S01.E03: Oliver

[AmandaPanda]

Quote

Dr. Melendez and Dr. Unger discover their patient isn't being completely honest with them; Dr. Browne must learn to communicate with Dr. Murphy as they race back to the hospital with a donated organ.

[slasherboy]

Are livers really that big?  Oliver was YUUUUGE!

Toby should have been eating pie instead of pancakes.  How about some syrup, Tobes?

[Amethyst]

LOL at them doing the procedure on the highway ramp instead of just taking a few seconds to pull over on the shoulder.  All for the drama.

Poor Browne.  Even though she realizes Shaun's difficulty interacting with people, I understood her frustration.  I thought he was just zoning out during a flashback, not deliberately ignoring her.  That's gonna get old if people can't actually ask him questions and have to re-phrase everything.  And I couldn't blame her for her lack of thrill at Shaun's "We saved a life today, just not Chuck's."  I did notice that Shaun tried to touch her shoulder in reassurance, though.  So that's progress.

The rich guy surgery felt unnecessary.  They could have ditched that altogether.

Those were some sugary pancakes Shaun was eating.

[The Wild Sow]

6 minutes ago, Amethyst said:

The rich guy surgery felt unnecessary.  They could have ditched that altogether.

He was heading out the door to  smoke a cigar!  Which is why he had the head & neck cancer in the first place.

The fact that he continued to smoke didn't prevent him from getting the tumor excision and the free-flap, but Chuck's glass of champagne disqualified him from that liver.  Of course, livers are in limited supply, and reconstructive surgeries aren't.

[Amethyst]

3 minutes ago, The Wild Sow said:

He was heading out the door to  smoke a cigar!  Which is why he had the head & neck cancer in the first place.

The fact that he continued to smoke didn't prevent him from getting the tumor excision and the free-flap, but Chuck's glass of champagne disqualified him from that liver.  Of course, livers are in limited supply, and reconstructive surgeries aren't.

Oh, I understood the symbolism of it.  So did Melendez and Andrews, judging from the looks they shared.  Yes, the rich asshole can get another surgery he needs while people like Chuck slip up once and basically get a death sentence.  I just didn't think it added much to the episode.

[KaveDweller]

Shaun is obviously very smart, but he would drive me absolutely crazy with the not answering questions thing. It's not like she was asking dumb questions.

And, patients tend to ask their doctors questions.

[statsgirl]

Could they really get the liver to another hospital and into another patient in less than 52 minutes?  Would the other recipient already have been prepped for surgery with an empty stomach?  I thought Tuvok was going to get the liver just because otherwise it would be wasted.  (Also I saw this plot on ER about 10 years ago.)

The flashbacks while Shaun spaces out are already old.

[Annber03]

I'm fine with the flashbacks, myself, mainly 'cause I like the little reveals about Shaun's past that we're getting along the way. And I'm guessing it's the simplest way they can think of to explain how autistic people's thought processes work, too. But I could see where somebody might think there's a better way to show that stuff on screen. 

I too sympathized with Claire's reaction to a lot of Shaun's behavior this episode, especially given time was of the essence and she was already stressed about that whole thing. But I also like how she tried to keep her patience as best she could as she figured out how to understand him. This episode further proved why I like her as a character. 

The whole thing with Chuck got to me, in part because I could relate to the desperation to find that miracle for a deathly ill family member. I was thinking by the end that it'd be neat to get an update on him down the line. Don't know if they plan to do such a thing, but it'd be a nice bit of continuity and a way to help connect us to some of the patients further as well. 

Liked Shaun meeting that neighbor and tending to the cat, and Melendez was significantly more tolerable and even a little sympathetic this week, so yay for that, too. 

[Bobbin]

Dr. Glassman could have clued Claire in about Shaun's aversion to questions, but it was a good lesson for her in patience as well as learning to communicate with an "alien" intelligence, a recurring theme on "Star Trek" and the heart of last year's brilliant "Arrival." It's also a clever take on "Jeopardy":  "You must phrase your question in the form of a statement." In truth, you can get used to that format. I don't know if it's the reason for Shaun's hangup, but I had a family member who weaponized innocent questions, turning any answer into a cause for a fight.

Switching transplant recipients at the last minute seems sketchy. But it is possible, especially if the "lucky" patient is already in the hospital or they went down the list until they found one who was. Side note: pieces of livers, lobes, can be used, not necessarily the whole organ. I don't know how much greater success is with the whole organ, but living donors can donate a lobe.

