#SHEA Milestones: Who Writes This (Glorious) Stuff?

A funny thing happened on the way to writing this post about some of the scribes of The Good Doctor.

TGD writer Thomas L. Moran Tweeted the following this past Wednesday night:

And, because TGD fans are already getting a little dehydrated on this long walk through the summer (and possibly fall) hiatus desert, I pounced on that thimble of water and responded to Moran’s Tweet right away with the reply you see beneath that Tweet.

I was getting ready to go make dinner, so I didn’t stay on Twitter for long after that (and was planning to do my own detective work on the index cards later, uncertain that I’d be able to make out a single word…)  But Rose Amelie, a reader of this blog (who had 2 songs featured on Volume 2 of the Playlist last week) had one of the cards “translated” just a minute later:

 “Shaun goes to Glassman for advice on how to patch things up with Lea”

 

And she was right. 

 

Well, DANG!!! I honestly didn’t expect THAT!!

 

When I say “THAT”, I mean I didn’t expect to make heads or tails of anything on the index cards—let alone about Shaun and Lea specifically. (I’m also not surprised that there appears to be a little trouble in #Shea paradise already in the forecast… and will talk about that a little later.)

But Moran writing for #Shea isn’t unusual. In fact, of the 20 different men and women who have thus far written episodes of TGD, he was one of the two I planned to feature today. Because when I recently made a list of episodes that I consider to contain #Shea milestones big and small, two writers stood out for the number of “milestones” with which they’d been involved:

(NOTE: * denotes the episode was credited to two or more writers)

Thomas L. Moran was the scribe behind…

 1.4 “Pipes” (Shaun and Lea’s second encounter--- when she gave him a ride home

"Pipes"

on her way back from the gym, and he bluntly told her “You stink!”)

 1.11, 1.12 “Islands” parts 1 and 2 (Shaun’s first road trip, first “tequila, stat!”, first karaoke, first practice kiss, first goodbye kiss, etc.)*

 2.3 “36 Hours” (Lea’s first clapback at “Shaunie”, calling him a jackass)

 2.12 “Aftermath” (The post-quarantine ep where Lea brings Glassman and Shaun to lunch, to racing, and ends with Shaun meeting her new boyfriend Jake)

 3.10 “Friends & Family” (The trip with Glassman and Lea to see Shaun’s father, ending with the embrace)

"Unsaid"

3.16 “Unsaid” (featuring Shaun and Lea’s Catapult Karaoke, ending with Carly breaking up with Shaun)

 3.18 “Heartbreak” (with Shaun’s angry outburst at Lea alongside the Striped Tomato)*

 

That gives Moran the largest number of scripts involving #Shea (8).

Incidentally, the man who shares the co-write on the “Islands” 2-parter—which is, arguably, the most milestone-filled part of #Shea’s early days—is William Rotko. Rotko also wrote TGD 1.3 “Oliver”, which contains Shaun and Lea’s very first meeting. Rotko hasn’t written for the show since its first season; most recently, he was contributing to the FOX drama Deputy (cancelled after its initial 13 episodes). Now that #Shea has officially launched, I'll be curious to see if Rotko returns to the writers' canvas in S4...

But in the meantime, the scriptwriter with the second-highest amount of #Shea content is David Hoselton. His efforts include the following six episodes…

 2.4 “Tough Titmouse” (Best known by us for Shaun’s line “I don’t care what

"Tough Titmouse"

happened in Hershey… but I care that YOU care”)

2.14 “Faces” (The Mallomars road trip that ended with Shaun telling Glassman he was “not all right” with Lea seeing Jake)

 2.18 “Trampoline” (Season 2 finale that ended with Shaun literally bypassing Lea to go ask Carly out)*

 3.5 “First Case Second Base” (Shaun’s 1st-lead-surgery-of-sorts; Lea’s advice for better intimacy communication creating the first jealousy trigger for Carly)

"First Case, Second Base"

3.16 “Autopsy” (The episode that ended with Shaun and Lea’s ill-fated confession of love)

3.20 “I Love You” (Season 3 Finale)*

Both Moran and Hoselton are also credited as TGD Executive producer/Producer, respectively; both were also involved similarly with David Shore’s previous hit medical drama House (which ran in the U.S. on FOX from 2004-2012). In fact, Hoselton’s relationship with Shore dates back much further—they became friends while attending the University of Toronto Law School.

