S02.E18: Trampoline

[Trini]

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As a barroom fight sends Dr. Shaun Murphy to seek treatment at St. Bonaventure's, Dr. Alex Park and Dr. Audrey Lim disagree over an elderly woman's post-operative symptoms. Meanwhile, Dr. Neil Melendez and Dr. Lim make their romance public, and Dr. Aaron Glassman continues to pursue a relationship with a good friend.

"Trampoline" was written by David Shore, David Hoselton and Mark Rozeman, and directed by David Shore.

Airdate: March 11, 2019

[preeya]

Bye, bye Han and thank you Dr. Andrews.

[Lady Calypso]

Huh. Well, that was something.

So much Claire and I absolutely loved her role in this episode. More Claire next season!

It took a while to like Dr. Andrews and although I still think that I'm not really a fan, I appreciate the complex layers that he has. He has grown to like Shaun in his own way. I'm glad he stood up for Shaun and I'm glad Han is fired. He always can come back (and I wouldn't object since I do find Han at least an interesting villain) but he definitely should be gone for a while.

Damn, so Glassman gets rejected by a stupid proposal and his reaction is to whine about it. Seems on par with Glassman's behaviour. Which is why I'm disappointed with his end scene. I mean, c'mon, dude, slow down a little bit. I don't think a marriage is that good of an idea. Just date for at least a month. I guess I really AM supposed to be finding Glassman/Debbie endearing but right now, even though I understand Glassman's brush with death giving him a wakeup call, all I'm thinking is how Debbie needs to run run run. 

I knew Lim and Melendez would have to choose between their relationship and their careers, and I'm glad they were very mature about it. And Melendez gave up the Chief of Surgery job for Lim. 

Ok, they really surprised me with that ending. I absolutely LOVE that Shaun was never going to ask out Lea. I love that he asked out Carly and that she said yes. Let's hope next season isn't filled with jealous Lea because....that would be disappointing.

[Xantar]

You know what? I like Shaun with Carly. I didn’t know that I liked them together, but I do. We’ve spent all this time afraid that he was going to get with Lea, but it seems the writers realized that would be wrong. And I’ve actually come to like Lea as Shaun’s friend.

I didn’t quite get what happened with Melendez and Lim. So he gave up the chief of surgery job which is a great gesture. But they’re not going to continue dating while he’s her subordinate, right? This isn’t Grey’s Anatomy.

Right?

[The Wild Sow]

3 minutes ago, Xantar said:

But they’re not going to continue dating while he’s her subordinate, right?

They broke up.

And damn....tertiary syphillis!  That was different.  I only ever saw it once, more than 35 years ago.  That person was in a vegetative state, very sad.  A good-looking young man, too.

[Annber03]

...okay, well, I definitely wasn't expecting that ending! I was thinking Shaun was going to go visit Claire, which I would've been all for, but Shaun and Carly? Hm. Equally as interesting a thought :). Seeing him all happy and excited like that was so cute. Aw :D. And yes, he did look quite nice indeed. 

And boy, did we need that moment of him being happy at the end, 'cause seeing him in pain and being all sad and hurting...dang. It was interesting to see him actually throwing out little white lies here, though. But it's also so like Shaun to want to help others, even those who hurt him, so I'm glad he tried to do that.  And yay for him getting his job back, too-not surprised, of course, but nice to see Glassman and Andrews sticking up for him as they did. 

On that topic, by the way, as if I needed any more reasons to love Claire. Taking the opportunity to see things from Shaun's perspective, to further try and help figure out what was wrong with that guy...that was so awesome. As was Shaun's reaction when he realized Claire had figured out what he'd been trying to say-he looked so pleased! It was so nice to see her and Shaun interacting so much here, seeing more of that friendship of theirs again. Let's not let that fall by the wayside again next season, show. 

Also liked how things played out with Lim and Melendez, though that little moment with them kissing in the midst of the hospital was...odd (and the choice of "At Last" kind of amused me, because it was also used on "Bates Motel" in an entirely different context and...yeah :p). But still. 

(Also, I nearly spat out my drink at Lim's response to that lady mentioning that neither she nor Melendez were subservient to each other. HA :D.)

On the patient side of things, that story with Ida was so sad. I liked Morgan and Park's interaction throughout with her, though, and with each other. 

I can't believe this season's over already! Looking forward to seeing what they have planned for season three. 

Edited March 12, 2019 by Annber03

[thuganomics85]

Whelp, when this show first debuted last year, I can safely say that I never would have predicted that Andrews would go to bat for Shaun, but here we are!  Even if we looked past... well everything Han said and did when pertaining to Shaun, the fact that he was so sure that Andrews wouldn't fire him due to their history and Andrews' ego, make that moment even more awesome.  Overplayed your hand, Han!  At least they did try to explain some of his actions by hinting Han had bad history with someone else on the spectrum, but he still is a jerk in my eyes and I'm fine with him gone, despite my fondness for Daniel Dae Kim and him generally doing a good job acting wise as always.