Andrews having to call in Melendez during surgery and Melendez not throwing it in his face after was a nice resolve, a plus for both characters.

Shaun calling on his neighbor (just to get his AAs back -- or was that a ruse?) was HUGE for someone with autism. Consider how terrified young Shaun was of knocking on the man's door while "fundraising" with his brother.

Good show. Not all about "the good doctor," like "Speechless" isn't all about J.J. "We saved a life." Shaun is a glass half full kind of guy. Good indeed.

[RickyB]

I received a Liver transplant in June 2016. The standard protocol is when a donor becomes available usually hours before removing the organ from the donor two if not three recipients are called to their respective transplant centers and prepared for surgery. I found out I was actually the third try for my organ. In essence with a liver transplant there is no “list” you are ranked by blood type and scored by severity of your condition. The sickest get transplanted first. There is no hardline “law” regarding the six months of sobriety it is usually up to the transplant center and the social worker. If the patient has been compliant and wasn’t exhibiting signs to regression this should have been at the discretion of the center. I understand the show was between a rock and a hard place on this, it would have been bad pr for Donate Life organizations to show the patient receiving the organ. Also, it made a good juxtaposition between the two patients and responsibility of personal care in relation to wealth. In my opinion there is no real reason that if the liver was compatible Chuck should have received the transplant. 

[tunajune]

I don't understand Chuck's need to celebrate his daughter's special occasion with a full 6-8 oz. glass of champagne.  If you know that a life-saving procedure could become available to you with little notice, why not just touch the glass of alcohol to your lips?  After all, just still being alive with your family should be celebration enough.

When a liver is being kept cool with a slurpee, how does it make sense to operate on the trunk of a car in direct sunlight?  At least, cast a shadow.

This show is so heavy-handed.  Is Freddie enough to keep me watching?  Probably.

[vibeology]

I enjoyed this episode so much. I think it went a long way to making both Melendez and Andrews actual people instead of roadbloacks. When Melendez was doing the math, hoping it would prove Chuck was being honest, I really felt for him. That was someone who cared about a patient and wanted to do the best for him. Andrews being an adult and doing the right thing for his patient, though it probably hurt his pride, was a strong moment too. I'm fine with characters who serve to antagonize Shaun and Glassman but those stories will always be better if those characters are whole people.

As for Shaun, good on him for going with the flow. He was all over the place in new environments and I'm sure that's extremely difficult. That being said, I don't understand how he made it through med school if he can't answer a question.

The liver medicine was probably a hot mess. I know a bit about liver transplants but not enough to point out specific things but I have to think that a highway isn't the most sterile place to operate nor the coolest if temperature is so very important.

[rhys]

Wouldn't 6oz oz champagne consumed 3 days earlier be out of one's system? Or does the hospital have a super great testing method? Chuck was dumb to make that choice, tho.

Liver packaging should have been all drippy blue.

[Artsda]

11 hours ago, Amethyst said:

LOL at them doing the procedure on the highway ramp instead of just taking a few seconds to pull over on the shoulder.  All for the drama.

I think that was for preventing passing cars dust/gravel/dirt to contaminant the liver. They couldn't risk car debris driving past, they had to stop traffic. 

[Lady Calypso]

11 hours ago, KaveDweller said:

Shaun is obviously very smart, but he would drive me absolutely crazy with the not answering questions thing. It's not like she was asking dumb questions.

And, patients tend to ask their doctors questions.

Also, he's answered questions before, right? The pilot had the board ask him why he wanted to be a doctor, and he answered. 

I still can't really remember anyone's character name besides Shaun. 

The show seems to be doing well, so I expect it'll get a second season. I don't know, though; I find it hard to like anyone if they're not around Shaun. I totally tuned out half of the other plots this episode without Shaun. 

I liked Claire this week. I wasn't sure about her the first two episodes, but she did really well with Shaun this time around. Dr. Glassman is also a good character, in that he's really been there for Shaun, and I like their relationship.

I still don't like Hill Harper's character. I just completely forget he exists when he's not in a scene. I did like the twist of Chuck not getting the liver and that they didn't just break the rules to get it for him, although the ending to that story did make me a bit sad. It sucks that he messed up once and it might very well cost him his life.

