The Kombucha Not Grabbed, and other such Diverging Roads
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
(Or not)...
– Robert Frost (except that last part)
I tried to round them all up, you see… a season’s worth of question mark plot developments, some considerably more significant than others. (Some of them I mentioned in the post immediately preceding this one, but expanded the conversation a little more.)
It started to take longer than I’d like, so I resolved to keep it in bullet-point form rather than spend even more time smoothing it all out. Hope you don’t mind. (Yeah, I’ve done it this way a time or two before.)
Then I thought of adding the road signs… aaaand here we are.
By the way, you might not agree with my road sign choices! (Some were tough to classify!) Let me know in the comments.
Want to skip to the INTERACTIVE part of this post? Scroll to the bottom...
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Want to skip to the INTERACTIVE part of this post? Scroll to the bottom... 〰️
Salen and Lea And That Kombucha…
(From “Piece of Cake,” Episode 5 x 2)
At first glance, Lea was wary of Salen… but warmed to her when she realized Salen had done her homework on Lea, and appeared welcoming & supportive of her ideas.
And we thought HMMM… is Lea gonna end up on Salen’s side of some of the battles to come… which could become particularly awkward with Shaun?
Yet by “Rationality” (two episodes later), Lea sounded neither complementary nor even remotely defensive of Salen, telling Glassman that she thought Salen was setting Shaun up (for failure, disappointment, etc.)
What the scene did so well was tell us a ton about Lea’s background in a very short period of time (kind of like when Shaun told the newbies Lea’s “likes” and rattled off a long, impressive list). It also reminded us of Lea’s tendency to sell herself maddeningly short; Salen picked up on that fact right away, as you’ll recall. If that was the real purpose of the scene– to give us Lea-in-a-nutshell as of early S5– then mark that as mission accomplished.
But what if Salen had cultivated an ally in St. Bon’s IT Director? And that friendship had driven a wedge between Shaun and Lea in a way completely different than the patient satisfaction score situation? And/or created new friction between Lea and Glassman? And/or put Lea at odds with any number of the St. B doctors (aside from Andrews, assuming he and Salen still got together in this parallel universe)?
My point is that the scene’s open-ended nature seemed an unusual way to go… unless David Shore & Co. weren’t locked into exactly which rocky road they wanted for #Shea. But by introducing Salen’s “posterization” of Shaun at the end of “Measure of Intelligence”-- just one episode later– it sure felt like the die had been cast a particular way.
Maybe we’ll see a Lea/Salen exchange in the annual release of TGD Deleted Scenes that explains things a little better. Or maybe I’m just overthinking it, and if the question was posed to Tracy Taylor and David Hoselton (the scribes of “Piece of Cake”) they’d simply say it was a scene designed to neutralize any early resentment between the two characters. It’s just that, for a show that has been known to cheat us out of fully-developed stories because of time limitations… it seems weird they’d devote 80 seconds (the length of this scene) to something that basically amounted to nothing.
Marcie Murphy’s Return
(From “Measure of Intelligence,” Ep. 5 x 3)
Many of us likely have a Pavlovian response, at this point, to ANY mentions of Marcy Murphy/Mike Dilallo/Pam Dilallo. (And Donnie Dilallo, were we so fortunate as actually to hear him referenced.) So when Shaun’s mom (Marcy) was discussed, in multiple scenes, during 5x3 “Measure of Intelligence”... oh my goodness. Drool everywhere. (Um, you know I’m speaking metaphorically, right? Pavlov? The dogs? The dinner bell?) (OK, just making sure.)
So I’ll freely admit that I was pretty disappointed Marcie didn’t turn up somewhere in S5. Like Lea, I don’t think the actual wedding was the right place… nor the incomplete made-for-reality-TV wedding ahead of it (though that one would have taken an even sharper twist had she turned up!). But from “Measure of Intelligence” onward I was hoping that she’d pop up somewhere along the way. But those foreshadowing devils said PSYCH! And kept her out of the mix.
What I wonder, though, is if it was something I’m going to call a placeholder mention. In other words, rather than a tease for later in the season that lost its value when they opted to send Shaun’s story arc in a different direction… it became a way to keep the audience remembering Marcie’s name/role/status so it’s relatively fresh, should there be a place for her in S6.
It’s hard to imagine TGD will never revisit the relationship between Shaun and his only known living blood relative. On the other hand, it’s easy to see why they might want to postpone that particular mother-and-child reunion as long as they can. Let’s stay on this road and watch those signs CLOSELY…
Morgan’s Frozen Eggs
(From “Rationality,” 5 x 4)
Park and Morgan graduated from cat and mouse games to a Couple In Love at the end of S4– to the delight of most of us– but just how serious was this union? An intriguing hint came our way four episodes into S5, when Morgan revealed she was getting hormone treatments in order to freeze some of her eggs…
Did we hear about the treatments after this episode? No. Did Park and Morgan have a pregnancy scare later in the season? No. Have they had a real conversation about raising a child together? Not yet– in their final scene together in “Rationality,” Park “proved” his willingness to support Morgan by administering one of her hormone shots himself. And yes, as he did so he tried to assure her she’d make a great mother, but that part of the scene was played more for laughs and shock value.
