State of the Shea Pt. 61: The Perspectives, They Are A Changin’
There were certain challenges to watching TGD 6.2 “Change of Perspective,” and I’m not really talking about Lim’s new reality, or the freshly scrubbed residents with the matching names, or even the idea that Glassman might hurt his back while shooting hoops with his clothes hamper (really, guys? You couldn’t have had the die-hard baseball fan Glassy pretend to pitch instead?)
Here are the kind of things I’m speaking of…
The S5/S6 transition is the first time the show really gave us a cliffhanger to contend with– at least, one of that magnitude.
As a result, episode 2 was decidedly calmer… perhaps jarringly so.
It’s a difficult reset because SO much was happening in the previous episode, I really felt like 6.1 was the end of last season and 6.2 was the start of this season. So there’s an odd kind of unmet expectation in this episode that seems unfair to ask in the first place.
Is it because we missed a lot in those 14 ½ weeks? Specifically the early processing of Lim”s paralysis on the part of Lim/GlasslShaun/Andrews? The initial M&M? The healing of Villanueva? The immediate aftermath of Parnick? The earliest days of the Shea marriage? (Including a honeymoon ?)
Perhaps there is a sense of redundancy that made them decide to do the time jump. Park in Morgan we’re still going to be split, Shaun and Lea are still going to be married (though with decidedly longer hair now on Lea’s part), Jerome and Asher were still going to be together, and the situation was going to prompt Lim to conduct her own investigation by the third or fourth episode anyway. Also, the jump allowed the sudden starting of Dani and Danny to make sense. Coinciding, of course, with Lim and Villanueva returning and Shaun and Park starting as attendings. By the way, I would like to nickname Shaun and Park's new office the Shark Bowl… SHaun and Park… Get it? And “bowl” is an homage to the fish bowl that is a centerpiece of #Shea…
In any case, it seems the only way this episode could’ve felt real is if they’d started the season with it… And even then, it’s a little unadventurous compared to other years.
Let’s dig into the various “perspectives” within the episode, shall we?
Lim’s New Angle on Life
On the surface, it looked like all systems go. Lim gerting around her house; Lim driving her car. Lim feeling the love of an adoring staff; Lim publicly thanking Shaun for “saving her life.” Lim knowing her ADA rights; Lim working hard in PT, Lim struggling with doing surgery one way; Lim succeeds with another. Even with the built-in setbacks, it was almost going a little TOO smoothly.
In their lovely scene together, Lim told Villanueva “I’m just a better poker player” with regards to her brave face upon returning to St. Bons… nonetheless, her range of emotions prior to that final scene ranged from resigned to ambitious, from testy to grateful, from resilient to distraught. It was real feelings, but it wasn’t every real feeling. They saved that for the end, and suddenly the poker reference made a lot more sense. Damn, that was tough.
The idea of Shaun being responsible for the paralysis is complicated. Not only because Lim’s been on his “side” professionally speaking almost as much as Glassman has… but because what if they’re playing what if (as it appears. Glassman will, anyway, what if Lim hadn’t been as lenient w Shaun? Would that have stopped him from feeling confident enough to disregard Glassman’s orders?
The Getting-Us-Up-To-Speed Perspective
According to that conversation, an M&M (Morbidity & Mortality conference) took place, with the results proving to be inconclusive. They referenced an M&M on TGD when the infant died in “Expired” last year— and if you’re wondering why an M&M took place when the patient (Lim) survived… they are also done in hospitals with residential programs when there are “complications.” And I suppose an unexpected paralysis falls into that territory.
Shaun and Glassman were no doubt both part of this M&M… In fact, Lea must’ve been too because she was physically on site when Shaun changed the surgical plan! Same with Jordan. So what we’re seeing currently is everybody’s aftermath from those events… With Lim’s being the most important, of course.
But the conversation in Glassman‘s office – with Glassman directly saying that Shaun‘s decision paralyzed her, and Lea quickly piping in with “He’s not here to discuss Lim“-- is surely a slight retread of a more difficult time.
So I’m wondering if any of that will be told in flashback, or if the personal investigation that Lim says she wants to do (as per the synopsis for “A Big Sign” (airing 10/17 in the U.S.), is going to basically incorporate much of the drama from the initial, unseen-by-us M&M?
