Much of the fourth season of The Good Doctor has revolved around Dr. Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore) learning how to be there for his pregnant girlfriend, Lea (Paige Spara). Living with ASD makes things challenging for him, and while he does his best to adapt, not every problem can be solved in an operating room. And nowhere is that more evident than in the latest episode of the series, “Waiting,” which sees Shaun have to confront his impending fatherhood after a young boy comes into the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
The surgical team at San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital is left shaken after two boys shot at a political protest are brought to them with little time to spare. While Claire, Asher and Dr. Andrews care for the first child, the second boy, Ethan, is left in the hands of Shaun, Park and Dr. Lim. The team quickly gets to work and realizes they have to remove a portion of the boy’s skull to get to the bullet fragments that run the risk of causing him brain damage.
Obviously, this worries his mother, Taryn, and things get even worse for her when Shaun and Park recommend leaving in a fragment that doesn’t pose any danger. Lea, who is in the same waiting room as Taryn, assures her that Shaun and Park are the best doctors she knows and their recommendation is the best course of action. Ethan is then moved to intensive care, where he will remain until the swelling on his brain goes down.
However, when Taryn goes to visit him, she notices he is showing signs of brain activity, which is abnormal for someone in his condition. Shaun quickly realizes Ethan is having a stroke brought on by the bullet fragment being left in his brain and decides to take him back for more tests. As the tests are run, Shaun is worried he made the wrong decision, which weighs on him heavily as he prepares to have his own child. Unfortunately, those doubts are intensified when Shaun, Park and Jordan discover a second fragment that wasn’t on Ethan’s original scans.
This new fragment could damage Ethan’s brain permanently, and without anywhere else to turn, Shaun goes to see Dr. Glassman. When Shaun initially enters the office, he wants Dr. Glassman to come up with a solution, but it’s clear there’s more on Shaun’s mind. Glassman gets his mentee to open up about what losing a child as a doctor means when you’re about to become a father. Before losing his own daughter, Glassman didn’t spend enough time at home and regrets that decision to this day. Now, with his pseudo-son about to take that major step in his life, he doesn’t want him to end up like he did.
After that vulnerable moment, Shaun and Park try to come up with a solution for Ethan. Park is also feeling the effects of potentially losing a young patient, but he steps up and finds a way to remove the fragment from Ethan’s brain without harming him. And while the procedure is a success and Ethan reunites with his mother, Shaun has a lot to think about, especially after Lea collapses outside the hospital on their way home.
