State of the #SHEA for the 2020 Holidays

 

So far, in four seasons of The Good Doctor December episodes, we’ve had exactly ONE that carried any references to Christmas… and it ended like this:

 

 

To be fair, it’s probably tough trying to incorporate the holidays into what amounts to the top-shelf “Winter Finale” drama. (Not so much this year, as the pandemic has thrown things out of whack.) Even though Annie Lennox's version of “Silent Night” led the montage at the end of “Quarantine Pt. 1,” they had to wiggle around the fact that “Quarantine Pt.2” dealt with a pre-Christmas setting (picking up right where it left off, no less) on an episode that aired in mid-January!

But none of this can stop #Shea shippers from picturing Shaun and Lea’s first Christmas-as-a-Couple, so... 

What I’ve done here is posed a series of questions to three different readers (via email) and collected their individual responses, which I’ve compiled below. Since they didn’t know how each other was responding, it led to what I feel are even more interesting and varied answers! See what you think… and of course, feel free to debate the possibilities in the comments.

Extra special thanks to PAMELA, TONY and STEVEN for taking the time to participate! 

(NOTE: I haven’t edited & formatted these as I might normally do… at least, not yet. I may well come back and clean this up after Christmas, but for now I’ve got holiday things of my own to tend to!)

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      If Shaun and Lea were to bring up one good and one bad Christmas memory apiece (from childhood), what would they be?

 

SHAUN-  GOOD MEMORY: BUILDING SNOWMAN W FAMILY DURING ONE SNOWY CHRISTMAS. BAD MEMORY: DAD RUINING SANTA CLAUS FOR HIM AND STEVE. THEY HAD LEFT COOKIES AND MILK OUT FOR SANTA ON CHRISTMAS EVE AND WHEN THEY WERE CAUGHT BY THEIR DAD STAYING UP TO WATCH FOR SANTA'S ARRIVAL, HE GOT UPSET AND TOLD THEM SANTA WASNT REAL AT ALL.  -- Pamela

 

Shaun’s bad memory: Shaun’s father saying that Shaun’s too ‘different’ to enjoy a Christmas present. So why bother?

Shaun’s good memory: Steve getting Shaun a present anyway. Such as a rabbit! -- Tony

 

            The bad has to be a drunken abusive Christmas with the Father.  --Steve

 Shaun good: The time Steve took him to see a big Christmas tree in town that he was never able to see before. 

Shaun bad: Almost all Christmas with his father drunk.—Shea Endgame

LEA-  GOOD MEMORY:  FAMILY CHRISTMASES AT THEIR LAKE HOUSE IN PENN. WHEN EVERYONE GOT ALONG.  NO BAD MEMORIES FROM HER YOUTH. THOSE CAME WHEN SHE WAS OLDER AND ESTRANGED FROM HER BROTHER. --Pamela

 

Lea’s bad memory: Delivering a heartfelt, meaningful present to a High School boyfriend – only to catch him making out with another girl.

Lea’s good memory: Grandpa Rod promising her that she’ll inherit the Striped Tomato one day.--Tony

For Lea the good has to be a visit with her grandfather.   The bad is her brother ruining a nice family Christmas.  --Steve

Lea good: Her grandpa Rod gave her a toy replica of his car with the promise of give it to her one day 

Lea bad: Not having a dinner because her mom was having a hard time, maybe with prescriptions related. –Shea Endgame

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    What are Lea’s favorite Christmas recordings? Of these favorites, which would Shaun come to enjoy?

 

JINGLE BELL ROCK, ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU, HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS… SHAUN WOULD COME TO ENJOY THE FIRST TWO ABOVE-- FUN, SINGABLE SONGS AND 2ND ONE HAS NEW MEANING AS NEW COUPLE. –Pamela

Something with a bit of pop/rock – like Bruce Springsteen’s “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town" or Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You.”  Along with some classics like “Sleigh Ride” (perhaps a lake house memory?) and “12 Days” of Christmas” which I think Shaun would enjoy just because of the permutations of all the gifts! –Tony

Songs... Lea is upbeat so Rocking around the Christmas Tree but I would also think All I want for Christmas is you would be the song to share with Shaun. -- Steven

 Lea's: I can see Lea loving Wham's last Christmas, and also Jingle bells rock, Pretty Penny by Stone Temple Pilots. – Shea Endgame

Is there one that you’d see Shaun discovering/appreciating on his own (hearing it on TV, radio, etc.)?