In addition to episodes of House, Hoselton’s prime time TV credits include CSI:NY (CBS), Chicago P.D. (NBC), and the first season of CBS’s Bull (which currently serves as part of TGD’s ratings competition on Monday nights in the U.S.). He also did the screenplays for two full-length animated feature films-- Brother Bear (2003) and Over the Hedge (2006).

Thomas L. Moran (he presumably uses his middle initial to distinguish himself from the 19^th Century landscape painter who shares his name) has a primetime resume that, in addition to House, includes Family Law (CBS), JAG (CBS), NCIS (CBS), the short-lived David Shore series Battle Creek (CBS), and the ABC single-season series Conviction.

Both Moran and Hoselton have Emmy nominations too—as do several other TGD writers who wrote and produced for House in its heyday. The nominations were part of House receiving a nod for Outstanding Drama Series every year between 2006 and 2009. Neither writer can claim an Emmy nod for writing—yet—though Moran received an Edgar nomination in 2007 for his contributions to an episode of House entitled “Clueless”. (“Edgar” is short for Edgar Allen Poe; the awards are given by the organization Mystery Writers of America.)

Other than these career highlights of the two men (which are easily found on IMDB), we don’t know much about them. Hoselton has a Wikipedia “stub” page but doesn’t appear to be on social media; Moran has no Wikipedia page but IS on Twitter (@TheTLMoran), where he describes himself as “Minnesotan/Californian, professional TV writer/producer, amateur hockey player, awful musician, cautious Twitter toe-dipper”. Hopefully he isn’t becoming even more cautious with the toe-dipping of late… because if you already follow him, perhaps you’re aware that he continues to get creative-yet persistent pleas from certain TGD fans about resurrecting Neil Melendez. (And by “creative,” I mean they find a way to take just about any post of his, or Shore’s, or whoever, and create a segue back to the “Bring Back Melendez” hashtag.)

I personally have nothing more to add to that particular conversation beyond what I posted back in early April. I do, on the other hand, think it’s important to keep supporting #Shea—both here, and on social media, and in direct communication with the writers whenever possible… especially since some Melendez fans remain upset about #Shea’s S3 “happy ending”.

So when we get a hint of an index card of a #Shea plot point for S4—as we did this week—I say don’t sweat the details… KEEP CALM, AND TRUST THE WRITERS.

And throw them a kind word every now and again. Writers are people too 😊

Look for more #Shea milestone writer shoutouts in future posts!

(Oh, and Mr. Moran and Mr. Hoselton, if you happen to be reading this… I’m an experienced interviewer too. I’d love to feature either of you on this platform in more detail. Just sayin’.)

#SHEA Ultimate S.O.S. Playlist, Volume 2 (tracks 6-10)

Again, THANKS SO MUCH for all the Ultimate S.O.S. Playlist suggestions! Keep them coming!

As you recall, the first five songs (which I’m calling Volume 1) were more about Shaun and Lea in general. I’ve got more from that “category” and will share them another day. This time around, I’m focusing on the FUTURE #Shea… songs that seem to point to S4 onward. Let’s go—

**

SONG: “Invincible” by Muse  

Songwriter: Matt Bellamy

Submitted by: Rose Amelie

Comments from Rose Amelie: 

“I think fits perfectly with #Shea because the lyrics are related with the challenges that Shaun and Lea must face in their new romantic relationship… This song is a ‘courage theme’. Their first weeks as couple will be important, and many people will say something about that (Glassy we can hear you!). But the consequence of the earthquake is the new chance to find the happiness that #Shea deserves.”

SAMPLE LYRIC:

During the struggle
They will pull us down
But please, please
Let's use this chance
To turn things around
And tonight
We can truly say
Together we're invincible

HEAR IT HERE (dual language!)

**

SONG: “Life is Beautiful” by Vega4

Songwriters: Nic Cester/Cameron Muncey

Submitted by: Faghost

Comments from me: 

Here’s another British band that isn’t well known in the States, but this particular song (which reminds me a bit of Snow Patrol’s “Chasing Cars”) has been featured in TV and film numerous times, including episodes of Grey’s Anatomy and One Tree Hill. Which might be why Faghost says of this choice…

“This song is, I think, very common…but it makes me think of that 3.20 kissing scene and for the future, no?”

Me, I kind of see it as the music beneath an all-#Shea edition of the S4 trailer.