As was the episode that had Morgan in gastrointestinal knots wondering if she should allow herself to fart in Park’s presence (“Measure of Intelligence”). As was the pairing of Park and Morgan– period– at least in its nascent stages.
It’s got to be tough writing for a couple like this, keeping the playful combativeness going while balancing it with meaningful stabs at progress. Perhaps that’s why, at times, we barely saw them share any screen time at all. Perhaps that’s also why we got “hormonal Morgan” four episodes into the season, but not once after that. It feels a little like Shore and Co. spent some time throwing “Parnick” storylines against the wall like so much spaghetti, seeing what stuck and what didn’t.
I guess that means I’m equating (metaphorical) roads to (metaphorical) spaghetti now.
I guess that means that maybe the egg-freezing “spaghetti” didn’t stick?
I swear I’m not hungry as I write this.
Anyway, once they were really tested near the end of the Salen storyline, on they went towards the moving-in together milestone… bickering half the way there… just for Morgan to score a job cross-country at season’s end.
So we know they’re on a serious path now, one that is likely to continue in some fashion as we know Morgan isn’t going anywhere (at least not long-term). But what to do with the frozen eggs scenario? I guess it could still be revisited, but it sure seems that between Morgan’s career options, Park’s frustration at being unable to contribute equally to their expenses, and the difficulties of just being Park and/or Morgan in this particular relationship… it really feels like they’ve got enough going on.
But I have an amazing capacity to be wrong, so I still gave them the “roundabout” sign.
Andrews’ Connection With Kevin
(From “My Way,” 5 x 15)
Dr. Marcus Andrews has been through a lot that we haven’t really seen, if you think about it. A fertility crisis with his wife in S1 that apparently went unresolved (or the writers dropped the idea- you choose). Sacrificing his prestigious role at St. Bons and ultimately accepting a demotion in S2 and S3 (that we witnessed at almost a strictly superficial level). A divorce from previously mentioned wife that took place entirely offscreen at the end of S4. A new relationship in S5– with a woman he truly seemed to care about– that he ultimately sacrificed for the sake of his colleagues/friends and the hospital itself. We saw a decent (or indecent?) amount of his affair with Salen, and when that was over, he got his old prestigious role at St. Bons back, and professionally he was back on track. But personally…?
Enter (in “My Way” 5 x 15) Kevin, a tough-talking resident of a “boys' home” whose dyslexia prompted some pretty vicious bullying by ignorant, thoughtless peers. Andrews– a fellow dyslexic, it turns out– takes a personal interest in the young man that carries him all the way to a) investigating Kevin’s DCF options, and b) finding a way to keep Kevin at the hospital an extra week while a new home is found for him.
At which point some of us thought Andrews might pull a chair up to Kevin’s bedside, excuse Morgan from the room, and propose being Kevin’s foster dad himself.
I’m actually glad that particular development didn’t happen… at least, not in S5. Andrews’ personal life likely felt off-kilter all the way to him overseeing Shaun and Lea’s wedding. Bringing Kevin into that rhythm (or lack thereof) might have put a nice bow on the season for St. Bons’ top doc, but that’s not what either he or Kevin needs.
My hope is that this scenario was more a road delayed than untaken. They planted the seed last spring; harvest time could come anywhere in S6 that Kevin finds his way back into St. Bons.
Lim’s PTSD
(I can’t cite an episode in S5 in which it was referenced)
We all know that Dr. Audrey Lim’s COVID-triggered PTSD was the centerpiece of her personal and professional struggles in S4. And now that S5 is in the books, we also know that her PTSD barely got a mention in all of 18 episodes. (I don’t recall a single line about it but could be wrong; let me know in the comments if you remember differently.)
Granted, she’s had enough on her plate as it is: a new boyfriend re-establishing on American soil, then no boyfriend at all… a new boss making her life miserable, even being responsible for the most tragic OR moments of the season…and last but not least, compassion for an abused friend and colleague that indirectly led to her own brutal assault.
We know PTSD doesn’t simply fade into the background– especially not when life continues to consistently throw challenges at Lim as it has. But alas, we’re talking made-for-TV “life”... and the rules tend to be different there, don’t they?
So is this a road closed? Will Lim’s PTSD ever be spoken of again? Or might there be a patient in S6 suffering from it who bonds with Lim, giving us at least some final thoughts about the disorder? Given she will begin the season with the daunting task of simply SURVIVING, period, we may have to wait a while for an answer.