LITTLE DRUMMER BOY -- Pamela

Song Shaun would discover is “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”- sweet and sentimental.  –Steven

Shaun:  I think Shaun would enjoy any of these. –Shea Endgame

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    Do either of them have any decorations they’ve brought from Hershey/Casper?

 

TREE ORNAMENTS-- SHAUN HAS ONE HE CREATED DURING SCHOOL DAYS AND HE'S KEPT ANOTHER ONE THAT STEVE CREATED. LEA HAS ONE GIFTED TO HER FROM HER GRANDPA ROD AND A PITTSBURGH STEELERS CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT. --Pamela

I have to think Lea has at least a few car-themed decorations. And perhaps some Hershey Kiss-shaped Christmas lights! I think Shaun would have something, though I’m less certain on what. I’ll go with a pancake ornament made by one of the Casper locals who helped Shaun. –Tony

 

Decorations- Lea brings something from Chocolate World so a Hershey kiss ornament.  Shaun has from Casper a rodeo horse ornament that Steve gave him. -- Steven

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      What about their Christmas tree? Real or artificial?

DEFINITELY REAL -- PINE TREE SMELL!!! – Pamela

    I’ll go with a real tree for Lea (chopped down from around the lake house), artificial for Shaun (wanting to hold onto a single tree for years, instead of spending money every year). In the spirit of compromise, they go for the real tree, in exchange for dinners with the Glassmans. --Tony

Shaun loves trees and maybe he will be in with having a real one. – Shea Endgame

Would they have white lights, multi-colored, or something else?

WHITE LIGHTS -- LESS STIMULATING FOR SHAUN PLUS IN THEIR OUTSIDE/INDOOR PATIO THEY HAVE WHITE LIGHTS AND DATE NIGHT WAS WHITE LIGHTS.  –Pamela

I think they would both enjoy multi-colored lights, reminiscent of their karaoke fun times! –Tony

Lea will have lights multicolored. – Shea Endgame

What’s on top—star? Angel? Neither?

ANGEL – Pamela

 I’ll go with a star. Just as it guided the wise men, and astronomers in later years, the idea of a star as that symbol of guidance for anyone’s uncertain life could resonate well for either Shaun or Lea. --Tony

On top there should be a Star as a symbol of guidance for them to keep growing as partners. –Shea Endgame

Definitely a real tree and multi-colored lights and a star on top. -- Steven

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     Does Shaun have any holiday movies and/or TV specials that are favorites?

 

A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS, ITS A WONDERFUL LIFE—Pamela

I can see Shaun enjoying “A Christmas Carol” and identifying with Ebenezer Scrooge’s struggles with finding selflessness and the fear of ending up alone. – Tony

 Charlie Brown Christmas-- Steven

 I think both like the Charlie Brown's Christmas special and I see Lea digging into The Grinch and maybe home Alone. For sure Shaun would find both entertaining. –Shea Endgame

     What are Lea’s faves? And does Shaun appreciate them? Why or why not?

    ELF, NATIONAL LAMPOONS CHRISTMAS VACATION…

    SHAUN APPRECIATES ELF FOR THE HUMOR, BUT NOT SO MUCH NLCV -- HE WOULD THINK IT WAS TOO SILLY. --Pamela

 

I can see Lea enjoying “It’s a Wonderful Life” and identify with George Bailey’s position of “would the world be better off without me,” as I suspect people close to Lea have abandoned her and left her wondering if she really matters in the big picture…

I think Shaun and Lea would greatly appreciate each other’s movies. I also think that they would find a way to assure each other that they are not what they fear to be (that Shaun doesn’t think of others; or that Lea is insignificant).—Tony 

Lea is definitely a Frosty fan. And I think she’s a romantic, so Love Actually is the movie she’s going to show Shaun.  Shaun has to fall for the line “Let’s go get the shit kicked out of us by love.”   -- Steven

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     If Glassman and Debbie invite them to Christmas dinner, do either of them have any family recipes for holiday food (sweet or savory) that they bring to contribute? (And yeah I remember Glassy is Jewish, but for sake of argument—and Debbie—I’m imagining they still might do something celebratory on Christmas day.) 

