State of the Shea Pt. 63: Broken Shell Game (“Shrapnel”)

I’m not sure how often a medical drama can tease an “explosive” episode that…

a) showcases a literal explosion in the OR, that 

b) can be immediately explained by the Afghanistan veteran doctor in the room, which 

c) further serves as a metaphor for the current primary arc of the series (with a metaphoric “explosion” of its own to come later in the episode)?

But that’s what TGD managed to do in the “Shrapnel” episode. Starting again with said “current primary arc,” I’ll give my best shot at analyzing what seems like an increasingly complex storyline (though maybe simpler in some regards). 

LIM

One of the most interesting things to me about “Shrapnel” was Lim’s current POV. I guess it was implied or perhaps stated that she had a day off; it would make sense, as we didn’t see her in the hospital. That of course kept her free of run-ins with Shaun or Glassman or Andrews, so aha, no wonder she was in a better mood. For one, she appeared from the very start of the episode to be a woman who was much more at peace, much more accepting of every situation, and just generally focused, at least superficially, on other things…

… Such as expanding on the friendship she now has with Parking Garage Marketing Guy (hopefully to be named later). What struck me about all this was, if I didn’t know the backstory, I’d almost think she’d just come off a difficult break-up, such as we had about a year ago. Don’t read anything into that regarding her and Shaun(!!!), but I do think Lim in this episode paints a picture of somebody who is stricken by the decision she’s made as Shaun appears to be. She feels free, somewhat lighter, but boy she sure didn’t look like it in those previews of next week when she is in the room with Shaun and the others. 

(Side note on this scene… while PGM Guy pulled a great save on Lim’s $70 olive oil, I found it hilarious that she was also carrying a carton of eggs that looked like it was about 5 seconds from divebombing onto the parking lot concrete! Of course THOSE cost closer to $7….)

Obviously there’s a reason for that, and we’ll get to that final scene later, but I thought it was a refreshing way to portray her just after the pain she exhibited in “A Big Sign.”

In the meantime, I think I speak for all of us when we say that PGM Guy– who I totally thought was going to be an attorney, teasing a potential legal battle in this storyline that may or may not make any sense– BETTER BE GOOD TO LIM if we’re to keep seeing him.

GLASSMAN

As for Glassman, this episode served to remind us how close the green apple that is Shaun falls from the tree that is Glassman in this case. Shaun’s avoiding his feelings (or so it seems), while Glassman is literally avoiding Shaun in the first act of the show. It makes me wonder why he scheduled breakfast with Shaun in the first place. If we hadn’t seen him standing outside the cafeteria, watching Shaun from a distance before walking away (and sending a bullshit text about a problem in the clinic), one might think he planned to stand him up all along.

We see from his brief scenes with Lea and Andrews in this episode that Glassman’s plenty pissed about being in the middle of all of it…

…But at the same time, he doesn’t seem particularly proactive about it. Not until the confrontation with Shaun at least.

SHAUN

Meanwhile, Shaun had a so much more frustrating day… Frustration felt not just by Lea, or by Glassman, but by Shaun himself. While the scant scenes we were treated to with Lim brimmed with positivity, leaving us curious as to what she’d be like if she was back at St. Bon’s that day… Shaun was transparent in a bunch of very Shaun-like ways: 

• Unable to sleep well in the wake of Lim’s rejection, and then invited to share his feelings with Lea, he rationalizes both the early rising (reading medical journals that Lea points out he’s already read) and his lack of concern about Lim (still has Glassman and Andrews; also digs way back to sage advice from Steve)

• Excited to meet Glassman for pancakes (surely seen by Shaun as a sign their relationship is back on course)... it’s difficult to read his reaction when Glassman bails, but he DOES know it’s a bail as he points it out in their argument later

• Dives happily into his Case of the Week (a great distraction)

• Becomes pre-occupied with the placement of objects in the Shark Bowl (Shaun & Park’s office) to the point of messing directly with Park’s stuff, creating a rift unlike anything we’ve seen with Park and Shaun in about a year (Park’s state of mind in this episode also played heavily into this rift; I’ll get to that later)

P.S. Some people referenced Shaun’s changes as very Feng Shui-esque; I don’t practice it so I’ll leave that suggestion to those that know better. I just hope I spelled it correctly!

