Sunday, January 10, 2021

Newbie New Year's Resolutions, and An Embarrassment of #Shea Promotional Riches

 

 

Would you believe I’m already dealing with a writing dilemma? A good dilemma, as dilemmas go, but a dilemma nonetheless. Several of them. I’ll try to summarize: 

n My original plan was to write something about TGD Newbies last week, then follow it with some sort of “Lim” preview heading into Monday’s TGD return.

n  Then on New Year’s Eve, ABC dropped one helluva hydrated hint as to an upcoming #Shea situation.

n  Then came more hints about the “Lim” episode in general.

n  Which tipped us off to the fact that, apparently, Lea’s birthday is in January.

n  Then we got a slew of promotional pics for “The Uncertainty Principle” (4.7), an episode whose title we’d also been pondering…

n  And THEN, late in the week, came yet another intriguing title for episode 4.8! 

Plus, I’m still working on my annual holiday letter to friends and family (chill out, they all know it’s a “new year’s” letter, it's been this way for years, unfortunately)… 

Plus I’ve got to get all our holiday stuff back into the packing tubs so we can shove it all back into the attic before my young, capable teenage son heads back to Purdue. 

AND… welp, as you might be aware… current domestic events of the week have been distracting, to say the very least! 

Nothing is written yet, other than what you’ve just read. I wanted to get something completed and posted by Saturday so that y’all have reading material to get through Sunday and Monday. But I write slower than I’d like. And—as noted already—am distracted.

And here we are... early Sunday afternoon (Eastern Time) as I post this. (Sigh. I did what I could.) Let's dig in...


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NEWBIE NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS 

After grabbing an ample share of the focus in episodes 3 through 5 of the season, it appears that TGD “Newbies” may be laying lower for a while upon return. (Yes, I know it doesn’t look that way in ABC’s promo for “Lim,” and I’ll get back to my little beef about that.) But now that we’ve had a few episodes with them, I’d like to go out on a tiny limb (no pun intended) and embrace January with some good-natured New Year’s Resolution suggestions for the fine foursome.  

For Dr. Asher Wolke, who was devastated by the events of
the “Fault” episode when we last saw him:

n  + Have a good cry, a week of meditation, or whatever activity brings him some comfort (singing show tunes? Archery? Pottery?) as he recovers from losing his first patient.

n  + Invite that one sister (I think it was a sister) that he still talks to for a visit to San Jose.

n + When we first met Wolke, he spoke candidly of how he “started dating men” after leaving his faith and family behind. But by his own admission in “Fault,” he hasn’t done much dating yet. Perhaps 2021 is the year that should change! 


For Dr. Olivia Jackson, who got to deal with that stroke patient in the first part of “Fault”:

n + Raise her voice on occasion (figuratively and literally—sometimes she reminds me of “the low talker” on the Puffy Shirt episode of Seinfeld)

n + Find a happy balance in her familial interactions with Andrews

n + Embrace her introverted nature… “Don’t wonder if playing ragtime piano alone in her apartment is ‘interesting’,” I’d tell her. “Know that it’s AWESOME!”

 

For Dr. Jordan Allen:

n   + Work on honing those instincts; she’s prone to speaking out when she feels strongly about something (which is great) but not particularly selective of the arena in which she chooses to do so (which is problematic).

n +  If she gets bored being “single”… consider a dating website. (She could ask Morgan for details, depending on how adventurous she feels.)

n + BUT—if Jordan feels any new medical innovation designs coming on, she might want to just hang on to that “single” status a while longer… or at least until she gets her finances completely secured.

 

And for Dr. Enrique Guerin, who I believe revealed himself to be polyamorous in a recent episode (intimately involved with more than one partner at a time) so I’m not sure if he needs dating assistance or not…

 

n  + Carve out more surfing time

n  + Consider writing an online relationship advice column (he’s pretty good at it!)

n  + Keep up those contacts in Costa Rica… just in case this St. B gig falls through. (I’m just sayin’.)

