I tend to think of episode titles like songs on an album… and the more intriguing, the better. (At least usually… but let’s leave “Irresponsible Salad Bar Practices” out of the conversation for now.) TGD tends to keep those titles short-- you can count the number of over-three-word titles on one hand-- and more often than not, a title ties in somehow to where Shaun is in his journey.
The best ones, in my opinion, carry dual or even multiple meanings-- one of my favorite examples being 3.15 “Unsaid.” More recently, I guess 4.5 “Fault” or 4.7 “The Uncertainty Principle” brought respectable amounts of piqued curiosity too. But “Gender Reveal”? The only thing that served to “intrigue” me was wondering if the focus of 4.14 would be as literal as the title suggested.
In the best way possible, my answer after watching it was yes and no. Obviously, we learned within the first few minutes that Shaun and Lea’s baby is a girl… but we didn’t realize how much impact that fact would have on the rest of the episode until it unfolded, piece by remarkable piece.
My first thoughts for cases-of-the-week in the “Gender” episode were something of the transgender variety-- but since TGD has previously covered this territory at least twice before (in S1’s “She” and very recently with S4’s “Irresponsible Salad Bar Practices”), the motivation was a little muddy to me. Of course I was (delightfully) way off the mark, for what we got instead was a sort of 21st century “Battle of the Sexes” within both medical cases…
On one end of the hospital floor: an MMA fighter (and apparent crush of Dr. Wolke’s?) revealed to have breast cancer, who needs a verbal beat-down from Park in order to man up and tackle the stigma of having a “woman’s” disease.
On the other end, Jean the Superwoman Fighter Pilot came in for hp replacement surgery and left with… gulp… a Parkinson’s diagnosis, thanks in no small part to years of warning signs ignored or dismissed by her own internist.
While both cases were compelling, I’ll just be referencing Jean’s case from here on out. For it was through that, plus Shaun and Lea’s clash over the use of a doula, that we got
SEVEN REVELATIONS… one for each precious #Shea kiss that we were graced with in this episode!
(Or, suffice to say I’ve grouped the revelations so they coincide with the number of kisses. What can I say? I like symmetry.)
REVELATION #1: For Shaun, our daughter is to our baby as our baby was to the fetus.
Apparently as many as 80 percent of today’s expectant parents find out the sex their child will be born with in advance of the birth! I guess I should have figured on that, given the number of couples we hear of nowadays announcing BOY or GIRL status amidst a whole lotta fanfare. Twenty years ago, my husband and I decided to go with the delivery room element of surprise… and it turned out to be a boy. Two and a half years later, I found out via ultrasound but my husband chose to wait and be surprised again. How I got through the next four or five months without referring to our unborn as a she in front of him…? Actually, I think I slipped a couple of times when it was late in the day and I was really tired…
In any case, those days of “let’s be surprised” are falling victim to technology such as the fetal DNA test-- a non-invasive, diagnostic blood test that has become popular over the past decade, as far as I can tell. It’s apparently what Lea used… and for those who were trying to determine how far along she was in the “Gender” episode, I read that fetal DNA can be detected RELIABLY 10 weeks into the pregnancy, with results being delivered three to 15 days later. So... maybe say it was week 11?
All of this begs a new question-- if not for certain Gen-Xers (and older), then at least for atypical Millennials like Shaun: Why is it so exciting to know in advance? Shaun “mirrored” Lea’s joy as best he could (I mean, he WAS getting kisses out of the deal), but looked uncomfortable doing it because he couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about. Likewise, when Claire said “That’s wonderful!” in reaction to the news, he could only respond with a puzzled “Why?”
To be clear-- while the “Gender Reveal” episode cast a bright light onto women and women’s issues, I never felt scriptwriter Debbie Ezer was implying a girl was better to bring into the world than a boy. Rather, it was about how that additional bit of information brought the whole parenting thing into sharper focus; the “it” or “they” becoming he or she.
As you might expect, Shaun needed to process this additional bit of information in his own unique way. I’ll be breaking that down as we go, but suffice to say there were multiple steps between him thinking of the gender reveal as useful home decor information (“Do you want to paint the nursery pink?”) and taking a thoughtless (male) doctor’s approach to women’s health very, very personally (“My daughter is never coming to see you,” which no doubt had fans cheering no matter how many HIPPA laws were broken in that reality-suspended scene...)
