The Good Doctor – Hello

By starrymag | September 30, 2018

By: Jessica Wolff

 

 

Dr. Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore) sits down with Dr. Marcus Andrews (Hill Harper) for his assessment, and Andrews tells Shaun that he’s exceeded his expectations but that his communication skills need work. Afterwards, Shaun and Dr. Jared Kalu (Chuku Modu) tend to a group of homeless patients in a mobile clinic, and Shaun tells Jared that he should have gone to his assessment. Jared reminds Shaun that it’s his last day, and the fact that they’ve been assigned to Glassman’s old project says enough about what Andrews thinks of him.

 

Back at the hospital, Dr. Morgan Reznick (Fiona Gubelmann) asks Dr. Claire Browne (Antonia Thomas) how her assessment went. Claire tells her it went well, but Morgan tells her she believes Andrews would have suggested that she be more aggressive. A flashback reveals that Andrews did suggest Claire be more assertive, but Claire lies that it didn’t happen. Claire asks Morgan if Andrews told her to be more of a team player, and Morgan lies that he didn’t despite a flashback revealing that he did. Dr. Neil Melendez (Nicholas Gonzalez) enters the room and Morgan gives him a diagosis of their patient, Melanie Arnott (Gabrielle Rose). Melendez explains to the group that they plan to add a second heart to help support her struggling heart, referred to as a piggyback transplant.

 

As Shaun tends to a women with a foot issue (Potjana Khongjaroen), he asks her if she lives in a tent. When she replies that she does, he tells her that he lived in a tent once before suggesting that she move to a bus like he did. Shaun tells Jared that he’s trying to communicate with the patient, and confirms that Andrews spoke to him about his communication skills. Jared assesses that things will be more difficult with Dr. Aaron Glassman (Richard Schiff), but Shaun insists that Glassman is not gone and is not going to die. Shaun mentions that Glassman is meeting his oncologist, and Jared is surprised that Shaun didn’t go with him. Shaun tells him that he doesn’t know much about brain cancer, but Jared tells him he should go for moral support. Shaun sees a homeless man, Harry (Raphael Sbarge) enter the hospital bus and runs in after him.

 

Glassman meets with Dr. Marina Blaize (Lisa Edelstein), who suggests that he reinstated her in his last act as president because he wants the best treatment. When Glassman gives her instructions on his treatment, Blaize suggests that he instead wanted a oncologist that he could push around. Glassman reminds her that his expertise helps him have a say in his own treatment, and Blaize tells him that he’ll be waiting all day taking tests on her orders. Harry tries to steal hospital supplies, insisting that they belong to him. He rants that all doctors are the same, forcing him to move next to “Mr. Googly Eyes.” Shaun assesses that he’s schizophrenic, and Harry shows them his teeth.

 

Melanie’s son, Elliot Arnott (Lane Edwards), questions if the piggyback transplant is the best option, but Melanie insists that it will give her ten more years. Melanie tells Elliot that Andrews told her that Melendez is the best cardiac surgeon, and Elliot mentions that Andrews has also been talking to the press about the surgery. Later, Melendez confronts Andrews about talking to both his patient and the press, and Andrews explains that he wants the publicity will give them funding to expand the surgery part of the hospital. Shaun and Jared notice that Harry has difficulty with his motor skills and neck, and Jared suggests that he has bacterial meningitis. Shaun isn’t convinced, but Jared insists that they take him to the hospital for treatment. Despite Shaun’s concern that Andrews won’t be happy with them, Jared insists that he’ll take full responsibility if he’s wrong.

 

Morgan suggests that Jared’s last day must be difficult for Claire due to their relationship history. Claire insists that it’s not a big deal, but Morgan tells her that it’s hard to not have feelings for someone she’s sleeping with and that it must be even more so for Claire since she’s more caring. Dr. Alex Park (Will Yun Lee) points out that Melanie has an aortic aneurysm, making the transplant more difficult. They figure out how to approach the operation, but Melendez isn’t happy with any of their suggestions. Melendez leaves to tell Andrews that the surgery isn’t doable, but Claire and Morgan work together to come up with a potential solution.

 

As they test Harry, Jared asks Shaun about his experience living in a tent. Shaun explains that his favorite part was his brother taking care of him and that he’s now fine on his own. Jared suggests that he help Glassman by being there for him, but Shaun doesn’t think it’s necessary. Andrews asks to speak with Shaun and Jared, and Jared argues that bringing Harry in was necessary. However, Andrews threatens to call the Denver hospital if he’s wrong and make his life difficult. In the waiting room, Glassman passes the time by attempting to throw paper cups into a trash can. Andrews suggests that Melendez is happy that they can’t go through with the surgery, and Melendez tells him that he worked hard to find another solution. Morgan and Claire present their suggestion to them, and Andrews is pleased by the idea. Melendez finds an issue with the suggestion, but Andrews asks whose idea it was. Claire begins to tells Melendez that it was a team effort, but Morgan gives the credit solely to Claire.

