What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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T2 WHATS UP! February 7 - 13, 2021 BY RACHEL JONES TV Media A s is the case with just about everything it seems, the novel coro- navirus has made its way to ABC's hit drama "The Good Doctor." The cast of char- acters is returning to battle this deadly virus from the front lines and we're already hooked. The latest episode of Season 4 is set to air Monday, Feb. 8, on the al- phabet network. "The Good Doctor" follows Dr. Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore, "August Rush," 2007), a surgeon in the San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital in San Jose, California. An autistic sa- vant, Murphy often experiences trouble connecting with pa- tients and faculty in a meaning- ful way. The perk to his spec- trum disorder, however, is that he has saved many lives. Work- ing double time to prove to the other doctors at the hospital that he's capable of the high-in- tensity routine, Murphy fre- quently has to make sacrifices in his life to save others and con- tinue proving his — otherwise undeniable — worth. David Shore ("House") takes the lead behind the scenes as the series creator, while Daniel Dae Kim ("Lost") agreed to help pro- duce after a South Korean show of the same name caught his at- tention. The first season of the American "Good Doctor" series aired in September 2017, and the subsequent two seasons fol- lowed suit with September pre- mieres. Unfortunately, due to delays from COVID-19, the Sea- son 4 premiere aired later (in November 2020) and seems likely to have a shorter season than normal. Season 4 takes place in a post-outbreak world and ad- dresses the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, rife with all its loss and hardships. Ev- eryone is affected in some way, and each of the characters must find their own solution to deal with the new and very unique set of struggles. Adding to the stress (and beware of spoilers beginning now for those not up to date), the hos- pital staff is also dealing with the loss of Dr. Neil Melendez (Nicholas Gonzalez, "Resur- rection Blvd."), who died at the end of Season 3. One very real pandemic chal- lenge faced by most of the char- acters early in the season was that of self-isolating to protect those they care about most. From working at home to sleep- ing in the garage, these hospital workers were isolated to keep their loved ones safe. As cases began to lessen, however, they have been able to find ways to spend more time with those close to them until they can physically be together once more. Dr. Morgan Reznick (Fiona Gubelmann, "Wilfred") has a personal change of her own to navigate as she moves to a new hospital wing. Having damaged her hand at the end of Season 3, Reznick was transferred from surgery to internal medicine where her services rely less on her dexterity. This season, Reznick faces yet another mas- sive struggle as she tests posi- tive for COVID-19. Will she re- cover? Only time will tell. Freddie Highmore stars in "The Good Doctor" continued on page T10 TV FEATURE 5 x 5 A world of good Your subscription includes full access to the digital replica with all of its great extra features! INTERACTIVE PUZZLES! Available on the digital replica. Subscribe today and receive an iPad with your subscription*. *iPad must be returned within 30 days of termination of account. Call 479-684-5509 or go to nwaonline.com/nwaipad