Elsewhere in the episode, Audrey (Christina Chang) and Melendez (Nicholas Gonzalez) struggle to keep their personal and professional lives separate, while Morgan (Fiona Gubelmann) and Alex (Will Yun Lee) fight it out to be the first to lead a surgery. The Good Doctor fans can read on for a full recap of what happened in “Debts”.
What happened in The Good Doctor Season 3, Episode 2?
On the medical side of things, “Debts” saw the staff of San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital grappling with two cases; A man beaten with a skateboard after trying to protect a woman from being harassed on the subway and a baby still unable to eat without vomiting despite already having been operated on once.
The first case causes trouble for Shaun and Marcus (Hill Harper). Marcus is still angry at losing his job last season after standing up for Shaun, a move he sees as a good deed that he was punished for doing. So when this good Samaritan comes onto the operating table, he is not content to do the standard operation that would rob the hero of his speech and ability to eat solid food. This sets him and Shaun on a mission to find a better solution.
Shaun, however, has problems of his own. After being overwhelmed by feelings of things being out of his control on his date with Carly, he is unwilling to go on a second one with her, and gives her the brush-off during a visit to the pathology lab.
His colleagues, however, think he’s making a mistake and tell him so throughout the episode. Carly herself even visits Shaun’s house as he tries to find a solution for the good Samaritan and reveals that her sister is autistic, which has helped her to understand Shaun.
The entire staff’s pressure leads to the pair of them having a “non-date date” at the close of the episode, meaning their relationship should continue to play out over the course of The Good Doctor Season 3. Shaun and Marcus’ work also may see the hero they operated on find love after the pair save his speech, as it is revealed that the woman he saved has been waiting to see him throughout his time in surgery.
As for the other medical case, the baby drives a wedge between Audrey and Melendez, who are still dating despite her now being his boss. After the first surgery does not seem to work, Audrey thinks he messed it up, leading to a tense car ride between the pair of them over her lack of trust in him as a doctor. However, they then find out that the baby’s symptoms were caused by two different factors, a discovery they never would have made had Melendez not performed the first surgery. Things are patched up between them, but their work and love lives are likely to see them butt heads again later in the season.
Claire (Antonia Thomas) had mixed fortunes in The Good Doctor Season 3, Episode 2. She began the episode having to deal with her mother Breeze (Sharon Leal) being off her medication, relapse into drugs and alcohol and have to stay at Claire’s house after being kicked out of her apartment.
The two eventually reconcile as Breeze gets back on the wagon, and Claire allows her to stay with her while she gets back on her feet, meaning she is likely to return in next week’s episode. This episode will also see Claire lead her first surgery after Audrey chose her to be the first of the residents to do so, despite Alex and Morgan lobbying hard for the honour.
Viewers can see how Claire fares with her mother and her first lead surgery when The Good Doctor Season 3 continues on ABC.
The Good Doctor Season 3 airs Mondays at 10p.m. ET/9p.m. CT on ABC.