 

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THE #SHEA SHOWER 

I’m not sure if we’ll ever be more captivated by two and a half seconds of video as we have been by the ABC promo for “Lim,” which debuted during Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve and instantly eclipsed anything Miley Cyrus and/or Megan Thee Stallion was (almost) wearing that night. I mean here we #Shea Shippers were, just trying to get into 2021 without contracting COVID or encountering any more 2020 bad luck, when WHOA! Shirtless Shaun (OK, more than shirtless we presume) in the shower, looking curiously at an equally “shirtless” Lea—once she disrobes, that is—beaming flirtatiously as she joins him.



Considering what we HAVE and HAVE NOT been treated to thus far in Shaun and Lea’s journey, this possibility of a shower love scene is rather unprecedented. Considering it turns up in a promo for an episode that is Lim-centric? Doubly surprising.

And yet, what might come off as titillating in any other show has potential to go a variety of directions on TGD… that’s part of the intrigue. How receptive will Shaun be to Lea sharing his shower space? Will the impracticalities of the “situation” be frustrating for him? Will he be overwhelmed, from a sensory aspect, in a bad way? 

And in any of those situations… will he have resolved his issues enough by the end of the episode to show up in Lea’s shower by episode’s end? 

I think it’s safe to say that all of us are ready to find out. ASAP. (Or sooner.)

 

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The rest of the LIM promo

 Here’s the catch on that #Shea shower scene though… we’re not really sure when we’ll see it. This week’s promo alluded to it, yes, but it also felt like it could be a tiny trailer for the next part of the season in general. The audio in the 15 second version was all Shaun: I’m trying to be a better doctor… a better boyfriend… better at the things I’ve chosen. Kind of generic, right?

And when it expanded to a 30-second promo a few days ago, those lines stayed… and a few were added, including a couple from Lim. As in Lim, the one this episode’s supposed to focus on.

Might #Shea be getting some steamy screen time alongside Dr. Audrey Lim’s personal crisis/coping time? It seems that way, but to watch ABC’s promo, you’d never know Lim was getting a spotlight at all. She’s seen, yes, but in all instances she’s interacting with Shaun. Contrast that with the promo from CTV (Canada) for the same episode—which hopefully you can see HERE. #Shea shower tease aside, I find the CTV version infinitely more compelling.

As #Shea fans we should probably take stock in ABC’s version; it suggests a decision was made that the #Shea clips are more persuasive to ABC’s (American) viewers than shots of Lim looking distraught, barking at Shaun to “grow up,” or tearing through the night on her motorcycle. In the wake of all things Melendez, promoting #Shea—especially the sexier side of #Shea—is refreshing. I guess I just wish it wasn’t at the expense of Christine Chiang superfans in U.S. who are even more excited about Monday as we are.

 

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Lea’s birthday

We found out, via the 30-second “Lim” promo, that Lea’s birthday is fast approaching!

All we really know thus far is that Shaun’s putting himself to the test and searching for an “awesome” gift. Does it involve the cowbell we saw in promotional pictures for episode 4.7? The cross-country ski simulator we saw in that same batch of pictures? Those stuffed frogs he’s holding when talking to Lim and Morgan? The speculation is already intense, and we’ve only known about it for a few days!

I don’t know why it occurred to me to wonder this—I know precious little about astrology—but I know enough to know that if Lea’s birthday is now presumed to be sometime in January, she’s either a Capricorn or an Aquarius (depending on her actual birthdate, which I presume won’t be revealed). Based on the descriptions below, I think she sounds more like an Aquarius… what do you think?

Capricorn Dec’ 22-Jan’ 19

The pragmatic Capricorn can sense at once whether a new concept is going to work. Their forthright attitude also means that if they think you fall short, they will have no problem telling it “to your face”. Capricorns are great at improvising too. They are quick to adopt good ideas and can make all the necessary adjustments to make them perfect for the given situation.

Aquarius Jan’ 20-Feb’ 18

Those born under the Aquarius sign are generally erratic. Their behavior and temperament are so unpredictable that it is impossible to define their personality type. However, they usually make wonderful first impressions. At first sight, an Aquarius will come across as a most charming and well-mannered person. People find them very interesting company as they are active and adventurous by nature.

And in case anyone’s wondering… Paige Spara (Lea) was born 8/9/89, making her a Leo… and Freddie Highmore (Shaun) was born 2/14/92, meaning he’s an Aquarius.


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“The Uncertainty Principle”

With the official description of the January 18 episode focusing on Morgan and one of her patients, it was hard to say what role, if any, #Shea might play. Then came the PHOTOS! Three scenes worth of PHOTOS!

