Streaming or subscription fans of “The Good Doctor” might notice that the title of the November 30 Season 4 Winter Finale episode, “Fault,” was altered to “My Own D*mn Fault” on some platforms. The adjustment was likely made to honor Jimmy Buffett, who almost becomes a character in this storyline.

Coming face-to-face with fatal conditions and death daily is never easy, especially for a first-year resident who is very sure of his commitment to become a doctor, at the cost of sacrificing his family and forsaking his Hasidic culture, but not so sure about every problem with every patient.

“The Good Doctor” (Freddie Highmore), in contrast, gets a scolding from Dr. Lim (Christina Chang) for hovering too much over his learners. Lim tells him to act like he trusts the residents, “even if you don't.” The instruction is a tall order for the surgeon who can cope with the black-and-white but struggles with the gray area of human behavior and emotion.

The writers of “The Good Doctor” are adept at taking very relatable characters to unusual situations. Dr. Park (Will Yun Lee), Dr. Browne (Antonia Thomas), and the other residents are challenged by a patient with a serious brain condition and an even more complicated relationship between two men. One of them, Zane (Daniel Di Tomasso), has only known her for eight days, yet he can't see his life without her and is devoted enough to seek medical care.

Brendan (Ryan Kennedy) is so consumed with hurt and betrayal that he cannot make any rational decision.

On the homefront, Dr. Reznick (Fiona Gubelmann) and her new roommate, Dr. Park, are doing some sparring over the trinkets on their past and the path to something more. Shaun and Lea aren't the only couple in focus on “The Good Doctor,” and the new romantic dynamic could be very fun to watch.

A parrot between pals on ‘The Good Doctor’

Dr. Reznick can't resist starting the morning with Dr. Park with a little disagreement. She questions him about a ceramic parrot. He confesses to being a Jimmy Buffett aficionado, a famed “parrot head.” Of course, Morgan suspects more, but she’s going to run with this as long as she can.

She delights in sabotaging Alex Park’s phone's ring tone at work, loudly proclaiming, “Just own it!” as she ascends the stairway. This pair is no secret on “The Good Doctor.”

Park finally admits that his colorful knickknack is a memento from Mia and their early days. He is hardly done with Morgan. The following morning, he greets her (while naked) in her bedroom with an entire montage of past relationship memories, including a fake Gronkowski jersey. They each have their justifications, but clearly, Morgan and Alex have been hanging on to a lot from the past. We’ve seen plenty of Morgan in her self-protective, self-promoting professional mode-- it's about time to expose her personal existence on “The Good Doctor.”

Very present medical dangers nearly take the lives of the patients involved here, even in the first few minutes, as TV Fanatic and The Futon Critic confirm in November 30 coverage.

When Dr. Jackson (Summer Brown) consults Dr. Murphy about a patient at risk of having a stroke (Jennifer-Juniper Angeli), “The Good Doctor” surmises immediately that she has having a stroke, simply from her blood pressure readings.

Dr. Browne's team is perplexed by the symptoms presented by Ellie (Lindsey Kraft), who claims to have migraine headaches all the time but with no aura. They have to deftly manage the emotions of the men in her life without endangering her health. When Brendan claims that all he feels is “I just hate her,” Dr. Park reminds me that his emotions are raw and deep “because you love her.” The advice sounds remarkably like something Shaun Murphy might say in this situation from “The Good Doctor.”

Further scans reveal that Ellie has an embedded tooth in her brain, probably from the time she was very young, and an entangled mass has now formed around it.

The tooth is successfully removed, but the problem is not solved. She implores that she doesn't want the decision about her marriage made by surgery. Because Zane exhibited such selfless caring about her life, the team asks him to persuade her about the surgery, knowing that her memories of him may vanish. Much credit is due to director Vanessa Parise for pulling off scenes with such humanity and empathy. “The Good Doctor” possesses talent like so few TV Shows on mainstream television.

