"Rationality" is the fourth episode of Season 5 of The Good Doctor. It is the eightieth episode overall and aired on October 25, 2021.
Synopsis[]
Dr. Shaun Murphy and the team treat a young girl whose father’s personal research complicates their treatment plans. Meanwhile, Dr. Park, Dr. Reznick and Dr. Lim’s patient refuses a life-saving lung transplant despite having a family donor.
Plot[]
Shaun and Lea look at a large poster outside the hospital that has Shaun on advertising his autism. Lea compliments the photo and Shaun leaves. He finds Salen walking up and down the steps and says he did not approve of the photos, however, there's a section on his employment agreement that says she is allowed to use photos of them. She then asks if Shaun is ashamed of his ASD and he says he's not. Salen is glad to hear this as Shaun has accomplished a lot and the poster will inspire a lot of neurodivergent people. Shaun disagrees and she calls him emotional then asks him to pick a number before 1 and 10. She correctly guess his number but Shaun fails to see what that proves. It proves to Salen that neurodivergent people are not as rational as they think and they revisit their decisions. Shaun tells her to rethink her decision about the poster and she agrees to in 48 hours as long as Shaun does too.
Shaun accompanies Marcus Andrews and Mateo in the hall. Marcus believes that Shaun being represented is important as Marcus likes to get his face out there as often as possible. Mateo doesn't believe that Shaun is being represented and it's tokenism because she is not hiring diverse doctors and only exploits those who already work at the hospital. Shaun is approached by Nurse Villanueva who informs him that a patient's dad who is demanding to talk to Shaun. Shaun worries he wants to talk to him for the wrong reasons but goes to the patient's room regardless.
In the patient's room, Shaun warns them that they should not pick their doctors based on billboards. The dad reassures Shaun that he did not pick him because of the billboard but because of the high amount of papers Shaun has co-authored on, eight of those being pediatric surgeries and four on GI issues. He introduces his daughter, Holly, who he believes has visceral myopathy. Shaun asks if the 19 doctors that the dad and daughter have visited have formally diagnosed Holly. The doctors believe it's inflammatory bowel but the dad disagrees. Shaun wants to send them to internal medicine as Holly's case is not surgical but the dad is reluctant as he has done his research on visceral myopathy. Shaun disagrees as Holly's symptoms do not match the symptoms of visceral myopathy as well as relying on the internet for your answers is not reliable. He finds that Holly has an obstruction and she is now a surgical case.
Morgan talks to a patient who has had a nasty cough for a month. The patient was on a trip in India when the cough kept getting worse. Because of that, she decided it best to fly back to California and seek medical help. She tells Morgan that she visited India to find a meaning in her life because she needed something more in her life. Morgan instructs her to take deep breaths as she listens to her lungs which reveals that the left lung is moving little air.
Aaron Glassman is still at home, this time working on an old dusty car. He listens to a video that gives instructions as to how to fix one of the car's problems when Salen walks into the garage. She spooks him, causing him to hit his head on the car's underside. Salen is mad at Aaron for not answering his phone recently and she wants to talk about press interviews that Aaron has been scheduled for. Aaron does not want to do an interview but Salen mentions that he agreed to them when he agreed to be her puppet. All he has to say is nice thoughts about Ethicure but Aaron says he doesn't have any; however, Salen has written a script for him to say. He refuses and closes the garage door on her.
In an OR, Marcus operates on Holly with Mateo and Shaun. Shaun offers Mateo and Marcus ten dollars however, they have to split it and both agree on the split. If they don't agree on the split, then neither of them get money. Marcus offers Mateo two of the ten dollars and Mateo rejects the offer. Shaun argues that two is better than nothing but Mateo believes the offer to be unfair and that someone shouldn't reward greedy behavior. Marcus notices that Holly's colon walls are weak but the obstruction has been cleared.
Alex Park talks to Morgan's patient about her left lung which is heavily scarred while her right lung is functioning but has damage as well. They can't fix her problem without a lung transplant but can give her medicine that will help her breathe. The patient asks how long she will live without a transplant which is only a month or two. The patient wants to tell her son who she hasn't seen since she left for India. That was when her son was 12 years old.
Shaun talks to Lea about the billboard and the points he has come up with regarding it. Lea asks how many of his points support Salen, which there are none, and suggests that Shaun find some that do as he may have misunderstood the assignment. Mateo approaches Shaun with Holly's pathology results. They show she has visceral myopathy meaning Holly's father was right.
