‘The Good Doctor’ Season 3 Episode 9 review: Will lack of intimacy pose a threat to Shaun and Carly’s relationship?
It’s no news that for a romantic relationship to work, physical intimacy is one of the major drivers. More than the act of sex, it is the emotional comfort couples derive out of each other while in action. Such feelings cannot be substituted with anything else, no matter how strong the bond between two people is. But when it comes to people with special abilities, like autism, the entire dynamics of a relationship change.
Take Dr. Shaun Murphy for instance. As a Savant, his other senses and thought processes are so excessively developed, that he almost tops every colleague of his in medical knowledge, understanding someone in ways normal people cannot, and bringing a unique perspective to everything. However, when it comes to the most basic and instinctive emotions, like sex, or hunger, or even physical comfort, they lack what normal people define as ‘desire’. Not that they don’t want to, but their subconscious stops them from feeling or reading these common emotions. This is exactly what has been happening to Shaun and Carly for a while now.
The young doctor had quite a struggle to start dating his colleague, who is as normal as a girl could be. Although he would feel certain emotions, it is a constant fight for him to understand, analyze and express the same. However, with Carly’s support and guidance from Dr. Glassman, and some online research, Shaun manages to get one step closer. Finally, the couple reaches a point where they want to make their relationship more intimate. Despite multiple emotional exercises initiated by Carly, Shaun finds it difficult to initiate any kind of sexual activity with Carly. It is absolutely normal for Shaun to feel how he is feeling. For someone who finds it really difficult to connect with people, it is no less an ordeal to get physically intimate. While Carly might not take it to heart, it is sure to disturb the harmony they had developed between them. Although Carly loves Shaun, it is perfectly rational for her to expect some intimacy with her man and keep the relationship stronger. As we all know, it is not just the physical aspect of sex but the emotional part of it, which helps couples express themselves. And in the case of Shaun and Carly, the very lack of it could prove to be threatening to their lovely relationship.
Watch Shaun and Carly’s relationship evolve on ‘The Good Doctor’ Season 3 ‘on Monday at 10.30 pm only on ABC.