Sample Lyrics

Life is beautiful
But it's complicated
We barely make it
We don't need
To understand
There are miracles
Miracles

HEAR IT HERE

**

SONG: “Follow You, Follow Me” by Genesis

Songwriters: Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford, Phil Collins

Submitted by: Sonya

Comments from me: 

Genesis was a progressive rock band from England in the 1970s that traded Phil Collins for Peter Gabriel somewhere around 1976, and then slowly morphed into a bestselling pop-rock band from England in the 80s and 90s. “Follow You, Follow Me” was their first Billboard Hot 100 hit in the U.S., and was decidedly more sentimental lyrically than earlier Genesis efforts.

 

The end result? A simple, timeless sentiment that captures #Shea’s future… and perhaps started in the past, thinking back to when Shaun wanted to leave San Jose and “follow” Lea…

Sample Lyrics

With the dark,
Oh I see so very clearly now
All my fears are drifting by me so slowly now
Fading away

I can say
The night is long but you are here
Close at hand, oh I'm better for the smile you give
And while I live
I will follow you will you follow me…

HEAR IT HERE 

**

SONG: “Portuguese Love Song” by Craig Armstrong (from the Love, Actually OST)

Songwriter: Craig Armstrong

Submitted by: Rose Amelie

Comment from me: 

I mentioned when I first put out the call for Playlist entries that instrumentals were welcome too… and so far, two readers have taken up the baton with non-lyric suggestions! This is one of them.

Comment from Rose Amelie: 

“Love, Actually is a film that shows beautiful stories, all of them with different kinds of love. “Portuguese Love Song” is for two people who fall in love in an unexpected way, with many differences, and in a situation that made being together almost impossible. But both decided to change that, and finally be a couple. Like Shaun and Lea.

“#Shea is a couple who needs to be brave and face together many fears, questions and challenges. But they already have the most important thing: the love for each other.”

HEAR IT HERE

**

SONG: “Where My Heart Will Take Me” by Russell Watson

Songwriter: Diane Warren

Submitted by: Andreas

Comment from Andreas:

“The lyrics of this song describe Shaun and Lea after the last scene of season 3, taking off to season 4 with the best hopes for their future… It took almost 3 years, but Shaun and Lea finally dare to love each other. Shaun does no longer listen to others but to his heart. Lea isn’t held back by her self-doubt anymore.”

Sample Lyrics:

It's been a long road, getting from there to here
It's been a long time, but my time is finally near
And I can feel a change in the wind right now, nothing's in my way
And they're not gonna hold me down no more
No they're not gonna hold me down

'Cuz I've got faith of the heart, I'm going where my heart will take me
I've got faith to believe I can do anything
I've got strength of the soul, no one's gonna bend or break me
I can reach any star
I've got faith, I've got faith, faith of the heart

Comment from me:

Diane Warren wrote—not much of an exaggeration here—EVERY. THING. On pop radio (and some country, and some R&B) in the U.S. and probably elsewhere in the 1990s. For fellow songwriters like myself, this made her annoying as hell. BUT she clearly knew how to write compelling songs for the times with mass appeal.

Andreas came upon this version by (yet another Brit!) Russell Watson—a singer with a repertoire similar to America’s Josh Groban—which was apparently used as the theme for Star Trek Enterprise. In the U.S., this same song was actually an adult contemporary hit for Rod Stewart in 1998 when he recorded it for the soundtrack of the Robin Williams film Patch Adams. Back then the song was known by its original title “Faith of the Heart.” (So if you’re like me, and wonder ‘where have I heard this before?’… that’s where.)

HEAR IT HERE

And that’s Volume 2 of the Playlist!

Remember, this project is continuing to evolve… if you’ve got a #Shea-suitable song (or songs) to suggest, check out this post to find out how to do it!

(And you can simply leave your suggestion in the comments, or Tweet it to me, but I may follow up with a question or two.)

State Of The #SHEA: Now That They Found Love, Part 1

Now that we found love what are we gonna do with it?

            -The O’Jays (and much later, Heavy D and The Boyz)

It took three TV seasons to do it, but TGD’s Dr. Shaun Murphy and Ms. Lea Dilallo are finally, FINALLY braving love’s journey together starting with Season 4 (when and how that happens is another story entirely; we’ll probably discuss that later, when plans get more concrete in nature).