[mortonsalt]

9 hours ago, Bobbin said:

Shaun calling on his neighbor (just to get his AAs back -- or was that a ruse?) was HUGE for someone with autism. Consider how terrified young Shaun was of knocking on the man's door while "fundraising" with his brother.

That's a good point, and I know that it's probably inevitable that they add a romantic relationship or probably relationships to Shaun's storyline, and hopefully with more female characters outside of Claire or Jessica because I don't want to see any love triangles with Shaun on this show. 

 

2 hours ago, tunajune said:

This show is so heavy-handed.  Is Freddie enough to keep me watching?  Probably.

Yes, I like how they tried to make Melendez and Andrews more dimensional, but Highmore is still the only reason that I'm tuning in.

[Pink-n-Green]

18 hours ago, The Wild Sow said:

 but Chuck's glass of champagne disqualified him from that liver.  Of course, livers are in limited supply, and reconstructive surgeries aren't.

I haven't watched the episode yet (but spoilers don't bother me; I actually like to know what happens), but it looks like a patient was denied a liver transplant because he drank one glass of champagne?  That exact same situation occurred on either "ER" or "Chicago Hope" several years ago; a man had a glass of champagne at his daughter's wedding.  I wonder if that's a common thing in real life.

5 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

I still can't really remember anyone's character name besides Shaun. 

Thank you!!!  I thought it was just me.  If you asked me to recite the cast right now, I'd say there's Dr. Murphy, Dr. Old Dude Who Knew Shaun as a Kid, Dr. Pretty African American Doctor Who is Actually British, Very Tall Doctor with Indeterminate Accent, Rude Attending Doctor with the Mole, Doctor Who Wants Old Doctor's Job, and Generic Blonde Lady.

[MsNewsradio]

41 minutes ago, Lady Calypso said:

12 hours ago, KaveDweller said:

Shaun is obviously very smart, but he would drive me absolutely crazy with the not answering questions thing. It's not like she was asking dumb questions.

And, patients tend to ask their doctors questions.

Also, he's answered questions before, right? The pilot had the board ask him why he wanted to be a doctor, and he answered. 

He has answered questions before, and this is also something that would have come up numerous times in his life long before he ever got to this point (getting through college/med school without ever having to answer a question? Come on), but the writers apparently chose this from the Wheel of Autism this week. I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't come up as an issue in subsequent episodes at all. 

I've been trying to put my finger on what bothers me so much about Shaun's character (and to be fair, Freddie is doing a good job with what he has, and I'm finding his performance far less grating than other portrayals I've seen), and I think this author sums it up far more eloquently than I can:  https://chavisory.wordpress.com/2017/10/05/invisible-history/ . 

I want to like this show, but they are just making it so hard! 

[izabella]

I like the show a lot, but it's not believable to me that a hospital would hire someone with whom they have such difficulty communicating, even if he is at genius levels of medical care.  That can get patients killed.  I'm finding it hard to believe he'd have made it through med school.  I also found it hard to believe Shaun's neighbor was so unphased by Shaun when she met him for the first time, like she didn't even notice his quirks. But I'm willing suspend disbelief because I love Richard Schiff, and Shaun seems like a sweetheart. 

Edited October 10, 2017 by izabella

[Annber03]

Shaun may have experience answering questions, but that doesn't necessarily mean he has to like doing so. Maybe there was something about this particular situation where he felt questions weren't helping or necessary, as opposed to other situations? I dunno. 

2 hours ago, mortonsalt said:

That's a good point, and I know that it's probably inevitable that they add a romantic relationship or probably relationships to Shaun's storyline, and hopefully with more female characters outside of Claire or Jessica because I don't want to see any love triangles with Shaun on this show. 

Amen to no love triangles. If he finds love on the show eventually, I'm cool with that-it could be a very sweet and interesting storyline. But yeah, hopefully they can do so without all the usual romance drama tropes and such. 

[marymon]

I think the show lost me with the liver procedure on the highway.  

[morakot]

13 minutes ago, marymon said:

I think the show lost me with the liver procedure on the highway.  

Not only was the operation on the freeway, in bright sunlight, it was also on the hot hood of a car above a hot engine...

