S01.E07: 22 Steps

[AmandaPanda]

Quote

Dr. Shaun Murphy encounters prejudice from an unlikely source when he treats an autistic patient; Dr. Jared Kalu must learn to accept his limitations as a surgeon.

[Annber03]

Oh, my god, that ending was freaking cute :D. Yes! Let's have Shaun and Glassman go to the Super Bowl together! Get on that, writers! Hehe. I also laughed at Shaun's "pal" response to Glassman at one point, too :p. 

Awwwwwwwww, Kalu :(. Man. First Shaun and Evan, then Claire and the woman from the bus crash, now Kalu and this older guy. Why must you make me cry, show! That was so bittersweet. As was the bit of backstory we got on Kalu's childhood, too. I want to hug him now. I'm glad he and Claire could be there for each other at the end, and I liked that the show touched on Claire's attempt to deal with her own loss from the last episode, too.

Good stuff with Shaun and the young boy tonight. I liked the way he tried to calm him down by talking to him, and yay for Melendez backing him up when the parents were wary of letting him take part in the surgery! And Shaun telling Claire "You're good with people with autism." Aw. 

(Also, the lady playing the mom was in one of my favorite "Criminal Minds" episodes a number of years back. Nice to see her pop up again.)

This show's really hitting its stride now :). 

[tennisgurl]

That ending was super adorable, and helped me pick myself up after the sad ending with Claire and Jared.

All the stories were quite strong this week, especially the one with Shaun and the autistic boy, and Jared and the old guy. It was nice to get some of Jared's backstory, and that he has the chops to pull off some good dramatic work. The scene where he and Claire were leaning on each other and tearing up at the end was the most real I've found their connection so far, including seeing them post sex. 

I was pretty annoyed with the parents of the autistic boy and how they kept insisting that Shawn not operate on their son, but they did come around, and I guess I can understand why they were so afraid. Still, they had to have seen that while Shawn has autism, and its noticeable enough, he is very high functioning, and no way would a hospital higher a surgeon who couldn't do surgeries. You would think that, as parents of an autistic kid, they would know there are different levels of autism. Still, I could understand it, and they seemed to be rather overprotective of their son, so hopefully this was a lesson for everyone. 

How sad was it when Shaun just straight up said his parents didnt love him the way the parents here loved their son? That was brutal. Poor Shaun. 

[maryle]

Honesty, it becoming my favorite show! I love all the character now even the one I was meh before like jared! He growing on me even if I kinda ship claire and shaun if really he have to a love interest she is my top choice. After, she is good with autism people! 

Its maybe not the most realistic hospital show but it is the one with the most hearth and these days we need a show like that! 

I loved how shaun was conflicted to see someone else like him I felt it reminder him of his own limitation that he still struggling with to accept. But, the young patient saw in shaun some hope that he can be more capable someday feeling that shaun recognised and use at the end!

Loved the scene at the end with shaun and dr glessman! Just a good and emotionnal episode for all!

Edited November 14, 2017 by maryle

[possibilities]

Shaun has never met another person with autism?! I've met several and I wasn't even looking. He must have had to work really hard to avoid it.

I loved Shaun's reaction to "pal."

I liked that the show pointed out, without a big speech, how the patient's parents were holding him back and infantilizing him, and that they started to change by the end of the episode, when the dad caught himself and ASKED his son if the lights were bothering him, thus involving him in the decision-making, instead of just swooping in, even with the best of intentions.

The show has improved drastically since the pilot. I'm liking everybody so much better now.

Claire claiming to not have any problems after killing a patient to me makes her look way worse than if she was more upset. I thought she was going to flunk her review for not caring enough.

[Bobbin]

34 minutes ago, possibilities said:

The show has improved drastically since the pilot. I'm liking everybody so much better now.

I wonder if the characters are so much more likable now because we know more about them or because they've learned to get along with each other better just from working with Shaun.

I'd never have recognized aging veteran actor Paul Dooley, but I'd know his distinctive voice in any roll. Good to see him still in action.