REVELATION #2: Not that we’re surprised, but #Shea communication is improving (again).
Neither Shaun nor Lea has changed all that much, but the further they go with this ultimate adventure of pregnancy/childbirth/parenthood, the more every action/reaction gets magnified. These two faced their disconnection challenges in “Spilled Milk” and-- presumably without any help from that cowbell-- adjusted course. So in “Gender,” when Shaun implied his participation in a birthing class was unnecessary, a pointed look from Lea was enough to get him to say The Right Things, even if they both knew he didn’t fully believe what he was saying. And that was quickly followed up with Lea clearly articulating her needs about the results of the fetal DNA test (“I’m excited to find this out… please come here so we can look together”), rather than get upset about Shaun’s inability to thrill over the same information.
Of course, it was the Doula Debate that garnished the most attention for #Shea in this episode… and while I’ll backtrack to Shaun’s side of the discussion in a minute, I want to give another shoutout (as I did when live-Tweeting the episode) to the conclusion of their in-hospital discussion. Lea had made up her mind to have one, and while Shaun is of course not the kind of guy who would impose his will on her decision… it meant the world to her when he signified at the end of the episode that he not only accepted her decision, but supported it entirely.
He wasn’t anywhere near that acceptance during their time at the hospital though, as the express-delivered shoulder massager indicated.
(available for less than $50 at Amazon, in case anyone’s interested!)
But-- perhaps buoyed by the awareness that Shaun simply (HA!) wants to be her everything-- she took a breath and stated “the facts” from her side of the table, all the way to the double reassurance of “I love you” and “I’ll see you at home.” No stomping off, no raised voices. They can disagree about something pretty significant and still go home, in love, at the end of the day.
It’s really not a bad reminder for anyone in a long-term relationship, is it?
REVELATION #3: The power of Shaun’s ability to take things literally must never be underestimated.
We saw it coming three weeks ahead of the episode, that initial “uh oh” during the birthing class scene where poor Shaun (who admittedly hates receiving massages himself) is trying to rub
poor(er) Lea the right way… and it looks more like he’s kneading the hell out of a ball of ciabatta dough. So, strike one.
Then, Shaun gets his outspoken doctor self into overdrive… gets a death stare from the class leader
But when Lea cautions against further “strikes” by bringing Theresa the Doula into the picture, Shaun takes offense. Why? Was it that need to be the ultimate “everything” partner I mentioned earlier, especially with his ever-increasing awareness that being the dad is more important here than being the doctor? OR… was it out of frustration over his ASD-related limitations, and a huge need to try and overcome some of them for Lea’s sake?
(By the way, since Shaun’s aversion to washcloths was new information, I asked around a little on Twitter and found three viewers with ASD who also dislike washcloths… in the case of @Guiand97 and “Erin” @tncoffeerunner, they especially dislike microfiber. And “Remy Lebeau” @RemyLeb78309281 says “I do not like the feeling of terry cloth at all. I also do not like anything moist, especially warm. So moist washcloths would be very hard to deal with.”)
Shaun feels similarly, it would seem. And for those who were curious like me, I went back and checked that opening shower
Anyway, Shaun eventually found himself in Glassman’s office trying to explain himself… but with Shaun himself stating the proven benefits of a doula, it was hard for Glassman to see the problem at hand. (At least, not for the amount of time in that scene. But if he’d had the opportunity to press a little more-- What’s the real problem here, Shaun?-- then the #Shea scene I discussed in revelation #2 wouldn’t have been necessary.)
I suppose it seemed to Glassman that what Shaun needed was permission to support Lea’s doula wishes, perhaps thinking it was more a simple case of Shaun’s doctor brain challenging the doula concept? In any case, he gave Shaun simple advice-- “just give her what she needs”-- and Shaun went on his way, thinking
If she needs massages and I can’t give them, I’ll find a device that does.
If she needs my hand to squeeze hard and I can’t handle that, I’ll find something that lets me handle that a little easier.
If she needs cool/warm cloths and I can’t stand to touch them, I’ll just have to get better at it.
REVELATION #4 (for Shaun, if not for the viewers): “The world is harder for women.”
This multi-layered one actually encompasses revelations 4,5, and 6… and for those who might be asking Didn’t Shaun just get a lesson in it’s-harder-for-women with Lea’s “Decrypt” episode? I say Not exactly… he might have come away with a better appreciation for women in STEM careers and/or Lea in general. But as far as connecting career hardships with those that could affect women’s health, or livelihood, or actual lifespan… not until now.