• When told by Andrews there’s no other office space for him to use, Shaun resorts to a pocket of space within a supply closet… seemingly very happy with it (he immediately credits the space with his ability to find a solution for his patient quickly), but it’s plain to see that it symbolizes a step backwards in Shaun’s evolution as a doctor managing his ASD successfully. (I’m defining “successfully” here as “in a manner that allows him to learn and grow amongst his neurotypical peers as much as possible.”)

• Then, after a highly revealing conversation with Glassman– who was really serving up the father side of their relationship over the mentor side– Shaun still refuses to take blame… 

• Yet, when he’s back home and unable to sleep (again), ruminating over the surgery from earlier in the day that DID go well… he ephiphanizes his way to a solution for Lim that sends him to Glassman’s door in the middle of the night. (Are there certain Uber drivers that know Shaun by name now? Especially when he’s in the midst of a medical breakthrough? Asking for a friend…)

My takeaway from all this is that Shaun is as aware of what he needs to do with regards to culpability as anybody is, but he cannot process the need to apologize in a traditional manner. So the only way out of the guilt is to fix what’s wrong… Or as he said at the end, fix “everything.”

The very best part of “Shrapnel,” to me, was the 2 1/2 minute master class served up by Richard Schiff and Freddie Highmore to aspiring actors everywhere… AKA the scene in Shaun’s “new” office (that I hope only lasts another episode or two before returning to the Shark Bowl). I’m not going to post the scene here, but I AM going to break it down line by line, as I’ve done with certain TGD scenes in the past. (It’s easy to find on YouTube if you really want to review it.)

G: (QUIETLY NUDGES DOOR OPEN) Shaun?

S: (TURNS AROUND IN HIS CHAIR, LOOKS PLEASED) I just saved my patient’s arm.

G: Yeah I heard, that’s good… good work. (EYEBALLING THE “OFFICE”)

S: Do you like my new office?

G: No I don’t– I don’t like it.

S: (STILL BRIGHTLY) I’ve already talked to Dr. Andrews… he agreed–

G: It’s a bad idea.

S: – Dr. Park and I distract and annoy each other. We will both do better work–

G: Is that the reason? Really?

S: (STILL BRIGHTLY) Yes, it is.

G: (AFTER A LONG SECOND) Why are you isolating yourself?

S: I’m… not. (NODS TOWARD GLASSMAN) You’re the one who canceled our breakfast.

(Yeah, Shaun can’t read most social cues but when it comes to Glassman… )

G: Because I don’t want to have to deal with this, Shaun. I’m– (PAUSES, COLLECTS SELF) I’m angry with you. 

(At least he’s being honest now.)

S: (QUIETLY) Oh. (LOOKS BACK TO GLASSMAN) Why? 

G: Why? (AS IN “YOU KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS SHAUN”)

(SHAUN SHRUGS– “NO I DON’T”)

(“Acting like a child,” Exhibit A)

G: Because of Lim’s surgery… 

(SHAUN LOOKS AWAY AND MOVES ABOUT IN HIS CHAIR; HIS VERSION OF “NOT THIS AGAIN”)

G: Because I told you exactly what to do–

S: No… 

G: – and you didn’t listen to me!

S: (STANDS UP) The parameters changed–

G: You went ahead and did the procedure you wanted to do all along!

S: Yes, the parameters changed. I made the right decision–

G: Shaun… Lim is paralyzed. (SAYS IT LIKE “I THINK YOU’RE DISREGARDING THE FACT THAT LIM IS PARALYZED”)

You’re the surgeon… you have to take some kind of responsibility for that.

S: (AFTER A MOMENT) You… shouldn’t be angry with me. Dr. Lim shouldn’t be angry with me.

G: (MORE SYMPATHETIC TO LIM THAN THE FIRST TIME) She’s… she’s paralyzed, Shaun. 

S: (APPEARS TO TRY TO PROCESS THIS, BUT ENDS UP SHRUGGING AGAIN) I saved her life. I made the right choice.