(P.S. If Shaun ends up accepting responsibility for Lim’s paralysis, can’t you see him funnelling all his spare energy into creating a way to try and reverse it? Just a thought for the future.)
New Newbie POV Pt. 1
First impression of Dr. Danni Powell, aka Combat Danni? Interesting. Challenging. Somewhat icy (Her de-escalating scene with the heart patient’s wife was textbook-quality, but I was almost surprised the wife bought it, if you know what I mean). Quite confident for a “newbie,” though not in a cocky way. A little rude– did she have to call Asher’s line of questioning “idiotic” in one scene? Would Jordan have done that, especially on day one? (More importantly, what would Jordan’s reaction be if Combat Danni called her line of questioning “idiotic”?)
Obviously her big test in “Change of Perspective” was the matter of the xenotransplant, and her refusal to be involved. Again, her confidence (in her beliefs) was quickly on full display… creating an instant dilemma for Shaun that put Lea’s advice (“fire her”) in one ear and Glassy’s advice (“It’s her first day; it’s also your first day (as an attending)... Take a minute, think about it”) in the other. But while he told the two of them that he was taking Lea’s advice, he ultimately took Glassman’s. Maybe it was by default; had “Wilbur” not arrived on site when he did (in all his radiant, Charlotte’s Web-homaged pig glory), Shaun’s requested meeting with Combat Danni would have happened earlier. As it was, though, Shaun ended up getting a THIRD opinion– from Lim, whose professional input he values at least as much as the others, if not a little more– and created the option of his new resident watching the transplant from the gallery.
During that particular scene, you might have noticed that Shaun’s toy scalpel has graduated to a place of honor on his new desk– laying on its long-standing companion of royal blue fabric, showcased in a plastic (or glass?) cube. Gone are the days it was buried carefully in his backpack!
But did you also notice the #Shea wedding pic, displayed on the far right of the desk, seen here just above and to the right of the ABC logo? (Stand by though, for that pic is going to do a little traveling before episode’s end.)
As for the feel-good ending to the pig story… I was admittedly intrigued by Combat Danni’s reaction to the news that a DOA motorcyclist was going to take WIlbur’s place in the transplant. Everyone (including Shaun!) within earshot was thrilled, but any joy felt by Danni was decidedly… subdued? Is that the word I want to use? I’m not sure. It might be “relieved.’
But in any case, she was NOT rejoicing with the others. Maybe she had hoped Shaun would find himself unable to operate on the animal, and was disappointed he got an “easy” reprieve? That’s my best guess. What do you think?
New Newbie POV Pt. 2
Then there’s Danny Perez, coined early on in the episode as Handsome Dan. Park said it, and apparently ALL the nurses agree with him, as the “more than a pretty face” notion kept cropping up in his debut episode. Me? I feel bad saying this, but I don’t see it. I should probably add that, historically speaking, I haven’t swooned over certain heartthrobs the way other women and girls do– my taste must be less conventional, and I think often rooted in other “attractions” such as humor. (Case in point… David Letterman was at the top of my Top 10 Men list throughout my college days. Do with that what you will.)
And I should also add that I have my OWN “Handsome Dan” (married 25 years so far, thank you very much) so maybe I should recuse myself from the entire conversation…
But I digress. First impressions of Handsome Dan (Perez): Polite. Soft-spoken. Kind of charming. Talks a lot about his beloved grandmother; I’m assuming for now that it isn’t a ploy to make him seem more sensitive and sweet to certain colleagues. A little wary of having to prove himself as good-looking AND capable. Maybe not as intriguing as Combat Danni, but I like him better.
And I guess we know who ELSE likes him…? I’m not sure if the Jordan/Danny ( Jordanny? Jordaniel? DanJor? HELP!) thing is going to take flight sooner rather than later, but I’ll support it. Honestly, my first thought (because of the “handsome” thing again- shame on me) was She can do better. But hey, wasn’t I putting it in writing a few weeks back that they needed to give Jordan a love interest? And she wasn’t falling for him the way the nurses were… she needed a peek under the cover first. (BOOK cover, that is. As in don’t-judge-a-book-by-its. Come on back, readers…)
I’m keeping an eye on these two. Namaste. Giggle giggle.