45 minutes ago, possibilities said:

I liked that the show pointed out, without a big speech, how the patient's parents were holding him back and infantilizing him, and that they started to change by the end of the episode, when the dad caught himself and ASKED his son if the lights were bothering him, thus involving him in the decision-making, instead of just swooping in, even with the best of intentions.

Likewise with Dr. Glassman agreeing to give Shaun control over his budget and allowing him to make mistakes and to learn from them. Both Shaun and Liam (actor Coby Bird, who really does have autism) have their limitations, but they both have the ability to learn how to overcome them, given the chance. Although, it's hard to blame the mother for not trusting Shaun who, beyond her imagining her son's limitations in him, proudly admits (while emphasizing with her son) that he makes plenty of mistakes! It was interesting how that admission didn't cause any panic (including here) when Shaun apparently froze during the surgery. Confidence is a wonderful feeling. (During an early space launch, the rocket self-aborted during launch, and the command pilot had seconds to eject the manned module. But he had confidence that the system could handle the emergency, so he waited as the computer shut down the engines, drained the fuel tanks, and brought back the gantry, all as designed. That feeling.)

[AnimeMania]

4 hours ago, Annber03 said:

(Also, the lady playing the mom was in one of my favorite "Criminal Minds" episodes a number of years back. Nice to see her pop up again.)

She had a major role in the TV Series "Covert Affairs".

 

3 hours ago, possibilities said:

Claire claiming to not have any problems after killing a patient to me makes her look way worse than if she was more upset. I thought she was going to flunk her review for not caring enough.

Claire was looking at the questions that the counselor was going to ask her, so she had already prepared her responses.

[TomGirl]

I really enjoy this show, but I find Shaun’s sing-songy voice irritating and distracting.  I’ve know people who are on the autism spectrum, and I’ve never known any who speak like that.  Also, the actor who plays Shaun as a child does not speak that way; why would the adult Shaun have developed an entirely different speech cadence?

[thuganomics85]

Surprised over the direction they went with the autism kid's case.  The previews made it look like they were going to go down a typical "doctor takes it personal because he can relate to them!" path, but instead, Shaun actually is kind of hesitant because he is actually kind of uncomfortable being around someone else with autism.  Interesting idea and I do like that they did address that just because two people both have autism doesn't mean they automatically like one another. Glad it all worked out and the parents finally saw the errors of their way, both with not trusting Shaun and being overprotective with Liam.  But as Shaun said, at least they really do seem to love Liam, so I don't think they are bad people, but just need to be more open over how they approach things.  Great seeing Kari Matchett again.

Jared's story with Glen has been done a few times, but it was well acted by both Chuku Modu and Paul Dooley, so I enjoyed it and was still sad how it ended.

Not surprised Claire would take the "Everything is fine!" approach, because she does strike me as someone who thinks that not showing any emotions means she is handling it.  I'm glad that aren't going to ignore her losing a patient and it will likely change her in ways going forward.

Glassman is always realizing that he needs to not coddle Shaun all the time and allow him to make decisions and even mistakes on his own.  Which include buying a sweet-ass television set!  Go Shaun!

Melendez is still surprisingly no longer being a complete dick and is even doing the whole "mentoring" thing with Shaun.  I knew you had it in you, buddy! 

Good episode.  I feel like this and the last one have done a better job with its entire ensemble and while Freddie Highmore is still my favorite, the rest of the cast is being able to shine more then they did during the earlier episodes.

[chocolatine]

18 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

How sad was it when Shaun just straight up said his parents didnt love him the way the parents here loved their son? That was brutal. Poor Shaun. 

But on the flip side, that means he didn't have to take kava root so he didn't get hyper-eosinophilic gastroenteritis! I laughed so hard at that.

If Jared's parents cut him off at 18, and he had to live in a shelter (did I get that right?), where did he get the money to donate to the burn unit in exchange for the tilapia skins last episode? Or did he make up that story so that his patient would relate to him?

[Fable]

I think one of my favorite things about this show is the rapport between Shaun and Dr. Glassman.  Glassman is like a parent learning to let go, which was nicely paralleled with the autistic patient and his parents.  I hope they explore more of their backstory and how they ended up being so close, because it seems such an unlikely pairing.   I'm curious about Coby Bird who played the autistic boy (did they ever give him a name, because if so, I didn't catch it).  I swear I had seen him in other things, yet when I looked on his IMdB page, I wasn't familiar with his other work.  

