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A series of avoidable outcomes drive Dr. Shaun Murphy to his breaking point during Monday’s The Good Doctor — the last new episode until spring 2022.
Let us begin with Dr. Glassman. During the fall finale, the hospital’s figurehead president meets with a realtor. He intends to sell his house and move to Montana — that is, until first wife Ilana (played by The Boys‘ Ann Cusack) shows up at his doorstep and asks that he oversee her current husband’s life-threatening case. What is believed to be Lewy Body Dementia is found to be a tumor pressing on her husband’s carotid artery, which in turn mimics symptoms of Lewy Body.
Before Glassman successfully removes said tumor, he and Ilana have a much-needed discussion about the loss of their daughter Maddie — who, as you may recall, was seen only once, as a figment of Glassman’s imagination during his Season 2 cancer battle. Ilana resented Glassman for his relationship with Shaun, thinking he’d gone and “replaced” their dead daughter with Dr. Murphy. She has since come to understand that this was not the case. She also understands that Shaun has played a pivotal role in her ex’s life. After surgery, she encourages Glassman not to move to Montana, and to remain in San Jose to be close to his surrogate son. “He makes you better,” she tells him. And she’s right.
As for Lea, she confronts Shaun and tells him that she changed his patient satisfaction scores. She is truly sorry, but her fiancé refuses to accept her apology.
The Case of the Week, meanwhile, involves a pregnant car accident victim. Circumstances force her to deliver the baby surgically, but a medicine for the preemie turns out to be expired, which is discovered only after it has been administered. Within minutes, the baby is dead, and an irate Dr. Lim confronts Salen about their fatal mistake — a direct result of Ethicure’s penny pinching. Salen tells the chief of surgery that “discretion” is in everyone’s best interest until the hospital has conducted a thorough investigation. That means keeping the cause of death from the baby’s mother, presumably until she has had a chance to consult Ethicure’s in-house attorneys.
In the final scene, a flummoxed Shaun barges into St. Bonaventure’s pharmacy and starts smashing vials of expired medication. Lea runs in and tries to get a handle on the situation, telling Shaun that none of this is his fault, but it’s no use. Shaun is livid — not just about the expired medication, but about his partner’s betrayal and Glassman’s abandonment.
“I cannot trust you! And I cannot marry you!” Shaun wails, crumpling up their wedding venue contract.
By the time Glassman enters the pharmacy, Shaun is hyperventilating. He encourages Shaun to try and catch his breath, which he does just long enough to confront Glassman.
“You are a bad best man and a terrible mentor!” he says. “You said you would never abandon me, but that’s a lie. A lie! That is a lie! Why is everyone lying to me? Why??
“You should have been running the hospital,” Shaun exclaims. “If you had, the baby would not have died!”
Shaun continues to hyperventilate as he sits himself on the ground. Glassman sits down beside him and whispers, “I’m here. I got you.” Shaun accepts his embrace and continues to cry. Lea, meanwhile, picks the crumpled contract up off the ground and stands to the side in total silence.
The Good Doctor Season 5 will resume this spring. Beginning Jan. 24, new drama Promised Land takes over the Mondays-at-10/9c time slot.
While we wait for news, grade the fall finale — and Season 5 thus far — via the following polls, then drop a comment to discuss all things Good Doctor.
The site is called TVLine. TV is pretty important to you. So why do you put spoilers in your headlines? I re-added your site to my RSS feed recently after a couple years away because I couldn’t remember why I dropped it in the first place. I always really liked this site.
Now I remember why. “Good Doctor Death Causes Shaun to Explode, Alter Wedding Plans With Leah.” Gee, I wonder what happens in this week’s episode. Can’t wait to watch it. The suspense is killing me.
It really is quite simple… don’t add tv websites to your rss feeds if you don’t want spoilers. You should also avoid these websites from the time the show airs until after you watch the show. Avoid Twitter if you follow things related to the show. As you said, tv is important to them and it is their job. They need to get articles up quickly and have attention grabbing headlines. Thus is the business. Something being spoiled sucks but it is avoidable. And honestly if you need an rss feed to remind you a website exists then perhaps you really weren’t a fan of that website as much you thought you were.
Tv sites (it goes way beyond this one) can have easily have vague yet attention grabbing headlines about any given thing rather than be completely blatant. With that being said, they generally don’t, and haven’t for years. It shouldn’t take anyone by surprise.
Wasn’t it vague? Death..who? One of the characters? A patient? Alters the wedding..how? Cancels it? Postpones it? Decides on beef instead of chicken?
Yeah. I really don’t understand people who complain about this. If you don’t want to be spoiled, then wait until you’ve seen the episode to check tv sites. Simple.