LEA WOULD BAKE HER FAMILY RECIPE FOR CHOCOLATE SFOGLIATELLE.  -- Pamela

I agree that Glassman and Debbie would have a Christmas dinner, and I think they would invite Shaun and Lea over. As for what they’d bring, see my response for the next question! – Tony 

Even though we know Glassman is Jewish, he hedged in season 2 and claimed to be half Jewish.  Debbie’s first husband was Jewish and she kept his name as I recall so Christmas dishes are welcomed.  So Debbie is going to go all out with the feast of the 7 fishes on Christmas Eve… Shaun and Lea would bring some pasta dish (lasagna or gnocchi) which I think Shaun likes.   --Steven

A green apple pie, chocolate cupcakes could be too. –Shea Endgame

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    Favorite Christmas treat for Shaun or Lea? (could include anything from pie/cake/bread to a kind of cookie or candy) What’s one thing you can see them working on in the kitchen together?

 

I CAN SEE THEM MAKING AN ENTIRE CHRISTMAS DINNER TOGETHER. SHAUN'S FAVORITE DESSERT IS APPLE PIE MADE WITH GREEN APPLES. LEA LOVES HER PANETTONE. --Pamela

 

After seeing Lea so delighted that the gas station in Wyoming had mallomars, I can see the two of them working on the art of making their own. Once perfected, they would have a VERY special treat to take to the Glassmans! –Tony 

Ginger cookies… maybe making the cookies could be a very fun activity for both of them. –Shea Endgame

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What gift does each give the other? What’s the reaction from each?

 

SHAUN WOULD GIFT LEA THE COMPLETION OF THEIR ABORTED ROAD TRIP:  A 4 NIGHT STAY IN A CABIN IN YOSEMITE PARK TO RING IN THE NEW YEAR/THEY WILL SNOWSHOE (IF THERES SNOW) OR HIKE UP TO HALF DOME.  LEA WOULD OF COURSE LOVE IT.

LEA GIVES SHAUN A NUMBER OF GIFTS:  A NEW SWEATER, AN APPLE WATCH AND A UKELELE COMPLETE WITH LESSONS ON HOW TO PLAY IT.  SHAUN WOULD HAVE SOME INITIAL RESISTANCE TO THE WATCH BUT ONCE HE GETS THE HANG OF ALL ITS USES, HE'D GLADLY ACCEPT IT. ALSO SOME RETICENCE TO THE UKELELE LESSONS BUT AFTER LEA CONVINCES HIM OF THE BEAUTY OF MUSIC MAKING LIKE SHE WAS ABLE TO INFLUENCE HIS NEW APPRECIATION FOR MUSIC, HE WOULD BE ALL IN. --Pamela

Lea gives Shaun a copy of the keys to the Striped Tomato. Demonstrating her trust in his driving abilities, and allowing him to drive it on a recurring basis.

Shaun gives Lea the AAA batteries she “gave back” during their second encounter. And this time, he’s giving her those batteries for keeps! –Steven 

Shaun to Lea- very nice necklace with her birthstone.  Or maybe a heart shaped diamond necklace.   Has to be meaningful and that will work.  Lea to Shaun- a watch with engraved message.   –Steven

Lea gives him a pen with an encryption in gold of when they first met and I love you. Shaun gives her a massage as a gift. – Shea Endgame

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    Lea wants to start a holiday tradition that’s just for the two of them. What does Shaun suggest, and what tweaks does Lea request (if any) before agreeing?

 

SHAUN WANTS TO GIVE BACK TO THOSE LESS FORTUNATE LIKE BUYING TOYS FOR THE KIDS AT AN ORPHANAGE IN HONOR OF HIS BROTHER.  LEA LOVES THE IDEA AND SUGGESTS THEY COULD ALSO HELP PROVIDE OR SERVE CHRISTMAS MEALS TO THE HOMELESS, POOR AND NEEDY.  EVERY CHRISTMAS THEY WOULD HELP THOSE IN NEED IN SOMEWAY.--Pamela

 

Shaun suggests an annual video message – perhaps as a memory/souvenir to their future selves (similar to some families and their “Letters to Family”). Lea decides on the medium to record these videos. At first it seems that she’s suggesting a digital medium (such as a computer) for ease of deleting should things go south one day. But as it turns out, she makes a custom DVD out of the message for long-term keeps (and hopefully a sizeable buildup)! –Tony

 

They’d go ice skating at the local winter carnival.  I don’t know if either can skate, but hopefully one of them can and that’ll be fun for them. –Steven  

I think that both of them lighting a candle wishing that their relationship keeps going strong and maybe some Christmas karaoke song, could be a good recipe. –Shea Endgame  

 🍏🎅 ENJOY THE HOLIDAYS, #SHEA SHIPPERS!    