Melendez is also growing on me, a lot.  I found him a bit off putting at first, but his reactions to Shaun lately are priceless.  

[Jazz]

The patient's name was Liam. The actor has guest starred on Speechless, another ABC show. A comedy about a high school boy with cerebral palsy and his family. 

[Cinephile54]

21 hours ago, possibilities said:

Shaun has never met another person with autism?! I've met several and I wasn't even looking. He must have had to work really hard to avoid it.

I loved Shaun's reaction to "pal."

 

Considering the way Shaun has shut himself off for so long from people in general other than Glassman, I am not surprised that he doesn't know another person with autism.

The "pal" thing reminded me of South Park's "I'm not your guy, buddy".

[jhlipton]

On 11/13/2017 at 8:35 PM, tennisgurl said:

You would think that, as parents of an autistic kid, they would know there are different levels of autism. Still, I could understand it, and they seemed to be rather overprotective of their son, so hopefully this was a lesson for everyone.

You would think that, as [the board of a major hospital], they would know there are different levels of autism. Still, I could understand it, and they seemed to be rather [uneducated about autism], so hopefully this was a lesson for everyone.

Just saying!

On 11/13/2017 at 9:43 PM, possibilities said:

Claire claiming to not have any problems after killing a patient to me makes her look way worse than if she was more upset. I thought she was going to flunk her review for not caring enough.

I liked how the therapist knew she wasn't coping from her "non-reaction".

7 hours ago, chocolatine said:

If Jared's parents cut him off at 18, and he had to live in a shelter (did I get that right?), where did he get the money to donate to the burn unit in exchange for the tilapia skins last episode? Or did he make up that story so that his patient would relate to him?

He may have come into some money between 18 and 28.  But, yeah, that story didn't ring true to me.

[Suzysite]

Didn't Jared say he talks to his parents now?   So maybe they're back to being supportive with him being a surgical resident and all.

[Mikita]

3 hours ago, Suzysite said:

Didn't Jared say he talks to his parents now?   So maybe they're back to being supportive with him being a surgical resident and all.

He did say that he talks to them a little now, so it's possible.

[sinkwriter]

Quote

But on the flip side, that means he didn't have to take kava root so he didn't get hyper-eosinophilic gastroenteritis! I laughed so hard at that.

LOL. Me too! Shaun walking out of the room after saying such a blunt (but accurate) comment, and the look on the parents' faces after he walked out of the room, just cracked me up. 

[frogzapper]

2 hours ago, sinkwriter said:

Quote

But on the flip side, that means he didn't have to take kava root so he didn't get hyper-eosinophilic gastroenteritis! I laughed so hard at that.

LOL. Me too! Shaun walking out of the room after saying such a blunt (but accurate) comment, and the look on the parents' faces after he walked out of the room, just cracked me up. 

And the look on Melendez's face too, lol! I thought it was perfect how his brow lifted as he realized what was coming out of Shaun's mouth, then his look of barely contained amusement after Shaun walked out the door.

[sinkwriter]

Melendez may never completely trust him, out of liability fears, but Shaun is definitely growing on him. I like that.

[CoyoteBlue]

On 11/15/2017 at 0:45 AM, jhlipton said:

He may have come into some money between 18 and 28.  But, yeah, that story didn't ring true to me.

Might have been a trust that wasn't accessible until he was a certain age.

[Trini]

On 11/14/2017 at 0:43 AM, possibilities said:

Shaun has never met another person with autism?! I've met several and I wasn't even looking. He must have had to work really hard to avoid it.

I found that odd, too. They haven't said or shown much about Shaun's life between his brother's death and now, but I would assume that he could have been -a some point- placed in a program for special needs persons, and he could have met other people on the spectrum that way.
 

[NeverLate]

Shaun was terrific in this episode. But Kalu, he stole my damned heart. 

[DearEvette]

On 11/13/2017 at 11:07 PM, Annber03 said:

 

(Also, the lady playing the mom was in one of my favorite "Criminal Minds" episodes a number of years back. Nice to see her pop up again.)

