![Shaun and Carly don't have success in their first try at holding hands on "The Good Doctor." [Image source-ABC-YouTube]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2019/10/15/660x290/b_502x220x82/shaun-and-carly-dont-have-success-in-their-first-try-at-holding-hands-on-the-good-doctor-image-source-abc-youtube_2339857.jpg "Shaun and Carly don't have success in their first try at holding hands on \"The Good Doctor.\" [Image source-ABC-YouTube]")
Love and pain are often portrayed as part and parcel of one another. In song, and on stage and screen, the sorrows of love absorb far more fodder than its moments of elation and joy. Still, it is the joy of love that makes all the struggle worthwhile, and knowing that someone is at one’s side through every darkness develops the sense of purpose and unity in life. All these themes are part of this week's exquisitely created Episode 4 of Season 3 of “The Good Doctor,” “Take My Hand,” airing October 14.
Dr. Claire Brown (Antonia Thomas) is on duty, not taking a single day off or daring to mention that her mother has died in a fatal car crash.
The dedicated surgical resident is also not even dealing with her own feelings of responsibility in the loss or working toward self-forgiveness. Instead, she is drowning herself in work while some very raw emotions are on the surface.
Dr. Shaun Murphy and Dr. Carly Lever (Freddie Highmore and Jasika Nicole) are finding more and more in common in their young relationship, and even feel fine about sharing kisses during television commercials. Another simple gesture of connection, however, becomes a hurdle. Carly sees holding hands as necessary support and symbol of affection in their union. Shaun only feels the discomfort of such physical closeness.
Shaun’s mentor, Dr. Glassman (Richard Schiff) has to move past his own discomfort of the unknown and doubt to marry Debbie (Sheila Kelley), two untypical patients present their own issues in love, trust, and pain.
High-profile patient and following the proposal
It’s a fun twist for fans to see Joshua Malina from “Scandal” as the high-profile, prominent conspiracy theorist, Mitchell Stewart, as a patient in San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital, and he isn't taking any chances with his care. He is surrounded by a full staff and tells all of his attending physicians that he has no trust in their expertise.
A lovely moment arises when Dr. Murphy relates that lulling a body into complete sedation before “cutting you open” requires that “you trust us just a little.”
Dr. Murphy becomes the one doctor whom Mitchell trusts because he can't lie. When “The Good Doctor,” says “I can lie,” meaning as an actual act itself, Dr. Park (Will Yun Lee) interjects, “but not successfully” to seal the deal.
Stewart is convinced that he is being poisoned when his liver is not showing improvement even after surgery. Shaun is on the case, and it's not long until Stewart himself is made the culprit, consuming high levels of a problem ingredient in his herbal supplements. Dr. Murphy also makes a point to debunk the touted link between vaccines and autism, as well as probing into some of the reasons for his patient’s far-flung concepts.
Aaron Glassman lets his fear of failure get in the way of future happiness as he waits with Debbie at the courthouse. He panics after she tells him about her time in the Merchant Marine (and snoring). He seeks Shaun’s counsel about remarriage. Shaun is honored by this “huge” moment but has no advice.
Instead, he confirms that Dr. Glassman has already made up his mind, referring to a first wife, thus implying a second one. When Debbie comes to the clinic to find her fiancé “leaping” on the trampoline, he asks her to take another leap to the courthouse. This time, the pair is all dressed up for the occasion, along with Shaun and Carly serving as best man and bridesmaid. As Debbie and Aaron kiss, Shaun reaches for Carly’s hand, in their own gentle hold.
The ending touch was quite a contrast to the initial effort made by Shaun after Carly's eloquent appeal for her need of hand-holding, insisting that it speaks of “holding each other up as long as we can” when life gets cold and dark. The experience was like a vise grip for Shaun, and Carly relents.
Dr. Park assured Shaun that this gesture was one “little thing” that would mean big problems for their relationship.
A sacred song with sea lions
Claire and Morgan (Fiona Gubelmann) are confronted with a patient with another kind of pain issue. Lily Barstow (Jennifer Lafleur) has a ruptured appendix and doesn't really feel any hint of pain. When the residents try to test her pain receptors, they discover that she senses physical pain as the only touch, never as a marker for anything more severe. There is another parallel here with Claire Brown, who stuffed so much of her emotional distress with her mother into her professional pursuit. Lily Barstow also endured the loss of her mother as a child, and the experience made all forms of pain dull to her.
During surgery to remove an infection from her hand, the team is forced to amputate the hand to preserve Lily’s life. During the explanation of her condition, and how she needs to monitor her body henceforth, Lily’s husband (Mark Hildreth), becomes disenchanted and dumbfounded. He realizes that his wife has never experienced the love or the losses in their lives in the way that he has. He walks out, and that provokes distress in Lily. The husband eventually returns, deciding that he will be her monitor for pain instead of utilizing medication. Lily’s first genuine tears of joy flow as she embraces him, and once more, “The Good Doctor” teaches about deeper dimensions of love.
Meanwhile, Morgan is psychoanalyzing Claire all day long about her mother, and Claire rightly nails that Morgan is seeking “a toy to break” in her attitude.
When Morgan discovers that a canister in the back of Claire’s car contains the ashes of her mother, Claire relates the full story and her conundrum of how to move forward. In one of those rare “only Morgan” acts of friendship, Dr. Reznick insists that Claire fulfill her mother's final wish to “be” with the sea lions at the marine life center. It just so happens that a gay pride sea life fashion show is running that evening. “We'll have to dress up,” Morgan assures, and she and Claire are glittered and feathered to the nines in this mission.
Claire tells Morgan that her mother wasn't religious, to which Morgan retorts, “Everybody's got a religion-- not everybody has a God-- but everybody has a religion.” She then says that “music” was the religion of Breeze Brown.
Claire offers a pure and genuine rendition of “Amazing Grace” as she pours out her mother's ashes into the sea lion tank. The following tender scene shows Morgan resting her head on Claire’s shoulder, just before Claire leaves the subway. Thomas’ performance is wrenching and tremendous.
Unfortunately, Claire hasn't yet come to giving herself grace in the loss. She goes to a bar, drinks, and meets a stranger, allowing him to have “a quickie” in the alley as the episode closes. Anesthetic only works for a while, even on “The Good Doctor,” and these choices will only make the real pain worse.
This deeply personal and impactful episode speaks to every human being on some level. Love, loss, and pain are part of every life journey, and the scenes speak beyond the dialogue.
Next week, “The Good Doctor” brings Dr. Murphy's lead surgery, and the preview certainly indicates a diversion from the well-deliberated plan for the gifted resident.