Who's Doing What To Whom and Why?: a TGD Regulars Update

 

I don’t know if it was worthwhile to worry about Morgan’s future on TGD as season 3 progressed, but I did so anyway.

 

It was a completely different kind of worry than I felt when Glassman was battling cancer. The difference is that word “battle”—unless an actor is getting ready to part ways with a show (or vice versa), there are plenty of ways for the character to triumph and carry on with their life, and career, as they choose.

 

But rheumatoid arthritis? For a young surgeon? There’s no real “battle” to be had; in Morgan’s case, there certainly wasn’t once she decided to put her own hands under the knife despite Glassman’s objections. One synovectomy, one earthquake, and one desperate need to help later, Dr. Morgan Reznik’s “Plan A” was over. As in… really over. Dr. Andrews confirmed it back in March.

 

I’d worried about her future as S3 progressed because, surprise surprise, I couldn’t tell where they were going with the story. Was it going to become something about Morgan developing a dependence on painkillers? About an ever-building web of lies to protect her secret? Was her hand going to fumble so badly while leading an operation that she’d become liable for permanently disabling a patient—or worse?

 

But just as Shaun and Lea have their catapult moments (as I call them) here and there, so do others at St. Bonaventure. In fact, Morgan had something very similar in the “Heartbreak” episode: once when she announced to Lim that she’d just performed her last surgery, and again when she changed her mind about the synovectomy that might allow her to be a card-carrying surgeon a little longer.

 

So by the “Hurt” episode that followed, all my guesses about Morgan’s future were fast flying out the window. And when she unbandaged her own hands near the end of that episode (and probably threw those out the window too), I was stumped and almost wondered if Fiona Gubelmann was leaving the show.

 

I shouldn’t have been so stumped, though, as changes in jobs and/or job titles had already happened to most TGD characters several times by the end of S3. Glassman, Andrews, Lim, Debbie, Lea… even residents like Shaun (when he was briefly moved to Pathology in S2) and Park—well, offscreen anyway, before we met him.

 

We now know that Morgan has chosen internal medicine as her new specialty, and in doing so gets plenty of crossover between Morgan’s patients and the surgical staff… and just enough time doing so to aggravate her, her former colleagues, or both. Good choice, TGD writers Morgan!

 

On one end of that irritation spectrum is her revised rivalry with Claire, and it’s a puzzling thing because it’s not a fair fight anymore—Claire still gets to do what Morgan can no longer do. There’ve been moments, such as near the end of “Newbies,” when Morgan’s acknowledgement and interpretation of this fact is pure agony (telling her firefighter patient to thank Claire, not her, for saving his life because Claire did the “important” work). But when she’s not getting real about things, and not doing an Armchair Surgeon routine in the O.R. gallery (which already led to Lim kicking her out one time; I suspect it won’t be the last)… Morgan delighted in a sort of satellite undermining of Claire’s decisions, also in “Newbies.” They only scratched the surface of this new dimension five episodes into the season, but I expect it to intensify considerably by late January/early February.

 

You‘ve probably noticed, as have I, that Claire’s personal life (and personal ambition, for that matter) have been on the back burner since she spent half the TGD pandemic searching for Deeper Meaning with Ghost Melendez. We were treated to that one brief scene of Claire and Lim duking it out video-game style, and it’d make sense for Claire to factor significantly in the Lim-centric episode coming January 11 (by “significantly” I mean she’s more likely to get a scene or two than others in TGD cast). But making her way from grief to that “amazing career” promised by Ghost Melendez has yet to be seen. Now that the Newbies have been established, I think Claire’s time to be tested is coming soon. With Morgan finding new and interesting ways to breathe down her neck from afar, of course!

 

In the meantime, Morgan seems to have plenty of time to play practical jokes on Park…

 

Well, I guess they weren’t all practical jokes. One time she hid all the large-size surgical scrubs (31 sets!) to see Park forced to come to the O.R. looking like he’d just been for a ride in some sort of surgeon’s clown car; another, she changed the ring tone on his phone to “Margaritaville” without telling him, which prompted some embarrassment at the nurses' station. But she also went out of her way to chase him down in the parking garage and hit him with questions until he reluctantly shared the news about his brand-new divorce…which led to Park and Morgan now doing the roommate thang.