One lesson for him that’s likely to become more personal once Lea’s dealing with it head-on: the family vs. career thing continues to influence women’s choices in a way it doesn’t for men. It was clever the way they bridged into that discussion, having Shaun be the only man on an OR team and assess that things are getting better for women as a result. Needless to say, it took just was one mention of a certain key difference between men and women (the uterus) for Shaun to pipe down. Well, that and a patient whose blood pressure was tanking inexplicably and unexpectedly… which brings us to the next harder-for-women sub-lesson:
REVELATION #5: The cost of “breaking through” may be too high.
“Your mother’s an inspiration,” Shaun declared to pilot fighter Jean’s daughter, Tory, as she sat there in the hospital room, watching her mother push herself as hard as she could (surely not the first or even 101st time) shortly after her hip surgery. But as was the case many times during the episode, Tory looked adrift and bewildered, yearning to connect with Mom on the importance of maternity leave, of not “pushing through” difficulties and pain, of laying off that constant need to compete and improve. It wasn’t until Shaun started asking questions of Jean’s BP/fainting backstory that mother and daughter could almost agree on a few things that had taken place-- enough to help spur the team to an eventual, heartbreaking Parkinson’s diagnosis.
We saw the camera circle, very deliberately, back to Shaun as he watched Tory climb up on Jean’s hospital bed and comfort her mother as she finally broke down in her arms. Next time we saw Shaun, it was when he brought Lea home and surprised her with Theresa setting up the loft for her newest client. Do you think it was something in that momentary observation of Jean and Tory that prompted Shaun’s decision to embrace (at least figuratively) Lea’s decision?
What he said just before opening the door to the apartment was (paraphrased) “I want you and our daughter to have the chance to have everything you want… but I can’t do it all by myself.” So on the surface at least, it’s about him owning up to his so-called “weaknesses” and putting Lea’s need for peace of mind ahead of his own need to triumph over this particular adversity. But what do you think he took away from Jean’s case that may have tipped him towards that realization?
While you’re thinking it over, here’s one more “reveal” that hopefully rang a bell not just for Shaun, but for a whole lotta viewers:
REVELATION #6: When history doesn’t help, think outside the box.
My mother suffered from a very rare form of anemia that chased her in and out of hospitals for most of her 66 years of life, often with ailments that were very difficult to diagnose. To have legitimate, persistent health issues ignored by healthcare professionals-- or worse yet, disregarded and written off with a catch-all term such as “anxiety”-- should be outright unacceptable. Yet it still happens.
Maybe not as much, though. Though I shudder at the thought of how much time my own mom might spend on women’s health-related Reddit, blogs, and social media threads if she were alive today, I also marvel at how many of these non-traditional outlets may have been the very thing to point a reader into a life-saving direction.
And I’ve got to applaud the way those scenes between Shaun, Jordan, and Claire were handled: 1) Jordan-- the youngest on the team-- is the one to first bring up a Reddit discovery. 2) At first, Shaun is turned off by the very mention of “non-conventional” methods, and then even Claire gives an initial eye roll to the mention of Reddit. 3) But it only takes an additional second or two for Claire to shake off her med-school beliefs and start asking Jordan for more details. 4) When Shaun shoots down the idea yet again, it only takes him a few more seconds to realize he has nothing better to offer… and then delegates their non-traditional searches
I think Lim would have applauded all this, had she been involved at this point. (I’m kind of glad she wasn’t, though. I liked them solving it on their own.) Would Andrews have been as receptive...?
| “In case of (A Dr. Murphy) emergency, break (it to) Glass(man)” |
REVELATION #7: There may just be an unwritten rule at St. Bonaventure…
Given Shaun’s brief “research” scene in the St. B maternity ward, I’m left to wonder now: Is there an unwritten rule that if Shaun makes an unsolicited visit or offers unsolicited advice to a fellow doctor, they page Dr. Glassman?
I'm just asking.
WAIT, I JUST THOUGHT OF A BONUS REVELATION...