Heh.  I love her from Leverage where she played Nate's (Tim Hutton's) ex-wife. 

I am really enjoying everyone's growth from episode to episode.  Characters that I hated in the pilot and I am enjoying so much now.

What is the opposite of the ugly cry?  Because whatever it is, Claire does it so well.  She had these great little crystal tears that well in her eyes just so.  Ha! 

Love'd Shaun's little sly burn of the parents' over use of Kava root coupled with Melendez's little smirk.

That ending was very cute.

[rmontro]

I know some people with autistic children who don't like the way Shaun portrays his character, because they say their child doesn't act like that.  But I always say every person is different, everybody still has their own personalities.  Obviously Shaun is able to function at a much higher level than Evan.

I'm glad Shaun didn't screw up the operation.  He looked so happy after he made that first incision.  They really haven't shown him doing surgery all that much.  

I liked the story with Dr. Kalu and the older guy, nice to see some attention given to the problems of aging.  They're doing a much better job now of depicting the other doctors as characters, and building an ensemble, as opposed to when the show first started.

[Lady Calypso]

I've fallen a bit behind on the show, but I'm catching up because this show really is good. I like the heart-warming tone to it. Plus, they've finally given the supporting characters more to do, so I feel like I'm finally getting to know them. 

I felt so bad for Kalu's story. They keep giving each of the doctors some heart-wrenching storyline. It's kind of depressing, but since it is the first season, I'll let it slide. All he wanted to do was help the guy, and he just wanted to die.

I started off being incredibly irritated by Melendez. But now? I like how he's come around to Shaun. It's nice to see that kind of mentorship grow. It's not perfect, but Melendez is getting used to Shaun's quirks, and isn't afraid to stand up to him but also give him support and trust. Who knew that the doctor from episode 1 and 2 would end up trusting Shaun with a scalpel? 

I also burst into laughter at his face when Shaun told the parents about the kava after the line before about his own parents not loving him enough. 

I'm also really liking Claire. She's really struggling with her patient from last episode, and I imagine it'll continue for a while longer. I love that Dr. Glassman recognized what she was doing and stuck with the grief counselor anyway. I also liked the grief counselor reading right through her attempts with her rehearsed answers.

[Miles]

So they can't monitor the kids oxygen saturation in the MRI? ah-bullshit.

[TheGreenKnight]

After this episode and "Apples," I'd say the show's finally hit its stride. I loved Shaun's interactions with the patient who had autism; the fact that he was uncomfortable with being a model for someone else was an interesting direction to take.

Edited December 1, 2017 by TheGreenKnight

[Chas411]

Did Jared euthanise his patient at the end?

[chocolatine]

3 hours ago, Chas411 said:

Did Jared euthanise his patient at the end?

No, the patient refused the treatment which would have saved his life. Jared just stayed with him until the end.

[jhlipton]

On 12/11/2017 at 11:51 AM, Chas411 said:

Did Jared euthanise his patient at the end?

I think the patient pushed a button to shut down the life support (per his DNR request) and Jared gave him some morphine so he wouldn't suffer.

[possibilities]

There's a time, when you're in hospice, that caregivers are able to give "palliative care" which means helping you not to suffer, but not actually treating your disease. I took what they were doing to be analogous to that, in that the patient was dying and Jared was keeping him from suffering during the process but not trying to keep death from occurring.

[doctor destiny]

Yes! A takedown of autism martyr parents.  Someone in the writers' room has been reading up on this one.  As an ex-martyr parent myself who has mellowed into acceptance of my two incredibly able sweet autistic kids, I can see where that comes from.  Treating autistic adults as adults.  Score!  Note, vaccines do not cause autism, extreme diets are detrimental and wrapping up your auties in cotton wool doesn't do them any good as some day you won't be there for them.  Nice acting, Coby Bird as Liam.  

[Brown12051]

Coby Bird interviewed three of the major people --

Here is an interview with Coby and his father Nick (who apparently also has autism) for an autism support group.

[Higgins]

On 12/11/2017 at 2:51 PM, Chas411 said:

Did Jared euthanise his patient at the end?

That was a lot of morphine.