 

So where’s that going to go, and how long will it take to get there? That remains to be seen, but anyone who thought Park and Morgan were hooking up pre “Winter Finale” came away disappointed. Or maybe more like… relieved? 

I guess it depends on your enthusiasm for the Park/Morgan possibility. Personally, I support it. I don’t think they’re destined for long-term coupledom, but aside from that I don’t have any specific expectations so I’ll welcome whatever TGD writers want to send our way. The rivalry they shared last season was fun; now that they’re not in direct competition with each other—and now that Park’s made his divorce final—the options seem wide open. The “bonding over failed relationships” thing they did throughout “Fault” was a lot more fun than I anticipated… I think that’s because I figured they’d get a little more serious about the subject at hand a little sooner. But the investigative back-and-forth was a fun way to learn more about the two characters, particularly Morgan. And the trash can fire-of-mourning ceremony—which not only honored what they’re moving away from, but celebrated their respective baby steps towards moving forward (Bumble, “swiping right”)—took them to a new level. Color me intrigued!

 

One more thing about Park while I’m thinking about it… of the four “veteran” residents, I believe he’s the only one we have yet to see leading a surgery. (Remember that he got called away during Shaun’s initial attempt at a lead surgery… while Shaun ultimately had to forfeit that one, Park successfully led his first offscreen.) So I hope the show finds a way to work a Park-led scenario this season—given that both Lim and Andrews seem to have a lot of faith in him, it’d be interesting to see that faith challenged by Park and/or whatever Newbie he might be supervising at the time.

 

Speaking of Andrews, and Newbies… pretty savvy of TGD to give newbie Olivia a familial connection to Andrews. When word went around that a character from the show wasn’t going to survive last season’s earthquake, I initially thought of Andrews (until it became clear he wasn’t anywhere near the brewpub rescue efforts) because he seemed like a doctor with little on his emotional plate once he acclimated to his demotion. With “Livvy” as his niece, however, Andrews has some real skin in the game of Survivor: Newbies Edition. What’s more, it puts him on a compatible level of sorts with Glassman. The situations aren’t quite the same of course, given Shaun has ASD and Olivia doesn’t. But the nepotism involving the latter is real, so I hope it leads to—among other things—some hard-hitting scenes with Glassman and Andrews like we probably haven’t seen since S1.

 

Which brings us to Dr. Audrey Lim, current chief of surgery and the one whose romantic relationship with the late Dr. Melendez has been overshadowed by the Melendaire fallout… until now. “Lim” (4.6), the episode promised to us when TGD returns on January 11, is exciting to me because she’s a character who, like Lea, came into the show with more dimensions than a show like this can handle on the regular:

*  She came in midway through S1(recurring, like Lea before her and Morgan after her), so her introduction was somewhat truncated

*  Her strength, confidence, and independence shone through when she was revealed (in 2.3 “36 Hours) to be a motorcycle enthusiast willing to make enough ruckus over a traffic ticket to be jailed in contempt of court

*  Her gentle side has been underscored not only in some of her dealings with Shaun, but in that weird little subplot of 3.16 “Autopsy” that had Lim chasing down an 8 year-old wandering around St. B while her mom was hospitalized.

*  At various times in the series she’s had historical touchpoints with Glassman, Melendez, and most recently with Nurse Patringa (R.I.P.)

*  And of course when she was the doctor down for the count in season 2’s “Quarantine” 2-parter, it kicked her romantic entanglement with Melendez into high gear. Although she broke up with him in S3’s “Moonshot” episode, most of her personal aftermath was unseen until Melendez’s earthquake injuries sealed his fate.

 

What’s become of Lim since then? We know she had the park bench ritual going with Claire until the latter declared (after a considerable amount of time spent with Ghost Melendez) she was ready to move on. We know Lim was as gutted by the pandemic as any doctor on the show—moreso, maybe, as chief of surgery—but we don’t know much about how she dealt with that so soon after Melendez’s death. We know she currently “likes to fill her evenings with numbing mindlessness” as per her response to Claire about why she’s so good at video games. (Oh, and if we’re to deduce anything from her on-screen video game persona… her middle name starts with an X. At least, that’s how it translates from Chinese.)

 

And finally, we have those moments during the climactic scene in “Fault” that found Lim hearing nothing but the flatline for a few moments… while the intensity mounted for Dr. Wolke and others in the O.R. I’ve got to presume this will be explained, in some manner, next episode—perhaps even re-visiting this scene from Lim’s perspective.