Since doulas have become more prominent in the years past my childbearing prime, I didn't really think about the fact that in most cases, doulas aren't brought into the picture into the later stages of a woman's pregnancy. Sometimes they are in such demand that they need to be booked well in advance... but by and large, their services aren't needed quite as soon as, say, week 11 😉 All of which leads me to speculate again about Lea going into premature labor and/or delivering by season's end. We know Lea is going to experience "complications" when episode 16 hits on May 10 (yes, there will be at least one more TGD rerun hitting on 5/3)... beyond that--??
I wonder how many episodes Theresa is scheduled for...
OK readers-- it's your turn! What were your thoughts on "Gender Reveal" and how do you think it impacts the rest of the season? The comments section awaits... !
20 comments:
Throughout this pregnancy arc, I really appreciate you taking the time and sharing some of your own stories, Kelli. It's awesome to see how a very happy development for our favorite fictional characters can strike quite the personal mark!
Even a quick kiss can have a big meaning. Especially since it took us SIXTY episodes for Shaun and Lea to get to their 7th kiss (one in each of the two "Islands" episodes, three in "I Love You", and two in "Not the Same"). This episode alone gave us 7 in less than sixty minutes!
All of your points are quite excellent! I was very pleased that we got to find out about little Baby Girl Shea before the opening title screen. And we even got a softer music score for the title screen to commemorate the occasion! So many other shows would have saved this for the end of the episode, perhaps with one character wanting to keep it a surprise and the other letting it spill out.
Your second point is a great reinforcement of something I said a couple of posts ago. We've moved from asking IF Shaun and Lea will overcome a challenge to HOW they will do it. Even through this back-and-forth of the doula, and Shaun figuring out his own limits, I never sensed (nor did the promo even seem to imply) any doubt that this would be a crippling moment for Shaun and Lea.
Oh, and did anyone else catch that a different take was used in the "childbirth training" scene for both Shaun AND the mother-in-labor, compared to what we saw in the promo? The promo take was a little more sitcom-like (especially in Shaun's "too late now" delivery), while the take that was used was slightly more matter-of-fact (though still plenty chuckle-worthy).
It's hard to believe we're down to our final 6 episodes of Season 4. I know others have suggested an end-of-season birth. And I tend to agree. Question is: will we get a significant enough time jump that doesn't mess with any of the other characters' storylines? Given what we do know about what's to come, thanks to the great detective work highlighted in your last post, we still have some good things to look forward to before we even get to THAT point!
I was so happy too that the gender of the baby was revealed at the beginning of the episode, it was indeed a nice change from what other shows might have done. The writers chose to do it this way so that what Shaun learnt and witnessed throughout the episode became personal and made him reflect on how to make life less hard for his daughter and Lea. Shaun's speech at the end was perfect, and I love particularly the "We'll raise her to be strong" - "Like you"...His words of love towards Lea continue to melt my heart!
It can be frustrating watching him be so stubborn and not give Lea what she needs at first - even though I understand how difficult it can be for him also to understand what he needs to do in regards to Lea and the pregnancy, how to do it, why to do it this way or another - but he always makes efforts to grow and adapt to be a supportive partner for Lea, and that's so endearing.
As for Lea, she continues to show her deep love for him simply by managing to remain calm, patient, and understanding. Shaun persisting in interrupting and contradicting the birth class* teacher to the point of them being kicked out, and him persisting in refusing to accept Lea's desire to have a doula, were things that would have infuriated a lot of pregnant girlfriends, but not Lea. She stood her ground in wanting a doula, confronting him calmly, while also reassuring him that she's not mad at him by telling him she loves him and will see him at home. I thought that was a powerful moment!
* About the birth class scene: although Shaun was acting disrespectful and embarrassed Lea, he wasn't wrong in saying what he said. Particularly the part about women possibly "pooping" during the delivery: all the women in the class, even the one visibly late in her pregnancy, didn't know about that, and I'm baffled that women are not given all the information to be prepared, even those that are scary or gross. But there seems to still be a taboo on that...
It was nice to see Shaun, Jordan and Claire relying on social media posts to try to find an answer to their patient's issues. I read some people mentioning that TGD had fallen low to have doctors use these sources to bet answers, which is a very narrow-minded way to see things. This "thinking ouside the box" is also a way to show that the doctors don't act superior to their patient by simply relying on their knowledge and books published by their peers.
I noticed too that the childbirth scene was a bit different, ABC probably thought it was more "catchy" to use a more comical version for the promo!
When the doctor said to page dr Glassman, I also automatically thought that Glassman must have told all doctors to page him if Shaun did something that bothered them.
