Claire

Not to be confused with Claire Browne.

"Claire"

Episode Information

Season 3

Episode 3

Overall 39

Airdate:

October 7, 2019^[1]

Viewers:

5.59^[2] million

Writer:

Liz Friedman & Tracy Taylor

Director:

Allison Liddi-Brown

Episode Chronology

Preceded by:	Followed by:
"Debts"	"Take My Hand"

"We’re women, we’re not white, and we’re surgeons. Unicorns consider us a fabled species. We don’t get the luxury of public insecurity...We don’t need to be insecure, because every step of the way, we’ve had to be twice as good as everybody else."

—Dr. Lim to Claire on insecurity as women of color

"Claire"^[3] is the third episode of Season 3 of The Good Doctor. It is the thirty-ninth episode overall, and aired on October 7, 2019.

Synopsis[]

Dr. Claire Browne faces complications at home and work as she prepares to lead her first surgery. Meanwhile, a sports fishing accident challenges the rest of the staff as they look to treat the fisherman’s injuries without damaging his prize catch.^[3]

Plot[]

Having been given her first lead surgery, Claire practices what she'll tell her patient as she goes about her morning routine. She and Shaun have a patient complaining of nausea and severe abdominal pain after eating. Shaun sees that it could be their first lead surgery and it seems they're right after viewing their patient, Michelle, who has gallbladder issues. When Neil points out it's not a straightforward case, Shaun proposes an open procedure would give them a clear view of the anatomy.

Shaun talks about his latest date with Carly, the two having walked together to a deli while Shaun asked her questions which she answered, though Claire makes comments about them being intense. Claire and Shaun watch Andrews perform the same surgery, where Shaun states that he was questioning his and Carly's compatibility. Claire agrees with his intents, but tells him to slow down a bit. Andrews also comments on Claire's surgery and gives advice on resecting, while Shaun thinks Carly was alright. However, Claire accidently stresses him out over what he didn't do while Andrews quizzes Claire as she views the surgery.

Claire offers to talk to Carly while going to see Michelle, only to hear groaning from a man and Morgan stating that "it" needs to be decapitated; Morgan and Park are working on Shamus O'Malley, who has a marlin stuck on his leg while he was fishing. The fish needs to be cut in half, but Shamus has been hunting it for soon long that he refuses despite being warned about bleeding. Since they can't get it out, he demands it come with him to an MRI he needs when it's revealed to still be alive. While able to kill it, Claire meets Michelle's mother Patricia who is unnerved about Michelle being hospitalized when Michelle has chest issues.

The doctors find a pulmonary embolism, part of a larger clot in her leg caused by her birth control pill. The surgery is put off a day while Claire notices scars on Michelle's leg, which Michelle claims were from climbing a fence. However, Claire knows they were self-inflicted. Michelle opens up and admits that it falls onto her to take care of the three foster kids her mother took in. But when Claire and Neil try to talk to Patricia, she insists their home life is fine.

Claire is practicing before her lead surgery when Shaun comes in, still nervous about him and Carly. Claire states that she is as well for the surgery which is how she's coping, but Shaun questioning about what she should consider for it convinces her to talk to Carly. However, she sees Shamus still refusing to have his fish removed and demand that both he and it fit into the MRI. Morgan also quizzes Claire about the surgery, Claire having been picked for it and so is now the one considered for Chief Resident, when the marlin explodes due to having metal in it. It then comes loose from Shamus, causing bleeding that Park, Morgan and Claire have to deal with.

Shamus is taken to an OR where he is OK, while Claire goes to get cleaned up. She then admits to Lim that she's nervous about the surgery, which Lim advises her never to say again as they aren't allowed to speak like that since they get so mistreated while motivating her. Claire works while Breeze talks to her about her surgery, the two even comparing Michelle taking care of her siblings as the same with Claire and Breeze and when Claire lost her own virginity.

