Incomplete

## Episode Chronology

"*I like Shaun, and I love that he's dating, but I can’t help thinking that the kind of person who'd go out with Shaun might be seeing him more as a project than a person. And I'd rather not see him get his heart broken.*"
—Morgan to Carly on why she feels protective over Shaun.

**"Incomplete"** is the ninth episode of Season 3 of *The Good Doctor*. It is the forty-fifth episode overall, and aired on November 25, 2019.

## Synopsis

Shaun is ready for the next step in his relationship with Carly; however, he continues to struggle as they grow closer and more intimate, and is dealt some troubling news about a deeply personal issue. Meanwhile, a young patient must decide on a treatment that could save her life or possibly destroy her marriage.

## Plot

Dr. Browne wakes up after her alarm rings and sees a man's watch on the nightstand. She looks around but finds herself alone in bed, until a short while later, the man she slept with the night prior walks into her bedroom. She puts the comforted higher up her chest, as the man brings her some eggs for breakfast. He mentions that he may have overcooked them a bit since he’s not used to a gas stove. Claire remarks that the last thing she wants is food right now. As he's getting dressed his eyes land on a picture of Claire blowing out a candle surrounded by some of her coworkers. He tells her that he had fun the night before, and after she unenthusiastically says that she did too, Kane gets the hint and leaves.

Meanwhile, Debby receives a morning surprise in the form of Shaun showing up with flowers at her home wanting to ask Dr. Glassman something. Thankfully, Debby is able to help Shaun while Glassman is in the shower after she asks Shaun what Carly’s favorite color is. He answers back saying it’s purple, so now he has his answer on which bouquet to give to his girlfriend.

Shaun delivers the purple bouquet, Carly’s favorite color, to her in the pathology lab, and states in front of the lab workers that he is ready to further consummate their relationship that night. With a broad smile, Carly affirms that decision.

Claire arrives at San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital to Dr. Park informing her that they have a 39 year old male that was part of a multi-car accident. He is suffering from blunt abdominal injuries, which include a ruptured spleen and a lacerated liver. She asks what his G.C.S. is and Alex responds that it’s a nine. She then notices that there is some intraperitoneal free fluid in the right upper quadrant. Thus, Alex informs the nurses that they need an O.R. stat and to page Dr. Melendez. But much to her surprise, Claire’s patient is none other than her one-night stand she had last seen earlier this morning.

Later, while in the operating room, the male patient’s B.P. begins to skyrocket which confuses Dr. Melendez. He remarks that their patient just suffered massive blood loss and is under anesthesia. So he should be hypotensive. Dr. Browne realizes that the MDMA Kane took the night before might be affecting him right now. So without giving herself away, she tells Melendez and gets congratulated for catching what was wrong with their patient. Eventually, Claire comes face-to-face with her one-night stand’s wife and daughter. His daughter asked why he didn’t come home last night, and the wife tells her that he was hanging out with her uncle. Claire asks his wife if she’s okay, but the wife tells her that she believes he’s cheating on her.

Meanwhile, a young couple confronts a very unusual dilemma. The female patient, Jeanie presents with a transient ischemic attack, or mini-stroke, as Dr. Murphy details. She is only 25, which is why Dr. Reznick lets the couple know that just to make sure, they will be doing an MRI, a cardiac echo, and some labs to know for sure. Further study reveals that she has a mass near her clitoris that could cause a massive stroke during any sexual activity resulting from blood flow issues. Unfortunately, by removing the mass however, this in turn means that sexual activity will cease and/or bring no pleasure for Jamie. The couple will still be able to have children and otherwise normal life. Dr. Reznick tries in vain to have Jeanie go through with the surgery. But despite the pressure, Jeanie declines surgery, even after being warned of the 95% risk she has of death everytime she engages in sexual intercourse. She declares that lovemaking “is our language.” Her fiancé Tony, doesn't dissuade her. Morgan states that all this resistance is simply because “you want to get laid”. Dr. Andrews, on the other hand, understands the perspective of the pair.

Dr. Melendez trails Dr. Lim throughout the day, trying in vain to talk about their breakup. The chief of surgery insists that she is just very busy, and has no time to focus on tying things up neatly. Finally, when she finds him waiting in her office, she admits to Neil that this is a lot harder than she previously thought”.

Carly and Shaun try for a “tops off” session of closeness. He cannot take his attention away from a tattoo of half a heart on her chest. Ultimately, Shaun excuses himself to watch TV, and Carly ends up alone in bed.

