WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Good Doctor Season 4, Episode 19, "Venga," which aired Monday on ABC.
The Good Doctor has dealt with plenty of heavy topics this season, and things aren't going to change as the show heads into its two-part finale. Wanting to offer their services to those in need, the surgical team at San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital heads to Guatemala for a ten-day mission as the two-part finale kicks off.
"Venga" kicks off surprisingly pleasant, with Dr. Lim and Claire arriving for their flight three hours early because of Claire's need to be on time. Lim gets Claire to agree to get her Starbucks for the trouble as Morgan and Park pull up in separate vehicles. Park was driven to the airport by his girlfriend, and with a visibly jealous Morgan watching on, the couple kisses before departing. Next to arrive is Shaun and Lea, who believe the trip will be good for them given their recent tragedy.
Once the group touches down in Guatemala, they have to take a bus ride to their remote location. Understandably, everyone is tried -- well, except for Claire, who appears especially excited to be in another country. But, as the bus nears its destination, a group of sheep blocks the road, forcing the vehicle to stop. The driver tries to get the animal's herder to move them, but Shaun is the one who gets through to the man after he identifies a fungus on his back.
After the delay, the group arrives at the hospital they'll be working at and are told by Dr. Rendon that despite the countless people they'll want to help, only 12 surgeries will occur during the ten-day window. Lim meets with the first potential patient, a young man with a stomach lump, while Claire and Shaun break the unfortunate news to a mother that her daughter's heart condition is irreversible and there's nothing they can do. Claire breaks down after, but she's consoled by another local doctor who tells her to focus on the good she's doing on her mission.
Dr. Andrews meets with another potential candidate for surgery, a young boy with a facial embolism who's a fan of the St. Louis Cardinals. Upon seeing the boy, Andrews quickly begins talking to him about baseball, which gets the attention of one of the hospital's nurses. Lim then starts three piles so the group can decide which patients to give surgery to, but when Andrews walks by, he puts the boys in the "no" category. Later, Andrews tries to reconsider his decision while the group is at a bar, but Lim talks him out of it.
The next day, Shaun returns to the herder and gives him medication for his fungus before heading back to the hospital. Claire examines a woman with abdomen pain, but after diagnosing her with gallstones, she refuses surgery. Thankfully, Claire gives one of her patented speeches using the woman's daughter as a translator, and the patient warms up to the idea. Elsewhere, Morgan informs her patient's father of a condition that makes surgery impossible. However, after hearing the terrible news, the man seems okay, just wanting to offer his thanks to the doctor, which leaves Morgan visibly shaken.
After meeting with all of the patients, the group begins to whittle down the candidates and pick the final 12. But as that's going on, Lea passes by the maternity ward, leaving her incredibly emotional. The final debate for the team comes down to Andrews' young boy and the woman Claire was treating, but after some deliberation, Andrews' patient grabs the final spot. Later that night, the group goes back to the bar for drinks, and Lim accuses Andrews of flirting with the nurse before leaving to go back to the hotel. As Lim gets in a cab, Rendon jumps in too, but soon after they depart, the driver reveals he's kidnapping them.
However, once the man takes them to a house, they discover a woman in labor. Back at the hospital, Clair and Shaun check one of the patients who crashed overnight. He's unresponsive, but after a quick examination, Shaun realizes he has a clot in his brain, and they'll need a special agent to break it up. Unfortunately, the hospital doesn't carry it, but it does have access to a snake venom derivative that functions the same. Lim gets the woman through labor without complication, but all is not well on the baby front, as Lea heads back to the maternity ward with a gift for a new mother, which reminds her of the loss of her child.
Heartbroken, Lea sits alone at this hospital as Claire comes to deliver bad news about the patient. Claire lets Lea know that grief isn't something you can deal with alone and tells her to bring her issues to Shaun, who deserves to know how his girlfriend's feeling. After the man wakes up, Shaun has to inform him that his worsening condition means they can't operate, which allows Claire to tell her patient and her daughter that she'll be able to have her surgery.
Back at the hotel, Lim and Rendon discuss their hectic night and appear ready to embrace, only for the doctor to say he's going to go back to his room. But before he can get through the door, they lock eyes one more time and begin kissing. At the same time, Lea tells Shaun about her problems, but all he wants to talk about is his work. Unable to get anywhere with the conversation, Lea decides to stop a bombshell by telling Shaun her parents asked her to return home to Pennsylvania, and she plans to go.
Created by David Shore, The Good Doctor stars Freddie Highmore, Antonio Thomas, Richard Schiff, Paige Spara, Fiona Gubelmann, Will Yun Lee and Christina Chang. New episodes air Mondays at 10 pm ET/PT on ABC.
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