Yay for Claire being a hero again!  Not just figuring out the patients true diagnosis by putting herself into Shaun's mindset (enjoyable scene), but also helping him with his dating life!  While part of me wonders if the show will eventually try a Shaun/Claire pairing, I'm enjoying her as a friend and as a character together.  Antonia Thomas really is proving herself to be another great performer here.

While he ended up being right in the end, I noticed this was another incident where Park was quick to dismiss a patient's concern, and I wonder if this is being setup for his major weakness, and that this type of behavior will end up costing someone big time.  June Squibb did an excellent job in the role.

I must be in a real generous mood, because I was kind of loving the deliberate over-the-top kiss/reveal of Melendez/Lim.  Probably due to Shaun and Claire's reaction.  But now Lim is the new Chief of Surgery?  Does that end their relationship, now?

Glassman/Debbie seems rushed and sudden, but I do wonder if they are doing that on purpose.  And, of course, knowing the actors are married in real life, I just kept wondering how this proposal compared to the real one!

I kind of suspected that Shaun was going to end up asking Carly out, but I loved how it played out and she said yes.  Assuming they continue this next season, I imagine there will be plenty of obstacles going forward, but I hope Shaun learns and grows from it.  But I certainly hope it is a thing because I want more Jasika Nicole, dammit!

Overall, I kind I feel the same about this season like I did with the first one where it certainly isn't perfect, it is filled with plenty of far-fetch and unrealistic moments, and it can be too cheesy and sappy for its own good, but dammit, if I don't love these character and their actors enough that I really enjoy this show for what it is, and I can't wait for it to come back.  And I'm still hoping that Freddie Highmore gets an Emmy nomination someday, because I've been a fan since I first was him in Finding Neverland, was majorly impressed with him in Bates Motel, and I'm glad he's getting more exposure and fans these past few years.

[Good Doctor Fan]

What a shocker!  The Board meeting was fabulous. I loved Dr. Glassman's speach.  So impressed with Dr. Andrews stepping up and doing the right thing!  He put the hospital, the patients, and his doctors first!  Dr. Han would never understand.....

[Madding crowd]

This was a very sweet episode and while things moved a little fast, I was happy to see Sean ask Carly for a date and happy she said yes. I think the hospital would have arranged a social worker to help the old lady and arrange visits to her home. Every time my mother in law is in the hospital , she is visited and assessed by social workers even though she had family around.

[Guest]

The scene of Lim and Melendez kissing to At Last was so jarringly awful and out of place. I haven’t enjoyed their relationship at all, but that was just bad.

[Blue Plastic]

34 minutes ago, Lady Calypso said:

Damn, so Glassman gets rejected by a stupid proposal and his reaction is to whine about it. Seems on par with Glassman's behaviour. Which is why I'm disappointed with his end scene. I mean, c'mon, dude, slow down a little bit. I don't think a marriage is that good of an idea. Just date for at least a month. I guess I really AM supposed to be finding Glassman/Debbie endearing but right now, even though I understand Glassman's brush with death giving him a wakeup call, all I'm thinking is how Debbie needs to run run run.

Yep, she should run fast and far!  How is marriage to Dr. Glassman supposed to work if he's going to run away at the first sign of something less than 100% fun?  Is he going to file for divorce if one of them gets a 24-hour stomach bug?  It's all well and good to enjoy playful car talk over coffee and a muffin, but what about real life?  It's not all fun and games.

I was expecting Sean to ask Claire out on a date!  So his asking Carly out was a twist for me!  Amusing that he just laughed and skipped away, forgetting to give her the flowers and chocolate.

Surprised they tossed Dr. Han.  Nobody mentioned any legal recourse Sean might have had.

The old lady was sad.  I figured her daughter hadn't actually survived.

[Trini]

Seriously? Seriously?? They waited all the way until the end of the season to give us all this premium Shaun and Shaun/Claire content? I liked this one a lot; but get your priorities together for next season, Show.

Claire helping Shaun with asking someone out was cute; and her trying to see the way Shaun sees was also a really nice scene.

I think we should have been seeing more of the Shaun/Claire friendship during the season.

Still don't like Resnick, but she and Park seem to make a good team. I guess it's a good thing that they had Park mention his ex-wife, because I had forgotten about that side plot. They never actually went back to it after that episode, did they?

Okay, I actually laughed out loud when Lim and Melendez kissed and they started playing "At last..."!

I figured that Lim/Melendez wouldn't last. I'm glad Lim got the Chief of Surgery position, however, I'm not looking forward to the awkwardness and sexual tension between them next season. (Or am I??)

I was actually thinking during the episode that I'd like to see Jasika Nicole as a regular, and then Shaun asked her out; so maybe she'll have a bigger role in Season 3.

Glad they ended it on a happy note for Shaun. I'm mainly talking about Carly saying 'yes' to going out with him, but also getting his job back. Wasn't expecting the save by Andrews.