Morgan is talking to her patient, Gina, when the patient's son, Henry, walks into the room. She comments on how tall he has gotten and he says that 12 years grow. Gina tries to talk about the things she has missed but Henry interrupts her and asks why he is at the hospital. Gina informs him that her lungs are messed up and Henry gets upset that it took Gina being near death for her to call. He wants to know if she feels bad for what she did and she claims she does. She wanted to keep in touch with Henry but Henry had said it was too painful. This upsets him more as he believes that Gina is trying to blame him but she tells him she's not. Morgan gets a notification that there is a potential match for Gina.
Shan and Marcus walk into Holly's room, surprised when they see Salen in the room. Shaun asks why she's here and Salen discusses Holly's dad, Walt, research that he has done. Salen requests that the doctors treat Walt like a consulting physician and involve him in all medical discussions, watch surgeries, and give him a fitness tracker. She leaves the room with Shaun and Marcus following. Shaun informs Salen that Walt is not a doctor but Salen doesn't care as a good idea is a good idea no matter the source. Shaun wants to involve Walt after they talk amongst themselves like they do with all patients and their families. Salen disagrees and mentions that if this goes well, they have an inspiring story to post on Twitter. Shaun doesn't like the idea and neither does Marcus but because the idea came from their boss, he plans to love the idea.
Morgan tells Alex that the new lung should be at the hospital by four. Alex is glad that Gina will be moving within four months but not excited as she will resume being a bad mother. Morgan believes he's being unfair as she feels for Gina and her son because Gina has done a lot of good in her life and shouldn't be punished for one mistake. Alex points out it's a mistake that that's lasted for 17 years. Morgan asks if a mom should give up her whole life for their kids and Alex says yes but dads should as well. She then asks if that's what Alex was doing when he left Kellan to do his residency at St. Bonaventure. The question annoys Alex and he points out that he tried to stay in Kellan's life, unlike Gina.
Shaun, Marcus, and Mateo discuss Holly's case with Walt in the room. Walt thanks them for showing him kindness but Shaun interrupts suggesting a surgery that will remove half of Holly's large intestine. This concerns Walt and Marcus agrees before suggesting they remove the affected areas. Walt disagrees with that as well as he believes they only need to get Holly's intestinal motility going again and that removing large sections of Holly's bowels is not something he wants to do. He begins to snap his fingers and Shaun asks why he's doing it. Walt says snapping his fingers helps him think but the snapping distracts Shaun. Walt suggests Rituximab as it can increase motility in kids up to 30%. The idea is interesting but Shaun believes it's a bad idea as it could lead to a more drastic surgery later. Walt argues that it could alleviate Holly's symptoms and Holly won't have to give up her entire life. Marcus agrees on Walt's idea, much to Shaun's disagreement.
Gina is prepped for surgery but Morgan walks into the OR and informs Audrey Lim that the donator lung had a cancerous lump. Later, Morgan and Alex talk to Henry about his mom. She's developing pulmonary hypertension and in a few days they predict she won't be a transplant candidate. He asks if she will get a donor by then but realistically, it's highly unlikely. Morgan suggests a procedure that would remove Gina's bad lung and replace it with a lobe from Henry's lung. However, such a surgery hasn't been done for almost a decade but it is routinely done in Japan. Morgan and Alex disagree on the surgery as Alex points out the negative side effects and Morgan believes it's the only way to save Gina's life. Henry says he needs to think the surgery over.
In Holly's hospital room, Mateo sets up the PICC line. He tries to sympathize with her having to be in a hospital all the time. She admits that being sick is tough but skipping school is nice as she was known for being the girl who threw up all the time. Holly asks about the Rituximab and if it was her dad's idea. Shaun says it was but the idea is not a good idea. Walt reassures Holly and Shaun tells Holly that she could die.
Aaron continues to work on the old car when Lea approaches him. She tells him he will need to get the jets really clean and asks if he did clean them. She takes Aaron's position at the hood of the car and the two start discussing the Salen and Shaun situation. Lea thinks that Shaun is being set up while Shaun believes he can talk Salen into getting rid of the poster. Aaron thinks he could and it's unlikely Shaun gets fired as Shaun is on a poster. Lea asks for Aaron to talk to Shaun and see if she is wrong. Aaron takes Lea's position as he is asked why he's still in town. The question is rhetorical as Lea tells him that he's still in town for Shaun and is confused as to why Aaron won't help him.