 

And that’s where we see that cowbell I was talking about…


 

And the cross-country ski machine…



And THIS, a much better look at Lea’s office than we were first treated to in 4.3 "Newbies."



If you’ve zoomed in on those photos like I have, you see they’re generally outdoorsy shots, presumably from Spara’s personal collection. There’s a dog involved, and I guess Spara herself (I don’t think it looks like her, but my close-up is very fuzzy; if others say it’s her, I’ll go with that)… along with some other people who could be taken to be members of “Lea’s” family.

Are these people going to get a closer look if Lea makes direct connections with family this season? I hope TGD knows we’ll be all OVER that!

(Oh, and I was trying to read the titles on Lea’s bookshelf too… the only one I successfully made out was The Seat of the Soul, a bestseller about spirituality that was first released in 1989… coincidentally the year Spara was born, as I mentioned earlier. Can any of you decipher other titles?)

One other thing about this episode… some of you may have known this already, but I didn't… if you look up “The Uncertainty Principle” you’ll find that it is a physics term. More specifically, a quantum mechanics term—here Wiki’s definition:

Any of a variety of mathematical inequalities asserting a fundamental limit to the accuracy with which the values for certain pairs of physical quantities of a particle, such as position, x, and momentum, p, can be predicted from initial conditions.

Got all that?

How this will apply to Morgan’s patient, or Shaun and Lea, or anything else in that episode remains to be seen. But quantum mechanics jumped out at me, leading me to wonder if this could be something in Lea’s wheelhouse of knowledge… 

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And did you see the title on episode 4.8 (to air 1/25)? “Parenting”?

My head spins yet again with the possibilities: is it a topic that arises for the first time with Shaun and Lea? Is it a reference to Lea’s parents? Obviously it could be neither of those, but the double meanings of so many TGD episodes leads us down this curious path…

Until around the same time I initially posted this, which is when the summary of “Parenting” was released:

 

The team treats a teenage gymnast who experiences complications from her intensive training; Shaun meets Lea's parents for the first time.

 

SHIPPERS!!

 

THIS IS NOT A DRILL!!!

 

I can only presume there’s going to be much more information about this in the next two weeks, but for those who might be new… we have discussed this, and the casting possibilities for it, since last summer! For anyone who wants a refresher course on our discussions thus far…


Scroll to “Meeting Lea’s Family” to read the initial post…

 

… and HERE is where you can see all the suggestions thatcame up once I posed the question about casting Lea’s family via Twitter.

 

AAAUGH! LET’S GET STARTED WITH THE REST OF SEASON 4 ALREADY!

 

(Speculation, fully-formed theories, and general comments are welcome, as always.)


13 comments:

Shea Endgame said...

Hey!!!! We are here leaving our comment.

OK so First, we are still shaking over the synopsis for episode 8. We never expected to meet mom and dad Dilallo so soon, but I guess that's the way things are.

I still think that everything that is been presented to us during these episodes plus what we have already seen is setting the path for episode 10 to be more about Lea and to finally be able to understand her more. So keep on bringing the goodies.

I think our lovebirds will be having certain differences when it comes to the recreational shower as Amy called it on Twitter. But, as we mentioned, we think that Shaun needs to adjust to this kind of relationship. With his former girlfriend he experienced a very hmm superficial stage of love and specially sex. Now, he is experiencing devotion and affection beyond all that. Lea wanting to show him different ways to love is something that I always imagine would happen. And, even tho, I think it will take him a little longer to accept it, he will embrace this new forms. As a matter of fact I see him joining her at the end of the episode or as a closure, like finally maybe enjoying the experience. Can't wait to see to be honest.

As for Lea's birthday, I hate the idea of her birthday being on the same episode that is Lim's centric. So I hope that Shaun just mentions it and this is part of "The Uncertainty principle" instead. As for the gifts, I'm not sure if those are birthday gifts now, there was a very nice theory at our Twitter account that maybe Lea got the ski for Shaun to learn, maybe to take him somewhere to practice or maybe to take him to her hometown.

Which arise my question, what if Shea finally take this trip and it is during this that they meet her parents?

