Think of these not as a report card,
but a window into the minds
of your clients,
their families and support persons,
and also as a window into yourselves.
To see your greatest strengths
and the areas where you have
the greatest opportunity for growth.
First round of results
is already in your inbox.
Regular updates to follow.
[CLEARS THROAT]
Third highest in the department.
Pretty good.
Second.
How'd you do?
Fine.
[SIGHS]
"Dr. Reznick cares deeply about people."
"Sweet." "Kind."
[CHUCKLES] "Thoughtful."
What do I have to do
to get that level of service?
Let me bill your insurance.
You have six comments.
Four "OKs." Two "Goods."
I have .
It's hard to live
in your long, sweet shadow.
I'll give you some pointers.
We could role play.
You could be the shirtless
and eager-to-please doctor,
and I'll be the
sexy-but-demanding patient
with a nasty fungal infection.
Top five. Nice work.
Thank you.
But as Chief of Surgery,
wouldn't hurt to aim higher.
Speaking of which,
where's my numero uno?
Dr. Rendon. Top of the class.
Oh, he was called away on a
medical mission in Guatemala.
It was urgent.
Huh. Heroic.
When will he be back?
Should be just a few more days.
In the future, please let me know
about any extended absences, hmm?
He can't make our clients happy
if he's not in the country.
[CELL PHONE VIBRATING]
I have to go.
I had the lowest ranking in
the entire surgical department.
I made five people "very uncomfortable."
Seven patients said I talked weird,
and one woman was "a little
creeped out" by my manner.
The algorithm has
some major blind spots.
I can make it better.
I'll talk to Salen.
No. The data reflects actual opinions.
I will learn how to make
people feel comfortable
and improve my scores.
[DOOR OPENS]
Rosa Castillo, ,
needs immediate bypass surgery
for acute kidney failure.
She was treated
for renal artery stenosis
three years ago.
- Looks like the stent failed.
- Mm-hmm.
This imaging is barely
readable. It's from .
Try Guatemala. Mateo sent her here.
They don't have the equipment
for a bypass.
Ms. Castillo.
I am Dr. Lim. This is Dr. Wolke.
I heard so much about you.
The Chief. La Jefa.
Oh. Well, hopefully,
we can have you in the O.R.
in the next couple of hours.
We already have your medical history
from Dr. Rendon, which helps.
Teo told me I would
be in good hands here.
Uh, is that what all his
patients call him back home?
Probably just the ones who dated him.
[MONITOR BEEPING]
Bruising of the jaw,
sublingual hematoma,
most likely a parasymphyseal fracture.
It's just a little bump. I'm fine.
- You're not fine, Dad.
- How did it happen?
Ah, some kids were horsing
around outside
when I was opening up.
He runs a hardware shop.
They att*cked him.
It was an accident.
I fell off the sidewalk into
someone's side-view mirror.
Your jaw's broken.
They pushed you off the sidewalk,
told you to not get them sick.
They were just being stupid.
[SCOFFS] She's so sensitive.
Checking for abnormal movement
of the mandible
or any malocclusion.
Okay, we need to file a report.
A report? Why would I...
[GASPING]
[ALARM BEEPING]
The fractured bone and
tongue are sliding backwards,
blocking his oropharynx.
We need to secure the airway, now!
[GASPING]
ANDREWS: Placing the last
two-millimeter miniplate.
He must have been in a lot of pain.
PARK: [SIGHS] Good for you
if you can stay positive
after a hate crime.
Satisfactory occlusion
and fragment reduction.
Doctors Allen and Murphy,
let's remove the temporary MMF.
SHAUN: Mr. Song and his daughter
see the same situation very differently.
[ALARM BEEPING]
He's bradycardic.
Heart rate dropped to .
And hypotensive, over .
Let's dial back
the sedation and opiates,
push one milligram I.V. atropine.
[ALARM STOPS, MONITOR BEEPING STEADILY]
JORDAN: Maybe an adverse
reaction to the anesthesia?
We need to figure out if there's
an underlying cardiac problem.