BYE Han! It was one thing to be an antagonist to Shaun, but he was actually a jerk to... everyone; even his superiors.

[tennisgurl]

Bye bye Dr. Han! Thank you, next! I liked that they tried to add shades of grey to him, and Daniel Dae Kim is always great, but I am glad to see him go. He had such a clear bias from day one against Shaun, apparently based on a previous experience with someone on the spectrum, and didnt seem like he was ever going to let off. I still wish someone had talked about Shaun getting a lawyer, but he got his job back, so thats the important part! Man, who would have guessed Dr. Andrews would one day be fighting for Shaun to keep his job?

I did not see that ending coming at all! I was so sure that Shaun was going to ask Lea out, just like everyone in the show seemed to be, him asking Carly out totally threw me for a loop! But I loved it! Love the idea of Shaun dating Carly, love how he asked her, loved him practicing his speech on Claire, loved that she said yes, I loved it! Poor Shaun needed the win, he has been suffering so much the last few episodes! 

Good episode in general for Claire, loved how she used Shaun think to save the day and got to show off her awesome doctor skills, and we got to see her being a good friend and colleague. And she at least had a few less scarred for life moments this season, so thats good at least. 

Lim and Melendez were so sweet, its sucks that they're breaking up. I mean, its great that Lim gets to get Hans job, as she will be a million times better at it, but I liked them as a couple. They handled it really well though. I actually cracked up at the "At laaaaaast" dramatic musical spin, especially when it cut back to the "normal" world and Claire and Shaun are just like "...ok then." 

When the guy at the bar started messing with Shaun, I admit my first thought was "oh you dont wanna do like, dude. Mother wont like it..."

This season went by so fast! I want more!

Edited March 12, 2019 by tennisgurl

[Pop Tart]

1 hour ago, Lady Calypso said:

I knew Lim and Melendez would have to choose between their relationship and their careers, and I'm glad they were very mature about it. And Melendez gave up the Chief of Surgery job for Lim. 

I didn’t read it as he gave it up for her. I read it as he found out they were going to offer it to her so he got her to ask him if he’d turn it down for their relationship. He said he wouldn’t turn it down then asked her if she’d turn it down. She said no because he’d said it first (though she looked a bit crushed), then he told her she was going to get the call about the job. 

He made it so that she could accept without major guilt, which I thought was very cool, but I don’t think he was offered it first and turned it down.

Though I’m glad Shaun has his job back and isn’t being tormented any more, the sudden turn around by Andrews and the board saying nothing at that point felt a bit too easy. Now if they’d maybe showed some backroom conversations between Andrews and the board or between board members about Han - maybe about being okay with getting rid of him because he blackmailed them - then the boardroom scene would have worked better. Or even if Glassmen or Andrews had brought up a potential lawsuit. Either would have made it a more realistic scenario then Glassmen making a nice speech and Andrews having his turnaround was.

[PinkRibbons]

Man I haven't yelled at a show like this since Gossip Girl.

Glassman talking about living life to the fullest: "HELP YOUR CHILD, YOU DICK!"

(Of course later we found out that he arranged that job interview, but...no. Shaun was being illegally victimized. Help him take a stand. GET HIM A LAWYER.)

Andrews being the only person who seemed seriously on to Han's bias: "Andrews? Really? Of all people? You know what, fuck it, if he saves the day and gets rid of this ridiculous storyline, whatever."

I loved Shaun's speech about being forced to move on and not being allowed to feel how he felt. I think that's a valuable thing for everyone to know -- it's better to feel your feelings than try to mow over them. Just ignoring them and chugging on isn't a sign of strength, it's a sign of fear of dealing with tough emotions.

Claire is wonderful. As is the fact that her "Shaun-ning" involved the blinds being the same way, and using a step stool to be taller.

I'm not sure what I cheered louder at -- Shaun faking Lea out or seeing that Shaun's taste is so much better, with him asking out Carly.

[mojito]

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And, of course, knowing the actors are married in real life, I just kept wondering how this proposal compared to the real one!

I didn't know the actors were married in real life, but the thought crossed my mind while watching and I'm not sure why. Another thought that hit me....when Carly wrote the script for Shaun, I wondered if there was perhaps a special relationship between them, but nevertheless when Shaun went-a-courtin', I suspected he was heading to Claire's. 

I liked the Han character. His viewpoints all along made perfect sense to me, but then when he almost dared Andrews to fire him, I lost my respect for him.  I played right into the writers' hands.

I'm kind of slow to dislike characters, so seeing Andrews come around in Shaun's favor wasn't surprising to me. The man has some character. 

Melendez and Lim lip-locking in front of everyone was so inappropriate and creepy. Why would two senior staffers put on such a stupid show?

Quote

He made it so that she could accept without major guilt, which I thought was very cool, but I don’t think he was offered it first and turned it down.

Neither do I. Melendez done good.

I chuckled at Claire standing on the step stool and clasping her hands, waist-high as she pondered.  I liked the point that Glassman made about Shaun's ways influenced Claire into thinking differently, too.

