Whew! After just a few lackluster tales, The Good Physician is lastly again on monitor.
I’ve to confess, I wasn’t offered on a Lea-centered hour, particularly when the trailer made it seem that The Good Doctor Season 4 Episode 8 would concentrate on Shaun assembly Lea’s mother and father and nothing else.
However this turned out to be one in a sequence of tales about letting go, worrying, and what it means to be a superb mother or father (or a superb good friend.)
Lea’s dilemma, by itself, wouldn’t have made for robust or attention-grabbing drama.
Lea: Keep in mind how I informed you my mother and father drop in unannounced?
Shawn: Hmm
Lea: I simply acquired a textual content that they are coming over tomorrow.
Shawn: Okay.
Lea: No, it isn’t okay. This is not a go to. It is an ambush.
For one factor, the overbearing mother and father hating a personality’s new boyfriend is an overused trope.
Nearly each drama has completed it in a method or one other, some higher than others, and Shaun and Lea struggling together with her mother and father texting her that they’ve “issues” wasn’t overly dramatic.
It is not like they have been doing something to intrude with the connection. Lea’s emotions have been damage, however she may have ignored their opinion, thanked them for his or her concern with out appearing on it, or in any other case simply gone on together with her life.
So perhaps it makes me callous and unempathetic, however Lea’s emotions being damage that her mother and father stated one thing she did not agree with would not price extremely on my checklist of dramatic issues.
And whereas I do not suppose her mother and father ought to get to dictate who she goes out with, I do are inclined to agree with them that she’s not mature sufficient to be in a critical relationship.
Shaun: Lea, individuals who meet me are normally uncomfortable and that does not go away.
Lea: How do you cope with that?
Shaun: I attempt to be affected person. Generally that works.
Lea: Possibly you are a extra mature particular person than me as a result of that will not work for me.
I imply, if she’s going to freak out as a result of her mother and father have a unfavorable opinion of Shaun after one 20 minute assembly, she’s not unbiased sufficient. Positive, it is annoying, however it’s not the excessive stage drama she’s making it into.
She’s not a youngster anymore and he or she must study to not let her mother and father’ opinion matter so rattling a lot.
I did like her dialog with Glassman, although, particularly her acknowledgment that he is the closest factor Shaun has to a father.
And Glassman responded like a father would, too, about how he is aware of he is being irrational however he can not help worrying about Shaun after figuring out the whole lot he is been by way of.
That is the most effective Lea’s going to get, and he or she ought to settle for that as an alternative of making an attempt to alter it.
Olivia: Uncle Marcus, we had a deal. No particular consideration.
Andrews: That deal is off. You are struggling.
Lea’s story labored fairly properly as part of an episode devoted to the theme of individuals discovering it onerous to let go of these they care about, although.
To a level, Olivia was having the identical drawback. Andrews was decided to mildew her into the type of physician he thought she needs to be, and he or she went from making an attempt too onerous to emulate Jordan to realizing she must be her personal particular person.
It is a disgrace she wanted recommendation from the always-obnoxious Morgan to determine that out, however finally she stood as much as her uncle in a means that was respectful but agency, and I applauded her for it.
Olivia’s relationship with Jordan is sophisticated by their rivalry, too. They’re mates and colleagues, but Olivia is all the time in comparison with Jordan and till now has all the time come up brief.
I am interested by how Olivia’s new angle will have an effect on her relationship with Jordan and the place that goes from right here.
I am additionally thrilled with the course The Good Physician is taking Lim’s post-COVID story.
PTSD is such a misunderstood sickness, particularly so far as TV writers go. Many writers know little about it aside from the truth that fight veterans typically develop it, and in consequence PTSD tales typically find yourself being primarily based on stereotypes.
In some instances, the writers veer removed from the reality, throwing in hallucinations and different issues that don’t have anything to do with PTSD (Sure, I am you, Days of Our Lives!).
However not right here.
Lim’s PTSD was brought on by the war-like circumstances through the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and her signs are sufficiently subtle that the uninitiated particular person would possibly fairly assume she’s advantageous and Claire is being overbearing.
Regardless of Lim’s temper swings and insistence she’s advantageous when she clearly is not, I am undecided Claire did the suitable factor.
Lim appears to be functioning advantageous at work, for probably the most half. Claire ought to keep away from going to bars together with her and different conditions the place Lim is prone to get herself into hassle and set off Claire’s recollections of Claire’s mom, however reporting her appears excessive.
Glassman was proper that Claire was breaking Lim’s confidence. If there’s substantial purpose to suppose Lim will hurt herself or her sufferers, that is ample grounds to do this.
However regardless of Lim’s bike accident and her drunken habits, I am undecided there may be sufficient proof she’s a hazard to anybody for Claire to take that step.
Claire appears to be overstepping, though she’s proper that Lim wants assist that she refuses to get.
Lim will not be flawed that Claire goes round making an attempt to avoid wasting everybody, and Claire’s insistence that Lim is rather like her mom issues me.
I would have somewhat Claire talked to her personal therapist about her worries as an alternative of Glassman. Then, if her therapist inspired her to report Lim’s habits not less than there can be some foundation for it!
The way in which Lim dealt with the teenage woman who wished to be emancipated was intelligent. Sure, it upset the kid, however somebody needed to present her what emancipation entails.
Regardless of the poor dynamiocs between her and her father, Daria’s resolution to insurgent in opposition to her dad the second he did not give in to what she wished is pretty typical of adolescents (although most of them do not have the sources to rent attorneys and attempt to get themselves emancipated over such disagreements!).
Lim used her data of adolescent psychology to indicate Daria what being an grownup meant when it comes to resolution making, and that helped wake Daria up.
Good for Lim. There was no want for Claire to confront her over doing her job simply because her habits the night time earlier than had been lower than admirable.
What do you suppose, The Good Physician followers? Is Claire placing her nostril in the place it would not belong or serving to a good friend who has turn into a legal responsibility? Did Lea’s mother and father have a degree? And did you get pleasure from the best way Olivia stood as much as Andrews?
Hit the massive, blue SHOW COMMENTS button and tell us!
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The Good Physician airs on ABC on Mondays at 10 PM EST/PST.
Jack Ori is a senior workers author for TV Fanatic. His debut younger grownup novel, Reinventing Hannah, is accessible on Amazon. Observe him on Twitter.