G: You’re acting like a child.

S: No, no… no I’m not. 

G: You’re acting like you did back in high school, and in the beginning of med school. (SHOUTING NOW– THIS IS WHERE SHAUN STARTS TO LOOK AWAY, GIVES SMALL PATS TO HIS HEAD FOR COMFORT) You’re a grown man, Shaun! You’re a married man now, and you’ve gotta start taking some responsibility, accountability! (SHAUN LOOKS DOWN AT HANDS AND ROTATES WEDDING RING ON HAND)

You’re running away, you’re…  you’re shrinking your world around you! You’re retreating!

(Does this remind anyone of Glassman’s behavior, say, one year ago? When he packed up his surgical toys, left Ethicure/St. Bon’s, and eventually fled to Montana? Is the primary difference between the two situations BETTER SCENERY??)

(OK, I might be over-simplifying it. But not by much. Let’s move on…)

S: You’re wrong. You are being mean and calling me a child, and you’re taking Dr. Lim’s side. 

G: Shaun, you can’t shrug this off. 

S: I do not want you in my office!

G: (STARES AT SHAUN, STUNNED)

S: Leave! Now!

(AFTER ANOTHER FEW SILENT MOMENTS STARING AT THE BACK OF SHAUN’S HEAD— FOR SHAUN HAS RESUMED HIS SEAT AT HIS DESK, FACING THE WALL— GLASSMAN EXITS.)

(SHAUN LOOKS OVER HIS SHOULDER, WATCHES GLASSMAN GO… THEN, VERY UNCHARACTERISTICALLY, SLAMS HIS OFFICE DOOR SHUT.

POST-ARGUMENT…

Shaun often gleans wisdom for his personal situations from his medical cases… but this time, he parlayed his medical case into a resolution for Lim… so doing the same thing, perhaps, but on a completely different level. Which seems to dance near that term META that gets used so much these days. Am I on to something here? What do you think?

Anyway… we’ve seen Shaun show up with an epiphany at a superior’s door in the middle of the night before (Andrews, S2 or 3 I believe), but this time it’s at the door of the man he seemed to be furious with a handful of hours ago. The man who said he was acting like a child. The man who won’t let him off the hook… (Ah, but which “man” are we talking about at this point? Does that new office of Shaun’s come with a mirror, by chance?)

In any case, I was kind of tickled that Glassman’s emotions in this scene swung lightly between annoyed (unplanned, noisy 3AM wakeup calls will do that) and— despite all they’d been through that day— concerned (“Are you okay?” he asked as Shaun made a beeline for the dining room table).

When you’re a parent, the love always has to come first.

SOME FINAL THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS ARC– AND LIM– TILL NEXT TIME…

A lot of people have pointed out that there are things about this whole situation that aren’t really being addressed, such as Andrews’ decision to give Owen the bypass machine that made his surgery easier when they only had one of them. The decision made Lim’s lifesaving surgery more difficult, and of course that’s what sent Shaun over the edge in the season premiere. Are we sure that’s not what caused her to be paralyzed? They haven’t brought it up regarding the M&M, so I guess not, but the fact that it hasn’t been mentioned by anyone of late makes me wonder if they’re just trying to keep this part of the storyline “simple,” or if it genuinely doesn’t make sense to bring it up. 

Because Lim could put all her energy into seeing that Owen (Villanueva’s ex; the one who attacked her and Villanueva in the first place) pay the maximum penalty for his crimes…Or take issue with Andrews’ decision with that bypass… or be angrier with Glassman (for “protecting” Shaun in the M&M). 

And why stop there? Why not take issue with Jordan for pointing out the need for more glasses during Shaun and Lea’s wedding reception (which prompted Lim heading to the break room)? What about Lim being mad at herself, for going down to said break room rather than sending someone else? Or at herself for allowing Villanueva to stay with her, which may have sent Owen over the edge? Or take the anger all the way back to Villanueva for not being able to take care of her own business when she was a victim of domestic violence? 

The further back it goes, the more ridiculous it gets. Perhaps that’s why they’ve kept Lim in short-hand mode with the blame, pointing it only to the last step, the most direct step, to her being paralyzed.