I like how Resnick has evolved.

Shaun's fortunate that others are willing to accommodate and look past his atypical behavior because he's such a brilliant doctor. I wonder how many people in real life, with offbeat behavior but extremely good abilities, aren't given the breaks he's gotten. I'm glad that he is walking on sunshine once again.

[bros402]

First off, Glassman going "Oh he needs ot learn how to get up after getting hit" - nooope, Glassy, you should have hired a disability rights attorney the second he was terminated, since you didn't when Han was discriminating

Also: YESSSSS MORE JASIKA NICOLE NEXT SEASON!

[Trini]

Forgot about Glassman: Him proposing to Debbie, and her accepting definitely was unrealisitic; but I'm willing to see where they take that, because I think it's a better story than cancer.

[rmontro]

2 hours ago, Annber03 said:

I was thinking Shaun was going to go visit Claire, which I would've been all for

I was also suspecting Shaun was going to ask out Claire, but I really can't see them together, so I'm glad it was Carly instead.  Hilarious that he left with the chocolate and flowers.  And I loved the look on Lea's face.

All that discussion on here about Shaun's legal options, and Dr. Andrews resolves it for sentimental reasons, at least in part ("I'm not ready to move on").  At least they didn't end on a cliffhanger, thank God.

Debbie looks about 40, and Dr. Glassman looks about 80.  The way he dresses isn't helping him any either.  Which is to say he dresses sharp, but he also looks like his attire is from another era.

[Madding crowd]

In real life Debbie ( Shelia Kelley) is 57 and Richard Schiff (Glassman) is 63, but he does look a lot older.

[possibilities]

3 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

I did not see that ending coming at all! I was so sure that Shaun was going to ask Lea out

I was relieved that, unlike Glassman, Shaun understands that no means no.

Making Andrews the savior instead of having Shaun get a lawyer to kick the hospital's ass depressed me. It was the typical savior narrative and it was also out of no where. They had so many ways to go with this. They should have shown that Han's prejudice against Shaun was not only discriminatory, but also a sign of his incompetence and bad priorities. Just like how he resolved the crisis over the quarantine by using blackmail, instead of by honestly resolving any issues, he was a control freak and a manipulator and completely about his ego and not about actual quality of care or good management. Andrews had plenty of reasons to get rid of Han, and making it some sentimental gesture cheapened things, in my view.

[NeenerNeener]

5 hours ago, Trini said:

Glad they ended it on a happy note for Shaun. I'm mainly talking about Carly saying 'yes' to going out with him, but also getting his job back.

I can't believe he walked away with the flowers and candy after she said yes. But yay! Shaun got his job back, and a date!

I still want to move him to The Resident, where Conrad can defend him and Nic can nurture him and Mina and Austin can mentor him as they do difficult surgeries together. As long as no one ever calls Bell "HODAD" in front of him, because you know Shaun would call him that to his face one day.

[MVN-Hokies]

I wonder if Lim will talk with Andrews/Aoki about her relationship with Melendez when she accepts the chief of surgery position. She could argue that they should be able to continue seeing one another because they were together before she was promoted. I work at a school where our headmaster is the boss of his wife, a teacher. Is that not possible in a hospital as well? As I've said before, I think Lim and Melendez are a good fit for one another. They are mature in how they interact and how they deal with conflict, they push one another in a good way. I hope they can find a way to continue. 

That being said, I think the "At Last" scene went a little too far. Sure, announce your relationship with a kiss, but kiss for that long? Definitely a little awkward. 

[Good Queen Jane]

Now that the hospital has gotten rid of Dr. Han and his big salary, it will have enough money to hire radiology techs and transport people. No way are TWO surgical residents wheeling out a discharged patient. .

[SunnyBeBe]

I was relieved with the outcome of this finale, but, unfortunately, had some disappointment.

I suspect that the reason the show does not include content about Shaun's legal rights, is that it would preclude their writers from including stories about how Shaun is mistreated.  Having him discriminated against seems to appeal to them and if they point out WHY it's wrong (because it's illegal) and that Shaun has options to address it, then, they make their protagonist less sympathetic.  I think that educating the viewer would be a better option.  We had a chance to learn what rights the resident has, but, nope....having him play a victim with no rights and being saved by the mercy of others was more important to them. 

And what couldn't go wrong with Lim becoming Chief of Surgery and her lover working under her supervision....hmmm.....lol.   So, that relationship is doomed. I hope they don't take this sad old story of how the male ego can't handle it.  Overdone. 

I think that Alex and Morgan got the whole thing wrong on the lady who was pretending to be sick.  Why didn't they give her a psych referral?  That kind of thing is a mental disorder.  Shaming someone who is suffers with a disorder like that is so unprofessional.  

