- "You think I don't understand what it's like to need to please your mother? No matter how hard you work, you still owe something more, and every good thing that has ever happened to you is pure luck. But every bad decision you make, that's the real you. And you deserve to suffer."
- —Claire to Art Kalman on what it is to please a mother.
"Friends and Family[1] is the tenth episode of Season 3 of The Good Doctor. It is the forty-sixth episode overall, and aired on December 2, 2019.
Synopsis[]
Dr. Shaun Murphy visits his father on his deathbed and the family reunion reveals unexpected results. Meanwhile, Dr. Neil Melendez, Dr. Alex Park, Dr. Morgan Reznick and Dr. Claire Browne treat an injured star NFL player with severe spinal damage; and Claire addresses her mental health.[3]
Plot[]
It's the morning following Dr. Glassman releasing the news about how Shaun's father Ethan is dying and wants to see Shaun one last time. Glassman agrees how Ethan wasn't good, but suggests that Shaun can say anything that he's been meaning to concerning Ethan. Shaun doesn't think he has anything to say to Ethan, but is open to listening to him. He also asks Glassman to come with him and to "bring a friend"; Lea. Neil is at the gym when he sees Claire, who thanks him for being there for her the night before. They also see a man lifting weights too heavy for his own good; it's Art Kelman, a defensive tackler for the NFL. He collapses to the ground and screams that he can't feel his legs, while Claire calls 911.
Glassman checks on Lea about her going, knowing how intense and emotional it's going to be for Shaun. She states that she's going as Shaun's friend, but Glassman's questioning makes her feel as if Glassman himself doesn't want her coming. They then begin arguing about the other's attitudes as Shaun states a need for getting to the airport on time. As Morgan, Park and Claire are checking over Kelman at the hospital, Morgan comments on his size which leads to Park saying he himself doesn't watch football because of how large the players are which appear to trump skill and talent. Morgan retorts about how they're strong and Kelman got to where he is because he's talented which is what matters, not the type of body. Claire then annoyingly comments about how revered football players are as opposed to community workers, while stating that she's not sleeping with other men anymore when Morgan states that she knows about it. They also discover Kelman has fractured his spinal column.
As Glassman and Shaun try to talk to Shaun into calling Carly about this, Kelman's surgeon comes in and Neil, Claire and Morgan try to discuss with him the surgery on what to do. When he tries to turn down their help, Neil questions him concerning why he thinks he'll be involved and which is not a decision for either of them to make. Kelman's surgeon tries to convince Kelman to let him get involved as he's worked on Kelman before and claims to have seen similar injuries, but Neil points out that they aren't similar and Kelman's injuries are akin to motorbike accidents (which Neil knows). As they're preparing, Park advises Claire to seek help for her issues.
Shaun, Glassman and Lea soon arrive at Shaun's old home. Shaun immediately starts panicking, which Lea tries to calm him over until Shaun's mother Marcie steps out and he demands they leave. They do so and head to a motel where they're staying. While there, Lea comforts Shaun and tries to convince him into making the most of their trip. After Lea comments that it will be Ethan's fault as opposed to Shaun's if he dies without talking to Shaun, he knows who he wants to see. Steve at his grave. Shaun remembers the funeral and how he refused to return home with his parents, which Glassman is sympathetic over in having lost Maddie. He again tells Shaun that Ethan wants to see him, so Shaun agrees and reunites with Marcie.
The team is in the OR performing surgery on Kelman who goes into bradycardia. Neil is forced to stab him with a large-bore needle, returning him to normal sinus rhythm. Shaun sits with Ethan who appears apologetic, commenting that he always wanted a son he could spend time with. He then claims that his anger was how angry he got at being unable to help Shaun. However, he also claims to have thought of Shaun as a good kid and is proud of the man that Shaun has become, as well as that he loves him. Shaun becomes angry, yelling at Ethan for his alcoholism, his selfish and abusive tendencies and for killing his rabbit and for also killing Steve, claiming that he doesn't care Ethan is dying.
As Claire keeps receiving messages from other men she's been sleeping with while trying to block them, all the while annoyed at Park again. Shaun, Lea and Glassman soon end up at a bar where Shaun sees Ethan's medical records. Lea tries to lighten the mood by talking Shaun into going down the street at a lake, referring to a polar bear plunge her family used to do at their lake house every New Year's Eve, though Shaun is more focused on how Ethan is dying. Glassman tries to address how Shaun doesn't appear to just be angry (and rightfully so) with Ethan, who Shaun can talk to. He suggests that they try again the next day, which Lea sarcastically supports while still trying with the lake and Shaun agrees.
Kelman is informed that his heart is stabilized, he'll have surgery in a few hours and most likely will be able to play again. He then admits he chose them to perform the surgery because they didn't care if he ever played football again; he hates football, but was always pressured into the game because it was the best to make money to take care of his friends and family. He's also afraid of what they'll say upon hearing the truth.
At the lake down the street, Lea and Shaun are about to go in when Lea (despite attempts to convince him) finds Shaun reluctant to go in because of the mud which he doesn't like as it gets between his toes. Lea then decides to go by herself and jumps in. However, she doesn't come up right away and Shaun gets scared. He takes off his shoes ready to dive in, only for Lea to jump up from under the water laughing. As he gets upset with her joke, Glassman later comes to Lea to talk to her about how it seems the whole trip was a bust if Shaun just said his last words to Ethan. When Lea shows no interest in showing Ethan forgiveness because of how he and Marcie were, Glassman again states his sympathy for Ethan losing a child which Lea apologizes for.