 

I’ve heard some associate Lim’s “flatline moment” with Melendez’s death, and I suppose that could be on target. My own guess, though, is that if her former flame turns up in “Lim” it will be in unseen-before flashbacks. They already did present-day Neil, so to speak… why repeat it? In Lim’s case, I suspect it’ll be more valuable to see Limlendez in earlier incarnations—residents days, as a couple, as a broken-up couple trying again to be colleagues. I can also see the Lim-centric episode perhaps taking us to parts of her life we haven’t seen up close yet, such as her family of origin and her personal struggles as a woman of color (something over which she’s bonded with Claire) rising to the top in a male-dominated industry.

 

So many options for this one! I’d better stop there before I get myself disappointed with what doesn’t make the cut on this next episode.

 

How do YOU feel about developments with the veteran TGD characters so far this season? Share your thoughts in the comments!

State of the #SHEA Part 24: I'm Glad You're Here (the "Fault" Winter Finale)

 

SHEA SEEDS…

I HAVE A HOLIDAY CHALLENGE FOR ALL READERS.

 

With TGD going on hiatus until January 11, #Shea fans will of course be deprived of any chance to see Shaun and Lea sharing their first Christmas season together as a couple.

 

But… what if WE took some guesses at what that might look like?

 

Here’s my idea:

1)   Interested readers shoot me an email (NOT a comment or a Twitter DM): KLawrence997-at-gmail-dot-com.

2)   Sometime in the coming week, I’ll send you back a little survey to get your personal input on things that might've come up during #Shea’s holiday season. (I haven’t put this survey together yet, but it would just be some questions about traditions, food, decorations, gifts, etc.)

3)   Later this month I’ll compose at least one post based on the responses I get. The more readers participating, the more likely I’ll break it into multiple posts.

Sound good? If so… let me hear from you! 

(But only if you're interested)

 

GLASSY IS BACK!

You may have heard by now that both Richard Schiff (Dr. Glassman) and his wife Sheila Kelley (Debbie) came down with COVID-19 around the same time the pandemic-centered “Frontline” season premiere aired in early November (how ironic). In fact, Schiff’s case of it was serious enough to put him in the hospital for several days. But the good fantastic news is that he is not only on the road to recovery now, but was back on TGD set late last week, taking (masked) photos with both Freddie Highmore and Paige Spara. Here’s a write-up on his ordeal.

🍏🏎🍏🏎🍏🏎🍏🏎🍏🏎🍏🏎

There was no way for TGD Winter Finale 2020 (4.5 “Fault”) to hit the dramatic heights of TGD Winter Finale 2019 (3.10 “Friends and Family”)—especially when they had half as many episodes as usual completed, therefore not nearly as much of a story arc in place-- so I was relieved it didn’t even try. What we got instead was a spotlight on Shaun and newbie Dr. Asher Wolke that packed quite an emotional wallop, but allowed the lion’s share of the drama fall to Dr. Wolke while a decidedly more mature and restrained Dr. Murphy felt his pain (and fault-by-association) from the distance of a fourth-year resident.

And on the way to and from that climactic moment in the OR that saw their patient die on the table, #Shea fans were treated to a round of scenes, and moments, that demonstrated Shaun and Lea coming into their own in ways we could only pray for when they shared their game-changing embrace in Wyoming a year ago.

The pace of “Fault” was different; we knew that when a) the episode opened with an in-progress diagnosis, b) that diagnosis did not involve Shaun; we didn’t see him until his Good Helicopter Doctor moment a little later (hovering while Olivia and Locke took on their first patients solo)… and b) the opening credits hit only a minute after the show started.

Consequentially, Lea and Shaun didn’t share a scene together until midway through Act 3… when Lea emerged from what I presume is now “their” bedroom (we’ll find out soon enough if Shaun’s mattress-on-the-floor has been retired, I guess) to check on Shaun and at least a dozen how-to-be-a-better-manager books. While I hope and expect to see more scenes like this in the future—one of them burning the midnight oil while the other tries to get them to turn in for the night—we already had one in that past. Remember when Shaun was trying to distract himself from his difficulties in connecting with Carly, and Lea called him on it while making a late-night fridge run? I nicknamed the scene “Still talking!” on my list of favorite #Shea Smaller Moments; you can read about it here to jog your memory.

