Faithful fans of “The Good Doctor” are likely waking up feeling like Election Day is more like the day after Christmas with the premiere of Season 4 of the most successful and beloved medical drama on November 2, “Frontline” Pt. 1. Loyal viewers probably loved the sight and sound of Lea (Paige Spara) knocking at Shaun Murphy’s (Freddie Highmore) door like old times, looking for her employee badge. Her promise to stay the night on Saturday comes right after a completely believable, yet still heartbreaking, scene featuring an obviously ill woman in the vise-grip of the virus, but neither she nor those around her realize it.

The powerful portrayal of Mildred as “Patient 0,” so movingly brought to life by Jamillah Ross, is only the first of many that keep the focus on the people, not the policy or practices, so devastated by this siege, and how an early response and focus could have made such a difference to the crisis. “The Good Doctor” stands out among medical TV Shows for its focus on humanity, and this episode brings the impact of the outbreak home.

Temporary roomies and a terrorizing condition on ‘The Good Doctor’

“The Good Doctor” creator/writer, David Shore, deliberately set forth to address the pandemic storyline in the premiere episodes. The state of emergency that hit California is condensed into two episodes, while the staff of San Jose St.

Bonaventure Hospital reels from the impact.

Just as in real life, the initial advice from medical professionals was very rigidly defined regarding the virus. When Mildred goes to the emergency room, Dr. Reznick (Fiona Gubelmann) gives her the standard protocol for severe, standard flu, saying she'll feel better in about two weeks.

Only days after, her daughter (Bethany Brown), who suspected the virus along, is seeing her mother intubated and ventilated through a plastic divider. “The Good Doctor” is growing frustrated because none of his spectacular understandings of biology and physiology can bring a cure in this situation. His patient, Marty (Lochlin Monro) appears well, but his oxygen level is dire enough to prompt his admission

A refreshing turn comes in the impromptu relationship of Dr.

Park (Will Yun Lee) Dr. Murphy as roommates. Conscientious dad Park doesn't want to risk the lives of his family, so he’s moved in with Shaun. As simpatico and empathetic as this pair has been in the past, there is still a minor clash when Dr. Park dares to put away pantry items in “Lea’s cabinet.” Park understands that the dispute is only an outgrowth of trying to cope with the loneliness and isolation that “The Good Doctor” feels but cannot express.

Park isn't so please about the open discussion of intimacy while his son (Ricky He) can hear on the other line. In the same breath, Highmore brilliantly delivers a line congratulating the young man on his high school graduation and the surety that he understands the subject of human relationships.

Lea offers to do her part, proposing that intimacy over the phone might be an avenue. The measure is a dismal failure for Shaun, who knows there's no substitute for human touch.

Isolation and too close for comfort on ‘The Good Doctor’

Dr. Murphy isn't the only one deprived of the one he loves. One of the most powerful scenes of this episode of “The Good Doctor” is brilliantly delivered without a word. Dr. Andrews (Hill Harper) comes home to a drafty garage and a foil-wrapped dinner at the close of his endless shift. Like so many doctors, nurses, therapists, and technicians in this daily fight, he strips off his work clothes and changes into sweats. There is a note from his wife, saying: “I love you,” but he eats his dinner in deafening silence.

Silence is not a problem for Dr. Glassman (Richard Schiff) the dedicated hospital president is trying to conduct the vital business of securing essential personal protective equipment (PPE), and other matters, while his wife, Debbie (Sheila Kelley) is trying to make their quarantined time fun and adventuresome. While Glassman is rather gruff to her approach, she discovers he has plenty of time for online poker. She decides that separate beds are in order, at least until he appreciates her absence. Real-life parallels run throughout “The Good Doctor” in this installment.

Little moments last a lifetime on ‘The Good Doctor’

Emotions are always an issue that confounds “The Good Doctor.” He perturbs his co-workers by calling it to their attention that everyone's demeanor and emotions are now concealed by masks.

Park has his smiling face on a placard. The doctor spends time easing the struggle of his patient, an asthmatic expectant mother (Arlen Aguayo-Stewart). Fortunately, she survives, and Park leads the team to deliver her daughter. He visits her, encouraging that she must get well to raise her daughter.

Dr. Brown (Antonia Thomas) and Dr. Lim (Christina Chang) maintain their kinship through grief in the wake of losing Dr. Melendez (Nicholas Gonzalez). Dr. Brown fears that “moving on” will mean that she loses the special love of their relationship. Neil was always her cheerleader as well as a necessary disciplinarian. He saw the secret side of her that she concealed from the world. After the wrenching loss of her mother, Claire naturally has an affinity for that bond.

She tells Mildred’s daughter that she will look for the necklace that belonged to her mother. While she is in the overflowing room containing the property of patients, Dr. Melendez “visits” her, assuring “everything will be okay.” Hollywood Life per MSN noted the surprise moment in a November 3 feature. The spiritual presence of the brilliant surgeon as an encourager to Claire will presumably be recurring on “The Good Doctor.”

Fans can also look forward to Shaun and Lea soon living together, as David Shore hinted in a Q & A session covered by Deadline per MSN. The showrunner also related in the November 3 release that Dr. Murphy faces his biggest challenge yet in supervising the new group of first-year residents soon to appear on “The Good Doctor.”

For now, though, Dr.

Murphy must cope with his critically ill patient hitting one complication after another, while the hospital deals with exposure from a patient that was first diagnosed with only a diverticulitis flare-up. Lea comes to his door, this time bearing gifts, a plastic shield to guard against the irritation of facemasks rubbing on the ears. To his surprise, “it's better,” reports “The Good Doctor” as he thanks her. She sits against her side of the door as he sits against his. They talk about Dr. Park making pancakes, and for those moments, the life-and-death tension fades.

Some naysayers, like some in the world, are fatigued by this storyline on “The Good Doctor.” As David Shore contends, it would be irresponsible of any medical drama in this time not to confront the current public health crisis, one that is resurgent in dramatic proportions as these words are written.

The black and white words in this episode’s introduction speak the simple but momentous words that direct humankind to assuage the assault. “Do your part. Wear a mask,” they instruct. Obedience and adherence are heroic measures. The power to change a life is supernatural.
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