The Best (and Worst) of Season 6: State of the Shea Readers’ Choice

Usually at this time of year we are either an episode or two into the new season of TGD, or we’re still feverishly speculating on whatever promo we’ve seen for the past two weeks with the season premiere right around the corner.

Obviously, this fall we’ve downgraded our excitement to relief that the WGA Strike is now over– with the union getting most of what it felt necessary– and we’ve rekindled hopes that the SAG-AFTRA Strike will find a similar conclusion sooner rather than what was previously predicted (January).

But none of this keeps us from taking one more comprehensive look at TGD Season 6… featuring the voices and opinions of readers like YOU!

While it’s true the top-voted episode of the season will come as little surprise to most 😉, there’s much more to talk about. As always! So let’s get to it–

NOTE: I’ve hyperlinked my posts about each episode mentioned— just click on the title!

FAVORITE EPISODES…

LOVE’S LABOR
(Original air date: 5/1/23)

For obvious reasons that begin with #Shea and end with BABY (or begin with #Parnick and end with REUNION– take your pick), this may have been the biggest crowd-pleaser of a season finale laid down yet by TGD. I DO say that knowing that the oft-discussed “Shore Tax” (a.k.a. the bad that inevitably comes with the good on David Shore productions) was still in place; rookie doc Danny Perez was written off; veteran doc Marcus Andrews also appeared to be leaving.

The latter is necessary as Hill Harper is running for a senate seat. And as for those still growling about Danny’s departure and/or Jordan’s love life stalling in neutral gear for three seasons running– I hear you. But Danny wasn’t the one to move things forward… can we agree on that? (More about this later.)

2. QUIET & LOUD

(Original air date: 1/23/23)

Three months later, Lim can now walk with the help of a cane, Lea's pregnancy is progressing, Danny returns to work under conditions, and Morgan prepares for her embryo implantation while trying to maintain a professional relationship with Park…

So goes the Wikipedia description of this episode that welcomed TGD viewers back from winter hiatus. And, indeed, there was plenty going on, as usual, in this episode. But the thing that you mentioned repeatedly about this episode was Lea’s surgery sequence– especially the part where Shaun was joined, one by one, by his friends as they sat outside the OR awaiting the outcome.

3. AFTERPARTY

(Original air date: 10/3/22)

It was one of the more anxiety-producing season premieres we’ve endured (What?? You’re just gonna leave Lim and Villanueva BLEEDING ON THE FLOOR beneath the #Shea wedding reception all summer?!?), but “Afterparty” delivered in ways expected (Shaun saves the day!) and very much unexpected (OMG Hi GhostSteve!). Lives and relationships hung in the balance throughout the episode, with very few (lookin’ at you, Park) escaping the tangle of suspense perpetuated by Villanueva’s abusive ex, Owen. By the time the hour was over, some bonds were strengthened, others were frayed, but everyone survived… though one emerged less able-bodied than the rest, thus becoming a driving force through the first half of the season.

If we couldn’t get a crisis-free wedding reception for Shaun and Lea–where the biggest drama is a beer keg getting drained too early– this “go big or go home” effort by Shore and Friedman & Co. certainly got season 6 off to a cracking start.

4. THE GOOD BOY

(Original air date: 1/30/23)

#Shea needed a lighter load to carry on the episode following “Quiet and Loud.” Does that translate to rescuing an badly injured doggo en route to their Babymoon? On TGD it does. But what you liked best about this ep was Glassman’s involvement, and what you liked the VERY best was this…

On the other hand, some of you shared that it was Dr. Danni Powell’s covert, anything-for-a-friend surgical move (which got her fired from St. Bons in this episode) that helped make this a S6 favorite. Ouch! But I get it.

5. A BIG SIGN

(Original air date: 10/17/22)

The title scene near the end– you know, when Shaun surprises Lea with A Big Sign saying the exact opposite of what she imagined him thinking– may be what most of you remember (and adore) best about this early fall episode. But much led up to that scene, which was anchored by advice from Shaun’s marriage counselor POTW and fortified by #Shea situations and discussions that read a bit like “Two Ply (or Not Two Ply)” 2.0. That same counselor (who was also the first POTW to die on the table this season) also doled out advice to #Jasher which made for an entertaining subplot, to say the least.

Oh, and this was also the ep where Lim told Shaun they could no longer be friends… though I don’t suppose that inspired many “best of” votes. (Thank goodness THAT’s over.)

**VERY Honorable Mention…** **THE GOOD LAWYER**
**(Original air date: 3/13/23)**

For those of you surprised that “The Good Lawyer” – a.k.a. the backdoor pilot that aired mid-season (and whose fate is still undecided as I write this) – is not on this best-of list, please know that it DID get best-of votes. It also got worst-of votes. It also got I’m-not-counting-this-as-a-regular-episode votes due to the necessity for it to be self-contained; that is, not intrinsic to any other episodes in S6. (Unless you count the final scene in “Old Friends” where Shaun was subpoenaed, which I don’t.) So I decided to take TGL out of the mix entirely.
Stay tuned to find out if TGL will be back IN the mix in the future, or if it’s destined to be a nugget of TGD trivia.