And, finally, my biggest issue was how they portrayed Glassman go to the lady's house, AFTER she turned down his proposal. This is not romance, it's domination.   Last week, I concluded that his character suffers from Narcissistic Personality Disorder and this only reinforces that believe. People like that do not take no for an answer. They keep pushing until they get what they want, regardless of the other person's feelings. If I were Debbie and he showed up under those circumstances, I would be alarmed and consider it stalker like. To me, it's not romantic, it's manipulative. 

But, other than those things, I really liked it.  lol 

Edited March 12, 2019 by SunnyBeBe

[milner]

I totally agree with pop tart.  Andrews should have said that the couldn’t have a staff member that threatened the board with blackmail AND that their lawyers were looking into a discrimination lawsuit as well

[preeya]

8 hours ago, Pop Tart said:

Though I’m glad Shaun has his job back and isn’t being tormented any more, the sudden turn around by Andrews and the board saying nothing at that point felt a bit too easy. Now if they’d maybe showed some backroom conversations between Andrews and the board or between board members about Han - maybe about being okay with getting rid of him because he blackmailed them - then the boardroom scene would have worked better. Or even if Glassmen or Andrews had brought up a potential lawsuit. Either would have made it a more realistic scenario then Glassmen making a nice speech and Andrews having his turnaround wa

3

↑↑ These are excellent points.

Edited March 12, 2019 by preeya

[vibeology]

So, I hated that. I mean, I'm okay with where almost all the characters ended up but the getting there was awful.

Shaun again refuses to seek help for any sort of serious problem, like being kicked in the ribs and it nearly kills him and almost killed that other patient. Coming into the ER and getting treatment would have been the right choice but Shaun for whatever reason is always against getting help. I'm glad Shaun ended up healthy but getting there sucked because it shows that Shaun is still unwilling to show weakness or seek out help.

Then Andrews just decides that he wants to hire Shaun back? No one in the board meeting is a lawyer and brings up discrimination? Han argues that Shaun was fired for being unprofessional but neither Glassman or Andrews point out that he was transferred first for being autistic? Ultimately Shaun's problem is solved without him doing anything but repeat "I'm a surgeon" over and over. Awful. Shaun was passive throughout this storyline about him overcoming obstacles. Hell, at one point Glassman referred to him as an "inspiration" which is so close to disability inspiration porn and such a wrong note in a plotline about Shaun facing discrimination. Glad he got his job back but it sucks that he had no agency.

Lim and Melendez sit down with HR and proceed to sexually harass the HR worker (that crack about submission was not cool), proving they're not going to be professional anywhere else. Then they proceed to prove my point by making out in the ER in front of staff and patients? I'm glad the episode ended with them breaking up and Lim getting a promotion but except for their last scene, ugh.

Shaun practicing on Claire and getting a style approval from Lea before going to ask Carly out was great. It was the one plot line I have absolutely no complaints about. Shaun gets it with Lea; she put up clear boundaries and he is respecting them. Awesome. If the show undoes this awesome thing by having Lea be jealous or some garbage next season, I'll be annoyed.

Glassman and Debbi is the one plot I hate, Hate, HATE! She put up boundaries and Glassman trampled all over them, using his recent cancer as a cudgel to make her feel guilty. They've been on a couple of dates and he wants to marry her? It was gross the way he kept pushing her and showing up at her work and home to pester her. And that he was rewarded with her saying yes? Gross! Gross! It reaffirms that a no is just a yes waiting to happen and that women can be won over if you just bug them enough. Awful storyline.

[SunnyBeBe]

1 hour ago, vibeology said:

So, I hated that. I mean, I'm okay with where almost all the characters ended up but the getting there was awful.

Shaun again refuses to seek help for any sort of serious problem, like being kicked in the ribs and it nearly kills him and almost killed that other patient. Coming into the ER and getting treatment would have been the right choice but Shaun for whatever reason is always against getting help. I'm glad Shaun ended up healthy but getting there sucked because it shows that Shaun is still unwilling to show weakness or seek out help.

Then Andrews just decides that he wants to hire Shaun back? No one in the board meeting is a lawyer and brings up discrimination? Han argues that Shaun was fired for being unprofessional but neither Glassman or Andrews point out that he was transferred first for being autistic? Ultimately Shaun's problem is solved without him doing anything but repeat "I'm a surgeon" over and over. Awful. Shaun was passive throughout this storyline about him overcoming obstacles. Hell, at one point Glassman referred to him as an "inspiration" which is so close to disability inspiration porn and such a wrong note in a plotline about Shaun facing discrimination. Glad he got his job back but it sucks that he had no agency.

Lim and Melendez sit down with HR and proceed to sexually harass the HR worker (that crack about submission was not cool), proving they're not going to be professional anywhere else. Then they proceed to prove my point by making out in the ER in front of staff and patients? I'm glad the episode ended with them breaking up and Lim getting a promotion but except for their last scene, ugh.

Shaun practicing on Claire and getting a style approval from Lea before going to ask Carly out was great. It was the one plot line I have absolutely no complaints about. Shaun gets it with Lea; she put up clear boundaries and he is respecting them. Awesome. If the show undoes this awesome thing by having Lea be jealous or some garbage next season, I'll be annoyed.