Get a post-op EKG, echo in recovery,
and check for electrolytes.
SHAUN: And I need to figure out
how to get a good review
from both of them.
SALEN: How's the water pressure?
- Fine.
- I decreased output by %.
Saves gallons a month,
$ , annually.
Which, in three years and five months,
will make up for
what you're about to spend
operating on this new client,
whom Dr. Rendon gifted us.
Mateo's commitment to patients
is the reason he's numero uno
in the department.
My concern isn't Mateo.
You allowed him to fly in
an uninsured patient
without informing me.
Do I still have the autonomy
to run my own department?
I hope you see yourself
as more than just
the head of one department.
You are a vital member
of the Ethicure family.
- [WATER RUNNING]
- We have to work together,
all of us, or we will all...
...falter.
LEA: The colors on these are wild.
Mm-hmm.
That yellow would look great
with your complexion.
Full-crested double gerbera daisies.
Mr. Song has sinus rhythm on his EKG.
Normal electrolytes, and
no abnormalities on the echo.
Which rules out a lot,
but not a P.E.
or small cardiac contusion.
Get a CTA chest.
Gerberas produce
excessive amounts of pollen,
which can trigger migraines.
You don't need to be here for this.
- Text me.
- Yeah.
Excellent point about the gerberas.
Lucky me, working with such
a fabulous, knowledgeable couple.
Mm, gerberas are notoriously
big pollen producers.
It's an obvious point,
not an excellent one.
You called Lea and me "fabulous."
Are you using hyperbolic
language to make us like you?
Mm, I think the language was
pretty accurate, actually.
- Hmm.
- I'm trying to improve
my own client satisfaction scores,
which are poor.
You received %
five-star reviews on Yelp.
Your methods must be very effective.
Are you using hyperbolic
language to make us like you?
It's all about appeasing and affirming.
Appease. Give the customers
what they want.
And affirm. Make them feel
that what they want is wise and good,
which in your case, it is very much so.
LIM: Rotating everything medially
to expose the renal vessels.
ANDREWS: I got three lap choles
waiting for Dr. Rendon on Wednesday,
little thank-you gift
for letting us operate on his patient.
Well, might be Thursday
before he's back.
Sorry the humanitarian crisis
is screwing up your schedule.
There's a massive aneurysm
cutting off blood flow.
There's no way to get vascular
control for reconstruction.
We might be able to do a bypass
from the aorta or iliacs.
ASHER: There are several
aneurysmal segments
along the abdominal aorta.
This one's abnormal, too.
All of her arteries are defective.
[ANDREWS SIGHS]
You should take me on a date tonight.
- Okay.
- It's a lecture
on leadership in medicine
by Dr. Chandra.
Recipient of two NIH grants.
That's not a date. That's homework.
Starting the scan.
There's a cocktail party after.
How about we spend our time
doing that role playing you suggested?
You know, minus the fungus.
The infection was the whole
motivation for my character.
Your guy's heart is fine.
Make sure youbreak the good news.
Should bump up your scores a notch.
The tests show your heart function,
and anatomy are normal.
The episode during surgery
was probably just
a minor anesthesia reaction.
You should be good to go very soon.
[SIGHS] Thank you, Dr. Allen.
We can stop by the police
station on the way home
so you can make a statement.
I told you, no reports, no statements.
BP is over .
Checking O sat.
Appa, these things are underreported.
Our relatives, our friends,
our people are getting hurt out there.
[SIGHS] "Our people."
It's not us versus them.
That doesn't help anyone.
You don't think we're seen as different?
You want to be seen as different.
You rub people's faces in it.
That's why you aren't getting anywhere.
You don't have a real job...
Community organizing is a real job.
I am lucky to have such
fabulous, knowledgeable clients.
Emily, you're right
about the importance
of recognizing problems.
Mr. Song, it is wise
to be concerned for your
daughter's professional future.
Please, Appa.
Go with me to make a statement.
It's important.
Not to me.
You're right.
Community organizing does
not sound like a real job.
