The Good Doctor – 22 Steps

By starrymag | November 19, 2017

By: Jessica Wolff

 

 

Dr. Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore) walks past an electronics store and looks longingly at the televisions in the window, analyzing the features.  At the hospital, Dr. Claire Browne (Antonia Thomas) struggles with her computer and Dr. Aaron Glassman (Richard Schiff) asks how she’s doing.  Despite Claire’s insistance that she’s fine, Glassman is worried about her and makes her an appointment for grief counseling to talk about losing her first patient.  Claire insists that she doesn’t need it, but Glassman warns her that she won’t return to surgery until the counselor clears her.

 

Dr. Neil Melendez (Nicholas Gonzalez), Shaun, Claire and Dr. Jared Kalu (Chuku Modu) check on Glen (Paul Dooley), a patient with a broken pacemaker.  Melendez asks Claire what their options are, and Shaun bluntly says that Glen is dying.  Jared suggests surgery to insert a new pacemaker, and Glen’s heart rate starts dropping.  Claire’s hands shake as she struggles to make the incision, but insists that she’s fine before completing the task.  Shaun spots a patient being rolled in, Liam (Coby Bird), that struggles on the stretcher.  Shaun tells the nurses that they’re scaring him, and one of them replies that Liam is psychotic.  Shaun declares that he’s not psychotic, but autistic.

 

Shaun tends to Liam’s head wound and tells him that he’s being an excellent patient.  Liam declares that Shaun is the same as him, and the nurses ask Shaun if they can let go of Liam’s hands.  Liam’s parents (Tim Beckmann and Kari Matchett) rush over and tell the nurses to let go of Liam’s hands.  Shaun explains that Liam got a laceration from a fall, and introduces himself.  Liam’s father tells them that the lights are too bright for Liam, and Shaun tells them that they can’t go home yet.  Glen wakes up and asks why he’s there.  Jared explains that he had a heart attack, and Glen asks how old he is.  After answering that he’s 28, Jared informs him that a new pacemaker will arrive soon.

 

Shaun shows Melendez Liam’s test results, and they question whether he has gall stones in his stomach.  As Claire looks at the questionaire for the grief counselor, Shaun asks for her help with Liam’s scans.  When Claire points out that he’s done them before, he explains that she’s good with autistic people.  Jared comes back to the room to find that Glen has left, and calls in a code green.  Claire asks Shaun to talk to Liam, but Shaun holds down his hands.  Liam starts saying numbers, and Shaun explains that he is counting the number of objects in the room.  Shaun provides Liam oxygen and gives Claire permission to proceed.

 

As Claire sticks a camera down Liam’s esophagus, she asks Shaun if he’s ever met another autistic person.  Shaun replies that he never has, and Claire comments that it must be nice.  He questions that, and they find that Liam has a lot of scarring in his stomach.  Shaun uses his textbook memories to list possible diagnosises for Liam.  Claire suggests they do an MRI, but Shaun thinks it’s impossible.  Melendez is surprised, and Shaun explains that Liam responds to stress by stimming.  After Melendez suggests that Shaun talk him through it, and Shaun suddenly declares that they’ll try it.

 

Glassman sees Shaun pacing around one of the hospital rooms, and Shaun explains that he’s counting and that he wants to buy a television.  When Glassman points out that he doesn’t have enough paychecks as a resident to afford one, Shaun insists that he’s not a child.  Glassman suggests buying a cheaper one since he is on a budget, but he refuses.  Jared looks over the hospital security footage, and finds that Glen got on a freight elevator.  Claire gets a text confirming her appointment and Jared goes to the basement to look for Glen.

 

Liam struggles in the MRI machine, and Shaun tries to calm him down by talking to him about the number of steps to various parts of the hospital.  Liam’s father asks Claire to turn down the lights, and Liam corrects Shaun’s numbers.  Shaun declares that Liam has longer strides than him, and continues to recite step numbers as he starts the MRI.  The process works well, and Liam’s father comments how accomplished Shaun is for having autism.  Liam becomes terrified of a noise inside the MRI, and Liam’s father tells them to pull him out.  Liam’s mother tries to talk to him, but Liam tries to sit up and hits his head on the machine.

 

Jared finds Glen lying on the basement on the floor, but Glen tells him to go away.  He tells Jared that he broke his pacer on purpose and that he wants to die.  Jared assures Glen that his new pacemaker will make him feel better, but admits that he won’t fully be cured.  Glen says that he knows he’s getting worse, and Jared asks if he has any family.  When Glen answers that he doesn’t have family, Jared suggests counseling.  Jared tries to convince him to come back upstairs, but Glen argues that he doesn’t want treatment and tells him to leave.  However, Jared sits down and declares that he’s not leaving.

 

Melendez tells Liam’s parents that the only way to figure out the cause of the scarring is through surgery.  He warns them of the risks, but his parents agree to the surgery.  Jessica Preston (Beau Garrett) talks to Glassman about her discussion with Shaun about the TV.  Despite Jessica’s insistence that it’s just a TV, Glassman is worried about his ability to function with the TV.  Jessica reminds him that all residents makes mistakes, and need to learn from them.  She then asks him if he’s willing to let Shaun learn.

