The Good Doctor Season 4 Episode 4 Review: Not the Same

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Talk about an impossible choice!

For a while, it looked like Shaun and Morgan's patient on The Good Doctor Season 4 Episode 4 would have to choose which of her babies would live.

It was a storyline worthy of King Solomon, but fortunately, it didn't come to that.

Surgical Intervention - The Good Doctor Season 4 Episode 4

No mother should have to choose between her children, and Morgan was right that Kensie would instinctively try to save them both if it was possible.

But what Morgan didn't get was that this was Kensie's decision to make, not hers.

As usual, Morgan argued against risky procedures that had a strong payoff if they succeeded.

Jordan: I think she made the right choice.
Morgan: She made the only choice any mother would make. She wants to save both her babies.
Jordan: Doesn't that make it the right choice?

She tried to do the same thing with Claire's liver patient, but nobody listened to her there, either. And in both cases, her turning out to be wrong was surprisingly satisfying.

An OBGYN Consult - The Good Doctor Season 4 Episode 4

I also don't know where Morgan got the idea that Jordan hates authority.

I think she just didn't like that Jordan was willing to question MORGAN'S decisions. Sure, Jordan is outspoken, but she isn't disrespectful.

And it's a good thing she ignored Shaun and encouraged Kensie to think positively, too.

She distracted Kensie from Kensie's fears, got her believing her children could both live and probably helped stop the labor.

And on top of that, she wasn't afraid to tell Shaun she needed more feedback from him when he confronted her about her supposed disdain for authority.

Pregnant With Twins - The Good Doctor Season 4 Episode 4

Now maybe she can convince Morgan to butt out, though I don't think that's possible.

While some of Morgan's behavior is due to her inability to do surgery anymore, that doesn't excuse all of it.

We've been finalizing my divorce. We didn't want to deal with the custody agreement but now that Kellan's 18 we did it. It's been over for a long time, but still. It hurts. And I'm pissed at myself and I'm pissed that I just shared all that with the coldest person I know.

Park

Some of it, as she told Park, is just who she is. And while it's nice that she has that self-awareness, it doesn't make her any easier to take.

Morgan simply isn't likeable most of the time. 

A Pregnant Patient - The Good Doctor Season 4 Episode 4

Occasionally, she's a good friend to Claire, and her dilemma over her failing ability to use her hands made her temporarily more sympathetic.

But then she starts bossing everyone around and being obnoxious, and my tolerance for her goes out the window.

I've also never shipped Park/Morgan because she's worse when she's trying to one-up him, and so is he.

Park is enjoyable when not in Morgan's orbit, but insufferable when the two of them start bantering. So moving in together is NOT good news.

Plus, I thought he was going to Phoenix to be with Kallen as soon as he got the green light after the COVID pandemic began. What happened to that?

Claire Helps Out - The Good Doctor Season 4 Episode 4

Several developments kept my attention far better than those two.

The most compelling: Olivia's relationship with Andrews.

Did anyone guess he was her uncle? I certainly didn't!

Andrews: How is it going with your first years?
Shaun: Jordan talks too much and Olivia talks too little. And Olivia has no idea where the jugular vein is.

It made me suspicous of the advice he gave Shaun, though.

A Painful Decision - The Good Doctor Season 4 Episode 4

When Shaun hyperfocused on it being "unfair" to give Olivia more attention than Jordan, Andrews argued that it wasn't because she needed that attention to thrive.

But considering she is his niece, isn't it likely that he also wanted to make sure she got every advantage -- even at the expense of the resident who wasn't related to him?

And Andrews should have known that pushing Shaun to focus on his niece was going to come back to bite him.

Shaun is incapable of either tact or little white lies. So, of course, he was going to admit sooner or later that Andrews wanted him to focus on Olivia.

Olivia's reaction was not only understandable but predictable, and I can't believe Andrews didn't see it coming.

Questioning His Decision - The Good Doctor

I wasn't sure how I felt about Shaun's difficulty dealing with the first years' emotions.

It played into the stereotype that autistic people are incapable of empathy, which is generally untrue. But Shaun taking Glassman's advice to ask them how they feel literally was so Shaun.

And he did seem to get the hang of it by the end. Giving Olivia a list of things she did right, while giving Jordan the feedback she needed, demonstrated insight that I don't think Glassman spoon-fed him.

In any case, I preferred that to the going around in circles he and Lea did over whether or not she should move back in with him.

Maybe if I was a fan of this couple, I'd feel better about this storyline. But Lea doing it because it felt "inevitable," even though she didn't feel that sense of trust and commitment, sounded like a recipe for disaster to me.

Raising Her Glass - The Good Doctor Season 4 Episode 3

Finally, Claire's storyline solidified my decision: Asher wins the favorite new character award.

He's assertive, a good diagnostician, unafraid to suggest aggressive treatment, and has a family that doesn't approve of the path he's taken in life.

Hasidic Jews don't often get a starring role on television, and when they do it's sometimes based on stereotypes. So it's refreshing to have a character who struggles with his Hasidic faith while having his feet firmly in the secular world.

Hopefully, we'll learn more about Asher's past, and maybe some of those family members will show up in future episodes.

As for Claire, she was an effective teacher, and, as always, I loved the way she was able to empathetically connect with her patient.

Mentoring Younger Residents  - The Good Doctor Season 4 Episode 3

Billy was an interesting patient, not so much because of his case but because of his relentless optimism.

That made his story, about how he nearly committed suicide after his wife's death, that much more touching.

Thank goodness, he woke up from surgery and was able to tell it!

Your turn, Good Doctor fanatics.

Hit the big, blue SHOW COMMENTS button, and let us know what you thought! And if you want to refresh your memory first, just watch The Good Doctor online right here on TV Fanatic.

Not the Same Review

Editor Rating: 4.9 / 5.0
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Rating: 4.8 / 5.0 (5 Votes)

Jack Ori is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. His debut young adult novel, Reinventing Hannah, is available on Amazon. Follow him on X.

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The Good Doctor Season 4 Episode 4 Quotes

Woman: What does that mean, Dr. Murray?
[After Shaun points to his name badge]
Morgan: Is your vision blurry?
Woman: A little, but I'm just tired.
Morgan: Could be pre-eclampsia.

Claire: Ugh. Morgan needs me to go in ASAP.
Lim: You think she shouldn't page you? You figure she can handle it just because she used to be a surgical intern?