It's a real job.
- Heart rate dropped.
- [ALARM BEEPING]
A-line shows a widened
pulse pressure reading.
[BREATHING HEAVILY] Something
is wrong with my heart?
Respiration rate down, trending apneic.
Cushing's Triad.
grams of mannitol.
Your heart is fine.
There's something wrong with your brain.
It's invaded the motor strip,
left temporal, anterior corpus callosum.
Severe necrosis and edema,
and no way to see where
tumor ends and brain begins.
[SIGHS] It's inoperable.
I will definitely get a bad review.
I need more time
to find a surgical solution.
[CELLPHONE CHIMES]
But we also need to leave
for our tux fitting.
[CELLPHONE CHIMES]
We were able to bypass the renal artery
using one of your veins.
But new imaging showed
you have a condition called
Fibromuscular Dysplasia.
It's caused areas
of stenosis and aneurysm
in your heart, brain,
and other major vessels.
We can give you medication
to manage the underlying condition,
but we'll have to do another surgery
to repair each of the aneurysms.
There are risks of stroke,
or major hemorrhage.
But without it,
it's only a matter of time
before one of these aneurysms ruptures.
[EXHALES SHAKILY] Um,
if anything goes wrong,
can you please let Teo know?
He should be the one to tell my family.
I wouldn't want them
to hear it from a stranger.
Of course.
We could use intraoperative
stimulated raman histology
to determine tumor tissue versus normal.
PARK: Eh, if we resect normal tissue,
we can't put it back in.
Drape is perfect with your physique.
Intraoperative MRI guidance
would help us achieve
gross total resection.
And risk resecting eloquent
cortex, with major deficits.
[SIGHS] You look like a little boy.
The shoulder sag is awful. Take it off.
That was neither appeasing
nor affirming.
But your reviews are exceptional.
You can't just tell people
what they want to hear.
You've got to give them
the cold, hard truth.
I always do that, and people
don't give me good reviews.
You have to follow it with a compliment,
which now, thanks to your honesty,
they'll believe.
Very striking with those eyes.
I... do believe you.
GLASSMAN: Yeah, hey, Shaun.
Um, sorry for not replying.
You're late for the tux fitting.
Oh, yeah, um...
I'm in Montana?
We need to reschedule your appointment.
When will you be back?
Well, I'm not so sure.
I'm heading towards
a little town called Paradise,
and I'm...
I'm thinking of hunkering down
there for a little while.
How about Wednesday, : p.m.?
Will you be done hunkering by then?
Sure. [SCOFFS] I'll see what I can do.
[LIGHTS BUZZING]
You are confirmed. Goodbye.
We have to get back to the
hospital and talk to Mr. Song.
With only chemo and radiation,
you would die soon.
But I've found a way to remove the tumor
using fluorescent light.
If we administer -ALA before surgery,
the cancer cells will turn
pink under the light.
Then we can resect those cells
and leave healthy tissue unharmed.
You will likely have paralysis
on your right side,
but no cognitive or speech impairment.
[SIGHS]
No.
I've always taken care of myself.
Without this procedure,
you'd have a year at most.
I'd better make it count, then.
No surgery.
Chicken pepian, from the place
down the street.
Mateo says it reminds him of home.
Funny. When he was "home,"
his favorite food was pizza.
[BOTH CHUCKLE]
You're very kind.
I'm not sure I would be this nice
to the ex-girlfriend
of my current boyfriend.
Mateo told you about us?
No, but you're his type.
Beautiful. Smarter than he is.
And Dr. Wolke let something slip.
Ah.
I can't quite picture Teo here.
Everything is very
nice.
And shiny.
Mm.
Did you meet here?
No.
We met in Guatemala.
And then he decided to move.
[CHUCKLES] It was a little...
Romantic?
- Crazy.
- [CHUCKLES] Yes.
He moves fast
when he knows what he wants.
We were practically living
together by our third date.
Were you together a long time?
Six months, maybe less.
Long enough for me to start imagining
what our kids would be like.