I guess that we can have many theories on the subject but the prospect of him going to her hometown would be a wonderful parallel with friends and family, and although I hope that visit, if happens, would be much more enjoyable that the one last season, could definitely upgrade their relationship as a couple to a whole new level, just how I still believe it happened while they were friends.

Amy D said...

Well, we now know that the ski machine is not Lea's birthday gift from Shaun. And we also know that Shaun tells Lea that showering together is dangerous, but I hold out hope that she will be able to convince him of the benefits and merits of a recreational shower.

I'm still waiting for the traditional once-a-season appearances that have happened every season so far of #Shea karaoke, and Shaun going on some kind of road trip with Lea and/or Glassy (S1 it was Shea, season 2, it was Shaun/Glassy, season 3, it was Shaun, Lea, AND Glassy.)

Angelica said...

Before I speculate about some of the lighter stuff, I just wanted to say that I'm right there with you regarding the promotional material, Kelli. I'm sure there are a lot of things to consider in terms of advertising and network approval for promo material, but it certainly would've been nice if we were at place where it would be perfectly normal to promote an episode about an Asian American character on a show where diversity and inclusion are paramount.

But, one step at a time I suppose. After all, not only did the network have faith that viewers would come for the atypical romance between Shaun and Lea, but that they would ultimately stay for Lim. Even so, it's hard to get fully on board when an episode centered around Lim is advertised as a quest for the perfect present for Lea. And given that we never actually saw anyone in their birthday suit, let alone the shower, I think we might even classify this as a classic "bait and switch."

But speaking of presents, it may be a non-issue in the story, but I still want to know why someone would think it was appropriate to send their ex-wife a piece of exercise equipment during the age of Peloton? Is it a belated birthday gift? Might this person be trolling her? Or is he just very generous but have ulterior motives? Whatever the reason, I can not wait to see how this all plays out!

And speaking again of promos, and presents, and perhaps even showers, Shea.endgame posted another promo on Instagram for episode 7. From what I can tell, it features quite a few different scenes. But the one that stuck out to me most was the spliced scene on the top row. I'm not really sure of the apartments layout, so perhaps someone with excellent spacial perception could take a second look. But from what I gather, it appears that Shaun may have prepared a surprise for Lea...and judging by there location it might be in the bathroom. Which may indicate that he has eliminated any potential hazard and worked out an equitable arrangement that would accommodate both of them. What do you all think? Is that even the bathroom that they're heading toward? Or is it one of the bedrooms?

Link:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CJ6NT6_nZlF/?igshid=11av01tgk661y

Andreas said...
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Andreas said...

I was quite puzzled, too, that ABC did not advertise the return of TGD with content of 406 “Lim” but material that concentrated not only on Shaun’s medical career but explicitly included Shaun’s sex life…

Yet, after browsing the Reddit section dedicated to TGD today, I have a pretty good idea why the powers that might have chosen that alley. And this is not because they think of Asian-American characters unappealing for promotional purposes.

In short, yet another thread came up on Reddit today complaining that “there's less and less ‘great savant doctor who can solve mystery or complicated cases’ and a lot more of boring drama.”

This is just the last claim of this sort in a long row, and with every incident, I feel more and more gutted that obviously autistic characters are only accepted as far as they when they perform their feats for the amusement of the crowd - just as an in the good old days of the traveling circus show that presented the bearded woman and the dwarf… while the thought of such individuals having a all-encompassing life including romance, is considered repulsive and damping the ratings.

The show seems more than ever committed to fight these stereotypes and resentments by focusing even more on these controversial issues. Which on the one hand makes me all the more grateful for their dedication while I’m feeling sad for Christina Chang’s great performance in episode 406 getting into the crossfire.

Alas, this blog is dedicated to Shea, and from all the red herrings for 406 we know at least that things are heating up for Shaun and Lea – which is in terms of drama structure desperately needed.

The interjection of the Covid two-parter at the beginning of the season was a necessity and compelling drama for itself, but it also meddled with the set-up and the arc of suspense for season 4 a lot. Thus, exposition and introduction of new characters were delayed until episodes 403 (new faces), 404 (new challenges at work) and 405 (setting stage for Shaun and Lea as a couple).

Episode 406 now set into motion a second season-wide character arc for a character not being Shaun, just as 303 “Claire” did before. If it wasn’t for Covid, the structure would have been roughly the same as in season 3. But were now already awaiting episode 407 to happen! The start of season 4 has had a problem with its pacing.