I just watched the episode and came to read the recap. It’s very easy to avoid any spoilers on any tv show you haven’t watched and I’m on this site every day.
That is exactly what I do. If I can’t watch a show when it airs, I do NOT use the internet at all until I watch it.
J. Green – You are the problem. Not the website.
I love the good doctor it is such a good show to watch we enjoy it a lot
That was a hell of a rough ending to leave us on until spring. Alongside all the other reasons Shaun was upset, the baby dying clearly brought back some painful memories of his and Lea’s own loss from earlier this year, which certainly didn’t help matters, either. Also, I’m glad that Lea was honest about what she’d done to Shaun’s scores, but he’s also right that she should face whatever consequences may come from that.
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Thank goodness Glassman is back, though – if this is what gets him to come back for good, then I’m all for it, ’cause it’s clear he’s needed there, both for Shaun’s sake and in general. The conversation between him and his first wife about Maddie was poignant.
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As for Salen, yeah, someone needs to rein her in, and fast. And someone needs to get through to Andrews as well, before he gets in too deep with her, too. If Lim’s gonna be the one to fight back against her, I’m all for it and will enjoy seeing that go down.
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Can’t wait to see what happens when the show returns next spring, then!
I agree! Hope I remember this episode by the time it comes back from hiatus!
Hopefully, they’ll air this episode a week before resuming in the spring. That seems to be the trend with other shows.
A great bit of acting by Freddie Highmore especially in the final scene of Season 5 Episode 7 (before the hiatus)……Emmy worthy for sure.
I agree with you about Freddie Highmore.
What’s up we fall finale? why don’t they go straight through like back in the day they would have Thanksgiving and Christmas shows why don’t they do that anymore?
So that they have enough time to can more episodes and have them air for the rest of the season.
The expenses to product shows constantly go up so there are less episodes per season than there were years ago. Math dictates that airing 18 episodes over a roughly 36 week period requires months of no new shows off, regardless of how they are spread out. The Good Doctor has had seasons of 18-20 episodes whereas many others that run from Fall through spring tend to have 22-24 so that means even more weeks without new shows than some other shows.
Exactly, and covid has made everything more expensive and harder. Add in, I think??, new rules for how crews work and honestly, these super long seasons on network tv dramas are very difficult, esp when people are expecting them to be very high quality every week. But I’d rather see good quality shows where actors and crews and writers aren’t worked to the bone, even if it means some gaps between and within seasons.
In season 1 Shaun self reports knowing it could cost Glassman his job. He did it because he knew it was the right thing to do. He also reported Melendez when he thought he made a mistake because Shaun believes that reporting saves lives. Lea’s job is different, but the principle of accountability and integrity isn’t. I like that they wrote it the way they did. If Lea isn’t the type of person who can own her mistakes and face the consequences I don’t think Shaun could be with her.
Glassman abandoning his duties created a perfect opportunity for this kind of nonsense to take place. Cutting corners on health care is no different than cutting corners on construction. Sooner or later something will go wrong and someone will get hurt. The pharmacist not reporting the expired and under supplied meds is another example of institutional failure. Last week Morgan lied to a patient about her best treatment plan for personal gain. This is the ugly side of medicine, it is very real (doctors getting drug company rebates for example, or medical device companies not having to test their products and getting doctors as spokes people for the products,) and very dangerous. When the administrators check out and let the greedy take over lives are lost.
Park was unreasonable tonight. She had every right to make a dinner date with her boss and when it is career related loving partners should not say no arbitrarily. He may not like her ambitious side (I don’t either,) but it is who she is and if he loves her he needs to support her.
Good memory, Jeff. Thank you for pointing out that the show is maintaining consistency in Shaun’s thinking and holding people accountable.
Excellent case. I didn’t originally buy that he would be so harsh about her changing the records (think it’s wrong and need fixing sure), even if the later freak out worked, but you completely made it work for me. You’re right, that’s just how he would react.
This show is amazing but I am very upset because it is a very short season why are they shorting up in episodes not like the previous years they have at least 20 episodes per season and now a lot less why.
Its still 20.. they’re taking a break and will return to air on April, 2022.
That finale though…. outstanding!
There’s this little annoyance called COVID….
I love this show. The only downfall is having to wait until next season to see Shaun and Lea get married. :(
Not next season just second half of this season. ABC has been doing this for years now.
This is a soap opera,,,,,they will never get married…unless the show is renewed for season 6-8 then ..after separating…..they will get married in the series finale. There is no place to take Shawn once married……no drama. The show runners are not stupid.
The show is about him being a doctor not his love life. What’s so hard to believe that he can be happily married? Plenty of shows feature married people.