But then there was a w*r in Congo
or an earthquake in Haiti.
Someone, somewhere needed him.
But I am glad he's found
a place to settle down.
I wasn't sure that would
ever happen for him.
_
You left me. At the party?
I was tired and bored. I went home.
Without saying goodbye.
I was about to introduce you
to Dr. Chandra.
I didn't ask you to do that.
And I didn't ask you
to tell that guy from Stanford
that I've done
over robotic surgeries,
or give that research fellow
my ABSITE scores.
It's calling mingling.
Felt more like being pimped out.
What can I say? You're a stud.
I'm fine. I'm good.
My scores are average,
and it's driving you crazy.
You're not average, but you
shy away from the spotlight.
You're a hot Korean
martial artist surgeon,
and your face isn't on a poster.
Why do you think that is?
I just want you to reach
your full potential.
I mean, don't you want that
for yourself?
ASHER: Rough night?
- Not really.
- Oh.
You know, when I don't sleep well,
it's usually anxiety about work
or why some hot guy
isn't texting me back,
or, oh, he sent his
ex-girlfriend to me for help.
I was up late prepping for this surgery.
Yeah. Me, too.
I have moisturizer in my bag,
just, if you want it.
Where is she?
Rosa was stable, so I transferred her
to County Hospital this morning.
She's my patient, and I'm your boss.
This is the right call
for our department.
She'll get the care she needs,
and as a non-profit...
Their team has far less experience
with this kind of surgery.
I know this patient
is important to Mateo,
and he's important to you,
but we cannot allocate
our limited resources
based on personal feelings.
Oh, this has nothing to do with Mateo.
You are risking a woman's life
so you can crawl further up Salen's ass.
I'm protecting this department,
which is actually your job.
Pedes just hired three new nurses.
I got approval for a portable X-ray.
When's the last time Salen
approved one of your requests?
This is a hospital, not a swap meet.
It's her hospital.
I'm contacting County.
You can't bring her back here.
I know.
What about a limited
temporal lobe resection?
Lower the risk
of future brain herniation?
Good for preserving motor function,
but he'd likely lose speech.
Why is my dad still here?
He isn't telling me anything.
Emily, the break room is
for surgical residents only.
Your presence is not only
prohibited, it is unwelcome.
You're distracting us from
trying to change your dad's mind,
and save his life.
That sweater is very striking
with your eyes.
You should talk to him.
So he can tell me everything's fine?
He needs you.
I used to be a cop.
In part to try and please my dad.
He was all about being tough.
He always had this, uh,
wall up, you know?
He came over with nothing.
Didn't know the language.
He got by on very little
for a long time.
It took a while for me to realize it,
but being tough
was just a survival strategy.
My dad came here when he was
and went "from a socket wrench
and a couple bolts
to Number One Convenience
Hardware in the Bay,
no problem."
I get that he's strong
because he had to be.
And I get
that it helps him to deny how
the world sees us as "other."
But when you do that,
it can make people
who are struggling feel
messed-up and...
Alone.
Maybe he's protecting you
not because he thinks you're weak
but because he'd rather take
on the world all by himself
than see you get hurt.
Your dad's a fighter, Emily.
But so are you.
And he needs you
to fight for him right now.
Why haven't you told your daughter
what you're going through?
When she was a little girl,
she'd help out at the shop.
[CHUCKLES]
Make a mess, more like,
disappear in the middle
of stocking fasteners.
I'd find her hiding behind the counter.
Someone said something mean,
made her feel bad.
That's... That's the world.
I sell hammers to people who hate me.
I get their money,
they get their hammers.
I kept my head down,
built a life for our family, for her.
So, when I'd see her upset,
I'd tell her, "Hey,
forget that guy.
Focus on the next customer."
I don't want her to hurt.
I need to be strong for her.
Mr. Song,
the best way to show your
daughter what strength is...
Tell her what you're going through.
She's not the little girl
hiding behind the counter anymore.
- [KNOCK ON DOOR]
- Mm.