 

Claire gets Shaun’s attention by turning off the TV he’s staring at, and asks why he disappeared after the failed MRI.  Shaun declares he failed, but Claire believes he’s nervous about treating a patient with autism.  Shaun replies that doctors don’t have to like their patients, and she reminds him that he’s never met another autistic person. He asks her if she likes everyone that has psoriasis, and insists that she does when she denies it.  Claire tells him that Liam looks up to him, and Shaun asks if she knows what he thinks.  She says that she doesn’t as well as he does.

 

Jared admits that he’s waiting for Glen to pass out, and that he hopes to get him back upstairs before he dies.  Glen asks why he cares so much, and Jared asks why he wants to die.  He explains that he’s lived a full life, and he’s lost a lot along the way.  Jared admits that he understands, and Glen questions how someone so good-looking and successful could understand.  He explainsthat he was raised by nannies and housekeepers, and Glen scoffs at the wealthy having hardships.  Jared explains that his parents neglected him, and he distanced himself from them as soon as he could.

 

Claire explains the surgery to Liam, but he protests and yells that he gets lost sometimes.  Shaun tells him that he got lost after getting off the bus once, but he found his way.  He assures Liam that he makes a lot of mistakes, but that mistakes are good and he should make more.  Shaun declares that Liam is like him, and he stops fidgeting long enough to determine that herbal supplements are causing Liam’s condition.  Melendez explains that Liam is suffering from an immune flare-up and they will need surgery to remove the scarred tissue.  Liam’s parents thank Shaun for diagnosing Liam, but tell Melendez that they don’t want Shaun to operate on him.

 

Melendez talks to Glassman about Liam’s parents’ ultimatum, and Glassman asks him if he agrees with them.  He responds that he doesn’t want anyone dictating who’s on his team.  Glassman tells him to swallow his pride and do the surgery if that’s the case, or to challenge Liam’s parents if he thinks Shaun is capable of surgery.  Jared continues to tell Glen his story as he waits for him to pass out.  He tells Glen that he’s not alone, and Glen agrees to go back upstairs with him.  Claire meets with the grief counselor, Dr. Lim (Christina Chang), and answers her questions.  Melendez defends Shaun’s ability to Liam’s parents, but they are nervous that his autism will cause problems in the operating room.  Melendez insists that he believes that Shaun is capable, and that Shaun has his complete confidence.  Liam’s parents refuse, but Liam tells his parents that he wants Shaun.

 

Jared tends to Glen in his hospital bed, and Glen tells Jared that his parents were lucky to have him.  Lim tells Claire that she seems well-adjusted, but tells her that it’s a concern.  Claire argues that everyone responds differently, but Lim doesn’t believe she’s responding.  She tells Claire that she is cleared to go back to surgery, but urges her to not suppress her emotions.  Jared goes into Glen’s room to find that he has vacated the room once again.  Shaun thanks Liam’s parents for letting him operate, and Liam goes into septic shock.

 

In surgery, Claire prepares Liam for the incision and Melendez hands Shaun the scalpel.  He takes it, admiring it, as he remembers Steve handing him his first scalpel.  Shaun is thrilled to be holding it and makes the incision.  Shaun discovers a problem during surgery and Melendez and the team work quickly to fix it.  Liam’s pressure starts tanking, and Jared finds Glen on the roof of the hospital.  Glen tells him to stop, and tells Jared that he’ll jump off the roof if he has to.  Jared refuses to let him, and sits with him.  He explains that the new pacemaker will alleviate his pain, but Glen insists that Jared can’t help him.  After a few moments, Jared tells him that he can help him.

 

Melendez and Shaun go to the waiting room and tell Liam’s parents that the surgery was difficult, but succesful.  Liam’s mother hugs Shaun and thanks him.  She apologizes, and explains that she was worried about her son.  Shaun tells her that she clearly loves her son, and explains that he didn’t experience that love from his parents, adding that it meant his parents didn’t force him to take herbal supplements.  Jared sits with Glen, who questions if he’s going to get in trouble for this.  He assures him that nobody will know, and Glen turns off his pacemaker.  Jared stops the monitor from beeping and offers him morphine.  Glen thanks him and Jared cries as Glen flatlines.

 

Jared walks into the locker room, and Claire asks about the surgery.  He tells her that Glen didn’t want the surgery, and that he was a good guy.  Claire confesses that she also lost a patient, and Jared asks if she wants to talk about.  She says yes, and rests her head on his shoulder.  Liam wakes up, and Shaun informs him and his parents that the surgery went well.  As Shaun leaves, Liam’s father is surprised that the lights aren’t affecting him.  As they watch football on the screens in the electronics store, Glassman tells Shaun about a budgeting software and they talk about the game.  Shaun declares that he wants to go to the Super Bowl, and Glassman tells him that it would be expensive.  They cheer on a play and Glassman suggests they should go together.  The Salesman (Devon Sandhu) comes over to tell them that they’re closing, but tells them to stay as long as they like when Shaun tells him he wants to buy a TV.