So the question is no longer “Will they…?” or “For the love of God, WHEN will they…?”, but “Now what?”

At least, hypothetically, it’s “the” question. Some #Shea fans have plates full of ideas to bring to the table already and are past asking that. (Some of them/you have shared said ideas in the comments section of this blog, and you might see those comments in the blog posts… ‘cause y’all are smart and cool and all those good things.)

So I read through those comments (and other resources) and am working on a master “plate” of ideas for Shaun and Lea’s future. And as with the SOS Playlist choices, I’ve broken it down into some categories…

This installment (Part 1) considers some possibilities I’m simply breaking out into THE GOOD and THE BAD.

THE GOOD= things that count as lighter dilemmas & challenges; issues that are able to be resolved in some manner in an episode or two

THE BAD= deeper-rooted situations that have make-or-break potential, though obviously the hope is that Shaun and Lea now have a foundation to withstand such root “damage”

Note: I’m not looking at Shaun/Lea’s progress with the same eyes as the Shaun/Carly progress last season. The main reason for that may seem obvious to #Shea fans, but to keep it simple (and in the paraphrased words of David Shore), it was about “firsts” with Carly: first dates, first arguments, first make-ups, first physical encounters, first time someone called Shaun “her boyfriend”, etc. With Lea, Shore has already said it will be about navigating a relationship. So I’m not including that laundry list of “firsts” on the #Shea to-do list because, frankly, they’ve already done most of those in one way or another. (Except the obvious “first”, which I’m saving to discuss in another post. Don’t @ me for that, as the kids say. It’s a long hiatus we’re dealing with.)

The good…

Romantic gestures

We didn’t witness it much during the Shaun/Carly relationship (except for the flowers & chocolates he didn’t give her at the very beginning, and the “I’d like to have sex tonight, would you?” flowers that he DID). But with Lea, Shaun now has the ability to move past his previous efforts with her (in-house karaoke, and “don’t forget about the donut”) and go as big…or as little… as he likes. He’s already won her heart, so it will be interesting to see A) what Shaun wants (or feels like he needs) to do to honor his new girlfriend, B) what Lea might want to do along the same lines, and C) how each reacts to the other’s efforts (or lack thereof).

Shaun is now in a position of prosperity. Just as we can see who someone is when things are down, it's equally important to see how Shaun handles things when so much is going his way: career stability, newfound relationship with the love of his life; supportive colleagues…

Interestingly, it could very well be Lea who's in "prove it" mode to Shaun. Especially if he starts hearing less-than-flattering comments about his new relationship from some of the others (*cough* MORGAN *cough*).—TONY

Will there be a formal “first date” that we see? I’m not sure—seems like it would depend on whether or not the writers want to compare such an experience to his first one, and I wonder if they feel that’s necessary (especially since Shore has said this “won’t be about firsts”). Personally, I think it could be fun to see, especially if it shows Shaun more at-ease than he was a year ago at that point. What might be more fun is if Shaun and Lea mutually agreed to do something “fancy” and then mutually agreed to bail midway through and go someplace more casual. Or… get their fancy dinner “to go” and head back to the Chateau de Shaun*.

OR, they could skip all this and head to Excite Ballpark for a San Jose Giants home game! (Yes, baseball fans, I had to look that up.)

Maybe the bigger question is… will Shaun continue to seek romantic advice from his fellow BV-ites? (I mean, it’s worked out so well for him in the past, right??)

I do wonder if we'll see Shaun asking the others for advice as much as he did when he was with Carly, because he knows Lea much better than the rest of them do. And Morgan, especially, has pre-conceived ideas about Lea that I wouldn't mind seeing Lea disprove (which is my way of admitting that I have the feeling I'll be yelling at the TV again in season 4, as I did in season 3, "Lea is NOT a flake, Morgan!")—Amy Danko

Or maybe he’d do better studying an article like this if he needs ideas?

Either way, I’d like to see Shaun make some effort in this arena. We’re likely to see him struggle here and there, but hey, he’s wanted this for a LONG time (even when he didn’t know he wanted it). Now that he’s got “this,” he may need to leave his comfort zone behind now and again.

I also think it would be stellar to see Lea take the lead on some dates. We know she’s likely mastered the bar/concert scene, but how about a visible downshift into something they can both enjoy?

  

(*Speaking of the Chateau de Shaun…)

To move Lea back in to the apartment or not move Lea back in?