I heard you're doing
Rosa's surgery at County.
I would like to assist.
You don't have any surgical
privileges at County.
And unless you want to piss off the CEO,
you shouldn't do it anyway.
Maybe you shouldn't, either.
You don't know when Dr. Rendon
is coming back, do you?
Before I got into this program,
I had heard so much about you,
how you were smart and talented and
tough and fair.
And at first, I was like,
"Oh, my God. Stop. I get it."
But...
But I didn't.
Until I met you.
Everyone who works for you
is a better doctor because of it.
And I would hate
to see you put everything
you've worked for on the line
for someone who
isn't willing to do the same for you.
Thank you.
Don't ever give me advice again.
Whatever you and Jordan said
has improved the situation.
How did you do it?
I just affirmed
where Emily was coming from
and helped her see where
her dad was coming from, too.
That's what I tried to do,
and it made them both angry.
There's some shared experiences.
Because you're both Asian.
American, yeah.
Both second generation, similar fathers.
You're both outsiders.
Yeah. I guess that's, uh...
Um, my dad
told me about the tumor.
Did you convince him
to accept the surgery?
The thought
of losing him terrifies me.
But he needs my support now.
Which means supporting his decision.
Thank you for helping me see that.
I was wrong.
What you and Jordan said
has made the situation worse.
SHAUN: My clients are finally
in agreement with each other.
But against me.
I'm sorry, Shaun.
I love the tuxes, but where's Glassman?
Oh, he is "hunkering down" in Paradise.
Dr. Park, Emily, and I
are all outsiders,
but I failed to connect with her,
and Dr. Park succeeded.
To connect with people,
I need them to like me,
which they do not.
I need new strategies.
Shaun, I know you grew up
not feeling accepted,
you didn't have many friends...
No. I did not have any friends.
Maybe the scores are bringing up
some of those old, painful feelings?
The scores are providing useful data
to help me track my progress.
Many people like you.
Why do you think that is?
Shaun,
obsessing over
whether or not people like you
is a guaranteed trip to Crazytown.
That is very easy to say
when you are likeable.
You're an amazing doctor,
which any functioning, decent
algorithm should recognize.
If I just talked to Salen, I...
No. I don't want you to do that.
It might be simpler.
Do you think I can't improve my scores?
Of course not.
I know you can.
[CELLPHONE VIBRATING]
Mm. I have to go.
[ALARM BEEPING]
PARK: Securing the airway.
Give another two milligrams Lorazepam.
What's happening?
The seizures and brain
herniation will only get worse
as the tumor grows.
All we can do now is keep him
in a medically induced coma.
Until the tumor kills him.
Without waking up first?
There's nothing you can do?
You are his medical proxy.
Now, your dad rejected surgery
when he thought he still had time.
It's possible he'd make
a different choice now.
He made it clear he didn't want
to live weakened in any way.
He'd hate me for choosing
the surgery for him.
I can't.
That is a very bad,
very irrational decision.
It doesn't matter
if your father hates you.
Being liked doesn't matter,
and worrying about that is
a guaranteed trip to Crazytown.
What matters is saving your dad's life.
Your watch is
a very nice shade of orange.
Teo's lucky to have you.
I told him he better not
screw this one up.
- You talked to him?
- Mm. Earlier today.
Only for a minute.
He said he'll be back soon.
Hopefully.
The nurse will come by
in a couple minutes
to take you to the O.R.
- [VOICEMAIL BEEPS]
- Hello, Dr. Glassman,
you haven't accepted the calendar invite
for the rescheduled tux fitting.
Should I send another one?
Also, in attempting to improve
my performance with my clients,
I have not many progress, even though...
EMILY: Dr. Murphy?
You were right.
Nothing matters except saving my dad.
Do the surgery.
Ignore the part about
not making progress,
but please respond about
the calendar invite.
[CELLPHONE BEEPS]
We got over % of the tumor,
and your prognosis is very good.
As expected, we weren't able
to preserve full motor strength
in your left arm and leg.
Who...