[statsgirl]

I don't want to see Shaun in a romantic relationship at all, especially as they are writing him as so sheltered?  unconnected? .  In real life it can be very difficult for those who are partners of people on the spectrum because they don't mirror the way other people do (a friend was complaining about her ex husband to me earlier this week).  The show has enough people for romantic relationships on the show  -- leave Shaun out of it.

2 hours ago, MsNewsradio said:

I've been trying to put my finger on what bothers me so much about Shaun's character (and to be fair, Freddie is doing a good job with what he has, and I'm finding his performance far less grating than other portrayals I've seen), and I think this author sums it up far more eloquently than I can:  https://chavisory.wordpress.com/2017/10/05/invisible-history/ .

That a good write-up.  I don't understand why the show doesn't run these things by people who know something about what it's really like to be on the spectrum.

5 hours ago, tunajune said:

I don't understand Chuck's need to celebrate his daughter's special occasion with a full 6-8 oz. glass of champagne.  If you know that a life-saving procedure could become available to you with little notice, why not just touch the glass of alcohol to your lips?  After all, just still being alive with your family should be celebration enough.

It can take two years or more being on the transplant list to get an organ -- spending the time being able to do nothing, not even going more than 2 hours away from the hospital.  He said she was the first person in his family to graduate from college so I can understand his desire to just feel like a normal human being again for a little while. Although you're right, he didn't need to drink the whole six ounces.

It's typical David Shore to write it like this, having Chuck lose the live.  He's pulled unhappy endings like that since he was writing Due South. 

I don't enjoy it.

[thuganomics85]

Whelp, I was wrong.  They pretty much do lose a patient early on, but a lot of it was out of their control, sadly.  It definitely was dumb of Chuck to have that drink; even one; being so close to getting a new liver, but that still sucks for him (and I do think the daughter will never get over being the one to give the glass to him.) Great seeing Tim Russ though.  Tuvok might not get as much love as Spock does in Star Trek lore, but he was one of my favorites from Voyager!

The stuff with Shaun and Claire was ridiculous, but I enjoyed their interactions.  I could understand why Claire was getting frustrated, because being kind of blunt and awkward is one thing, but non-answers and always blanking out and pausing would make an already intense moment even more frustrating.

The whole rich guy thing seems to be here to show parallels to how he can get away with damaging his body and still get care (hence him leaving with a cigar already in his mouth), while someone like Chuck is automatically out after one slip-up.  Well, that, and also show that Melendez and Andrews can occasionally not be dicks.  Good to know!

The stuff with the neighbor is totally setting up a potential love interest for Shaun.  I was pretty much distracted over her needing batteries for her control, because she said she was playing Uncharted, but PS4 controllers shouldn't need batteries.  Unless she was playing one of the older PS3 ones.  Or had an off-brand control. Or maybe I shouldn't be thinking too much on this and just enjoy Uncharted getting name dropped (love that series.)

I'm guessing the flashbacks are going to show that Shaun ends up living with Glassman as a child.

Overall, the show is still pretty cheesy and sappy, but Freddie Highmore is just owning it and that is enough to keep me watching.

[DearEvette]

Finally Melendez didn't want to make me kick him in the taint.  He was written and human and not just asshole dialed up to eleven.  Enjoyed the impromptu math lesson and loved the line where tall, handsome-but-seems-dim doc said "I'm not good at calculus"and Melendez shot back "it's algebra."  That is how you you use asshole power for good!.

Honestly, I think Claire was the MVP of this particular episode.  I like how even though Shaun's zoning out and not answering questions obviously frustrated her, she never got angry with him.  In fact, she seemed like she was really trying to work out how to communicate with him realizing that he wouldn't (or couldn't) really help her. But she kept plugging away, figuring out his non-verbal cues.  Like when she realized that it was lights on the police car that was triggering him.  And finally I loved all the emotions that chased over her face when she realized that Chuck wasn't getting the liver and then again after Shaun said "we saved a life, just not Chuck's."

I still enjoy Shaun the most.  I loved him getting his batteries back.  Ha!  She did say "borrow." But  I do have to say I am finding the flashbacks too intrusive.  Also I know it is important to show him being really smart and capable, but if they aren't careful they run the risk of making him a little too perfect with noticing everything and having the right solution all the time. 

