WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Good Doctor Season 4, Episode 17, “Letting Go,” which aired Monday on ABC.
Last week’s episode of The Good Doctor, “Dr. Ted,” ended in tragedy when Shaun and Lea lost their child and had to try to get back to their regular lives. Now, “Letting Go” covers the fallout of that life-changing event, and while Shaun can dive into his work as a distraction, Lea has a much harder time moving on.
“Letting Go” begins with Shaun in Lea in their apartment as they discuss the loss of their child. As expected, Shaun takes a logical approach to the situation, informing his girlfriend that 25 percent of pregnancies end in miscarriages. Lea, on the other hand, is clearly still shaken up, and when Shaun leaves for work, she’s left alone with her thoughts.
As Shaun begins work on a new case that involves a man with heart failure, Lea tries to take her mind off of things by listening to music and playing mobile games. However, she’s interrupted by a call from her mother, which the audience is left to assume is a result of the tragic events in “Dr. Ted.” Lea ignores the call, though, and, after deciding not to sit around anymore, she leaves for the hospital. Believing she can get some work done, she heads to her office, only to be stopped by several colleagues who want to offer their support.
The most notable of her visitors is Jordan, who heads to the I.T. office after a brainstorming session with Morgan and Claire. She tells Lea that, while she’s never experienced the pain Lea is feeling, losing an important part of the future is difficult, and it shouldn’t be glossed over. Lea heeds the advice of her friend, but she would still rather avoid the problem, and she heads back home.
Not long after Lea arrives, Shaun gets back home, having been sent home by Dr. Andrews after misdiagnosing a patient. After spending most of the episode running, both Shaun and Lea have to come to terms with their grief. But just as they are about to make progress, Lea’s mom calls, and Shaun answers the phone. Just like the audience, he believes she’s calling to offer her condolences, but it quickly becomes apparent that she knows nothing about the miscarriage. She keeps talking about items she’s purchased for the baby, and while Shaun does his best to keep up the facade, he eventually snaps and tells her to “shut up” before hanging up the phone.