Shaun sits at his motel room with mud between his toes thinking about the time that he wouldn't cross the stream while he, Steve and Ethan were out on a hike. Ethan had to pick him up to help him across because Shaun didn't like the mud, only to accidentally scrape Ethan's face in the process. The next morning, at a diner they have breakfast at, Marcie shows up and she and Shaun go to talk. Meanwhile, the team works on Kelman again, placing rods and screws in his spine.
Marcie states that she stayed with Ethan out of love, but she didn't love him more than her sons. She knew what she could give Ethan while it was more difficult for Shaun, though she doesn't blame Shaun for hating them. They didn't know a lot, but she sees that Glassman has been able to be what Shaun needed and states that they've missed him. He then lets her hug him. After she leaves, Shaun returns to his, Glassman and Lea's table and tells them that he needs to talk to Ethan.
Shaun soon sees Ethan, to whom Shaun states that he couldn't let Ethan put Shaun on his shoulders, hug him or make Ethan happy. He offers Ethan forgiveness, not wanting to punish him anymore while Ethan states that he wants this as well. Unfortunately, Ethan then explodes in anger, calling Shaun weak, claiming that he acted spoilt, blames him for Steve's death and tells him to run away again. Marcie tries to claim that he is delirious from the morphine, while Shaun stands there and shakes as Glassman tries to get him out.
With the surgery on Kelman finished, Claire tells him that he has to tell someone as his loved ones will understand. Kelman replies that his mother worked so hard for him as a kid, while seeing that to be a waste to tell her the truth. Claire then relates about how hard it is trying to please a mother, always seeing that they are still owed more no matter what, everything good that happened to them happened by pure luck and their bad decisions are the real them, while saying that Kelman deserves to suffer.
Back at the motel, Glassman tells Shaun that Marcie called; Ethan died half an hour ago. Shaun refuses to go to his funeral while asking to go home and pretends to be tired so he can be alone. Claire calls somebody to meet up with them later at tonight. Meanwhile, Kelman finally decides to tells his mother the truth. Claire arrives at the door of a therapist, seeing Park as right to see someone. While Shaun is alone, he begins hurting himself while upset. Lea comes to see him and hugs him from his back to make him stop and then holds him while he cries.
Cast[]
Starring[]
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Trivia[]
- This episode serves as the winter finale for Season 3.
- The Turkish version of the episode had several differences from the original one:
- As opposed to the road trip to Shaun's home in Wyoming, in the Turkish version the reunion between Ali (Shaun's counterpart) and Hikmet (Ethan's counterpart) was at the hospital. In addition, Glassman let Shaun know Ethan was dying after a call from Marcie while Hikmet went to the hospital himself and asked Adil (Glassman's counterpart) to tell Ali.
- After Shaun forgave Ethan, only for his monstrous behavior to resurface and call Shaun weak and blame him for Steve's death, he no longer wanted to have anything to do with him as well as showing no interest in saving him, even before this incident happened. However, in the Turkish version, not only did Hikmet call Ali weak and blamed him for the death of Ahmet (Steve's counterpart), but even wished Ali was the one who died, to the point of calling his son a murderer to his face. Unlike the American adaptation, Ali became determined to save his father despite how horribly he had treated him and everyone's objections.
- Due to Ali's father being admitted at the hospital, Adil made sure that Tanju (Andrews' counterpart) never found out about this, fearing he would use Ali's weak spot for his father against him. When Tanju did find out, not only was he enraged but also threatened to make Ali responsible for paying his father's treatments out of pettiness.
- Shaun was with Lea when he reunited with his father, while Ali was with Nazli (Claire's counterpart). The only difference is that Shaun wasn't dating Lea (but Carly) at that time while Ali was indeed dating Nazli.
- Nazli told off Ali's mother over how poorly she and Hikmet treated their son and abandoned him when he needed them the most. Lea didn't do this in the American adaptation despite being visibly and verbally upset about it.
- Ferman (Neil's counterpart) shared his sympathy with Ali's situation about his father. This was absent in the American adaptation due to Shaun and Neil being in separate places, and because they weren't as close like the Turkish adaptation.
- Unlike the American adaptation, the events of this episode took place simultaneously with it's versions of Autopsy and Carrots.
- Ali had one more final but painful last encounter with his father, who mistook him for his Ahmet, while witnessing his death. However, Shaun was not present to witness it in the American adaptation, with Glassman telling him that Ethan died thirty minutes ago.
- In a few deleted scenes of the episode:
- Carly made an appearance (while she was only mentioned and her actress Jasika Nicole credited in the finished episode) where Shaun called her and she became concerned after hearing that he had Lea with him.
- Kelman was informed that the surgery was a success and his surgeon offered free tickets, with a two shot of Morgan and Park together which is used to advertise the episode, while Claire looked at him guiltily since he didn't want to play football.
- After Shaun had yelled at Ethan for how bad a father Ethan had been, he got upset while Lea tried to suggest that they get Shaun a drink (why they were at the bar) and then decide if Shaun wanted to talk to Ethan again. Glassman then stated that they didn't know how long Ethan had left and saw that they were running away, while unsurprised when Lea questioned if it was a bad idea and mentioned when she was dissatisfied with her life and returned to Hershey in Islands: Parts One and Two. Shaun then kept asking for Ethan's medical records (why he was looking at them), though Glassman and Lea kept refusing as the two ended up at odds ends concerning whether or not Ethan deserved mercy.
- Claire's therapist gave her the PTSD brochure that was in Fractured.
- This marks:
- Ethan and Marcie's only appearances outside of the flashbacks and their last overall appearances.
- The only time Shaun and Steve were depicted when they were younger kids.
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Behind the Scenes[]
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