Glassman and Debbi is the one plot I hate, Hate, HATE! She put up boundaries and Glassman trampled all over them, using his recent cancer as a cudgel to make her feel guilty. They've been on a couple of dates and he wants to marry her? It was gross the way he kept pushing her and showing up at her work and home to pester her. And that he was rewarded with her saying yes? Gross! Gross! It reaffirms that a no is just a yes waiting to happen and that women can be won over if you just bug them enough. Awful storyline.

REF. boldface above.  So true.  They are perpetuating this myth that a man who is overly focused on you, refuses to take no for an answer, repeatedly shows up at your work and home unannounced and uninvited, insists that he knows what is best for your future, should somehow be flattery to a woman. When in fact, these are WARNING signs of an abusive and controlling person, who you may need to seek a retraining order against.  I hope they don't take it that far on this show.  Glassman is a leading character, but, they really do need to redeem him in some way.  What there're doing isn't working for me.  Do the writers not get this?

Edited March 12, 2019 by SunnyBeBe

[hula-la]

2 hours ago, MVN-Hokies said:

I wonder if Lim will talk with Andrews/Aoki about her relationship with Melendez when she accepts the chief of surgery position. She could argue that they should be able to continue seeing one another because they were together before she was promoted. I work at a school where our headmaster is the boss of his wife, a teacher. Is that not possible in a hospital as well? As I've said before, I think Lim and Melendez are a good fit for one another. They are mature in how they interact and how they deal with conflict, they push one another in a good way. I hope they can find a way to continue. 

I can't speak for hospitals, but in the school district in which I teach, there are plenty of teachers whose spouses are administrators (principals/ vice-principals). They will never move an admin to a school where a spouse is teaching, and vice versa (though, they can be an admin if their child attends that school, just not their spouse).

[zillabreeze]

58 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Glassman is a leading character, but, they really do need to redeem him in some way.  What there're doing isn't working for me.  Do the writers not get this?

I really hoped the cancer would get him.  His character started off so good; it's like he really pissed off the writers.  He better be careful, they might write Glassman falling down an elevator shaft, ala Joey Tribianni.  At this point, I'm okay with that.

I thought Claire was just adorkable standing on the stepstool with the clasping Shaun hands.  Best character on the show IMO.

Lea really had a look like she expected the candy and flowers to be for her.  Loved that they didn't go there.  

[Good Doctor Fan]

13 hours ago, Annber03 said:

... that topic, by the way, as if I needed any more reasons to love Claire. Taking the opportunity to see things from Shaun's perspective, to further try and help figure out what was wrong with that guy...that was so awesome. As was Shaun's reaction when he realized Claire had figured out what he'd been trying to say-he looked so pleased! It was so nice to see her and Shaun interacting so much here, seeing more of that friendship of theirs again. Let's not let that fall by the wayside again next season, show. 

YES!

[Good Doctor Fan]

So glad Lim got Chief of Surgery!  She was the right choice!  She's much better with the residents than Melendez, and besides his surgical career is too important to get bogged down in administration.

It's curious that he knew Lim would be offered the position.  IMO, he would only know that because he was offered it first.  But he realized she was a better choice.  Or maybe he sacrificed himself.  He was giving up his dream of having kids for Jessica.   I didn't like Lim and Melendez together anyway.  I really don't think they had chemistry.  The kissing scene was bad...  He has much more chemistry with Claire.

I do like Shaun and Lea together.  I loved their scenes together last year.  But Shaun and Carly could be adorable.  I wouldn't mind Lea being jealous...

But please don't ignore Shaun and Claire.  He needs her friendship.  The scenes where Claire's helping Shaun with social cues, like asking a girl out, teaching him to flirt.... they're the best!   

I loved Shaun and Glassman together last season; this season not as much, except for this episode. 

[SunnyBeBe]

I get why viewers like Shaun and Claire together. I really do, but, I wonder if it's fair to Shaun.  How is this going to work long term or even short term? I'm not trying to be another Dr. Han. lol   They can have a light hearted, flirtation, going out, having fun, but, would he be able to move forward? He even said that he didn't know how.  Apparently, it CAN work. I found this article.  The couple has to really understand where the other is coming from to make it work.  

 https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/spectrum-solutions/201006/what-everybody-ought-know-about-aspergers-and-marriage

Edited March 12, 2019 by SunnyBeBe

[DFWGina]

13 hours ago, Blue Plastic said:

I was expecting Sean to ask Claire out on a date!  So his asking Carly out was a twist for me!  Amusing that he just laughed and skipped away, forgetting to give her the flowers and chocolate.

I got the biggest kick out of him with the flowers and candy and walking away with them.... That was too cute.   

While I am happy it all got resolved, it was just too neat and tidy a bow on the season.... Nothing left hanging  for next season....

[izabella]

27 minutes ago, DFWGina said:

I got the biggest kick out of him with the flowers and candy and walking away with them.... That was too cute.   

