The Good Doctor: Final Wishes and Wonderings
NOTE: TGD is pre-empted this coming week for "SuperTuesday" coverage on ABC... Still look for a "Skin in the Game" post soon!
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NOTE: TGD is pre-empted this coming week for "SuperTuesday" coverage on ABC... Still look for a "Skin in the Game" post soon! 〰️
Have you ever been in a wedding that went off without a hitch… until it felt like the church staff was rushing people out the door?
Or how about a midday wedding reception that was a total blast, but you didn’t get to finish your brunch/punch/share of the cake because the caterers cleared the tables in such a hurry?
I’ve attended the latter, and had the former happen during my own wedding– here’s the proof in a group photo that forced us out to the front steps (and into squintsville, for the sun was in everyone’s eyes)...
In both cases, it was about making room for The Next Thing: Saturday mass in the case of the wedding, another party in the reception scenario. Those were first-world problems for sure, but the messaging reads loud and clear: Lovely event, thanks for coming, now get out— don’t take it personally, but time is money.
Anyway, this is how I felt when I heard, since writing my last post, that the 13 post-strike episodes originally planned for TGD– a typical half-season order, I believe– had been chopped down to just 10. Only TEN episodes for the “farewell season” (if we can still call it a real season??) to effectively bring the journeys of a dozen or so cast members to desired destinations. The number depends on if you’re including recurring characters, the S7 newbies (who it seems won’t debut until next week), and babies Steven and Eden. Such a village has blossomed at St. Bons! And yet the ONE time I wouldn’t mind a couple of gaps in the schedule to allow TGD to stretch into May, I look at the calendar and realize this is a straight shot from February 20 to April 23 (the current date of the series finale). Ten weeks, ten episodes. It’s been lovely, now get out– time is money.
For the record, I thought I read somewhere that ABC put the kibosh on the additional three episodes as opposed to it being a necessity due to the length of the strikes… but I haven’t been able to locate a specific source for that. If you can point me to such an article, please do. I’m happy to call out ABC on all levels of their bullshit (for whatever that’s worth, heh heh), but not if I don’t have proper backup.
In any case, it’s just TEN episodes. And I now find myself wanting good closures for everyone on the show, which makes neither interesting predictions nor realistic ones. I mean, David Shore’s still a part of his own show, right? The overall vibe of TGD is quite different from Shore’s “other” medical drama House, but that doesn’t mean he’s carrying a big red bow around in his back pocket so everyone in Shaun’s world lives happily ever after.
So in this instance, my wish list is twofold. Part one combines holdovers from previous wish lists and general hopes for these final episodes. Part two is a series of questions I’m not gonna venture to answer yet (with one notable exception).
I’ll say it here, and I’ll say it again when you get to the bottom of this post…
I’d enjoy hearing your own “wishes and wonderings” in the comments, whether they’re in line with my own or not! Especially if you want to take a stab at the questions I’m posing!
FIRST, THE HOLDOVERS FROM PREVIOUS WISH LISTS…
DONNIE DILALLO (Lea’s Brother)
I’ve looked for an appearance by Lea’s ex-husband as well as return visits from Marcie Murphy (Shaun’s mother) and Pam and Mike Dilallo (Lea’s parents)... and there’s also been hopes put out there to get Park’s son Kellan back for an episode. But if we were able to get just ONE offscreen character to materialize in S7, I’d want it to be Lea’s brother. He was mentioned way back in seasons 1 and 2, and has been alluded to several times since then. We presume they’re still estranged. Can we please see for ourselves?
(Marcie is second on my list for a S7 visit, by the way. But knowing the follow-through has not been great thus far, I’d be suitably stunned if we get ANY guest-stars like this.)
#SHEA-NANIGANS
In Season 4 we saw (Lea’s original) Striped Tomato at the heart of a caper that paid homage so nicely to its Starsky and Hutch predecessor (“We’re All Crazy Sometimes”). Since then we’ve had a couple interesting adventures, including camping (“Forgive or Forget,” S4) and rescuing a dog en route to the Babymoon (“The Good Boy,” S6).
But especially with Steve in tow and Striped Tomato 2.0 (or is it 3.0??) reporting for duty, we truly need one more #Shea-Nanigan for the road… so to speak. Don’t you think?