Two wrongs can't save life on ‘The Good Doctor’

Carlos Porter (Carlos Lacamara) is a 58-year-old dancer who thinks he has a badly pulled muscle in his back. He is the first patient of Dr. Asher Wolke (Noah Galvin), and he teases that compared to his younger students, he looks like Betty White.

Dr. Wolke asks if Betty White is a dancer, admitting he lacks much cultural knowledge. When the resident reports his initial findings to Shaun, “The Good Doctor” tells the Dr. in training to discharge him with a brace and pain relievers, with the counsel about trust fresh in his mind.

Mr. Porter is quite perceptive. When he asks about an accent he hears in his doctor's voice, Wolke briefly relates his story of leaving his faith and his culture. When the patient probes further about possible similarities regarding gender orientation, the resident balks, suggesting that there is no way Porter could be familiar with his life experiences. Before he can be discharged, the patient collapses on the bed, complaining of his gut.

Surgery is performed for an aortic obstruction, and relief is immediate. Dr. Wolke examines the incision area, which seems fine. What isn’t fine are the symptoms of jaundice that Asher discovers. Truthfully, he tells his patient that the liver situation is “bad.” Porter praises that his young doctor’s supervisor must be proud. He apologizes for his earlier suppositions.

In another of those scenes that never leaves fans' consciousness, Porter asks Asher to pray a prayer of healing over him. “You must know a prayer of healing,” the infirmed patient asserts. In flawless Hebrew, Noah Galvin delivers an unforgettable scene as a caring physician. Not being a believer is not nearly as important as being a genuine human being.

Like millions of others being delivered in real-time by real doctors, this depiction of the human connection is stunningly haunting. At its best, “The Good Doctor” always delivers.

Dr. Murphy’s team comes up with the material to create a shunt for another blockage “upstream.” Among the bright spots of this episode is the rare, selfless move from Lea to surrender the date night she requested to allow Shaun to go to the hospital and prepare for the operation. Tragically, during the procedure, Mr. Porter begins to decline rapidly. Shaun starts an unfortunate discussion of how he would have found the initial obstruction sooner, how Wolke made a mistake, and how he should have intervened with further examination.

The OR is no place for “wudda, shudda, cudda.” Dr. Lim quickly takes charge to get the focus back on the patient. Mr. Porter crashes, and Dr. Wolke furiously tries every measure to revive him. “The Good Doctor” declares “He's dead,” to the resident as Dr. Lim notes the time of death.

Dr. Murphy goes to Dr. Glassman (Richard Schiff), insisting that it is his emotional perception deficits and communication issues that provoked this death. Glassman assures that nothing about being on the ASD spectrum can be blamed. He guides his prodigy to “Go home, be with the ones you love, and get up and do it all over tomorrow.” That instruction is all any of us can follow day to day, whether we have the Savant characteristics of “The Good Doctor” or not.

Before Shaun Murphy takes that advice, he finds Dr. Wolke desolate in the hallway. “I don't want to be alone right now,” the resident tells Murphy when the surgeon tells him he can go home. Making the ultimate gesture, Dr. Murphy joins him in the next seat, silent, but caring.

‘The Good Doctor’ copes with memories and shares a comforting bed

Ellie comes through surgery, and after seeing the images of herself and Zane intermingled in her life through a video, she still determines to be with Brendan. Th even shake the sight of him in the awful bomber jacket he wore on the night they met. Zane exits as only a diversion who reminded her of what was missing in her marriage. Not a happy ending, but a bittersweet outcome on “The Good Doctor.”

Morgan and Alex decide to have a “burning party” and discard some long-held trinkets.

They toss the items into the fire, singing Jimmy Buffett.

Dr. Murphy makes it home, slipping into bed and the arms of Lea. “The Good Doctor” will learn from this day and long remember it, but he will get up and do his daily routine in saving lives again.

“The Good Doctor” returns on January 11 to resume Season 4.
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