The Good Doctor Season 2 Episode 11 Review: Quarantine Part Two
Paul Dailly
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That was one hell of an outbreak.
The Good Doctor Season 2 Episode 11 resolved the cliffhangers we were left with after The Good Doctor Season 2 Episode 10, and it fell a bit short of expectations.
The Good Doctor prides itself in hitting viewers right in the feels, but there was something about "Quarantine Part Two" that felt not only rushed but also somewhat convoluted.
It was evident the outbreak was going to be resolved because it wouldn't have worked to have this storyline stretched over a longer arc, but the powers that be took the convenient way out.
I appreciate that locking parts of the hospital down was a ballsy move. It was needed to contain the virus from the rest of the hospital.
Dr. Lim being at death's door was difficult because she's fast become one of the show's best characters. My heart skipped a beat when Morgan bolted to her bedside thinking she was flatlining.
That part was surprising because this would have been the perfect opportunity to off one of the show's most popular characters.
Maybe I'm getting a bit too ahead of myself here and comparing the show to Grey's Anatomy because I know that show would not hesitate to kill off a series regular.
What the Dr. Lim scenario gave us was some time for Morgan to shine. After spending most of her time on the series as that one-dimensional character who makes passive-aggressive comments, Morgan came into her own as she tried her best to control the situation at hand.
She proved that she could handle being under pressure, and it was perfect that she pushed back at Andrews with her plan to save Dr. Lim's life.
Related: The Good Doctor Season 2 Episode 10 Review: Quarantine Part One
We can't forget that Morgan also managed to help Shaun through just about every episode he found himself in.
Nurse: Dr. Murphy?
Morgan: Don't yell, it will only make it worse.
Nurse: Okay, what should I do?
Morgan: Tell him about the surgery. Give him every detail you can.
She was like a beacon of hope in an otherwise dangerous scenario. Whoever came up with the idea to give Morgan a lot of meat on this outbreak storyline deserves a huge pat on the back.
As for Shaun, for the first time of the entire series, I'm conflicted about him. He's long worried about whether being the spectrum hinders him in his role, and it really did during "Quarantine Part Two."
He struggled to focus with everything going on around him, and it could have resulted in the loss both the mother and the baby.
What's more, the head of the midwife department did not look too impressed with the way things played out, and I don't doubt she will be taking some of her own qualms about Murphy to the board.
Shaun was in a scenario he will probably never find himself in again, and that could swing in his favor, but with all of the changes at the hospital, he's likely going to find himself explaining how he handled things for quite some time.
Nurse: Dr. Murphy, you need to make the cut.
Shaun: No.
It doesn't help matters that Anders is on his way out the door, and the next person to take over will likely want a full investigation into everything that happened during the outbreak.
The most beautiful scene of the series came in the form of Shaun trying to cope when he was overwhelmed.
What this series excels at is showing Shaun's thought process, and it sets itself apart from the other medical shows out there.
Then there was Glassman and Lea. They may have started the journey out with the hospital, but they sure had the claws out for one another.
Related: The Good Doctor Casts Daniel Dae Kim
Glassman deserved some wiggle room for his comments because he had just learned that his cancer had likely returned.
His comments to Lea were similar to how I felt when she randomly returned out of the blue on The Good Doctor Season 2 Episode 1.
Glassman: You're still here.
Lea: What did they say?
Glassman: Very kind of you. No wonder you and Shaun get along.
Lea: What did they say? Did the new tests show anything new?
Glassman: They need time to process the C.T. images, send them off to Dr. Blaize.
Lea: So you might have been wrong about your cancer coming back?
Glassman: No.
Lea: No? How can you know you're not wrong if you don't know you're not wrong?
Glassman: This is how they do it: First they tell you it might be something, and then they order new tests to test the previous tests, only to inform you it was what they said all along. Very effective way of breaking bad news.
Now that Lea knows that's how Glassman feels, she's probably going to think Shaun feels the same, and will probably try to get to the truth in the coming episodes.
Lea has proven to be a formidable force, and I loved how she urged Glassman to be open and honest with Shaun. It would destroy Shaun if he were lured into a false sense of security only for his mentor to die with an illness he was hiding.
That would be the thing that sends Shaun way off the deep end, and I'm not so sure he would be able to make it back from it.
Oh, and it wouldn't have been a medical emergency without some family drama thrown in for good measure.
It was only natural for Dr. Park to battle his way into the danger zone in the name of being closer to his son. These two have a fraught relationship, so having them in such a confined space made it the best time for them to resolve their differences.
Dr. Park has been a bit of a closed book since he first appeared on The Good Doctor Season 1, but him pleading with his son for forgiveness was one of the most poignant moments to date.
Having the father and son back on the same page, and even the mother thrown into the mix was the best foot forward.
However, this could suggest that Dr. Park could get back together with his ex-wife down the line. Time will tell, but that could also mean the surgeon could be on the move once again.
That's all I got, The Good Doctor Fanatics!
What are your thoughts on the midseason return?
Hit the comments below.
Remember you can watch The Good Doctor online right here via TV Fanatic.
The Good Doctor continues Mondays on ABC.
Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.