As far as I know it is planned that the season will have 20 episodes again, this means that the show will have to work hard towards the mid-season episode (probably 410 “Decrypt”, that usually marks a turning point for all major characters and their arcs.

What do we have on the plate so far? Although there is some progress, Shaun only makes baby steps concerning his teaching skills. So far, I have detected no foreshadowing of any big surprises in this department for him.

On the contrary, the promos are building towards big revelations with his private life: what role plays Lea’s ex-husband regarding her commitment and self-esteem issues, will this ex-husbands influence be felt longer than one episode? And how does Shaun handle Lea’s family? The fact, that obviously Lea, and/or Shaun think it necessary to practice for having dinner with Lea’s parents indicates that there is more to that than the prospect of Shaun embarrassing himself and Lea… And why of all candidates is it Morgan who is part of that training routine again – in her spare time, mind you?

Whatever the writers have planned for mid-season, the stakes will be high.

Angelica said...

Yes, indeed, Andreas. The stakes will be very high.

And in regards to Reddit, I saw that. And I can understand how insensitive comments like that can be very upsetting. I suppose that such posts may be all the proof we need to illustrate the necessity of shows like TGD. After all, exposure to and engagement with people of differing viewpoints is perhaps the best remedy for bigotry.

So, thank you for taking the time to set the record straight every once in a while. I know how exhausting that can be. But, you are right to do so. People do need to hear the truth, and I'm glad that this show has opened the door for these discussions to take place. Again, I believe it may be the only way to get the message across to some, so that we as a global society may get over ourselves and get past our prejudices.

With that said, I would also note that Hollywood DOES have a long and documented history of "whitewashing," and that this phenomena persists even to modern day. Comedian John Oliver had an interesting and irreverent take on the subject matter. If you are interested, you can see his hot take here: https://youtu.be/XebG4TO_xss

But, I don't bring that video up to suggest that you are wrong in your assessment, or that full representation of life as a nuerodivergent person isn't important, especially on a show starring an autistic character. I bring this up to say that it doesn't surprise me when cultures that already lean heavily into intolerance, beget even more intolerant behavior that is directed at even MORE people. In essence, I believe that this reveals the fundamental problem that we have with intolerance in general. Which is to say that this is something that could eventually affect everyone. However, victims of such intolerant and prejudicial acts may take heart in knowing that there are others who could both empathize with and advocate for them. Which is something that I have also seen happen on Reddit.

So, please take heart and know that many of us here care about what you are going through and understand where you are coming from. Because I am sure that many of us have experienced some form of intolerance at some point.

Andreas said...

Thank you for your kind words, Angelica. Prejudice won’t grow short; therefore it is important for mental hygiene to vent from time to time… ;)

Whatever lead to the decision for not promoting Lim’s story for “Lim”, now that the episode has been aired, the quality of the work will stand for itself. While “Claire” was mostly a lighthearted standard episode with a shock ending, “Lim” was a real character drama that stands out in terms of focus and technical execution – a derivation from the usual series format I hope to see happen more often now.

Anyway, this blog post was about Shea initially, and with the show putting the tidbit about Lea having an ex-husband who contacts her already in the promo, we already know that this is shocking revelation for Shaun is not the end but the starting point for the unfolding drama of the next episode.

Obviously, a lot will depend on the question what caused the marriage to fail? I’ve seen some theories speculating on Lea’s ex cheating or even being abusive. That would make for good drama and explain why she rarely talks about it. Yet, that would raise the question why send large training equipment now.

From a writer’s perspective, I would start developing this by looking back what defines Lea’s character from the very beginning and here comes one recurring theme to my mind: “And don't start lying to me to make me feel good. You're the only honest guy I know.” (Lea in 108 “Apple”)

So, we may assume that her ex-husband probably did mislead Lea either on a regular basis or once but big time. And from there everything fell apart and lead to the Lea we have come to know since season 1: no friends, wary of men, using them for fun (hi Claire!) but dumping them before they can dump her.

Any ideas, anyone?

Syl said...

