Fans of Shaun and Lea have been through a lot since their nascent romance began on The Good Doctor. After surviving a “horrible truth” last season, the pair headed into Season 4 in a much better space. Cut to Season 4’s two-part premiere, and The Good Doctor’s creator has revealed that Shaun and Lea will soon take another significant step forward in their relationship.
Lea and Shaun shared a seismic kiss after Shaun survived a near-death scenario in last season’s finale and there's no stopping them now. The Good Doctor's creator revealed that the show consciously decided to ramp up Shaun and Lea’s relationship as the Season 4 premiere unfolded over months. In other words, they are well past the “dating” stage of their relationship. Teasing how Season 4 will continue to unfold for the fledgling couple, David Shore told Deadline:
Maybe I shouldn’t say this, but they’re going to move in together fairly early, because we don’t want to deal with the dating aspect of it. We want to deal with, as I said, a mature relationship, and the challenges of that, and the mistakes that we all make in relationships, and the wisdom that Shaun can bring, along with the misunderstandings, and the confusion he takes. As always, it’s not about the comedy of that, although it’s often quite amusing, watching Shaun’s take on that. But I think that always comes from Shaun’s unique perspective. And Shaun’s unique perspective always has value, so we enjoy that.
Yes, your eyes are not deceiving you. Shaun and Lea will be moving in with each at some point during Season 4 of The Good Doctor. This is very significant, especially when you consider how fans went into last season’s fall finale. Shaun and Lea have gone from the hint of exploring physical intimacy to living in intimate quarters with one another. To call is a major development would be an understatement.
The road to get there hasn't be the easiest. Carly had to deal with Shaun’s feelings for Lea before deciding to break up with him last season, thus paving the way for that emotional conversation between Shaun and Lea, during which Shaun told Lea he loved her. While that scene didn't end as it was originally scripted, The Good Doctor still left fans with a lot to sift through.
To think, the medical drama was just dealing with Shaun’s heartbreak, and now they'll be dealing with how he handles living with Lea. The Good Doctor is obviously wasting no time in giving fans the payoff for their incredible (and arduous) wait. Not everyone is with the person they love, though. Dr. Audrey Lim and Dr. Claire Browne’s love interest, Dr. Neil Melendez, died during last season’s finale.
Meanwhile, the characters of The Good Doctor have already felt the impact of the coronavirus. Can Shaun and Lea handle the stresses of moving in together and all that entails? They're already dealing with the pressures of being frontline workers. Of course, if they've been able to make it through all of the drama that led them to a relationship, what's one more (gigantic) step forward?
It's interesting that The Good Doctor’s creator wasn't sure whether to spill the exciting plot detail. While fans may not be able to expect resolutions from last season in the infancy of Season 4, they can expect Shaun and Lea’s romantic progress to go unencumbered -- or at least, confront the drama that couples in an advanced relationship would face. Shaun and Lea for the win?
Stay tuned to find out what becomes of the love birds, as we have one part down and one more to go. The second half of The Good Doctor’s two-part Season 5 premiere airs Monday, November 9 at 10 p.m. ET on ABC. In case you were wondering, the medical drama will be joined by a lot more premieres this fall.