Henry goes to see Gina who has gotten worse. He has decided to do the surgery but Gina refuses it, although grateful. She doesn't want Henry to hurt himself to help her which angers Henry as Gina only now cares about how he feels. Gina says she left because she hated who she was and the energy she should've used to love Henry, she used to try and stay put together. In the end, she chose her own happiness. Henry gets mad as he used to think that his mother didn't love and Gina confirmed it. While he's talking, Gina starts struggling to breathe.
Holly begins to puke up blood. Shaun and Mateo rush to help her. They feel her stomach and realize that her bowl has perforated. Walt says that he was wrong and watches as Holly is wheeled out of the room.
Gina was put on a ventilator as her lungs are no longer working. Morgan informs Henry of this. Morgan informs him that by law, Henry has power of attorney over Gina's medical decisions.
In Audrey's office, Alex argues against the surgery as Gina made it clear that she does not want the surgery. Morgan argues for it as Gina was focused on her son's happiness and not her own. Audrey tells them to do the transplant as Henry is the proxy.
Walt wants to do Shaun's surgery but Shaun informs him that they missed their chance. They will have to remove more of Holly's bowel to prevent another emergency. Walt talks about a case report he read but it wouldn't help Holly enough. He suggests ways to modify the surgery done in the case report but Shaun says he's not making any sense. Marcus requests that Shaun allows for Walt to talk but Shaun keeps talking about the flaws of Walt's idea. Walt doesn't want to hear what he's doing wrong and he wants Shaun to help him find a way to make it work. Shaun tries to explain why it won't work and Walt keeps snapping. This upsets Shaun who demands he stop snapping and Marcus tells Shaun he needs to leave. Shaun disagrees as Walt is the one who should leave as he made them give the medicine that made Holly more sick. He shouts that Walt should not be in the room as he isn't a doctor. Marcus tells Shaun to leave and Shaun does. When gone, Marcus tells Walt that he agrees with Shaun, although Shaun was inappropriate with his behavior. Walt requests that he be the one to tell Holly.
Alex and Morgan discuss how they will accomplish the surgery on Gina. Alex suggests methods but Morgan disagrees with each of them as she doesn't like the methods. Alex tells her that she's being unfair and emotional. Morgan begins to cry but says she's not crying because of him and proceeds to tell him that she's hormonal because she has been freezing her eggs but to do so she has to take injections that make her feel like she's a lunatic. Alex wants to know why she didn't say anything but Morgan didn't think she could because they are a new couple. Morgan's not sure she wants kids or that she'd be a decent mom as she's really selfish. She doubts that she would make better choices than Gina and if anyone would defend her. Morgan then leaves the rom.
Aaron finally returns to the hospital and talks to Shaun in the cafeteria. Shaun says he isn't doing so well as he has been put on a billboard and got kicked off Holly's case. Aaron spoke with Marcus and Marcus won't put a note in Shaun's file about the case. Shaun says he will talk to Salen tomorrow about the billboard as he has 30 bullet points. Aaron suggest they talk the points through and narrow them down. Shaun is distracted and says he was right about the girl's treatment but couldn't convince the father and he got mad about it as Holly got more sick. Shaun knows he is right about the billboard but realizes he is unlike to convince Salen. He knows that he's right but he fails to change people's minds.
Salen is watching new decor being put in a room when Aaron walks in and requests they have the room for a minute. The workers leave and Aaron requests that Salen remove the billboard as she has exposed Shaun's personal medical records. Salen says the billboard makes people talk and Aaron says that the billboard could be illegal. Salen says she's accommodating Shaun, which is more than she had for ADHD but the lack of accommodations made her strong and more resourceful. She knows if Aaron keeps treating Shaun like a child, it will backfire. Aaron says Salen barley knows Shaun while Aaron has known Shaun for 15 years. Salen agrees but Aaron is more of a father figure to Shaun and he can make wrong choices for Shaun, just like a parent. Aaron says he will do the interviews but when Shaun comes to see Salen, Salen pretends like she is convinced about the billboard. Salen agrees to this.