In regards to the unfolding of the pregnancy and the birth, I've been thinking for a while that we'll see Lea give birth at the end of the season and that it would be a premature birth. By episode 16 Lea will probably be in her 5th month, and similarly to what Tony said, I think it's tricky to do a 1-month time jump in-between every episode without messing with other characters' storylines. So Lea could be only in her 7th month in the season finale. The way it ends might also depend on TPTB knowing early on if there is a season 5 or not. The writers might have written 2 versions of the last episode just in case. And if they already know it gets renewed, since I believe they've just ended filming episode 18 or even started filming episode 19, then they could have a dramatic ending in episode 20. No death this time, but maybe for example the baby's life being in danger due to being born premature.
But we may be surprised, and the birth could be in season 5 and the season 4 finale could be about something unrelated to Lea and the pregnancy although with a major impact on Shaun...
“Gender Reveal” taught Shaun some important lessons not only about being female but also about managing his own limits. With every episode now it becomes more clear that the pregnancy arc is probably the most ambitious learning trajectory the show has ever sent him on.
And whatever lies ahead of him I’m quite confident that the season finale will in some way include Lea and the baby girl – the pregnancy arc is domineering the second half of the season in a way that it is hard to imagine that the season finale would ignore it.
Though, with episode 4.14 aired it is still too early for any predictions beyond that.
Another great post, Kelli!
And thanks for sharing again your personal experiences.
I have to confess that I had no idea what a doula was. By the end of the episode I’d figured it out, and then I googled it to complete my understanding. It wasn’t a form of support in use at the time of my pregnancies either.
Tony, I’ve noticed the different rhythm of the intro theme too. I remember that a similar occurrence happened only in episode 3.11, probably to accompany the transition of a heartbroken Shaun (after the verbal abuse his father threw at him before dying) to the beginning of a new phase of his life.
And now again in 4.14, in which Shaun makes a significant transition to actually becoming a parent – at least in his mind - for the very first time. As you said, Kelli, he went from the fetus to the baby to my daughter.
To use Shaun’s own words, ‘This is huge!’
The next logical step in this progression is for Shaun to understand what being a parent really means and what consequences it brings. I’m sure this topic will be explored in tomorrow’s episode, where Shaun will move his first steps in an undiscovered country. It’s going to be emotional, and I’m really looking forward to it.
Now, back to ‘Gender Reveal’, again a very well-balanced episode, with enough room for every character and just the right dose of comedy.
And it’s a girl! Let me congratulate myself for guessing right the second time in a row. Very unusual for me!
A big shout out to Lea for the amazing way she handled Shaun in this episode, from the very first scene to the last one.
She was accepting, reassuring, but firm in her resolve in getting what she wanted. And I loved the way she made it clear to Shaun that she was doing that as much for him as for her. Because she wanted the experience of delivering their baby to be a beautiful one, not only for her, but for Shaun too.
Unfortunately, this was the very trigger for an episode-long fight between Shaun and his ASD.
Shaun was very confused about what he really wanted. The proof of that was the relief he felt the moment Glassman managed to pull it all out of him. “You want Lea to have everything that she wants, but you don’t want her to want a doula”? “Yes! How do I do that?” Priceless.
Now, to be fair, let’s remember that Shaun has always struggled with the concept of needing help. Do you remember back in season one, when Glassy pressed him for a life skill coach, first, and for a therapist, later? He didn’t respond to it in the best of ways.
Now, some autistic viewers are lately complaining on social media about the lack of social improvement when it comes to Shaun’s character. They claim that the show is badly representing autism.
I’m not an expert, but it seems to me that Shaun has probably reached his full potential in regard to handling social situations. Maybe this is to attribute to the lack of early intervention when he was a young child, maybe his particular ASD makes it impossible for him to do better then that, no matter how hard he tries.
But for me the real huge character’s growth has been his willingness to admit that he needed help. That if he wanted to give Lea and his daughter what they needed, he couldn’t do it by himself. The last scene was beautiful.
These are lessons all of us (ASD and neurotypical people) need to learn sooner or later in life.
And I’m proud to say that I love this show for this kind of messages. Much more than for the medical cases or the complicated surgeries.
The gender theme was approached exactly in the same delicate, meaningful and pragmatic way. Perfect execution here. We are lightyears away from ‘Irresponsible Salad Bar Practices’.