The role of Parnick will now be played by Park and Resnick :(
I mentioned in last week’s post that I was pretty disappointed in Park’s response to Morgan’s (declined) job offer, as well as the fact that they appeared to be over because of it. As we picked up the action in “Perspective” a couple months later, I found myself frustrated all over again…
We never saw Park move out of Morgan’s house, taking his (ugly) recliner with him… even though the moving-in issue grabbed its share of screen time in S5.
We never saw the immediate emotional aftermath, post-breakup.
We didn’t see the Dammit! I could be doing something more rewarding in NYC right now but I’m stuck here vibe from Morgan.
In its place is the Park and Morgan banter we’re used to… but now it has an edge. A less charming, less amusing, SAD edge, to me at least.
The best thing I can compare it to is– and I know my younger readers may have to do some research, sorry– is The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour vs. The Sonny and Cher Show. The former was a smash hit variety show of the early 70s, featuring the then-married titular couple trading funny barbs at each other’s expense. The latter was an attempt at the same show, in the mid-70s, featuring the now-divorced titular couple trading funny barbs at each other’s expense. But the jokes didn’t hit the same way. Some felt awkward, while others were downright painful.
(I’m taking this mostly from accounts I’ve read; I have more memories of commercials for the CHER fashion doll than any version of the show itself.)
Since there was no word of either Morgan or Park taking a break from St. Bon’s during the past couple months, I’m left to wonder why they’d still be acting this bitter? SO bitter, in fact, that they’re getting called into Andrews’ office and advised to clean up their respective acts? (Here’s where I would have appreciated a line from Andrews saying something like “Hey, guys, I thought we worked this out the LAST time I called you into my office…”)
To me, as I sit here thinking about it, it feels like manufactured drama for these two because the time jump effectively swept away much of their “real” drama. Not that the resolution of a breakup isn’t a process– God knows it is, especially when you work alongside each other– but their problems just felt too fresh. Let’s see where it goes over the next few episodes.
Shea… in the background
Speaking of changing perspectives (I’m supposed to be, at least)... this episode brought us our first dose in a long while of #Shea without much, you know, #SHEA. Shaun was around, Lea was around (the writers must ADORE the fact that they can essentially write an IT director into any hospital scene they want), and we saw them side by side a few times, there was a cool gift (ALWAYS count on Thomas L. Moran to be one of the writers when “Tequila, stat!” finds its way into the script), and of course they practically skipped out the door at the end of the day… but it didn’t add up to much. And, as I think I said last week, I didn’t expect it to.
By the way— we looked at Shaun’s desk earlier, but in their final scene of the episode (when Lea entered the Shark Bowl asking how his first day went), I noticed the wedding photo had made its way to the other side of the desk…
Stay tuned as I do my best to track important continuity issues from episode to episode :)
Anyway, their journey is far from over, but after so much focus on their wedding last season (and re-focus, and re-RE-focus depending on your POV), Shaun and Lea are bound to be back-burnered periodically. Especially when the Dannees* are front and center.
*Best way I can think of to call Danny/Danni in plural form. Individually, I will be referring to them as Combat Danni and Handsome Dan– borrowing Park’s term for the latter while referencing the former’s history (and potential nature in general?).
By the way (again)-- A whole lotta members of #Shea Nation have voiced some form of disapproval in watching the promo for the 10/17 episode (“A Big Sign”). Not the Why are you guys making life tough for #Shea already variety, but more of Why are you guys creating ASD/NT (neurotypical) domestic challenges as if Shaun and Lea haven’t already lived together for the past 4 years? And covered many of these along the way?
It’s a completely fair question; however, I’m trying to reserve judgment until seeing the episode in full. Is there a legit reason certain matters (like “folding the shirts vertically,” as Shaun says in the promo) are cropping up NOW? Do they resolve said matters differently and/or more maturely than in the past? And how do the matters tie in to current events (hello, Lim)? These are the things I’ll be looking for on Monday.
What was YOUR POV of “Change of Perspective”? A welcome step forward? A disjointed misstep altogether? Something in between? Leave a comment and share your thoughts!