Lol, not me!  I would have been so disappointed not to get the chocolate and flowers. You can't dangle a box of chocolate at me and then take it away!  Noooooo!  Come back!

[Aliconehead]

I was expecting Carly to say, “Sean, my flowers and chocolate” as he was walking away.  But I think she was amused more than anything.  Plus the fist pumps and cheers were adorbs

[MVN-Hokies]

I've seen on here and other places that Claire has better chemistry with both Melendez and Shaun. I can't remember where I first saw this, but someone pointed out that Claire has good chemistry with everybody. I tend to agree with that. Antonia Thomas is a great actress and I think the way she portrays Claire is that she can connect with anyone. Claire is caring and understanding and I think that can come off as chemistry, not just her personality. I have never seen Claire as a romantic interest for Shaun. She definitely understands him and is a wonderful friend to him, but I think that's all it should be. As far as Claire and Melendez, I've never liked the idea of them together because it just felt inappropriate since he's her superior at work. I do hope they introduce another romantic interest for her next season, she deserves it. 

[MVN-Hokies]

1 hour ago, DFWGina said:

While I am happy it all got resolved, it was just too neat and tidy a bow on the season.... Nothing left hanging  for next season....

It was definitely wrapped up much more nicely than I expected. They did get renewed for Season 3 earlier than some shows, but I'm pretty sure that by the time they were renewed they were about to start filming the finale. I think it would be difficult to decide whether or not to have a cliff hanger/how much to leave unfinished before you know the fate of the show.

[sonyab]

Dr. Han got fired!!!! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! I did not like him at all!!! I can't believe he takes away Shawn's livelihood, and then fires him!!!! He says Shawn is a bully? OH NO! Dr. Han YOU are the one who is a bully!!!! Shawn was just defending himself! He has every right to be upset and sad!!!! So goodbye Felicia!!!! I hope I never see you again!!!!

Shawn and Carly: Awwwwwwwwww! He asks her out!!! 🙂 They are so cute together. Glad she said yes. 🙂 The whole time I thought he was going to ask Lea out. I did like them together at first. But I wasn't really sure if she was interested in Shawn or not.  When Shawn left the apartment, I thought he went to Claire's apartment at first..  Well I'm on team Sharly now! 🙂

Edited March 12, 2019 by sonyab

[sonyab]

18 hours ago, Xantar said:

You know what? I like Shaun with Carly. I didn’t know that I liked them together, but I do. We’ve spent all this time afraid that he was going to get with Lea, but it seems the writers realized that would be wrong.

Wait. Why would it be wrong for Shawn and Lea to be together?

[sonyab]

17 hours ago, Trini said:

Okay, I actually laughed out loud when Lim and Melendez kissed and they started playing "At last..."!

Yeah that made me laugh really hard!!!! :) I loved it! Did they really break up? Too bad. I liked them together.. :(

[MVN-Hokies]

26 minutes ago, sonyab said:

Did they really break up? Too bad. I liked them together.. 😞

According to David Shore (writer/producer), that has technically not been decided yet. He was interviewed about it: 

How do you expect this relationship to affect their dynamic going forward now that she’s chief?
I think it absolutely will affect it, and that’s what we’re going to have to explore. As they say in that scene, either one of them resigns or they break up. Or, the third choice, which they don’t mention in that scene, is that they go back to lying to everybody. Choices have to be made and certainly, certainly it’s going to affect their relationship. That’s where the fun happens.

[rmontro]

15 hours ago, Madding crowd said:

In real life Debbie ( Shelia Kelley) is 57 and Richard Schiff (Glassman) is 63, but he does look a lot older.

Wow, she looks good for her age.  No wonder Glassy is smitten with her.  

It's funny how he finally gets away from being Mr. Grumpy Puss, and they turn him into a creepster stalker type lol.

4 hours ago, izabella said:

Lol, not me!  I would have been so disappointed not to get the chocolate and flowers. You can't dangle a box of chocolate at me and then take it away!  Noooooo!  Come back!

I would have definitely been yelling "Hey!  Bring those chocolates back.  You can keep the flowers if you want".

[Annber03]

3 hours ago, MVN-Hokies said:

As far as Claire and Melendez, I've never liked the idea of them together because it just felt inappropriate since he's her superior at work.

For me, a large part of why I can't see them together (aside from the fact that I just don't really see that kind of romantic chemistry) is because I think they're in very different places in their lives. He wants a family, and Claire seems more focused on her professional life right now. She does want love, yes, as she noted last night, but whether she sees that translating into a family or not, I don't know. 

But yeah, I do think the issue you mention is a valid one to consider as well. 

I've always thought Shaun and Claire made sense because I think they generally have more in common (both had crappy childhoods, both had to work hard and struggle to get where they were), they seem to get and understand each other really well, and I like how they can talk to each other about various things (I will say, though, that it'd be nice to see more of Shaun helping Claire through whatever issues she's dealing with. We've seen a lot of her being supportive of him, I'd love to see more of him returning the favor). I think there's a lot of good basis there to continue building on their friendship and, perhaps down the line, having it become more.