The Board Meeting Showdown (that wasn’t)
(From “Cheat Day,” 5 x 10)
Imagine if all the stack-the-deck fun and fury of “Cheat Day” had ended with everyone heading into the board room… with everyone still unclear on what Andrews was going to do… and the next episode carried out the proceedings?
Yeah, we all mused that (written as the episode was) things likely would have gone Salen’s way, but there’d have been plenty of room for loopholes if they’d made a Cheat Day pt. 2. Enough, I bet, to give us that plus Shaun’s speech, Lim’s rage, and plenty of angst to go around for the rest. Maybe they could have even built such an episode so that there was still a way for Andrews to deal the final blow.
Finally… as I think others have suggested… what if TGD had postponed the “Potluck” concept (and episode) to S6 to make room for an extended “Cheat Day”? Or postponed “Dry Spell” till it became a true married couples’ lament? Would that have been too much of a sacrifice? Shame on me for second-guessing decisions that Shore & Co. surely took their time with; I presume they had their reasons for wrapping Salen’s storyline as they did. But this particular road-not-taken (or “road-ended-too-soon,” if you will) continues to bug me.
Shaun Coming to Terms With the Way ASD Impacts His Career
(Episodes 5 x 3 through 5 x 8)
It sure looked like it was building to something during the first half of S5, didn’t it? First came Shaun’s intense reaction to seemingly superficial changes made by Salen (the hand dryers, the soap, the scrubs). Then came the patient satisfaction scores, and Shaun’s insistence that he could find a way to raise his numbers to an unrealistic level. Then came his complete meltdown in “Expired” as his work and personal struggles climaxed and collided simultaneously.
No one really brought it up, on the show or otherwise, but… what if Salen had taken steps to suspend or fire Shaun for trashing the pharmacy as he did– even if the meds he slammed to the floor were of no use, might it still have been seen as vandalism in any other arena? What if the pharmacist on duty– ya know, the one Salen eventually bought off– what if he’d been able to take action against Shaun for feeling like he’d put him in danger? We all know certain liberties are taken on TGD that might not be taken IRL, particularly when it comes to Shaun… and maybe we can’t help but feel like that particular meltdown was more than justified. But shouldn’t there come a time when Shaun is forced to come to terms with his professional weaknesses? Will he ever balk at being called “irrational” by a colleague and get a counter-comment that propels everyone forward rather than simply feels like a lateral pass?
Maybe such a reckoning was part of that board meeting speech, for all we know. But, like Salen’s impact on St. Bon’s, Shaun’s ASD-related woes by and large faded away in the back half of the season.
My hope: That as important and over-arching as this conversation is for the titular character, they are striving for the right place and time in the show for it to take place organically. Maybe that’s part of what S6 will bring. Maybe via a patient, or a series of patients. Maybe via the new characters. Or his marriage. (Or if/when he becomes a father, in S6 or otherwise.) Or perhaps in ways we have no way of seeing just yet. There’s still plenty of time.
Shaun & Lea & Problem Solving Beyond the Cowbell
(From “Yippee Ki-Yay,” 5 x 9)
If someone said (in general terms) that Shaun or Lea rang the deeply symbolic cowbell in S5… and I didn't know any better… I’d think it must have happened in either the “Expired” episode or “Rebellion.” Maybe “Yippee Ki-Yay.” But during “Dry Spell”?? Never woulda thunk it. At least, not as it was written. The frustration levels weren’t high enough. Plus, Lea having the cowbell at work never made sense to me.
The “road” I’m referring to, though, isn’t really about the cowbell at all. It’s about hard work, as stated so lovingly in “Yippee.” In fact, the way the cowbell was mentioned in that scene… I thought they might be retiring it altogether
Because their insecurities and flaws will resurface– more often than necessary– if they don’t dig in and get even more attuned to their respective communication needs, coping methods, and ways to show their love for each other. We’ve seen such things in the early stages of their relationship, and also in crisis mode– but not so much in the day-to-day, settled-in, grown-folks kind of way. (Meaning #Shea’s unique version of such)
That’s a taller order than it sounds, I know. The drama must keep ebbing and flowing on TGD; some issues will continue to seem too easily resolved while others will leave us wailing Why can’t they catch a break? We are not an easily pleased fandom at times.
But my point here is that #Shea’s Road to Successful Problem Solving was hinted at in S5… but never really started. What will “hard work” look like for these two, as opposed to others? That’s the road we’re so very eager to see.
AND IF THAT SOUNDS LIKE IT COULD DOUBLE AS AN ITEM FOR A SEASON 6 WISH LIST… WELCOME TO MY SEGUE!!
Have you sent me a wish list for S6 yet?
How about favorite and least favorite episodes from S5?
Obviously there is still time to do both, or either. DM me on Twitter, or Email me at KLawrence997 at gmail dot com. And THANKS to those who have already contacted me!