The answer to this question (at least, for me) is simple: HELL TO THE NO. They’ve already lived together; they know how to make that work. They’re just starting on the “relationship” part; to even attempt to do so while housed under the same roof sounds like DISASTER: THE SEQUEL.

I don’t expect Shaun to get this. I kind of anticipate him fully anticipating Lea’s homecoming. In fact, I wouldn’t be shocked if this becomes an early obstacle that gets resolved by some top-level reasoning on Lea’s part. And if it happened to conclude with something along the lines of “the next time we live together, I want it to be for keeps”… hey, I wouldn’t be mad.

Getting Glassy’s blessing

Do Shaun and Lea need Dr. Glassman to approve their coupledom? No. Might they already have his approval? Probably (even if he doesn’t show it yet the next time we see him). But Shaun and Glassman will likely have other issues in season 4 that could put them at odds with each other, such as if and how Shaun should try for Chief Resident (one of those things readers have brought up in the Comments). And while a full-on Grumpy Glassy take on Shaun and Lea feels a little been there/done that by now, there’s plenty of room to play with that dynamic…

*  Shaun might skip the BV-ite advice for romance, but still come to Glassman for it. Or better yet, Lea could do the same. And even Glassman’s advice could turn out to be wrong, which would provide interesting results.

I'd like to see Shaun and Lea figure out their relationship themselves, without a lot of input from the other Bonaventurites, with the exception of Glassman, since he knows them both. And if they want to give Debbie a bigger role, I'm totally in favor of that. (Car chicks unite!)—Amy Danko

*  Shaun and Lea could double-date with the Glassmans at least once (something I know has been suggested by Amy, and probably others). I’ll say it here, and probably many other places in the future… Lea and Debbie are a sisterhood just waiting to happen.

*  If Shaun starts coming to Lea’s workspace a little more often than he should (mini-makeout sessions, anyone?), Glassy could be required to set the kids down, perhaps directly between them 😉, and have a fatherly-yet-fully-professional chat with them.

So, you see, the potential for conflict abounds even if there is no glaring involved. (Whew.)

The bad…

Meeting Lea’s family  

Now that she’s on the same romantic page as Shaun, I don’t know if there’s any one thing that Lea Dilallo fans want more than details on what makes her tick—and, by way of that, getting acquainted with some other Dilallos.

We’ve had dribs and drabs to work with thus far: a grandfather she adored, an immediate family she’s described negatively, a brother (Donnie) that contributed, as did she, to the “tanking” of the family business (“and our relationship”). And, of course, we know she hails from Hershey, PA.

Originally I thought about one family member—Lea’s mom, maybe—coming out to San Jose for a visit and driving Lea crazy in the process. But when Andreas noted that there has been one road/out-of-town trip per season of TGD thus far (1.11 and 1.12 “Islands”, 2.14 “Faces”, and 3.10 “Friends and Family”,), I got to wishing and hoping that Destination: Hershey is on the S4 canvas. Home for the holidays, maybe…?

Because we’ve only got those drips and drabs to work with, opportunities abound with Lea bringing Shaun home to meet her family. If there’s wackiness, I want to see how Shaun contends with it. If there is unfinished business, particularly with regards to Lea’s relationship with her brother, I want to see what role Shaun might play (either as a problem-solver, a supportive partner, or both).

But mostly, I want to see if Shaun can mirror at least some of the attentiveness that Lea provided him when they went to Casper last season. A trip to Hershey could help mend some fences for Lea, but it could just as easily rip her open to more vulnerability than she ever bargained for. How would Shaun react in her time of need? And how much would it ultimately help her?

It could be another defining moment in their story. I REALLY hope TGD writers think so, too.

Lea’s aggravation as Shaun’s work overshadows their plans/conversations

We’ve seen it before with them—Lea starts talking about something from her side of life, and Shaun cuts her off by launching into his own train of thought, de-valuing her contribution in the process. Lea’s trying to make a point; Shaun abruptly “has to go” and the conversation is left unfinished and unresolved.

And NOW it could be more like Lea throwing her day upside down in order to plan a special dinner for the two of them…just to have Shaun sit at the table with a medical journal in hand, barely acknowledging her. Or he might get caught up in the Case of the Week at St. B, and not make it to dinner at all.

