soft spot for Claire, and hasn’t been pushing the idea of everyone being a threat lately, could she have been the one to report Dr. Melendez?

What do you think?

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