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Shaun exerts his authority over Danica, not knowing she is bonding deeply with Dr. Lim as a heat wave threatens the hospital’s power grid.
| Aired (ABC) | 11/21/2022 |
| Episode Title | Hot and Bothered |
| Director(s) | David Shore |
| Writer(s) | David Hoselton, David Renaud |
Recap
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You Seem Like You Need A (Nosy) Friend – Asher, Morgan
With a heatwave hitting the area and a local nursing home having its people moved to the hospital for treatment and safety, it is assumed one got lost by wandering off. Asher and Morgan are tasked with finding them, and throughout the day, Asher pokes and prods and seemingly finds a way to get Morgan to open up.
About what exactly? Well, with Asher finding her Tinder profile, she talks about what she wanted for herself at one time that she now realizes was unrealistic. Such as going on tour with *Nsync. But, with more realistic things like being a surgeon, married, and having a kid, increasingly becoming things she feels she may not be able to do, it’s messing with her a bit.
But, after finding the elderly man, who wasn’t the patient they were looking for, but someone who needed to be out of the sun and whose caregiver was thankful nonetheless, Morgan makes a decision. She doesn’t want a boyfriend right now; she wants a child. But, with whose sperm isn’t made explicit.
Quality Of Live – Alex, Dr. Glassman, Jordan, Daniel
Alex, Jordan, and Daniel deal with patients who could have hours, weeks, or months to live. For Jordan and Daniel, their patient is on their way out, and this makes Daniel immensely emotional, and Jordan’s support means the world to him, not only as his senior but his friend.
As for Alex? He sees his patient, who has a notable tumor, as someone who should live with the tumor for months rather than get a risky surgery due to their advanced age. They ask for a second opinion, which they get from Dr. Glassman, who supports the surgery. They go back and forth about the patient’s quality of life due to her being 90+, but Dr. Glassman ends up winning the battle and war since the surgery goes well.
Common Ground – Shaun, Danica, Dr. Lim, Lea, Dr. Glassman
Shaun hates dealing with Danica. She is damn near like a mirror, and between her challenging him and Shaun’s skills at being a mentor or teacher lacking a bit, he seeks out help to figure a way to make this work. Dr. Glassman says to find common ground, Lea pushes Shaun to find something he likes, but it doesn’t work. Shaun gets to the point of taking Danica off the case because he knows firing her would be taking it too far, but he refuses to be infuriated any longer.
That wasn’t the best move. Why? Well, because Danica is growing closer to Dr. Lim. She is helping her see being in a wheelchair less as an injury to deal with but as a change in her lifestyle, and she even introduces her to a community at the VA to really push the idea that there can be pride, strength, and even joy despite her current mindset. And heck, she may even find someone to crush on, considering one of the basketball captains seemed very friendly.
Luckily, when Dr. Lim hears about what Shaun did, he has already reverted his decision, and while he and Danica continue to butt heads, through a mutual love of surgical history, her changing her lotion, and Shaun calming down, they make peace. Not to the point of becoming friends, or how Morgan and Shaun became, but at the very least cordial.
Things To Note
- Thanks to Lea, despite multiple issues with the hospital’s generators and power, she figures a way to save not only her job but also Dr. Andrews
Question(s) Left Unanswered
- Who will Morgan choose to be her sperm donor? Alex seems the obvious choice, but could she pick Asher or Shaun?
- Considering how much Shaun bounced around from Dr. Melendez to others, why is he so often paired with Danica and not Daniel?
- I wasn’t the only one thinking something terrible happened when Dr. Lim rolled on her back like that during the basketball game, right?
What Could Happen Next
- Danica and Lim grow close to the point of Shaun thinking Lim is playing favorites and punishing him for the surgery he did
- Perhaps more scenes with Dr. Andrews and Lea? They seemed like an interesting team
Collected Quote(s)
Living with a physical disability is not like living with cancer. You’re not dying, you’re not sick.
— Dr. Powell
Review
Highlights
Dr. Powell’s Advocacy For Those With Physical Disabilities & Her Gaining Favor With Lim
It’s easy to understand why Dr. Lim continued to go to physical therapy and struggled with being someone with a disability. While she denied Shaun’s procedure, it doesn’t mean she is embracing one of the most drastic changes in her life. But that is the benefit of a new character like Danica on the show. Like Shaun, she pushes the idea that it isn’t about you changing to fit the environment and making life easier for others. You are allowed and should be encouraged to show up as your full self, and be embraced.
In the case of those with different physical abilities, Dr. Powell showcasing how people like her play basketball, noting they can play tennis, how they aren’t sickly or even injured, but simply move and live life differently, was truly a beautiful thing to see. It further elevated “The Good Doctor” in terms of representation for those who aren’t consistently featured in medical dramas and on television in general. For even if Dr. Lim’s actress isn’t someone who needs a wheelchair, Savanna Welch, who plays Danica, is someone who is truly part of the community since there isn’t any trickery with her not having part of her leg.
That aside, another highlight is how, as Danica helps Dr. Lim learn to embrace her new chapter and the community she can gain, it also is getting her politically more savvy and closer to a major player. Lest we forget, Danica is a veteran, so she knows networking, respect, and hard work will get you in a position for promotions and in your boss’ good graces. So while there are, and will be, struggles with Shaun, at least there is a chance he can’t pull a fast one without thinking about what Dr. Lim may say or do.
Asher And Morgan As A Duo
Morgan, without Alex, has been a bit of a floater, and with Daniel and Jordan becoming a will they or won’t they thing, it has left Asher without someone to play off of. Enter the unexpected but quite wonderful duo, or Asher and Morgan. To me, you couldn’t ask for a better combination. Both are a bit snarky when they want to be, but with Asher usually like an inquisitive child and Morgan someone who planned out their life so much they were basically on auto-pilot, it makes for a good mix.
Plus, to be frank, Morgan needs a friend. Dr. Glassman and her may work together, but since it became clear she won’t be able to heal her hands and is gunning for his position, they barely have scenes together. Also, even though Asher brought up the horrid possibility of Morgan and Alex getting back together, it seems she needs less a man and more something, or someone, to love.
Now, is a child the best answer to her issue? Absolutely not. However, she has a steady job, Dr. Glassman, with his parental guilt, likely will offer some form of flexibility, and it isn’t like Morgan doesn’t have her parents and siblings to help. Never mind, with a storyline built around who the sperm donor could be and that person likely helping, it isn’t like she will have to go at it alone. Granted, does she seem like the kind of mother who’d let a third party have too much influence over her child? No. But Morgan is long overdue to start a new chapter in her life, and who better than Asher to be part of it?
On The Fence
Wishing More Could Be Done For Dr. Andrews
Dr. Andrews has been a bit stagnant since the end of the Salen saga. Granted, the show has never really been fond of speaking on the administrative aspect of running a hospital, hence removing the legal aspect of procedures after season 1, phasing out Allegra and any representation of the board, and less and less talk about money each season.
But, even if they don’t talk about the business aspect of running the hospital, wasn’t Dr. Andrews out here dating? Wasn’t he flirting with an ADA violation regarding Dr. Lim? Is he stuck in the same limbo Morgan and Alex often are where, the writers don’t have anything immediately for the character to do, so they just fulfill the actor’s contracts by having them pop up in a few scenes, with no signs of a long-term storyline?
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