Some of you didn’t even HAVE “worst” episodes to name, which is a feat unto itself!

So in that spirit, allow me to call these the LEAST FAVORITE EPISODES (sounds so much kinder, doesn’t it):

SHRAPNEL
(Original air date: 10/24/22)

After severing her friendship with Shaun, Lim enjoyed time away from the hospital while Shaun moved his office down and away from the St. Bons crowd into a storage closet.

Glassman ghosted Shaun at pancakes time; later, while explaining his anger, Shaun kicked him out of his office and slammed the door.

Jordan and Danny grew closer, only for Danny to bail just before kissing her. (We found out why one episode later, but it turned out to be the start of a long road to nowhere. romantically speaking.)

Gee, I can’t understand how this made so many “least favorite” lists… 🙄

2. BLESSED

(Original air date: 4/17/23)

Morgan adopted Eden in this one– but I don’t think that’s why “Blessed” is on this list. 😀

Asher and Jerome were at odds for much of “Blessed,” but I don’t that’s why it’s here either.

Shaun and Glassman were at odds for ALL of “Blessed,” with the former making the eventual discovery that would end the latter’s surgical career… and taking that discovery to Lim rather than Glassman himself. Uggh. Let’s just say that when it became clear Glassman’s cancer remained in remission, we certainly didn’t like this turn of events only one episode later.

3. (tie) A BEAUTIFUL DAY

(Original air date: 4/24/23)

Again, there was good stuff here for Morgan as the stage was further set for a #Parnick reunion… and if you appreciated the Andrews/Villanueva thing and/or the Danny/Jordan thing, there were good things for you as well. (I was a “no” on both of those as you know, which partially explains why this made my own least-fave list.)

But the bulk of the ep was the follow-up on the bad news delivered in “Blessed”: Angry-to-humiliated-to-angry-again Glassman, steadfastly adamant Shaun, compassionately frustrated Lim… all adding up to the core relationship of TGD being estranged at the worst possible time for the titular character.

3. (tie) GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES

(Original air date: 10/31/22)

Also known as…

The Halloween episode where the costumes all but disappeared within the first 15 minutes.

The episode where Lim’s would-be new relationship collapses within the last 15 minutes (in what I think was a clumsy effort to underscore her disability struggles).

The episode where amputee Dr. Powell yielded a surprising amount of influence on Lim, prompting her to decline Shaun and Glassman’s surgical plan.

But hey, we DID get to hear Asher (Noah Galvin) sing Sondheim near the start of “Growth Opportunities” while dressed as Grogu from The Mandalorian. So there’s that.

TOSS-UPS…

Here are the episodes that had the most votes for best AND least favorite.

SORRY NOT SORRY
(Original air date: 12/5/22)

This one had virtually as many “best” as it did “worst” votes!

Were the “bests” because of Shaun and Lim’s apology scene? Or because of the sexual assault storyline that showed us a glimmer of Morgan’s past we’d never seen? Or because Glassman made an observation that finally got Lim on the path to a successful operation?

Were the “worsts” because Lea was completely absent from “Sorry”? Or because of the Andrews/Villanueva storyline getting started? Or because Danny ramped up his confusing non-pursuit of Jordan?

(BTW if any of you want to share your reasons for voting this way or that, particularly on this split-vote choices, please do!)

2. BOYS DON’T CRY

(Original air date: 11/28/22)

The tale of the sextuplets– which were tended to by the entire fleet of TGD docs– proved to be a strong vehicle for both #Jasher and #Parnick, though in rather different ways. It also brought the two newbies (Danny and Danni, remember?) further into the fold.

But #Shea fans might remember “Boys Don’t Cry” for just one thing– Shaun and Lea getting excited about starting a family, only to have their hopes dashed by the end of the episode.

(Sure, it all worked out… but an episode that ends with Lea sobbing in Shaun’s arms tends to dismay a fair bit of #Shea Nation.)

3. 39 DIFFERENCES

(Original air date: 2/13/23)

This, the episode immediately following Glassman’s house fire, is probably remembered best for the scenes that took place on the premises of said house fire: Glassman solo, Glassy and Shaun, Glassy and Lea, Glassy AND Shaun AND Lea, all reinforcing the bonds that made the later falling out between Shaun and Glassman so much sadder. But it was also the episode that spawned an oddly overblown conflict with Shaun and Lea. Was it an argument? A disagreement? Or just an ill-timed conversation? None of it mattered once The Peanut kicked Lea for the first time, but the incongruencies took the shine off much of the episode for some. (OK, for me.)