Patricia refuses to listen to Michelle about her self-harming behavior, so Claire suggests that Michelle talk to a therapist like she did — it helped her realize that it wasn't her fault her mother was sick. Claire then gets her lunch disrupted by Morgan and Park talking about how Shamus isn't getting better, which they debate over it being due to an infection from the marlin or an underlying autoimmune disorder. Park considers putting him on steroids, but Claire points out that it will kill him if he isn't infected. While the two still try to figure it out, Claire admits to Shaun about having not talked to Carly.

Patricia is upset and threatens to report her to the medical board, but Lim defends Claire as Michelle may be a danger to herself. Unfortunately, Lim still kicks Claire off the surgery for not informing Patricia. While Claire and Breeze are talking to Breeze's therapist, Dr. Donovan, Claire admits that she's mad at Patricia for not taking care of her daughter when Michelle is brought up. At the same time, being off the surgery makes her admit to feeling relieved to have the weight off of her. Breeze understands because "things that matter are scary." It's how she feels about coming to therapy and talking about her life and their relationship. She worries she can't make up for all the times she let Claire down, but she thinks, "just be like Claire." She even calls Claire her inspiration.

Claire soon sees Carly, who is free later on when Claire realizes that the problems Morgan and Park have run into with Shamus are because he has cancer in his leg. Michelle is also vehemently refusing to have the surgery unless Claire does it and even says she doesn't want to get better if they won't grant her request. Neil then goes to bat for Claire with Patricia, and Claire's first surgery is back on because of her commitment to Michelle.

Claire talks to Carly, who says that she liked Shaun questioning her due to her distaste for small talk. She also politely tells Claire to not get involved, considering that they don't really know each other. While operating on Michelle, Claire sees more scarring than the imaging suggested on the gallbladder. Neil has her talk through her approach. He also has her do the same thing when Michelle begins hemorrhaging later in the surgery. Both times, it works, and the surgery is a success. Patricia subsequently asks for the psychiatrist's card after.

Shamus' leg had to be amputated due to the cancer, but he is happy when he is brought in his fish, mounted, because it saved his life. Claire also sees Carly answering more of Shaun's questions. However, not too long after, she gets a call from her mother's phone. She ends up at the scene of an accident, where Breeze crashed into a telephone pole. She also left Claire a voicemail telling her she had made dinner for them to celebrate and was going to borrow the car to get dessert. All while in the present, Claire stares at Breeze's dead body and eventually sees the champagne bottle Claire was saving; now open, on the floor of the car.

Cast[]

Starring[]

Freddie Highmore as Dr. Shaun Murphy
Nicholas Gonzalez as Dr. Neil Melendez
Antonia Thomas as Dr. Claire Browne
Fiona Gubelmann as Dr. Morgan Reznick
Will Yun Lee as Dr. Alex Park
Christina Chang as Dr. Audrey Lim
Paige Spara as Lea Dilallo (credit only)
Jasika Nicole as Dr. Carly Lever
Hill Harper as Dr. Marcus Andrews
Richard Schiff as Dr. Aaron Glassman (credit only)

Guest Starring[]

Robert Sean Leonard as Shamus O'Malley
Sharon Leal as Breeze Browne
Karin Konoval as Deena Petringa
Teryl Rothery as Dr. Jan Lancaster
Tracie Thoms as Patricia Reynolds
Kyla-Drew Simmons as Michelle Reynolds
Iris Quinn as Dr. Donovan

Co-Starring[]

Melice Bell as Nurse Walden
Karee Ducharme as Tisha
Tobi Akinbiyi as Police Officer
Greg Larson as Fishing Buddy #1
Uzoma Onuoha as Fishing Buddy #2

Trivia[]

During Claire's surgical team's introductions, Nurse Petringa calls herself "Donna Petringa", despite all other official sources, including press material and The Good Doctor Writers Twitter account, referring to the character as Deena Petringa. Nonetheless, this is the only episode where the character's first name is stated on the show itself.
This episode guest stars Robert Sean Leonard who played Dr. James Wilson on the medical drama House alongside Lisa Edelstein who played Dr. Marina Blaize in season 2 of The Good Doctor.
- His character on The Good Doctor turns out to have cancer while Wilson was an oncologist who also developed cancer.
This is Breeze's last appearance in the show.