I told them to.
Appa,
I couldn't stand to lose you.
I know you may never forgive me
or speak to me again,
but at least I know you're still here
on the planet with me.
That decision...
...took a lot of strength.
Good thing my daughter's so tough.
Wonder where I got that from.
Everything went well.
I was able to repair
each of the aneurysms.
We should have you home
in a week, maybe less.
- Thank you.
- Yeah.
How did it end, between you and Mateo?
It's none of my business. [CHUCKLES]
You don't have to answer that
if you don't want to.
He would go on medical
missions all the time,
sometimes with no notice.
I would wake up and find a little gift,
like a book or a bottle of wine,
and a sweet note.
After a few days, or weeks,
he would come back,
and everything would be good.
And then one time, he didn't.
I waited for a long time.
Too long.
Thank you.
You want to get some dinner?
I make a fairly average lasagne.
Ah, I have to finish this
proposal for Dr. Chandra's lab.
Unless you want to work on it together.
I'm good.
You know, the day I handed in my badge,
my dad told me I was weak.
And then he didn't say
anything else to me for a year.
I was only able to do it because of him.
I'd watched him make
tough choices my whole life.
It cost me a lot to get here,
but I'm finally in a good place.
I love my work
and my pain-in-the-ass girlfriend.
I don't know if that's
"reaching my full potential,"
but I'm happy.
And I fought too hard for that
to let anyone tell me it's not enough.
Even the person
who makes me the happiest.
I'll eat the lasagne.
[EXHALES SHARPLY]
[SIGHS] I need to know
at some point "good"
is gonna be good enough.
For you. For us.
[EXHALES SHARPLY]
I'm ambitious.
That doesn't mean I'm broken.
I think you're unhappy.
As long as I've known you,
you've been reaching for
the next rung of the ladder.
Will it ever be enough?
[CELLPHONE CLICKING]
GLASSMAN: Hi. You haven't
reached Aaron Glassman.
So I'll call you back. Sometime.
- [VOICEMAIL BEEPS]
- Hi. It's Lea. Call me back.
And call Shaun. He needs you.
- [CELLPHONE THUDS]
- [SIGHS]
Did transferring that
young woman make you feel
crappy?
It was the right call.
Yeah.
Pretty crappy.
A few years ago,
a colleague made me take
one of those online tests that
tells you if you're a sociopath.
Mm.
Oh. [CHUCKLES]
- I'm not.
- [BOTH CHUCKLE]
I'm just committed.
Allowing feelings to influence
business decisions leads to...
Bad decisions.
Yes. Exactly.
You think like somebody
who knows how to be in charge.
So why aren't you anymore?
I made a good call.
The board made a bad one.
Would you like to have dinner? With me.
Before you answer, you should
know that going out with me
will not benefit you
professionally in any way.
Or personally, maybe.
Who's to say?
And turning me down
will have no repercussions.
Feelings do not influence business.
I can sign something to that effect.
[SIGHS]
I'd love to have dinner with you.
Excellent.
Do you like shawarma?
I know the best shawarma place.
Oh, I love their chicken,
but I hear their lamb is also very good,
though I don't eat lamb anymore.
It makes me sad.
[SIGHS]
[CELLPHONE CLICKING]
[CELLPHONE BEEPS]
AUTOMATED FEMALE VOICE: You have reached
the voicemail box of...
MATEO: Dr. Mateo Rendon.
AUTOMATED FEMALE VOICE:
Please record your message.
- [VOICEMAIL BEEPS]
- Hi. It's me.
If you're coming back for work,
I'll see you Thursday.
If you're coming back for me...
[VOICE BREAKING] ...don't.
SHAUN: Ranunculus.
They have very low pollen,
and the colors are also..."wild."
These are Delano Yellow.
Gorgeous,
allergen-free, they're perfect, Shaun.
Yes, we are celebrating my success.
I received a new batch of scores,
and they are elevated . points.
That's great.
Yes. It is.
My efforts to improve my performance
have been effective after all.
And no one said I was weird.