But we shall see, I guess. Like I said, I like Carly, too, and she and Shaun have had some great moments together as well. I'm pretty flexible when it comes to my shipping preferences on my favorite shows, so I'm good with whatever :). 

Edited March 12, 2019 by Annber03

[tvrox]

21 hours ago, Madding crowd said:

This was a very sweet episode and while things moved a little fast, I was happy to see Sean ask Carly for a date and happy she said yes. I think the hospital would have arranged a social worker to help the old lady and arrange visits to her home. Every time my mother in law is in the hospital , she is visited and assessed by social workers even though she had family around.

Yeah the way they handled the elderly lady seriously bothered me. They should have set her up with a social worker, or even better, psychiatric help. They just discharged her instead?

[possibilities]

12 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I hope they don't take it that far on this show. 

I hope they DO. It's the only thing that would redeem this plot. If they actually believe this is romantic and not a red flag, I'm disgusted. So I'd like to see them turn it into a story about how Glassman is an abusive control freak who Debbie finally had to take action against. I don't like portraying her as ignoring these warning signs, because she's been sensible and self-respecting so far. So even if they do expose it as terrible, it's already kind of too late. I wish they'd stop it with this bs. They had the residents threaten Claire's mother's boyfriend, too, which was another gesture that I think the show thought was awesome and romantic, when I thought it was horrific.

I hate that they are using discrimination against Shaun as a vehicle to sentimentally glorify his friends for saving him, while keeping Shaun helpless and victimy. It's condescending. Paternalism isn't the same thing as respect.

[possibilities]

I would have been disappointed about Shaun walking off with the flowers and chocolate, but on the other hand his whooping with excitement to go out with me would have provided some mitigation of that loss.

I also probably would have gone after him not only to divvy up the goods, but also to set an actual time for the date I'd just said yes to.

Playing it cool is not my style.

[bros402]

20 hours ago, NeenerNeener said:

I can't believe he walked away with the flowers and candy after she said yes. But yay! Shaun got his job back, and a date!

Him walking away makes perfect sense. After she said yes, all he could feel was the happiness - you could see it in his body

5 hours ago, tvrox said:

Yeah the way they handled the elderly lady seriously bothered me. They should have set her up with a social worker, or even better, psychiatric help. They just discharged her instead?

Yup, they should've contacted social work, because she needs help of some kind if she thinks her daughter who died ~60-70 years ago is alive *and* has grandkids - she created a complex fiction.

[doctor destiny]

16 hours ago, vibeology said:

Shaun again refuses to seek help for any sort of serious problem, like being kicked in the ribs and it nearly kills him and almost killed that other patient. Coming into the ER and getting treatment would have been the right choice but Shaun for whatever reason is always against getting help. I'm glad Shaun ended up healthy but getting there sucked because it shows that Shaun is still unwilling to show weakness or seek out help.

Then Andrews just decides that he wants to hire Shaun back? No one in the board meeting is a lawyer and brings up discrimination? Han argues that Shaun was fired for being unprofessional but neither Glassman or Andrews point out that he was transferred first for being autistic? Ultimately Shaun's problem is solved without him doing anything but repeat "I'm a surgeon" over and over. Awful. Shaun was passive throughout this storyline about him overcoming obstacles. Hell, at one point Glassman referred to him as an "inspiration" which is so close to disability inspiration porn and such a wrong note in a plotline about Shaun facing discrimination. Glad he got his job back but it sucks that he had no agency.

Glassman and Debbi is the one plot I hate, Hate, HATE! She put up boundaries and Glassman trampled all over them, using his recent cancer as a cudgel to make her feel guilty. They've been on a couple of dates and he wants to marry her? It was gross the way he kept pushing her and showing up at her work and home to pester her. And that he was rewarded with her saying yes? Gross! Gross! It reaffirms that a no is just a yes waiting to happen and that women can be won over if you just bug them enough. Awful storyline.

I loved it and frankly I needed there to be no cliffhanger.  I found the prior three episodes incredibly painful to watch.  Why did Shaun say nothing?  I think it was PTSD from the same thing happening to him as a child.  Both his father and school bullies.  I don't think it was a loss of agency.  I think he just didn't want to think about it.  Kick a good man when he is down eh?  Which is why he goes to the room of his attacker looking for answers.  Han again made a bunch of assumptions on Shaun's motivations here because he doesn't know him.  

Agreed re: discrimination.  I think they deliberately didn't go there as a dramatic device.  I think that paints the wrong picture to #actuallyautistic adults.  On passivity he tried and tried to be an exemplary doctor and it got him nowhere with a man who was never going to listen anyway.  He also has a long way to travel and I think that's Shore's point.

Debbie wanted more first and he just wanted a fling - then he turned it around mentally.  She showed up at his house after he took the first No for an answer.  Marry in haste?  As you get older you realize that life is very very short.  It's not that implausible.