Shaun tells Glassman that he was definitely feeling it, but then saw that Carly had a half of a tattoo, and he’s not into it. It doesn’t make any sense to him. Glassman says it’s probably not that, that it’s more so the intimacy. Eventually, Debby has to barge in to kick Shaun out because Dr. Glassman has a lot of patients. Once Shaun leaves, Debby says to Glassman that he needs to let Shaun be because he has someone else in his life now.

Meanwhile, Morgan visits Carly and pokes her nose into their romantic business. Out of nowhere, Morgan accuses Carly of seeing Shaun just as a project. But, Carly stands her ground and explains that she really likes Shaun for who he is and how he treats her. In fact, Morgan’s condescending notion that people need an ulterior motive to be interested in Shaun makes her the person who sees Shaun as a project more than anyone.

After the failed attempt at trying to have sex , Shaun takes his relationship woes to Jeanie, asking her why she’s willing to risk her life for sex. As Jeanie explains, sex makes everyone vulnerable. And being able to share that with other things such as worries, fears, and such truly connects a couple.

Later on, Morgan corners Tony in the lobby. Then, she asks him to imagine his best memory with Jeanie in an attempt to make him see that they don’t need sex for their relationship to survive. Even though it generally didn’t have sex involved, Tony still thinks that sex is important. Contradicting this, Morgan shares the reasons behind her bitterness. Apparently, she’s so bitter about sex because a drunken one-night stand with a stranger caused her to lose her perfect man. To Morgan, sex can make people feel closer and honest. But, it isn’t the end goal. It’s the rest of the other things that are. This eventually gets Tony to change his mind and convinces Jeanie to take the operation. Promising her that they’ll still get through it, Tony tells Jeanie “I love you more than sex.” Later on, in the operating room, Morgan admits that she made Tony lie. But, as Dr. Andrews tells her, maybe he wasn’t lying and he didn’t even realize he wasn’t until he said it outloud.

Dr. Browne doesn't make Kane’s care a priority but still catches a blood clot in the leg before the damage is too far gone. She also performs major life-saving moves in surgery. The father and husband is saved for his family. Afterwards, she urges his wife to ask for the truth. But that wish is granted tenfold, with the sting to show for it. Kane's wife finds Claire and gives her a wallop of a slap across the face. Claire runs out in shame, and Neil follows to comfort her. Kane offers his own revelation, telling Claire that he noticed how she looked at his hand, with a ring on it, the night they met at the bar. So in the end she is just as guilty of cheating as he is.

Elsewhere, Shaun and Carly decide to give sex another go. This time, Shaun is honest and tells Carly about how much the incomplete heart tattoo is bothering him. But, even after Carly draws the rest of it to complete it, Shaun can’t go through with it. Carly affirms Shaun’s conclusion that true intimacy is sharing your biggest fears with someone. She shares her own fears of failure and inadequacy in her profession, and her inexplicable fear of pigeons.

Shaun shares that his biggest fear is being alone and losing her if he can’t do this. Carly pledges that he has no need to fear that outcome, offering her hand. She proposes simply holding one another, with no need to go further. Shaun still cringes before ultimately deciding to leave. He arrives back at his apartment and comes face to face with Dr. Glassman. He informs Shaun that his mother has called him from Wyoming, where his father is in the last stage of pancreatic cancer. Realistically, he may only have a few days left.

## Cast

* Nicholas Gonzalez as Dr. Neil Melendez
* Antonia Thomas as Dr. Claire Browne
* Fiona Gubelmann as Dr. Morgan Reznick
* Will Yun Lee as Dr. Alex Park
* Christina Chang as Dr. Audrey Lim
* Paige Spara as Lea Dilallo (*Credited Only*)
* Jasika Nicole as Dr. Carly Lever
* Hill Harper as Dr. Marcus Andrews
* Richard Schiff as Dr. Aaron Glassman
* Hayden Szeto as Tony Liu
* Sharif Atkins as Kane Omar
* Irene Choi as Jeanie
* Chelsea Hobbs as Sasha Omar

Co-Starring* Aiyanna Miorin as Allie

## Multimedia

### Videos

The Good Doctor 3x09 Promo "Incomplete" (HD)
## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 http://www.thefutoncritic.com/showatch/good-doctor/listings/
2. ↑ https://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/daily-ratings/monday-final-ratings-november-25-2019/
3. ↑ http://www.thefutoncritic.com/listings/20191111abc02/