Or they have returned from Destination: Hershey but she’s still dealing with aftermath from the trip… and now that Shaun is back in work mode, she finds it nearly impossible to talk to him the way she needs to.

Part of this could be the struggles of loving a thoroughly overworked young doctor, and a bigger part of it could be those complications of loving someone with ASD that Lea wrestled with in the past. I sense it’ll take a delicate dance to keep things progressing on this matter—so much so that I don’t know if it’s the kind of thing they could simply “get right”.

Shaun makes errors at work, and unwittingly blames Lea and/or some element of the relationship

This one makes me anxious just thinking about it.

Perhaps Shaun leaves something important at Lea’s desk, and she discards it by mistake. Or, he’s got her on his mind (in a good way) when he misplaces something entirely, causing her to be on his mind again (in a not-so-good way). Or she forgets to pass along an essential piece of information, which both causes Shaun some anguish and reinforces Lea’s “flaky” reputation at a time when she needs it the least.

Or a disagreement between the two of them distracts him enough during surgery to make a bad judgment call—or prompts a more difficult than usual face-to-face with the patient’s family—causing Shaun to question his ability to be the best doctor he can while also struggling with the love of his life.

Look, I’m really not trying to think of ways to mess them up—if the long-term plan for TGD is to keep these two together (as I hope is the case), I’m confident they will build this relationship solidly.

(Honestly, they took #Shea to hell and back (waaaay back!) in the span of about four episodes. I think they’re more than ready—and capable—of telling the next chapters of this story.)

But as worst-case scenarios go, there’s plenty to choose from if the show chooses the road-more-rocky. Something small and insignificant could turn into something bigger and deeper in a hurry—seems the ideal conflict for an hour-long medical drama with overlapping personal story arcs, no?

And as I said at the start, there are plenty of ideas to go around… and I’ll dive into another round of ‘em soon. Got something to say about these, or want to share your own take on Season 4 storylines for Shaun and Lea? Please hit up the comments!

#SHEA Ultimate S.O.S. Playlist, Volume 1: Tracks 1-5

THANKS SO MUCH to everyone who has suggested songs thus far for the Ultimate S.O.S. Playlist thus far!

To any readers still thinking about suggestions, or actively working on a list: I’m eager to see what you’ve got, but there’s no deadline here. Send them to me whenever you’re able (see THIS PAST POST for more details). BTW, I don’t necessarily share them in the order received…

Because… I’m trying to compile posts about the playlist by category. This post, for instance, is devoted more to music that speaks more to Shaun and Lea in general (at least up to the end of Season 3) than to a particular place in #Shea time.

Without further ado…!

SONG: “One Thing” by Gabe Dixon

Songwriter: Gabe Dixon

Submitted by: Faghost

Comments (from me): really beautiful, simple piano ballad… the later verses don’t really apply yet, but the chorus reminds me of the “catapult” concept…

SAMPLE LYRIC:

Sometimes one thing means everything

Something one thing means everything

So many roads, one leads you home

Can't see it if your eyes are closed

That one thing could be everything I need

HEAR "One Thing" HERE

**

SONG: “Crash and Burn” by Savage Garden

Songwriters: Darren Hayes/Daniel Jones

Submitted by: Tony Payne (seconded by Amy Danko)

Comments from Tony/Sample lyrics:

“Although not quite as popular as their big hits Truly Madly Deeply and I Knew I Loved You, I love how this song captures the mutual, symbiotic nature of Shaun and Lea’s relationship... a relationship which has seen the two be there for each other, just when they needed that companionship the most.

“This song begins with an offer of assurance:

VERSE 1 (portion):
When you feel all alone
And the world has turned its back on you
Give me a moment, please
To tame your wild, wild heart

“And the chorus, which contains the song title – and the companionship:

Let me be the one you call
If you jump, I’ll break your fall
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night
If you need to fall apart
I can mend a broken heart
If you need to crash, then crash and burn
You’re not alone

“It’s Shaun and Lea’s ability to comfort, assure, balance, and reinforce each other that makes me such a huge fan of their relationship – and of this song for their relationship.”

HEAR "Crash and Burn" HERE

**

SONG: “More” by Harry Connick, Jr. (originally written for 1962 Italian doc Mondo Caine)

Songwriters: Riz Ortolani/Nino Oliviero/Marcello Ciorciolini (adapted into English by Norman Newell)

Submitted by: Amy Danko

Comments from Amy: “Because Shaun and Lea make each other ‘more’.”