[tennisgurl]

Nice to see Melendez not just being an arrogant asshole for once. Chuck taking the drink was definitely stupid, but he didn't deserve to die because of it. I felt bad for him, and for his daughter, who will certainly blame himself for her dads death now. but it did lead to some good character stuff with Dr. Arrogance. If he is going to be around, I dont want him to just be an asshole. And yes, the rich guy going out to smoke a cigar right after surgery while Chuck lost his spot on the transplant list because of one mistake was rather on the nose, but it worked. 

I still really like Claire, and I love her patience with Shawn, and how she really seems to like working with him, even though its challenging. I guess its not that he cant answer questions (we`ve seen him answer questions) its that he struggles with it. Or the writers just made it up this week. Either way, I like Claire, and the actress is doing really well. Her range of expressions when she realized Chuck wouldn't get the heart were just fascinating. 

Shawn is such a sweetheart. I liked how he kept mentioning the name of the donor, and how happy he was that they saved a life, even if it wasn't the life they thought they would save. He also so clearly tried to make connections with people (neighbor, Claire) but he really has trouble knowing how to talk to people, and staying on topic. Its a big deal that he knocked on the neighbors door. I hope he gets a cat!

[jhlipton]

The daughter SHOULD feel bad because she did kill her dad.  She knew he couldn't have alcohol but pressured him into having a drink anyway.  She's a lawyer -- she should know about criminal neglect; and she went further than neglect.

[luna1122]

I'm afraid if I keep watching this show, it will be hate watching, which I generally think is a waste of time. I adore Freddie, he's the only reason I'm still hanging on, and I sure hope Shaun gets his cat. That was one pretty cat. But everything else is so heavy handed and obvious and unsubtle and sledgehammery, and I could not possibly care less about any of the other characters. But I really do love Freddie. Maybe I'll just go binge-watch Bates Motel again.

[RickyB]

23 hours ago, rhys said:

Wouldn't 6oz oz champagne consumed 3 days earlier be out of one's system? Or does the hospital have a super great testing method? Chuck was dumb to make that choice, tho.

Liver packaging should have been all drippy blue.

Actually no, as the doctors explained via the equation a decomposing liver processes toxins much slower than a healthy one. It’s not to say he would be intoxicated blood tests are far more specific than breathalyzer tests. And Chuck explained his decision, often you can spend years on the list waiting and wondering if today will be the day. It is maddening, I know firsthand. You are treated like a china doll. Careful of every single thing you come into contact with. He said he wanted one day to “feel normal.” 

[rhys]

Oh thanks. I was blinded by math and too much talking of numbery words. I didn't think/process "decomposing liver" but that makes a ton of sense.

[Pop Tart]

Quote

The daughter SHOULD feel bad because she did kill her dad.  She knew he couldn't have alcohol but pressured him into having a drink anyway.  She's a lawyer -- she should know about criminal neglect; and she went further than neglect.

I don't think her actions were criminal but they struck me as incredibly unrealistic. He thought he owed it to his daughter to have a glass of champagne to celebrate because she was the first in their family to graduate from higher education? And her handing it to him? The daughter of an alcoholic, one whose liver is so damaged he's waiting for a transplant, is not going to hand her dad a glass of champagne. I don't care if she was just elected President of the World, there's just no way she wouldn't have all kinds of baggage about his drinking, and that aside, the guy is going to die if he doesn't get a liver, so you give him a drink?

I thought that was very clunky - and agree that it's been done before on ER. I just saw the very episode a couple weeks ago - and I have to say seeing those repeats of ER really do make this show pale even more in comparison. Sure the ER had some over the top scenarios, but man the character development and drama is just so well done. In seeing those early years of the show I'm marveling again at how well-written and acted it was.

Edited October 11, 2017 by Pop Tart

[Diane M]

Shaun's ever present enigmatic smile annoys me.  Do autistic people never change their expressions?  It's like he's a robot.

[MsNewsradio]

1 hour ago, Diane M said:

Shaun's ever present enigmatic smile annoys me.  Do autistic people never change their expressions?  It's like he's a robot.

Yes, autistic people change their expressions. You should see how mine changed after reading this comment. (Just kidding.)

In all seriousness, autistic people have the same range of emotions and facial expressions as anyone else. We may not always be great at utilizing them in a neurotypical way (may smile in a situation where it isn't appropriate, could be really happy but externally not smiling -Resting Bitch Face, anyone?). We aren't always great at reading emotions/expressions in others, and sometimes that trouble extends to identifying/describing our own emotions (alexithymia). So everything doesn't always "match up", so to speak.