To conclude, I want to add that the exchange between Shaun, the OB-GYN, and the woman delivering the baby was hilarious. I’m sure that it was the most debated scene among the show’s protesters. But I couldn’t help but love it, because it highlighted very well both Shaun’s struggle and his inability to win against himself.
Again, perfect execution. Not just comedy for the sake of it.
And about Glassman being summoned to handle Shaun, Kelli, I was intrigued too, at first. But then I realized that probably everyone at the hospital knows about their relationship. Obviously, after Glassy’s battle to hire Shaun, gossip would have immediately started throughout the hospital. Add to that, that they don’t do anything to conceal their bond. So, by now, even the first-year residents are surely aware of it. Asher is for sure, after witnessing the president of the hospital counseling a resident about his private life, in the breakroom 😉
So, yes, I bet that the unwritten rule at St. Bonaventure is: ‘Page Dr. Glassman if any problems with Dr. Murphy should arise’. LOL!
Oh, I have a little bit of intelligence.
Richard Schiff is apparently back to Los Angeles. He posted on Twitter while he was in line to get the vaccine.
So, either he filmed his scenes for the last two episodes in advance, or he won't be in them (or at least in the last one).
Can you imagine Glassman not being there to meet his granddaughter, when the moment comes?
This is bothering me. Is it possible that the baby's delivery will be postponed to next season? That would be so disappointing...
Having ASD does not make you an expert for the entire spectrum. In fact, I have met people with autism that did know very little about their own condition. So, diverse reactions towards an episode are to be expected. It is a matter of perspective – and perspective taking is impaired in ASD by definition…
Then there’s the problem that most people don’t take it well when they are reminded that they have limits. Accepting his limitations in the end was what made Shaun grow this episode.
Now, Richard Schiff being in the States is intriguing, but I would think that this will mean that Glassman won’t be in the season finale. They are currently filming 4.19 but take a hiatus after airing 4.15, so there might be enough time to film any scenes with Mr. Schiff even with 2 weeks of quarantine. Or – they already filmed them ahead. Because if you look closely at the last picture T.L. Moran posted of episode 4.18’s script, you’ll notice that it was written in April already. So, the production can accommodate for actors being not available for some weeks. We already saw that with Christina Chang, who was in the US in between filming as well.
Hey!!! First of all thanks Kelli for yet again a complete and accurate recollection of what a great episode "Gender Reveal" was.
I agree with every point you have made. But I also would like to add that imo Lea's idea to get a doula wasn't her first option. In fact, I believe that she came to that decision right after they got expelled from the birthing class so for me, she actually gave Shaun the benefit of doubt at first. Maybe it wasn't even thought like this at all but more like I'm sure they discussed about the support she was going to be needing while giving birth. That's why she gave her that look when he started to give excuses to not attend the class in the first place.
I believe that everything in this episode has a nice cause-effect storyline and that's something I really enjoyed. She was getting help not only for her but as someone said for him too.
I liked the approach they gave to the story of the misdiagnosed lady, as a matter of fact I have seen this in my own life so I was really able to connect with the story on a another level and that was so touching.
Now, about what's coming I have to say that I'm patiently waiting, and I declare myself totally clueless but you know what? I love the feeling, I think that what they want is to surprise us and that's why I really dislike when too many spoilers are out there or when people go and post every single piece of information on social media. I have the same feeling as when people don't enjoy a concert and instead are all taping it or taking pictures with their phones. Like, I wish more and more were able to enjoy the moments that are given rather than to know in advance but sadly I know most people aren't like this, I mean some people took the information from your past post and posted it in less than a day after you posted the entry so... Imagine. Anyway, you won't hear it from us.
Hmpf – my doc said to me I must do more sports… so I went cycling today. The monotony of the pedals spinning and the landscape rushing along (a well… crawling) always get me thinking. So, I came up with some general ideas about the season finale. No real storylines but some settings that seem appropriate with all that has transpired so far.
Guess #1: Season 4 completes the pregnancy story arc by Lea giving birth either prematurely or by a time leap forward.
Guess #2: Don’t overdo it with medical complications! Since complications already arise at episode 4.16, I rather see the circumstances of giving birth to be the matter than a high-risk pregnancy in the remaining episodes – although I sure wouldn’t rule that out.