Comments from me: But WAIT, there’s MORE! (see what I did there)

“More” was originally written as an instrumental piece for the 1962 Italian documentary Mondo Caine. The lyrics came a little later; the English lyrics came a little later than that. It has been recorded by everyone from Frank Sinatra to Roy Orbison to Glen Campbell to the Supremes to Bobby Darin to The Rascals…! And the version Amy’s submitting was recorded for Connick’s 2004 album Only You.

Sample Lyrics

Longer
Than always is a long, long time,
But far beyond forever,
You'll be mine.
I know I've never lived before,
And my heart is very sure
No one else could love you more.

HEAR "More" HERE

**

SONG: “Better” by SYML (aka Brian Fennell)

Songwriter: Brian Fennell

Submitted by: Angelica (Seconded by Andreas)

Comment from me: This selection is largely inspired from Sheree-Lynn Blizzard’s tribute video to #Shea featuring this song. We’ll be talking more about Blizzard’s contributions as the summer progresses… in short, check her out on YouTube because she’s awesome.

Comment from Angelica: “(Sheree’s video is) an early look at #shea and only features scenes from season one and two. But, in my opinion, the song and video captures the very essence of #shea and is well worth the watch.”

Comment from Andreas: “The lyrics (from ‘Better’) summarize all the relationship from 1.3 (“Oliver”) until the season 3 finale from Shaun’s POV.”

Sample Lyrics:

You came into the picture like a natural
You were unexpected, got me spiritual
I don't wanna say it, but maybe it was fate
And I cannot contain it…

Love can terrify, love can start a fire
Holding on tonight, we're burning like a lighter
Everything inside us burning with desire, now

HEAR (and see Sheree-Lynn’s video) HERE

**

SONG: “I Like Me Better” by Lauv (aka Ari Leff)

Songwriter: Ari Leff/Michael Matosic

Submitted by: Rose Amelie

(So we’ve got a “more” song, a “better” song, and an additional “better” song… yes, I'm aware of it!)

Comment from Rose Amelie:

“This theme represents the classic #Shea confession: "You make me more". Why? let´s see the lyrics:

Damn, I like me better when I'm with you

I like me better when I'm with you

I knew from the first time, I'd stay for a long time 'cause

I like me better when

I like me better when I'm with you

“In the ‘I Love You’ episode finally we see Lea accepts that she is in love with Shaun, but most important: she started to understand that she is important for Shaun, and it doesn`t matter what she believes from herself (selfish, needy...) he still loves her. For the first time (I think) she feels really loved and accepted. Lea now knows: she´s more (and better) with Shaun.  P.S.: The song says ‘New York City’. For #Shea fans, that will change to ‘San Jose City’.

And FUN FACT: Paige Spara is featured in the official Lauv music video for the song.”

Comment from me: To be totally honest, I wasn’t a big fan of this song when it came out… melodically it didn’t hit me just right, I guess. But it’s growing on me now, especially when I think how it relates to #Shea. And Spara is lovely to watch in the video; several fans on Twitter have mentioned watching the clip and imagining Shaun/Freddie Highmore in the guy’s role. Not a bad idea…!

Here’s the official clip (and yes, that's Paige in the thumbnail):

We’ll stop there for now. I intend to post about contributions to the Playlist every couple of weeks or so, so stay tuned for another installment later in the month!

 Do any of these songs resonate with your feelings about Shaun and Lea? Please feel free to talk about it (AS WELL AS OTHER SONG SUGGESTIONS) in the comments!

#SHEA ULTIMATE S.O.S. PLAYLIST (Call for Submissions!!!)

It’s time for #Shea fans to face the music! And I mean that in a really good way.

One constant I’ve seen and heard since blogging about TGD are the SONGS that this fan or that fan associate with Shaun and Lea. And of course, the emotions that go with those songs have fluctuated as their story has done—particularly since December.

There are lots of fans, and lots (and LOTS) of songs. And there are probably #Shea playlists out there by the dozen already, but yeah--I want to build one here too.

So this one will bear the highly distinguishing title…

#SHEA ULTIMATE S.O.S. PLAYLIST!

The S.O.S. part is State Of (the) #Shea abbreviated… it’s NOT about saving anything; they’ve already saved themselves for now! If anything, think of it as a playlist to save yourself as we wade through the time ahead without any new TGD episodes. (We all know it might take longer than usual for season 4 to start, right?)