Of course, back then the scene ended with Shaun reluctantly leaving to take a walk with Carly, while this one ended with Shaun enthusiastically leaving to… um…get sleepy, courtesy of

Lea. Again we’re reminded what a difference a year makes…

(By the way, did anyone else think Shaun was making a motion to unbuckle his belt the moment he turned and headed to the bedroom? Since he typically walks with his hands folded in front of him, it was hard to tell if he was “just” walking, or multi-tasking…!)

Anyway, this scene (and the two #Shea scenes that followed it) captured Shaun’s progress as nicely as did any other part of the episode:

·       He took Lea’s advice on watching TED talks as a more efficient way to complete his crash course on mentoring. (Or he would have until “getting sleepy” superseded all other events of the evening.)

·       When he was walking-and-talking with newbies Wolke and Olivia (I’ve decided I’m calling the new guys by their last names and new ladies by their first), he managed to catch himself before divulging why he got too “sleepy” to finish their self-improvement assignments. While this particular accomplishment doesn’t count as a #Shea moment, I hope you can infer why I included it 😊

·       While there is quite a bit to be said about the #Shea “Date Night” scene (and I’ll dig into that shortly), I should probably start with the interesting news that “Date Night” wasn’t intended to happen at first! This was revealed on Twitter a few days back when Melissa Reiner, an autism consultant for TGD who periodically gives brief insights for certain scenes on the show, shared that Shaun was going to decline the date night suggestion in the original script. According to Reiner, she felt it was important for Shaun to take Lea up on the idea to show growth from the time he abruptly abandoned dinner plans with Carly (in the “Unsaid” episode last season, I believe) in order to research a solution for a case.

+   I don’t mind telling you guys that while I usually find Reiner’s insight clips very interesting, I was extremely put off late in S3 when she clearly took a side when discussing the infamous “Fixation” episode (one guess as to which side). I’m still trying to figure out where the “insight” was that time. BUT, she seems to be out of the Lea-bashing business now and I guess that’s what counts.

·       Oh, and I know it goes without saying that Shaun’s

physical moments/minutes with Lea continue to be a work in (incredibly promising) progress, but that last minute of the episode—showing him take Glassman’s words of wisdom to heart as he “took comfort from the one he loved” – was a beautiful gift with just the right amount of dialogue (almost none) to communicate that comfort to the rest of us. And to the

gentlemen out there reading this, please don’t hate me for saying the following: I think TGD was extra-fortunate to have a woman director on “Fault” (Vanessa Parise, who also has directing credits for The Resident and Chicago Med this year) because I’m not sure that scene, particularly the rack focus shot of Shaun and Lea’s fingers entwined, would have been as captivating with a man in the director’s seat.

+   And I’ll tack a not-so-fun fact to that while on the subject: according to womenandhollywood.com, only 30% of prime-time TV is directed by women… though to TGD’s credit, women have directed 16 of the show’s 61 episodes to date.

Meanwhile, Shaun’s ever-evolving counterpart scored several points of her own in “Fault”—some weren’t even of her own doing! 

·       “Someone needs you… more than I need you.” Clearly the words of a woman who is making a solid effort at being less selfish, even though some of us have questioned her claims of being so all along. But "Date Night" was a solid test for her. Did you see that elaborate setup—tables, lanterns, food and drink, From Here to Eternity playing on their own projector screen? Did you see and hear how impressed she was?

·       And did you hear what kind of week she was having? System update that went “bananas,” tons of complaints, total nightmare? Our girl is STRESSED. And yet, Shaun’s bad week is almost always going to out-“bad” Lea’s in that a life, or lives, will be on the line. Not that he’ll always see it that way, but Lea’s likely to…

+  …At least, for now. A number of fans have indicated that Lea has thus far been more selfless in this relationship than she should be. But will Lea push back a little more the longer she and Shaun live together? It’s a variation on the theory that couples are on best behavior when “playing house;” the difference is that Lea’s much more capable of this than Shaun. Will there come a time when she feels like she’s giving TOO much? And how will the two of them respond as a result? It’s just one of many possible conflicts to come on their journey. 

·       Lea’s mother came up in conversation again… the second mention in three episodes. Last time Shaun referenced her when he made the candid comment about Lea’s “adenoidal” voice; this time, Lea referenced her when talking about warm milk as a sleep aid. Keep

in mind that when Lea has mentioned her family up to now, it has primarily been about Donnie (her seemingly estranged brother) and her beloved Grandpa Rod (from whom she inherited the Striped Tomato). That, and the family’s general dysfunction, is all we’ve heard in THREE YEARS of “knowing” Lea on this show. A Mom mention in 4.3? Another in 4.5? Conventional wisdom is starting to shout foreshadowing! at us. Could Mama Dilallo be making an appearance on TGD later this season?