Lim is the most impacted by all this; it’s her body, it’s her livelihood that she’s being robbed of. I think she hates being at odds with Glassman and Andrews, and I think she truly hates severing friendship ties with Sean. But processing the paralysis is still ongoing. This could be why all the convo that’s going to take next week about reversing her paralysis might be overwhelming. It’s Shaun’s way to try and right what’s wrong, but is it what should be done at this time? For her? 

While we ponder that question, let’s look at the three subplots of “Shrapnel”— in order of importance (Your Mileage May Vary on that one)…

THE PARK PROBLEM

Previously on STATE OF THE #SHEA… yours truly speculated that Park and Morgan, formerly known as #Parnick, were over and done. TGD’s publicity department threw us a red herring ahead of “Shrapnel,” showing photos of Park (away from St. Bon’s) in the company of an attractive woman. But one scene later (ugh, she’s married) and then two scenes later (hello, former sparring partner/love interest) and then several scenes later… I have eaten my words, as promised, and they were rather tasty.

While Shaun was having a crappy day without really acknowledging it, Park was “acknowledging” his crappy day all over Shaun. Not that he didn’t have every right to. But, had he shared an office with any other colleague, he probably would have found a reason to pick a fight with them too. Shaun’s need to re-decorate just put that fight on the fast track.

It ended up being a pretty good day after all for Park— surgically speaking, at least. And it was nice to hear him share some solid “don’t give up on love” advice to his young patient with the new, rad profile pic. But at the end of the day— literally— it’s clear now that he’s not over the woman he once described to be ‘like a Disney Princess, except mean.” What to do, what to do…

THE JORDAN (AND HANDSOME DAN) PROBLEM

Problem? What problem? These two appeared to be vibing as only two mutually attracted young doctors could be while waiting on a waterlogged, severed human foot.

(By the way— I know they’re calling them Powell and Perez to differentiate between Danni and Danny on the show, but in this here space I’ll continue to call them Combat Danni and Handsome Dan. Hey, I don’t make the rules.)

(Strike that— in this case, I DO.)

We had a wager… we had a beach towel (so they were “forced” to sit close to each other)… we had slightly suggestive dialogue… we even had that rare medical drama gift of idle conversation time, which certainly helped perpetuate the feeling they might be on a date. If, um, they weren’t waiting on a diver to produce a waterlogged, severed human foot… and then be rushed back to St. Bon’s while prepping said foot for surgery…

(And if this part reminded you of Shaun and Claire rushing back to St. Bon’s for a liver transplant in S1’s “Oliver,” you’re not alone.)

But then came the scene where both of them had to return to the lake after hours to retrieve their vehicles (Um, why didn’t they drive together in the first place?), and we finally got that first hint that HD’s got a backstory in the love department. Maybe a trilogy’s worth.

Jordan, I TOLD you to proceed with caution. But the great conversation all day, and the adrenaline rush working side by side, and the lake, and the moonlight, and, and… yeah, I know.

THE ASHER/COMBAT DANNI PROBLEM

I’ll be honest—- I’m putting this last because I’m not really sure what to do with these two. Combat Danni has now expressed irritation with Asher in two different episodes— both times pertaining to his persistent questions about her military background. The first time around she essentially called him “idiotic,” to which he apologized rather than get defensive… that should speak enough to his sincerity. But this time, his questions eventually got him somewhere (after even more resistance), but where was that exactly? And why? They had Asher apologizing (AGAIN) and claiming his “sheltered upbringing” is what’s prompting the questions, but the whole thing feels a little forced to me. As in… TGD needs to keep Asher busy in a way that doesn’t bring drama to his relationship with Jerome, and it’s way too soon to bring other family stuff into his life, so here— while Jordan’s getting caught up in Handsome Dan’s issues, let’s have Asher get caught up in CD’s in the only way that kind of makes sense.

I’m slightly intrigued by it all, but I also feel like this entire thread of conversation will drop off the radar (without resolution) by mid-November.

What are YOUR thoughts about the current storylines on TGD, triggered by “Shrapnel” or elsewhere? The theories, they are a-circulating… share your own insights in the comments, won’t you?