After all, it was an impromptu road trip and the mishaps within it that put the wheels in motion for Shaun and Lea seven seasons ago. This is highly doable as far as I can tell… go out strong, TGD writers!
THE INVENTION
I would so LOVE to see Jordan and Lea’s invention from Season 5 come to pass in time for them both to see it start to pay off. Even though they haven’t devoted a single onscreen minute to the project in two years, it’s not too late…
DOUBLE DATE
OK this is a minor wish compared to the others, but if I’m not mistaken I DID read that one of the last 10 eps is called “Date Night.” There are at least three or four possibilities in that title ALONE (#Shea, #Parnick, #Jasher, etc.) Can’t they compound a couple of those?
NOW FOR THE GENERAL HOPES…
MAKING AMENDS
We know Shaun and Glassy will reconcile at some point. How soon? I say– or at least I hope– that the wheels are in motion by episode 3 (titled “Critical Support” according to Wiki), with a major watershed taking place by episode 4.
(Please don’t wager on that; y’all know I’m a lousy fortune teller.)
How will it go down? The popular answer is probably something involving Steven, but my guess is something connected to St. Bons– where it all started for them, for the purposes of the show anyway– and it will be initiated in some manner by Shaun.
#PARNICK OR BUST
It took a 22-episode season, but Park and Morgan finally got back together. Could an engagement be next for them? My guess is no; it may be enough just to see if they can stay “a couple” for these last 10 episodes.
But ironies abound in TV just as they do in real life, so don’t despair…
PRESIDENT’S DAY
Who will be the President of St. Bons in Andrews’ absence? It’s gotta be Glassman, right? Lim doesn’t want that job… there’s little chance they’d bring in another outside a la Salen Morisson in the time remaining… and Glassman is no longer permitted to pursue his surgical passions.
Assuming all the above holds true, I think the interesting tale this time is not WHO takes the reins, but what will happen in these final episodes to make that job a satisfying one.
#JORRED or #JARDAN… TAKE YOUR PICK
I can’t speak for Jared, but our woman Jordan has suffered long enough!
They teased it last season… now’s the time to make these two an item. Or a hashtag. Or a hashtag item. I don’t care. Just DO IT!
(But if they want to give us some buildup as she gets over Danny, that’s fine by me. Given her current vow of celibacy, it would make sense.)
ALSO… I HOPE
That Lim will accept Clay’s proposal at long last. (Please don’t let her be the odd one out!)
That the youngest additions to the cast will stay healthy (enough) for the duration. We know already that Eden’s facing a challenge in the season opener; may it please be resolved quickly.
That if they feel compelled to do any substantial time-hops in these final episodes (the kind where Steve is a toddler or grade-schooler), they save it for the finale.
QUESTIONS I’M JUST “PUTTING OUT THERE”… (YOUR OPINION IS VERY WELCOME!)
Could we get a wedding with #Jasher by TGD’s end?
Will any twosome break up by the finale?
What about the final two newbies? Will we see them go the distance, relatively speaking (given less than 10 episodes but also knowing neither of our previous two newbies finished the program)?
Will we see an official conclusion to Park and Shaun’s respective residencies, as well as indicators of what happens to each– where do they want to go, if anywhere? And do they each get what they want?
Will we see what becomes of Asher and Jordan’s respective residencies?
Will anyone get fired? Or quit? (We had multiple staff on probation last season… we’re due for someone to quit, at least temporarily.)
Will anyone get killed off?
We’ve had earthquakes and an active shooter rattle the TGD cast to its core… will there be one more event? A fire, maybe? (Well, we DID have Glassman’s house burn down last year, so… maybe we’re in the clear with that stuff)
LASTLY…
With the time limitations now in place, will the question of whether or not Steve is neurodivergent ever get addressed?
I’ll take this one :) My guess is no… UNLESS they do a big flash-forward in the finale, in which case I think it will be revealed that Steve is on the spectrum. And Shaun and Lea would be handling it in all the ways we wish Shaun’s parents could have done with him.
I think that’s the end I’d most like to see.
But as close as we are to that “end,” there’s still a lot of story to play out. What do YOU hope to see happen?
I’d enjoy hearing your own “wishes and wonderings” in the comments, whether they’re in line with my own or not! Especially if you want to take a stab at the questions I’m posing!