I’m also saddened sometimes when I read posts of people saying that they are only interested in seeing Shaun as a doctor, that romance is boring, that there is too much sex talks (I wonder which show some people are really watching...). It’s like people don’t want to see the personal part of Shaun’s life. I don’t understand because to me seeing how an autistic character evolves both professionally and personally, how he manages to adapt to difficult situations overtime, how he learns to communicate and understand others better, how he learns how to love someone and be in a relationship, etc. is what makes this medical show stand apart from other ones.

Something I liked in episode 6 is that Shaun was shown to be focused on Lea’s birthday gift, and so much so that he bothered his colleagues several times with it. Some people said he regressed, that he was being childish, but I believe that it’s not a regression, just Shaun being Shaun in the sense that his autism is a part of him and although he’s trying to better communicate with people and understand them, he’s still going to have trouble with communication and with people from time to time, he’s still gonna be very honest and sometimes say awkward things as a result...But that’s who he is and he’s great that way. Also I think I read somewhere that autistic people sometimes are not able to focus on several things at a time, so here his determination to find a gift for Lea took over other matters. (Note : I was however surprised that Shaun only thought of a plush toy from the hospital for her birthday while he set up an outdoor cinema for a date).

One thing I now expect from Shaun though : to show support for Lea. Since season 1, Lea has supported him professionally and helped him countless times personally and even during his relationship with Carly, often showing that she was wiser and more mature than how she was said to be. I thought that she really gave him sensible and thoughtful advice and opinions. Shaun has done some beautiful things for her, but Shaun is much less « there » for her emotionally and that’s something I would like to see next. Maybe in the episode Parenting ?

Regarding episode 7, I don’t think Lea’s ex-husband was abusive or cheated on her, otherwise she wouldn’t have accepted the gift. Maybe there was someting that happened that shook her and made her develop commitment issues and lack of self-esteem, but it’s not necessarily a very bad thing. This relationship probably wasn’t a great love story on Lea’s side because I have trouble believing that she would leave this gift to be seen by her current boyfriend if that was the case. In any case, I hope there is a good explanation as to why she didn’t tell Shaun, it comes really out of nowhere since she’s the kind of person who would have had no problem sharing with Shaun that she was married when they were roomies and friends. I also hope it’s a good explanation because I’m already fed up by people painting her as a bad person again simply because she dares to have been married once and didn’t tell Shaun…

As for episode 8, maybe it’s Glassman who offered to have a rehearsal dinner because of Lea being worried that the dinner could upset Shaun. Maybe Shaun said to Lea how worried he was, because he wants to please Lea’s parents and not say things that could embarrass Lea. Regarding why Glassman and Morgan, well Glassman knows Shaun so he can give appropriate advice (however I think his advice to Shaun have not always been good), but for Morgan maybe Lea asked her simply because t a bit like her mother in the way she criticizes and is hard on people...In that case it should be very interesting ! I’m looking forward to finally seeing again Shaun/Lea/Glassman in a scene together and also a Lea/Glassman scene. They have a great dynamic together and I find it sad that they didn’t try to develop Lea and Glassman’s relationship. And seeing Lea interact with anyone other than Shaun and Glassman is also great given how rare it is, and with Morgan it’s even better !

Syl said...

And a few things I wish we'll see this season:
as some have mentioned, I hope that there will be a karaoke scene too, and also a road trip ! There was one with Shaun/Lea, then Shaun/Glassy, then all three, so this time why not all 3 + Debbie ? It would certainly be fun with Lea and Debbie!

Andreas said...

Good point, Syl: Shaun still has to show substantial support for Lea as she has done so often before. For doing so, the show has to put her into some awkward disposition, may it be with her ex-husband, her parents or her work.

My bet for that would be either parents or work, while the ex-husband will probably teach Shaun another lesson about jealousy.

MelanieMeirr said...

I don’t understand why last season we saw Shaun and his entire battle trying to get close to Carly and I didn’t see people complaining. Now that Shaun knows love, it seems to offend people whenever Shaun hints at talking about sex, detail of very few scenes compared to the third season.
I follow the comments on Reddit and I’m disappointed every time I read them.
About Lea’s past, I liked the writers' approach, although I didn’t like that Pro Skier was a gift from her ex-husband and not from Shaun, I want to see how this plays out, but the fact that Lea put it on the market made me have another question, this husband stalks her? Because years later, you’re still sending Lea presents? and why isn’t she sending them back?