+   If you’ve followed this blog since I started writing about #Shea in S3, you’ll recall that both Lea’s family and those who might best portray Lea’s family were the subject of much discussion over the summer. (If you’re new, or want a refresher course, click here and here.) What we’ve really been gunning for is a #Shea trip to Hershey, PA, and a chance to get familiar with the entire Dilallo clan. But if the pandemic, or anything else, makes such a trip impossible this year… yep, I’d definitely welcome an opportunity to visit with Lea's mom. (What was that Lea said about “actual prescriptions” her mom had…? Is this a seed being planted about Mama D having issues with controlled substances? We’d better keep our ears open for more clues when the show returns in January.)

·       I have to admit that one of my favorite Lea moments of the week came when she was nowhere in sight—because in the space of about five seconds, Shaun answered Olivia’s Date Night response “What does she like?” with a laundry list of SEVEN Lea faves. And the writers could have brought up ALL the expected ones (including tequila and karaoke), but instead they gave us two “givens” and let Shaun’s breakneck speed introduce us to the rest. Can you name all seven?

o   CARS   

o   CODING

o   ZELDA, BREATH OF THE WILD (video game)

o   SAUVIGNON BLANC (wine)

o   SKITTLES

o   RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE (TV Series)

o   CAMPING

Is this list the cure for what ails us in terms of Lea’s character development and backstory? HA! Of course not. But it served as a mini-catapult of sorts towards getting to know her just a little bit more like Shaun knows her. Which was a joy to hear.

 

·       What about that film they were watching? How about that entire "Date Night"—that looked like it took a while to set up, and yet was over in less than two minutes? I can try and fill in a few blanks…

+  The film was From Here to Eternity, the 1953 war drama that won eight Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director (Fred Zimmerman), and Best Supporting Actor/Actress for Frank Sinatra and Donna Reed, respectively. (Thanks to reader Steven Hamburg for ID’ing the film; I’m not familiar with many war films though I should probably make an exception for this one… a classic!)

+  The idea for "Date Night" that Shaun went with seemed to be a hybrid of Wolke’s suggestion (“everyone likes movies”) and Olivia’s mention about a great experience “camping at Big Sur.” The result was, not-so-coincidentally, something that TGD could pull off at a time when traditional date night locales—eateries, theaters, other public places—are pandemic no-nos.

+  It was also very cool! Raise your hand if a significant other has ever staged such a fine, custom-made outing for the two of you. (If so, you should share in the comments. I want to know!) Yeah, Shaun has the help of North Hollywood magic, great writers, blah blah blah… but do you have any doubt that the character those writers have created can do all that for his woman? I don’t.

+   And by the way did you see Shaun’s dimples pop after he clinked glasses with Lea early in the scene? I wish I got a shot of it to share. I didn’t. Take a look… it’s precious.

                                  

+  Confederation Park in Burnaby (part of metropolitan Vancouver) was the location of the “Date Night” scene… and thanks to Pamela, a reader and Vancouver resident, here’s a look at the approximate location of “Date Night” in the daytime. “It was easy to find the exact location by me locating the tennis courts which you can see behind the movie screen,” Pamela says. “There's the picnic table where Shaun had placed the snacks, including (I'm assuming) Lea's favorite Sauvignon Blanc.” Pamela went on to say that is was super chilly the night they shot that scene (Monday, 10/26); in fact, you can see their breath in some of the shots.  

+   And for those with additional curiosity of how location shoots for big TV shows work, here’s a copy of the Notice of Filming that was posted for locals to see.

+   As I said earlier, what we saw of “Date Night”

lasted less than two minutes… but as you see here (and can see even more of it here) , it would appear that there was more to the scene (or there was an additional scene shot there) that, sadly, was not used. Some of us

speculated that it might have been the very beginning of the date that we didn’t see, but as I look at it and see scenes from the film in the background (as opposed to the film’s opening credits), I wonder if this part came

later. Then again, depending on the camera shot it might not have mattered what was on the movie screen… ANYWAY, I sent a tweet to the director (the aforementioned Vanessa Parise) to see if I can get any clarification 😊 If she responds, I’ll let you know!

Got any #Shea thoughts, on the “Fault” episode or otherwise? Please leave them in the comments!