Entertainment Extra

2 ENTERTAINMENT EXTRA By Rachel Jones TV Media A s is the case with just about everything it seems, the novel coronavirus has made its way to ABC's hit drama "The Good Doctor." The cast of characters is returning to battle this deadly virus from the front lines and we're already hooked. The latest episode of Season 4 is set to air Monday, Feb. 8, on the alphabet network. "The Good Doctor" follows Dr. Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore, "August Rush," 2007), a surgeon in the San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital in San Jose, California. An autistic savant, Murphy often experienc- es trouble connecting with patients and faculty in a mean- ingful way. The perk to his spec- trum disorder, however, is that he has saved many lives. Working double time to prove to the other doctors at the hospital that he's capable of the high-intensity rou- tine, Murphy frequently has to make sacrifices in his life to save others and continue proving his — otherwise undeniable — worth. David Shore ("House") takes the lead behind the scenes as the series creator, while Daniel Dae Kim ("Lost") agreed to help pro- duce after a South Korean show of the same name caught his attention. The first season of the American "Good Doctor" series aired in September 2017, and the subsequent two seasons fol- lowed suit with September pre- mieres. Unfortunately, due to delays from COVID-19, the Season 4 premiere aired later (in November 2020) and seems like- ly to have a shorter season than normal. Season 4 takes place in a post-outbreak world and addresses the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, rife with all its loss and hardships. Everyone is affected in some way, and each of the charac- ters must find their own solu- tion to deal with the new and very unique set of struggles. Adding to the stress (and beware of spoilers beginning now for those not up to date), the hospital staff is also deal- ing with the loss of Dr. Neil Melendez (Nicholas Gonzalez, "Resurrection Blvd."), who died at the end of Season 3. One very real pandemic chal- lenge faced by most of the char- acters early in the season was that of self-isolating to protect those they care about most. From working at home to sleep- ing in the garage, these hospital workers were isolated to keep their loved ones safe. As cases began to lessen, however, they have been able to find ways to spend more time with those close to them until they can physically be together once more. Dr. Morgan Reznick (Fiona Gubelmann, "Wilfred") has a personal change of her own to navigate as she moves to a new hospital wing. Having damaged her hand at the end of Season 3, Reznick was transferred from surgery to internal medicine where her services rely less on her dexter- ity. This season, Reznick faces yet another massive struggle as she tests positive for COVID- 19. Will she recover? Only time will tell. Meanwhile, Dr. Audrey Lim (Christina Chang, "Nashville") faces post-traumatic stress dis- order in the wake of treating a seemingly endless stream of COVID-19 patients. Due to her PTSD, Lim ends up in a motor- cycle accident but refuses tell anyone about it. Naturally, it isn't long before her secret is uncovered by Dr. Claire Browne (Antonia Thomas, "Lovesick"), who sees the wrecked bike. At this point, we are starting to see more of how Murphy's struggle to connect with others spills over into his romantic rela- tionships. In Season 3, he dated the head pathologist, Dr. Carly Lever (Jasika Nicole, "Fringe"), but their relationship came to an end when she realized that Murphy had deeper feelings for Lea Dilallo (Paige Spara, "Home Again," 2017), who, in Season 1, was quite literally "the girl next door." This season, Murphy and Dilallo, the head of the hospital IT department, have been work- ing on their relationship and they're finally dating. Fans patiently (or perhaps impatiently) wait to find out whether they'll stay together or if the strain of the pandemic will tear them apart. Despite Murphy's tireless quest for acceptance among the staff, he does still have a strong friend group. Dr. Aaron Glassman (Richard Schiff, "The West Wing"), president of San Jose St. Bonaventure and some- what of mentor to Murphy, is the closest thing Murphy has to a true friend, believing in him from the beginning rather than focusing on his differences. This makes Glassman someone Murphy can respect, and the young doctor often benefits from that support by way of seeking out Glassman's help and advice with all manner of life questions – not just medical queries. Dr. Claire Browne is another good friend of Murphy's. Her ability to connect well with oth- ers and empathize makes her a unique balance to Murphy and this leads to their becoming good friends (especially since she's also a patient now). Browne's bedside manner and charity to staff and patients alike provides a model for Murphy as he navigates his own ability to connect. YMCA 2 x 2" Pear Tree Gallery 3 x 2" On the Cover Antonia Thomas as seen in "The Good Doctor" Season 4 of 'The Good Doctor' continues Chase Center 3 x 2" American Legion Post 60 2 x 3" Thrifty Muffler 2 x 2.5"

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