Guess #3: Shaun will attend the birthing process: the whole story arc right now is about Shaun slowly settling in the role of a father and setting his doctor persona aside. The culmination of this learning trajectory is the birth of their daughter. And of course, this season is about #TeamShea!
Guess #4: Giving birth won’t follow Lea’s plans and there’s a good chance that the doula won’t be available due to certain circumstances; thus, Shaun will be challenged on an entirely new level.
Guess #5: Birth might not happen at St. Bonaventure’s delivery ward, thus Shaun might be forced to play both roles of father and doctor at the same time. Multi-tasking is often especially hard for individuals on the spectrum.
Guess #6: The circumstances complicating the birth might affect the other characters as well. The show deliberately reminded the audience that #Shea started in a natural disaster. And while I don’t count on another earthquake shaking things up, an event that ties all the character’s stories together and influences them for the future worked well for the last season finale (only a certain fan faction might disagree).
Thank you Kelli. Excellent post.
I thank you for writing to us.
I don’t like deliberate spoiler. Example, what happened to the revelation of baby Shea’s gender.
But the facts are following and by the great production of the camp and the trip Shea,I dare say that #babyshea will be born in the middle of the forest through a premature birth.
Shaun and Lea alone will have to deal with an atypical and challenging situation?
I didn't know what a doula was either before TGD, and after looking it up to know more about what they do, I'm now really surprised that doulas are not more "promoted" and that so many pregnant women today don't even know about it. It seems a great way for a mother-to-be to be correctly accompanied, to be reassured, etc. So all the better for TGD to have featured one in this episode.
About Lea choosing a doula, I felt too that she made that decision only after Shaun got them expelled from the birthing class, which she did indeed to help her as much as him. And you're right Daniela, Shaun admitting that he needed help was a huge character growth from what happened in season 1.
Richard Schiff not being in the last 2 episodes at all would be very odd, and I would be bummed too if it was indeed the case. I want Sheaman (it sounds weird...but easier to write!) scenes damn it ^^ The season can't end without those 3 together. Hopefully, as Andreas suggested, he will have filmed his scenes beforehand or will be back for the remaining weeks of filming.
As for your guesses Andreas, I say, why not all of them together?! With the newbies not being there, they could focus on most of the other characters being together somewhere, where they get stuck for some reason, with Lea and Shaun separated from the others, Lea starts being in labour (and possibly while the 3rd trimester is not over), so Shaun has to try to handle everything by himself, but maybe with Claire and co trying to help them...
It seems too dramatic, but the earthquake episodes were very dramatic too!
In any case, given the heavy pregnancy arc we should indeed expect Lea and the baby to be part of the storyline in the last episodes.
Thank you, as always, Kelli, for this peaceful oasis in which to share our thoughts.
As I've mentioned before, I do not participate in social media platforms, so this little idea may already be circulating in the cyber universe, and I am blissfully unaware of it. You and everyone here can let me know if that is the case.
So...at the end of Waiting, the manner in which Shaun took Lea's hands -- slowly, one at a time -- looked unusually tender to me, at least slightly unusual for him. Could he possibly have been contemplating a marriage proposal? Right there in the courtyard? Don't know why, but that popped into my head when I was watching. Maybe just wishful thinking on my part...
Also, did anyone else love the small scene in Spilled Milk between Claire and Shaun when he was drawing her blood? David Shore often emphasizes how it's not always Shaun needing to learn from others how to grow and adapt -- he loves those moments when others learn from Shaun and his unique view of life. I believe the manner in which the writers have crafted Claire and Shaun's relationship is a thing of beauty.
At my age, wishing time to pick up the pace is not a wise move, but these next two weeks are sure to seem like an eternity until "Dr. Ted" arrives.
Be well, everyone.
Barbara, I thought the same way.
But I noticed from the promotional photos of the 'fault'' and 'the uncertainty principle' episodes that Shaun and Lea also held both hands and the scenes were cut.
Has anyone seen the newest driver blog’s photos? The scenes in the park have to be quite important since they even had a shed constructed and transported to the filming location. This coincides with the behind-the-scenes photos of Will Yun Lee, Antonia Thomas and Paige Spara sharing a break during filming episode 4.19.
While Twitter discussed them having alcoholic or non-alcoholics drinks for the Lea character, the set decoration and costumes piped my interest. Lee and Thomas are clothed very casual and the table and stool (seen behind Spara) are of the rustic style that can be associated with a cottage or a house in the woods. Also, the proximity of the filming equipment and staff suggest a cramped quarter.