Syl said...

I remember reading comments from people complaining about Shaun being obsessed by sex and too many sex talks in general in the first few episodes of season 3, however this time for season 4 I've also read that for some people, since there was already a "heavy" focus on this part of Shaun's personal life, they get more easily fed up at it being mentioned in various forms again. And also since the show is called "the good DOCTOR", they think that it shouldn't focus too much on his personal life and his love and sex life even less and that this season especially his career has taken a backseat in favor of his love life...Anyway those people are always gonna complain, and there is always gonna be Lea haters...
As for Lea's ex being a stalker, I think it can be a possibility Melanie, I had considered that too. But then why didn't he try something before? Maybe he's not a stalker but he committed a crime and spent several years in prison, which is why he's trying to get in touch only now? And that could explain why Lea didn't say anything to Shaun because she felt ashamed...

hippydippyscot said...

Hi All

Thanks for your thoughts they really made me think
I agree with Syl that Glassy is jealous of Lea as Shaun has felt at ease with Lea from their first meeting. So a couple of questions which I cannot get my head around but am staying calm. I cannot speak about or watch the Promo as it is a trigger and I am an empath who feels the pain of those I love in the real and fictional world who I identify with and cannot bear the thought of them getting hurt

First meal with Glassy and Morgan
Glassy:- "You two barely know each other, you havn't been dating very long, now your living together, this relationship is moving to fast"
Remember Glassy asked Debbie to marry him and they barely knew each other

Glassie " I know myself, I know what i want, I know what I love
Debbie "You don't love me You barely know me"
Glassie "I think I do. I think I know you're not sure we can go out on a date and another date after that and more dates after that but life is short and getting shorter and I want to spend whatever time I have got left with you. When we're together it feels like we're speeding down the PCH in a Duesenberg 12 cylinders with 400 CSS and turbo boosters and picnic basket in the back with baguettes and cuillere and prosciutto and shut down enough to pop and you're sitting next to me wind in your hair and you're laughing that laugh and the Sun and the ocean it just feels like we can go forever". Debbie Wexler will you marry me".

This scene where Glassy showing emotion, being very romantic when he wants to be. When someone is important to him such as Debbie, Shaun, Lim who Glassy chats with saying "I care about you" but not one bit of this emotion is shown towards Lea.
Does Lea have to be on her death bed before Glassy would show Lea that he does care for her emotionally?

How can Glassy lecture Shaun and Lea after marrying Debbie so soon Pot, Kettle, Black as we say in Scotland.

Shaun and Lea have know each other for over 3 years, shared a flat as friends and are now in a proper relationship living together. Thier love is so great for each other that you can feel their chemistry jump out of the TV screen and the power of their love gives you a warm hug.

Lea's vulnerability really showed when Hubert died and the speech Lea gave Shaun made me cry. Shaun comes home to find Hubert dead and Lea upset. Shaun tells her they can get another fish, but Lea tells him NO.
Shaun asks Lea "are you crying, are you sad".
Lea "I'm sad and I'm angry and frustated and upset.
The fish isn't the problem I am, I'm PATHETIC. I went home to Hershey because I wasn't fulfilled with my life I thought I could help my bull headed brother save the shop, be a part of something I was really passionate about instead we ended up tanking it together along with our relationship came back here to get my life back on track how can i do that if i can't even keep a damn fish alive.

Lea using the word Pathetic about herself shows her self esteem has reached rock bottom

Why can Glassy say to Lim 'I care about you" yet not say those same words to Lea

I really do not understand where Glassy is coming from and why Glassy doesn't admit he cares for Lea and tells Shaun and Lea he supports their relationship.

During episode 10 where the hospital has a cyber attack, all machinery stops working and Lea stays behind with her amazing IT skills beats the hackers and manages to save the hospital and patients by getting all the systems working.

I can see Shaun being so proud of Lea he will be telling everyone he sees "Lea is my partner and Lea outsmarted the hackers"

Do you think Glassy will thank Lea saying "I really do like you Lea" ?

Shaun is proud of Lea. This is Lea's insecurities, thinking she is not good enough for Shaun and if Lea finds out that resident radiologist S**G has kissed Shaun this will make Lea's fear a reality. I fear that happening