 

As they wait for Harry’s test results, Jared admits to Shaun that he wants to prove Andrews wrong. The lab assistant (Nitin Prasad) gives them the results and Shaun determines that Harry doesn’t have meningitis. Shaun tells Jared that he has a whole life ahead of him and he will eventually be happy. Jared tells Shaun that he can close the mobile clinic himself, suggesting that Shaun do other things with his time. Shaun tells him that he shouldn’t be alone on his last day, but Jared points out that Glassman is the one that needs him. Jared tells him that Glassman is facing death, and suggests that Shaun is distancing himself to make the loss easier. However, Shaun declares that he’s going to read his book.

 

Dr. Allegra Aoki (Tamlyn Tomita) checks on Andrews, and tells him that she’s read the press release that states they’re not going forward with the surgery. Andrews expresses his frustration that Melendez won’t try the suggestion, and Aoki suggests that Andrews manipulate Melendez to do what he wants like how Glassman manipulated the board into hiring Shaun. Shaun brings his book to the waiting room, telling Glassman that he realized that he can visit him and read his book. Glassman continues throwing paper into the trash can, which distracts Shaun from his reading.  When Glassman refuses to stop, Shaun rips a page out of his book to throw. As he calculates the angle to make the shot, Shaun realizes that Harry has a brain tumor and runs out of the waiting room.

 

Claire attempts to talk to Shaun about Jared, but he brushes off her question as unimportant. She tells him to say hello to Jared for her, but Shaun simply says hello upon finding Jared before telling him his discovery. Jared doesn’t want Andrews to call Denver, but Shaun asks Jared to help him find Harry. Andrews asks Melendez why he hasn’t told Melanie about the canceled surgery, suggesting that Melendez is reconsidering. Melendez insists that it won’t work, but Andrews suggests that Melendez doesn’t want to do the surgery. Andrews tells him that he believes he can pull it off, and Melendez tells him to get out of his office.

 

Shaun and Jared return to the site to look for Harry, but nobody tells them where to find him. A homeless man keeps hitting a container when Shaun tries to speak and the combination of the loud noise with a dog barking overstimulates Shaun. Jared tries to calm Shaun as he keeps yelling for Harry. Melendez tells Melanie and Elliot about the aneurysm and the potential solution, but Elliot questions how confident Melendez is about this solution. Melendez tells him that there’s always risks, but he’s confident he can make it work.

 

Jared calms Shaun down by encouraging him to hold his toy scalpel. Jared sees a face drawn on a nearby dumpster, and suggests that Harry referred to it before. Harry comes of a nearby tent when Shaun calls for him, and Harry orders them to go away. Jared is unable to reason with Harry, but Shaun finds an ID card in Harry’s tent identifying him as Edward Austin Thomas. Shaun tells Harry that he has a neurological condition that he will always have, but Harry has a neurological condition that can be cured. He tells him that the surgery will make him Edward again and Harry agrees to go back to the hospital.

 

Melendez prepares for Melanie’s surgery as Andrews and Aoki observe from above. Andrews gets a note and confronts Jared and Shaun about wasting time and resources with Harry. He threatens to call Denver, but Jared argues that Shaun made the decision to bring Harry in. Jared tells him that he’s proud to stand by Shaun’s decision as fights for what he thinks is right. Shaun speaks up to show them the MRI confirming Harry’s brain tumor. Andrews gives them a room to operate on Harry, as Melendez continues to lead Melanie’s surgery. Melendez finds a potential issue with their plan, and declares that they’re going to build an entirely new aorta.

 

As Dr. Audrey Lim (Christina Chang), Shaun, and Jared finish operating on Harry, Melendez and the residents work on Melanie. They watch the heart monitor and are relieved when the surgery is a success. Melendez asks who wants to do the closing, and Claire offers as the surgery was her idea. Andrews hosts a press conference about Melanie’s surgery, praising Melendez and promising to build on Glassman’s legacy. Edward’s wife and daughter, Mary (Jessica Heafey) and Hannah (Ema Milnar) wait for him to wake up. Mary explains that he asked Edward to leave once his behavior became erratic, and Shaun comments that she couldn’t have known that the medication was making him worse. Edward wakes up and reunites with his family.

 

Shaun leaves the room, and Jared follows him to tell him that he meant what he said to Andrews. Jared thanks him and Shaun thanks him back. Shaun finds Glassman in the cafeteria and asks for his book back. He tells Glassman that he said goodbye to Jared and Glassman tells him that he doesn’t have to stay with him. Glassman tells him that he has to go on this journey alone, but Shaun tells him that he’s going with him. Claire joins Jared on a bench and admits she misses him. She suggests they made a mistake breaking up and tells him she wants him to stay. Jared tells her that breaking up was the right decision and that it’s hard to say goodbye. He promises that they’ll be okay and will eventually be happy before they say goodbye to each other. As Jared walks away, Shaun goes home to find Lea Dilallo (Paige Spara) standing in the hallway. She asks if he’s going to say hello and he says hello as he stares at her.