Thus, I assume this depicts the studio set-up for filming scenes that play out in the said shed. Which gives me some interesting ideas.
a) It answers how camping and pregnancy go together: Lea does not need to sleep in a tent when there’s a cabin in the woods (although it seems too small for the DiLallo’s Lake House).
b) Shaun and Lea are accompanied at least by Claire and Park (so far no indication of Morgan), which means this is probably something about the 4th-year residents sharing time off work together for a reason (and Shaun bringing his still pregnant girlfriend along).
c) The residents are about to enter their final year together. They might want to share some quality time together before the fighting for jobs starts.
d) Speaking of a still pregnant Lea far away from home… refer to my last posting about how the circumstances of giving birth won’t be what they have planned for. Also, enter the Waiting-line “We were having just one last fun weekend, the two of us, and I guess Ethan didn't like that idea, so I gave birth in a motel room 300 miles from my OB.”
Having all the residents gathered* to deliver Shaun and Lea’s baby, just relying on what they have learned together in the past years, would be quite poetic, wouldn’t it?
*) Here I’m hoping for Morgan and Park to sort things out between them, so that she won’t be left out of the loop.
I saw the photographs of Will.
As always, you are an excellent observer, Andreas!
I hadn’t noticed the rustic style of the chairs and surroundings.
I thought the trip to the forest would only be for #Shea. But after these photographs, the scenery will be different. So Claire and Park will be helping Lea have her baby? Very interesting.
Thanks Melanie! There’s another interesting detail in the newest blog photos: two shots depict an extra with St. Bonaventure’s EMT shoulder patches waiting in a golf cart with Paige Spara and Freddie Highmore (second one only).
I googled the Vancouver EMT uniforms, they wear very different shoulder patches, so this is story-related, not an real EMT.
Thank you for the detective work Andreas! It seems that the BTS photo of Paige, Antonia and Will is part of a scene, which would be great given that we very rarely get to see several of them together in a non-medical setting. I agree with your theory that they could want to share some time together before their final year, and I'm also pretty much convinced that the line in "Waiting" was a foreshadowing for Lea giving birth away from the hospital.
And kudos for catching that the guy in the cart is a guest EMT for the show.
It's in any case impressive the means put into the filming for this, so one or several major events are likely to take place...
About the latest driver's blog photos, I have a VERY important question:
In the photo with Paige and Freddie in the golf cart.....why is Freddie wearing only one sock?!! It's so weird! If he's already in Shaun's attire - which the type of shirt and trousers could suggest - it's odd because Shaun wouldn't forget one sock (but in fact most people wouldn't). So either Freddie forgot or couldn't because he was in a rush, or it's related to a scene happening in the morning in which Shaun doesn't have the time to put on his second sock because Lea starts being in labour....After all the guy interpreting an EMT is in the photo with the missing sock!!
But it's probably nothing and I'm making a mountain out of a molehill, as usual ��
Yes, I saw that as well and I believe it is significant. Felted slippers and especially one sock missing is very unusual for Shaun. Felted slippers are often worn in cabins because they can get frosty easily. The missing sock indicates that the character is in great distress in the scene the costume is meant for – another indicator for Lea going into labor prematurely.
My guess: 4.19 sees the residents taking a break, perhaps suggested by Claire, whose vacation planning for Paris was cut short because of her dad. Afterall, Boardshorts advice about doing something for herself still is sound and it has been a difficult year for all of them.
For the first time since “Aftermath”, we see the main characters out of their hospital routine, which breaks the usual mold of the show and gives room for the characters to reflect on their journey so far. At the end of the episode, Lea goes into labor, starting the drama for the season finale.
I agree with you that this could be a valid hypothesis.
After all, I was the one to predict an Aftermath-like episode.
Even if, again, I find it strange that they could all go on vacation together. I know how things work for residents in real life. I work at a university and we have a teaching hospital attached. They are very much exploited 24/7.
However, the strangest part is that from the information gathered so far (Pamela's scouting, the blog guy, etc) it seemed that the park shooting was about episodes 17 and possibly 18, not 19.
Were we offered some misleading information on purpose by the production? Could they have been filming episode 19 already?
I know about this season's habit of filming more than one episode at once, but this seems unlikely...
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