The residents of San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital, on The Good Doctor, are tasked with demonstrating their medical expertise and their ability to make decisions independently, in the October 8 Episode 3 in Season 2, “36 Hours.” Long shifts can bring out the worst in any employee, and proper workplace etiquette can fly out the window. When typical decisions by those in charge and unintentional remarks almost culminate in a crisis in surgery, everyone learns a lesson about the power of words and teamwork.

Dr. Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore) and Dr.

Morgan Reznick (Fiona Gubelmann) are the ones who pick the unlucky numbers for the 36-hour shift in the ER. Dr. Lim (Christina Chang) is officially “on call” for emergencies, but instructs her charges not to disturb her, short of a life or death situation. She winds up in her own debacle with her day in traffic court. Claire (Antonia Thomas) continues to practice assertiveness, as Dr. Andrews (Hill Harper), advised, but the hospital president doesn't appreciate the timing or the reason for her stand against such long hours without sleep, no matter the empirical research in her defense. The nuance and flawless writing of “36 Hours” create an episode of “The Good Doctor” that many fans won’t mind revisiting for hours to come.

Lea (Paige Spara) has the final say of the night with Shaun, as he learns a lesson about listening too late, and Dr. Glassman (Richard Schiff) has an unexpected, but very welcome, visitor after surgery.

An endless day

The day begins delightfully for Shaun, as he visits Dr. Glassman at sunrise with the news that his pathology looks “very good,” almost discounting the difficult road that his mentor has yet to walk, coping with chemotherapy, radiation, and already in the throes of surgical recovery, with very limited relief from his pain.

Nonetheless, Shaun is virtually dancing with joy over the prognosis for his paternal figure.

Shaun is exuberant as he showers and prepares for his day, and he doesn't seem daunted in the least by picking the numbers for the long shift with Morgan in the ER. He is determined to show he can be sound in his decisions, no matter how long the day.

Dr. Reznick chastises him for picking up his phone a little too often, which she interprets as trying to call Dr. Lim when in reality, he is deflecting conversation with Lea. Shaun discloses to Morgan that he and Lea kissed after singing karaoke, and the struggle he is having in talking through relationships. Morgan retorts that Shaun shouldn't listen to Claire or Lea, since they only pay attention to him because they feel sorry for him, like a “cute puppy.” He responds that she doesn't even know Lea, but her barbed words are still absorbed. She remarks that if Leah thought of Shaun like a man, she would never settle for one “peck.”

While Shaun and Morgan deal with a young patient with an unexpected case of prolonged erection, and another situation with a boy who wedged a light bulb in his mouth, Dr.

Melendez (Nicholas Gonzalez), Dr. Park (Will Yun Lee) Claire, and Nurse Flores (Liza Lapira) are coping with a laparoscopic procedure for a patient dreaming of a family with her husband. The procedure that is seen as almost routine turns out to be 27 hours of unimaginable trials and tumultuous decision.

Out of order

Dr. Lim clearly has no skill in courtroom decorum, as she stands, yells, and argues with the judge, even pulling out the manual for traffic ordinances and contesting the calibration of her speed. When she walks out of court to take a call, the judge, an absolute dead ringer for Louise Fletcher, makes her wait out the whole day of proceedings. When the doctor remains defiant, she is ordered to do jail time and loses her driver’s license for a year.

Literally, everyone involved tells Dr. Lim the value of keeping her mouth shut, but she simply cannot follow the command. She was released after nine hours and runs into the attorney who had tried to counsel her in court. They share dinner conversation, and a “quickie” romantic interlude before a call about a real medical emergency comes in.

Shaun was ingenious using a surgical sac to encase the light bulb, and then having the boy patient bite down to safely break its contents for removal. After several tries with injections on the patient with erectile issues-- with no satisfaction, even after Shaun joined in with his screams.—the gifted surgeon notices a foot drop, and that observation demands a call to Dr.

Lim, who has to get a ride to the hospital. She and her team excise an epidural edema in surgery, and she credits the handling of their first killer shift, while Morgan notes that she has been lounging on the couch all day. “Good point,” responds the supervising physician. Shaun relates the “advice” from Morgan to Dr. Lim about how women see him. Dr. Lim quickly asks if Morgan has any explanation for her treatment of Shaun.

Dr. Melendez and his team encounter so many lesions throughout the body of their patient that they are confronted with two life-threatening issues. Dr. Brown suggests that they construct a new bladder with a grafted tissue instead of performing a urostomy, and they can either perform a complete hysterectomy on the hopeful future mother, preserving her life or try to preserve her uterus, which is doubtful at best.

Conflict comes to a head when Claire already feels defeated after Dr. Andrews downs her recommendations, and when she states her feelings to the team, she is basically told to be careful with her words. Nurse Flores comes to her defense but is dismissed, and ultimately told to “scrub out” of surgery. She refuses, and another misinterpretation of language happens when Dr. Melendez offhandedly says “it's one of those days” regarding Claire, never intending any specific female reference. Only “The Good Doctor” takes on these kinds of characters and issues with such directness and delicacy.

Dr. Andrews later comes to observe, telling the team that he expects complete professionalism, for the good of this patient.

When the patient's husband begs that Claire be the one to make the choice for his wife's future, she directs the surgical team to do the complete hysterectomy, because “her life is worth more than a dream” of having her own children.

Later, with Dr. Andrews, Dr. Melendez praises the full effort of the team, by individual names, and notes the assertive decision of Dr. Brown. Nurse Flores commends Dr. Melendez for being open to the ideas of his full team, while Claire Brown simply says “I'm good.” After 27 hours, the outcome is welcome. When they break the shocking news to their patient, she responds with “it's gonna be okay.”

Lea is waiting as Shaun leaves the hospital, and he scoots as close as his autism will allow on the bench, explaining that he realizes that “you have always been nice to me,” and a very good friend.

He insists that “if you want to talk, I will listen.” Lea unloads her own hurt feelings, reminding that “friendship is a two-way street, Shaunie, you jacka**!” Morgan passes by, commenting that “I guess she does see you as a real man, Shawn.”

Miserable in his room, Dr. Glassman sees a stunning vision of his deceased daughter, Maddie (Holly Taylor). She comes to his bed to comfort him. “You're dead,” he says. “You think I don't know that,” she responds before he asks “Am I dead?” She replies that he is only tired, and the teary, totally authentic gaze into the eyes of his daughter answers part of the reason why “The Good Doctor” is such captivating television.
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