I know a few people who always look like they are smiling, and it stems from being severely anxious in their surroundings - it's a defensive mechanism. In the case of the show, however, my guess is it's an actor choice moreso than anything else. 

[Diane M]

Thanks for the reply.  If it is the actor's choice, I think the director should suggest he change his expressions from time to time.  I don't know anyone with autism, but I do know a female with Asperger's and she never looks a person in the eye when she's talking to him/her.  Isn't that the case with autism as well?  

[MsNewsradio]

13 minutes ago, Diane M said:

Thanks for the reply.  If it is the actor's choice, I think the director should suggest he change his expressions from time to time.  I don't know anyone with autism, but I do know a female with Asperger's and she never looks a person in the eye when she's talking to him/her.  Isn't that the case with autism as well?  

Asperger's is actually autism. It used to be a separate sub-diagnosis under the autism umbrella, but the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) folded everything under the same term in 2013 (Autism Spectrum Disorder). Aspergers is still a widely used term though (I use Aspergers and autistic interchangeably when referring to myself). Basically - all Aspergians are autistic, but not all autistics are Aspergian. 

Eye contact isn't an issue for every autistic, but it is for a majority. Eye contact can be incredibly stressful and overwhelming for us. When I'm speaking with someone, if I'm talking to them I'm looking at either the bridge of their nose or their forehead (a nifty trick some blessed teacher taught me in middle school, long before I was diagnosed - visually to the other person, it looks like I'm maintaining eye contact). When the person I'm in conversation with is speaking, I'm typically watching their mouth, which helps me focus on what they are saying instead of everything else around me. Often, struggling to make eye contact can be a detriment because so much energy is being focused there that we don't have enough left over to actually pay attention to all the other stimuli around us, including the conversation we're in. I joke that people can either have a conversation with me or a facsimile of one, and they can pick what's more important to them.  

[Babalooie]

On ‎10‎/‎9‎/‎2017 at 11:21 PM, Amethyst said:

The rich guy surgery felt unnecessary. 

Yes, I kept asking the hubby what this guy had to do with the story line.  I kept thinking that somehow they were going to give the Oliver to him instead.

[Diane M]

Thank you so much, MsN.  I really hope the series helps to teach its viewers about autism.  I'm sure that many people, like me, don't know that much about this 'disorder'.   

[Pink-n-Green]

22 hours ago, DearEvette said:

Finally Melendez didn't want to make me kick him in the taint. 

In the future, a bit of a warning when you type something that makes me laugh and snarf iced tea out of my nose would be nice!

About Freddie:  I'd never seen him in anything else other than Charlie and the Chocolate Factory but I loved him as Dr. Murphy right away.  Someone who reviewed the show called him "a talking kitten" and I thought that captured his adorableness very well!  I was curious to see him in Bates Hotel so I checked out an episode and I have to say that this guy can act!  As Norman, it wasn't about what he was saying; he just looked like, well, a psycho.  That he could play that and then play angelic Shaun equally well is very impressive.

[Evagirl]

On 10/10/2017 at 10:49 AM, Lady Calypso said:

I totally tuned out half of the other plots this episode without Shaun. 

I do the same thing or fast forward.  Other folks enjoy the interaction of the other characters.  Not me.  For me the show is about an autistic young man who is also a medical savant and how he is adapting to the world around him.  That's what I tune in to see.  If I want hospital drama, love-ins and love outs,  office politics etc. there are two or three other shows on TV that fit that formula.  It is the Shaun character that sets this show apart from the other medical dramas, past and current.     

[KaveDweller]

15 hours ago, jhlipton said:

The daughter SHOULD feel bad because she did kill her dad.  She knew he couldn't have alcohol but pressured him into having a drink anyway.  She's a lawyer -- she should know about criminal neglect; and she went further than neglect.

Wasn't it her college graduation? She can't be a lawyer yet. Or was it law school graduation?

But I do agree it is pretty unbelievable that someone who's father was waiting for a liver transplant would offer him champagne. It makes her seem super self-involved (at best).

[sas616]

4 hours ago, Pink-n-Green said:

In the future, a bit of a warning when you type something that makes me laugh and snarf iced tea out of my nose would be nice!