Walt talks to Holly about her bowel. He says it got sick and she had a perforation because of that. They will have to remove her large intestine and most of her small one. Holly asks if she will have to have a bag attached to her for her whole life, which she will, and she asks if she can still eat like she normally would. She doesn't want IV nutrition but Walt says it's not clear if she will need one or not. Holly says that Walt is wrong and demands the doctors tell him that but they confirm that he is right. Holly says Walt promised to fix her and walt admits that he has failed and he apologizes.
Holly tells Shaun that she thought Shaun would be different and that's why she asked for him. Shaun says Holly did not ask for him, her father did but Holly saw the billboard and demanded her doctor be Shaun. She wanted him because he thought different and he was different. Walt watches from the viewing gallery as his daughter has her surgery.
Shaun goes to Lea's office and sits across from her. He says he was wrong about the billboard but it's not good that he's wrong. He thought that the billboard was dumb and that no one would be inspired by a doctor who has ASD. However, his very first patient was inspired meaning he was wrong. On top of that, he fears he was not rational about the case because he did not listen to Walt. Lea assumes Shaun was fair but Shaun says there wasn't a single point on the case when he was fair. Shaun realizes that Walt must have been thinking about the case in a way Shaun wasn't because what Walt was saying made sense to Walt. He then awkwardly runs out of Lea's office and to the OR where Holly is being operated on. Shaun bangs on the window of the viewing gallery to get Marcus' attention and informs them they need to put a feeding tube in Holly's colon. It will save Holly's intestines. Marcus says he would like Shaun to scrub in and Walt agrees.
Following the surgery, Holly is doing well and shows no signs of infection. Holly asks if Shaun thinks Walt would make a good doctor. Shaun is unsure if he'd be a good doctor but he knows Walt is a good dad.
Gina wakes from her surgery and asks what happened. Henry sits at her side in a wheelchair, dressed in a hospital gown. He says he didn't want her to die and Gina believes she has to make it up for Henry. Henry doesn't believe she does as she won't be happy but Gina believes she shouldn't be happy. Henry talks about his past and how he would fight with his father whenever he could. His father would remind him that he was going to be loved no matter what Henry did or who he was. Henry decides he's going to love Gina the way his dad loved him. The two then hold hands.
Aaron is on the phone and talking well about the hospital and its new products. When the person talks about Shane, he says they will have to talk another time and hangs up. He then leaves his home and returns to the hospital where the poster of Shaun is still hanging up. Aaron finds Salen and asks about their deal. Salen tells him to calm down but Aaron gets mad saying she can't treat Shaun like that. Salen informs him that it was Shaun who wanted the billboard to stay up. She reads an email she got from Shaun asking her to keep the billboard up, as long as she fixes his hair so its on the right side. Salen tells Aaron that Shaun handled the billboard on his own and is better off because of it.
Morgan looks through her refrigerator for the shot she's supposed to take. Alex finds her and tells her that he never thought he'd be a dad again and he'll do what it takes to make their relationship work. Morgan wants him to prove it by giving her the shot and Alex does.
Lea and Shaun look at the billboard again and Shaun realizes he may have been wrong about his hair. Lea disagrees and says they should fix his hair. The two then hug.
Aaron returns home to find his old car put together with a new coat of paint. On the windshield there's a note from Lea informing Aaron that she cleaned the car's jets and did a couple of other things. Aaron then gets in his car and he turns it on, happy when the car starts. He sits behind the wheel for a minute before leaving and returning to him house. When he walks out of his house, he has suitcases with him that he stores in the car's trunk. Aaron starts the car back up then drives away to an unknown destination.
Cast[]
Starring[]
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Guest Starring[]
Co-Starring[]
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Trivia[]
- It's revealed that Shaun has co-authored twenty-three papers, eight of which are on pediatric surgeries and four of which are on GI issues.
- Shaun chooses to keep the billboard of him after seeing how it inspired a young patient to seek out his help on the condition that Salen fix the flawed image of him. At the end of the episode, Salen tells Glassman that she hasn't gotten the chance to fix it yet but that she will.
- Glassman's classic car is repaired by Lea and he takes off on a road trip.
- This is the last appearance of Mateo, also the last episode to credit Osvaldo Benavides as a series regular.
Multimedia[]
Promotional Images[]
Episode Stills[]
Go to the following page: Rationality/Gallery
Videos[]
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