The Good Doctor (3×14) Influence Review

For our review of the last episode of The Good Doctor, click here.

Synopsis: After Dr. Shaun Murphy treats a patient who is a social influencer, he deals with unwanted attention; the team treats a woman who is in abdominal distress; Dr. Carly Lever’s efforts to separate Shaun from Lea are challenged. (TV Guide)

In a pretty standard-fare episode of The Good Doctor, Murphy was put in the spotlight whether he wanted to or not which would raise an important question about whether he was truly ready to put himself and his story out there for the outside world.

Influence started with Murphy and Carly late for work because of some inopportune morning sex. Murphy and Reznick’s patient was a famous internet influencer named Kayley (Chelsea Alden) riddled with an interesting set of symptoms (at least to Murphy who got a little carried away). A picture of him that she sent to her followers would start an uncomfortable chain of events for him that he wasn’t particularly fond of (his exchange with Kayley about privacy and the lack off was fun to watch). Meanwhile, the others had a single mother named Ann (Cristina Rosato) faced with severe abdominal discomfort. Her daughter Marla (Mila Jones) claimed that she allegedly drank her daughter’s poop but she misunderstood her mother’s irrational self-diagnosing. Ann’s surgery would encounter some complications but things got worse once Marla’s stool sample were positive for high cholesterol which suggested that she was facing a high risk of heart problems.

With an influencer at the hospital, this was a major PR opportunity but with Murphy at the center of it, he could be a major liability. Kayley would require a rare surgery so Reznick volunteered to lead (though the PR boost would certainly be a plus). The surgery saw some complications but was ultimately successful. There were complications so the conversation shifted to what to do about it, tell her or not (they didn’t but that didn’t stop Glassman from getting on Reznick’s case because of her arthritis). Meanwhile, when discussing the next step with Anne and Marla, Marla got defensive and suffered a heart attack. The resulting surgery was successful but she would have to take medication for the rest of her life.

During a lunch meeting that he kept from Carly (she was not thrilled upon hearing this but she would have to learn to get over her jealousy which she was willing to try), Lea told Murphy that she was quitting her job so she needed a new one. Murphy tried to convince Glassman to hire Lea (she has tech experience and the series has to bring her more into the fold), he promised to think about it if he thought about speaking to reporters. Lea’s interview with Glassman was awkward since it was clear that he didn’t really need anyone and he was only doing it as a favor. His computer that had been acting up all day seemed to be enough for him to reconsider. Meanwhile, the relationship between Melendez and Browne may be an issue. They have been getting closer and in this episode, Reznick saw them running together while driving into work. Lim called him to his office to talk about an anonymous favoritism complaint which obviously came from Reznick but he denied that there was anything happening.

The episode ended with Murphy seemingly agreeing to speaking to reporters and sharing his story. That’ll be exciting.

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.