The finale was very good . It was very sad but every show can’t be a pick me up . I watch the show each week and look forward to the life lessons portrayed in each episode. Dr glassman caracter is a very important part of series I hope this continues . Can’t wait for spring too come the show is above average.
What happened to the scene where Shaun rips his poster down??? It was in the promos but NOT in the episode that ran!??
It happened very quickly when he was walking to the pharmacy.
Happy Thanksgiving from The Good Doctor…here’s our show about a dead baby. 🥺
Shaun breaking all the expired vialbottles…That was something. Im hoping that Salen wont stay on the show for long. I really do hate corporate medicine thats in the usa. money before people. You dont see that in Europe luckly. (Dutchie here)
She doesn’t even have a MD by her name so she doesn’t even understand the ins & outs of medicine. She just a lot of money & is trying to ring out as much money as possible so she can have more. Such is America for you.
By far Freddie Highmore‘s greatest performance yet!!! Emmy please💕
I was thinking the same thing. Hes an incredible actor. Loved him on Bates Motel and he plays a person with autism so realistically. Definitely deserves an Emmy for playing Shaun. My heart broke for him when the baby died
He really does deserve an Emmy ! But i doubt he will get one.
Yep Emmys don’t care about network shows anymore. You got to be on streaming or premium cable to get their attention.
I wish they would kill off Lea. I never liked her character.
Really??? It’s okay to not like her but to wish for her death??? It’s only a TV character but still it makes me shake my head that you would feel this way.
I love Lea! Shaun needs her also.
I love Lea too!
Salen administering expired meds to a premie could result in life in prison I hope dr. Lim takes her down once and for all
I absolutely love this series. The acting his amazing and really Freddie Highmore makes the show. His portrayal of being autistic also touches on the subject that autisum can be managed with the right meds and those suffering can lead normal lives and careers. This show keeps me in suspense wondering whats going to happen next show.
Everyone hates Salen, and now her elicit affair with resident romeo Dr. Marcus is nauseating. The episodes are not resolving as they used to.
Seeing Shaun freaking out is predicable and it adds some closure, but l’d really love to see Salen’s actions found responsible for the death of the baby. So glad Glassman’s back, and thank God for Lim.
I just love the show is so encouraging to be motivated of any kind. But also so realistic as life can be.
This episode with the car accident and Shaun having to come up with a makeshift fix reminded me of the very first episode of the series when he had to do something similar in the airport. That was nice, and I like Shaun’s ‘thought graphics’, something that was missing for awhile but had been brought back much more this season. Loved that we got more background on Glassman with his first wife talking about their daughter. To me, the show is getting back on track. Freddie Highmore for “Performer of the week”!!!
I mean, tv and all, and certainly in a hospital where everyone sleeps with their boss and various other shenanigans you can had wave it, but how many complete meltdowns does Shaun get before he’s fired? There may be criminal negligence in the hospital’s future, but you can only use “he’s has autism” as an excuse so many times before he proves he can’t handle the job, and needs to be in case study like was suggested. There are people on the spectrum who can handle such a job; Shaun is proving he’s not one of them.
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Also I’m not sure I like the turn making Salen completely mustache twirling. She was a more interesting character when she was abrasive and insensitive and money grubbing, but not completely evil or even always wrong. Made for better tv.
the problem is salen takes shortcuts and would rather have a water wall then current medication, as she’s the head of a multimillion dollar healthcare company but can’t afford basic things
Shaun, and anyone else like him, is only as capable at his job or anything else he has or wants to do as long as everyone else allows him to do whatever he has to do to do those things.
I used to love The Good Doctor, but that new Ethicurean stuff has got to go. I don’t like the new ‘owner’ (Salen) or the new set up she has done to the hospital. I feel bad for Shaun because he’s got to put up with all the crap she causes. I may not watch next year, if she is still there – this is the wrong direction for St. Bonaventure hospital. I still think it was wrong to kill off Melendez – the show just isn’t as good as it used to be. But I do love Freddie Highmore, he’s perfect for the character.
Richard Schiff and Ann Cusack’s scenes together were just fantastic. They made the episode for me.
Freddie Highmore’s acting is beyond incredible!!! Probably one of the best actors of the 21st century!! As a former teacher of children with ASD and having a granddaughter on the spectrum, every person with ASD is unique,” Shaun’s” uniqueness is
presented with such believability, a credit to the writers, the coaches and of course, Mr. Highmore. Also, the ENTIRE CAST, is A+++! I am probably your biggest fan!!!
Best show on TV
The fall finale only proved just how talented Freddie Highmore is. The whole cast is amazing.