About Freddie:  I'd never seen him in anything else other than Charlie and the Chocolate Factory but I loved him as Dr. Murphy right away.  Someone who reviewed the show called him "a talking kitten" and I thought that captured his adorableness very well!  I was curious to see him in Bates Hotel so I checked out an episode and I have to say that this guy can act!  As Norman, it wasn't about what he was saying; he just looked like, well, a psycho.  That he could play that and then play angelic Shaun equally well is very impressive.

Was a big fan of Freddie in Bates Motel.  He was absolutely amazing in that role.  Why he was not nominated for an Emmy I'll never know, especially for the final season when he plays both crazy Norman and Mother.  

[rwlevin]

Quote

It can take two years or more being on the transplant list to get an organ -- spending the time being able to do nothing, not even going more than 2 hours away from the hospital.

 

It actually depends on what type of organ you're waiting for and how sick you are. My stepfather needed a liver. At first, his meld score was really low which meant no chance for a new liver. It was recalculated and was now really high. He got a new liver within a week. Also, when I worked in the PICU, we had a kid who was in liver failure. A liver was procured but it was from an older man so his parents passed on it. The next day, he needed to be placed in a medical coma because he became encephalopathic. He got a new liver within days. On the other hand, my uncle was on the waiting list for a kidney for more than 3 years before his cousin said "screw this" and donated hers.

[Fable]

Interesting that the donor liver was named Oliver.  For some reason, I was sure it was going to be the cat's name.  

[rainbowrockgal]

I kind of think it was a euphemism drawn by Shaun for o-a- liver=Oliver

[Evagirl]

8 hours ago, rainbowrockgal said:

I kind of think it was a euphemism drawn by Shaun for o-a- liver=Oliver

I thought I heard the name Oliver was the name of the guy who was killed on the motorbike.

Edited October 12, 2017 by Evagirl
grammar

[Pop Tart]

Quote

I thought I heard the name Oliver was the name of the guy who was killed on the motorbike.

I don't think so.  I think Shaun wanted to know the name of the donor and Claire was stumped because it hadn't occurred to her that they should care. She was more excited that they were transporting the liver and going to see the transplant surgery. So in order to basically shut Shaun up about it, she came up with Oliver, think rainbowrockgal has it right, "a liver" became Oliver.

[Granny58]

I do not personally have contact with a person with autism, and I do understand there are degrees, but is this a good portrayal?    I like medical dramas, and loved House, and like the idea of an autistic lead character, but he's coming across, frankly, as annoying.  Looking off into the distance, speaking in pretty much a monotone, not catching social cues.  Please, I am not trying to offend....I just want to know if this is spot on or over done.   Thanks.

[Trini]

I probably won't be commenting much, but this is one of the very few new shows I checked out, and I think I'll be sticking with it. Most of the characters are likeable and or interesting so far; no one I outright hate.

Interested in learning more about the Korean show this is based on, though.

[maryle]

I was unsure about the show at first but I watched every week and there at least 3 characters I really love obviously shaun! The young actor is so good. But, also love claire and the doctor mentoring shaun.

I like that they are showing the difficulty of communication and I think it was more hard for shaun to answer question cause they were outside in a stress situation so all shaun energy was concentrated to what he felt the most urgent! But, claire really want to communicate with him and hope they do become able . Not, sure I am interesting and any kind of romance with the neigbor just didnt felt it! But, I am not totally oppose to shaun trying to have girlfriend! 

[bantering]

On 10/10/2017 at 7:00 AM, tunajune said:

I don't understand Chuck's need to celebrate his daughter's special occasion with a full 6-8 oz. glass of champagne.  If you know that a life-saving procedure could become available to you with little notice, why not just touch the glass of alcohol to your lips?  After all, just still being alive with your family should be celebration enough.

When a liver is being kept cool with a slurpee, how does it make sense to operate on the trunk of a car in direct sunlight?  At least, cast a shadow.

This show is so heavy-handed.  Is Freddie enough to keep me watching?  Probably.

I didn't get why the daughter gave the drink to her dad. I would have hidden all alcohol just to make sure the surgery would go through (although I have no idea if these are real "rules" that exist in real life for liver transplant). The daughter frustrated me a bit...

 

Also, my understanding is that the dad was somewhat of an alcoholic. Usually children get upset with their alcoholic parents for touching alcohol, yet this one insists that her father have a drink? That seemed quite odd...

Edited October 13, 2017 by bantering