The Playlist is going to be built almost ENTIRELY by readers—I have some ideas myself, but they’ll probably amount to just a drop in the #Shea ocean. So here’s what to know if you’ve got music suggestions of your own…

1)      It can be any song. Any genre. Any decade. It doesn’t even have to have lyrics, though if it’s an instrumental I think we’d love to know what’s inspired you to suggest it.

2)      It could have been featured on TGD itself… or used in someone’s YouTube video… or not! Whatever the source is fine.

3)      I know some fans have LONG lists of ideas; I’m going to ask that you try to limit your suggestions to your top SIX picks for now. Depending on how many suggestions I get, that might change. (And of course just ONE song suggestion is fine too!)

4)      My intent is to feature several Playlist submissions at a time in various blog posts over the next several months. I would try to tag whoever is getting featured in a particular post so they don’t miss it!

5)      I don’t do Spotify, or have a YouTube channel, but if anyone wants to take the suggestions made here to an actual playlist, feel free! But please let me know if you do, so I can spread the word.

6)      This isn’t a contest; I won’t ask you to pick favorites (though you can certainly voice your support for one song or another via the comments). Hopefully everyone will feel like they have a voice in this Playlist!

Here’s what I’d like you to include with each suggestion:

Song/Artist (both the original artist and cover artist, if it’s a remake)

Where you learned of this song

The song lyrics, or a link to a lyric video

The lyrics that stand out the most to YOU with regards to #Shea

What phase of the relationship do you think this song applies to? (e.g. early days, a particular rough patch, current, the future?)

Is this from Shaun’s POV, Lea’s POV, both, or neither?

Essentially, I want you to share whatever you think is important for people to know about this song. (But including as much from the above list as you can would be helpful!)

HOW TO SUBMIT:

     1)      Email me: KLawrence997-at-gmail-dot-com

     2)      OR, DM me on Twitter…

     3)      OR, post your full submission in the comments

(this would probably work better if you only have a few songs, and are using a link for the lyrics)

I suspect some will simply want to Tweet their ideas to me. If you go this route I MAY see them and MIGHT record them properly to use later, but… no guarantee.

Any questions? Post them in the Comments, please.

HAVE FUN!

For ALL My Readers: A Call for your "COVIDemic" Stories

This might be a blog for fans of figure skating that has recently morphed into a blog for fans of The Good Doctor… but times are completely different right now, so I want to do something completely different too.

Here’s my idea: I want to devote a post to YOUR stories. Or two posts, or three, or several, I don’t know, it all depends on you guys. Your stories right now might be about living in quarantine, about “essential working” through quarantine, or about friends or family or neighbors who are ill (with COVID-19 or otherwise). You might live in the U.S.; you might live elsewhere. You might be hunkered down with people you don’t usually see this much; you might be living alone. You might be living your best life; you might be clawing from day to day… or (most likely) something in between.

And, you might not want to write about it where others can read about it.

But if you DO… maybe you’d consider sharing it here. It’s a good compromise between keeping it to yourself and throwing it to the universe… I don’t get a ton of traffic 😊

Here are three questions I’d like you to keep in mind if you choose to send something:

           1)     What’s going on where YOU live? Is your local population under a stay-at-home order? Are public places aside from “the essentials” opening back up yet? How much has changed over the course of the pandemic thus far?

           2)    What’s changed for YOU personally? Have you been ill? Do you know other people who have been ill? If so, how are you/they doing now? Are you still working? If so, is it “in-house” or does it require transportation? Either way…how’s it going?

            3)    What do you feel YOU’VE learned during this time—about yourself, about those near and dear to you, about people in general—that you think is most important to remember?

EMAIL me at KLawrence997-at-gmail-dot-com, and please put “My COVIDemic Story” in the subject line. Let me know if you’re OK with your name/username/twitter handle being attached to your writing—it’s PERFECTLY FINE if you prefer anonymity for any reason.

I reserve the right to edit the submissions for proofreading, sensitive content, and (possibly) brevity, depending on how many readers I hear from.

Please try to get your personal accounts to me by FRIDAY, MAY 15^th.

I’ve always found writing to be one of the most therapeutic things I can do for myself… with reading and relating to others’ writing as a close second.

Maybe some of you do, too. Let’s see what happens.

Peace,

Kelli