The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Friday, October 6, 2017 — 5A
Arts
ABC
‘The Good Doctor’ fails to
stand out among the pack
MEGAN MITCHELL
Daily Arts Writer
David
Shore,
the
creator
of the long-running medical-
drama “House,” fails to outlive
the trope of his past series in his
newest conception, “The Good
Doctor.” Focusing on Dr. Shaun
Murphy (Freddie Highmore,
“Bates Motel”), a
brilliant
surgeon
diagnosed
with
autism and savant
syndrome,
which
give him genius-
like abilities, “The
Good
Doctor”
raises
moral
questions
unlike
other
medical
dramas
currently
on air.
Though
the
series’ main focus
is to push boundaries, the show
does suffer from a bitter lack of
originality. There’s too much
going on. While Dr. Shaun’s
characteristics are somewhat
reminiscent
of
Dr.
House’s
attitudes
on
“House,”
the
model-esque doctors dragging
one another into on-call rooms
and supply closets is a perfect
parallel to “Grey’s Anatomy.”
It’s understandable for series
in the medical-drama genre to
overlap in certain aspects, but
“The Good Doctor” feels like
too much of the same thing
with one completely new thing
thrown into the mix. Coupled
with Shore’s past work leaking
into the present and Highmore’s
attitudes
as
Dr.
Murphy
somewhat reflecting that of his
previous role as Norman Bates,
it seems like the two are sticking
to what they know best, opting
for success over originality.
However, though there are
clear issues with borrowing
— it’s hard not to be charmed
by the series. Through the use
of on-screen aids similar to
those used in the popular BBC
television
series,
“Sherlock,”
Highmore conveys a lot with just
his demeanor. Viewers think
alongside Dr. Murphy, watching
as
his
brain
files
through
hundreds upon thousands of
remembered material to catch
up with his own
thought process.
You can’t help
but feel charmed
by
the
doctor
who, as someone
that claims to be
bad with people,
jokes
around
with colleagues
at
work,
and
feels emotions so
deep that tears
are brought forth
from our eyes.
On that same note, there are
instances in which the series
seems to be trying too hard to
focus on Shaun’s deficits. Is this
not a series about not focusing
on deficits?
It’s hard not to laugh when
Shaun, unceremoniously, strides
up to TSA and asks for a knife,
only to grab one and run through
the airport. Immediately after,
you have that feeling of “did I
just laugh at that? I am so going
to hell.” In a way, they could
have done without this scene
and the premiere would not
have suffered in any way from
its loss. It almost takes away
from the brilliance of Shaun’s
mind to see him suddenly
chased throughout an airport
for a misunderstanding. But
perhaps that was what the
creators
had
intended:
The
dualism that autistic individuals
face, constantly walking the
line between the crowd which
“oohs” and “awws” around a
high-functioning
individual,
yet chases down that same
individual
for
simply
being
“different.”
After all, this is not the first
time this has happened. Later
on in the episode, Shaun, despite
having saved a life and present
for a job interview, is chased
out of the hospital by security
staff under the direction of him
coming off as too “weird.” It’s a
distressing image that I believe
Highmore portrays rather well,
especially so as he is turned away
again and again without any
prior explanation as to why he
is being denied building access.
It’s an opportunity for Shore to
showcase the prejudices that
autistic individuals often face.
Would you have been denied
entry simply for being different,
as Shaun was?
Overall, “The Good Doctor”
is a heartwarming series that
shows promise typical of its
genre. However, it must learn to
present itself as an opportunity
to see through the eyes of a high-
functioning autistic individual
— not solely as another medical
drama with a twist. It is vital
that
“The
Good
Doctor”
differentiate itself from both
Shore’s past projects as well as
current series on the air such as
“Young Sheldon.” On that same
note, Shore must also learn that
the fastest path to originality is
by taking chances and stepping
outside of boundaries, not just
in one tiny aspect of the show,
but in the entire essence of the
series itself. It’s a delicate line
that is drawn on a delicate topic.
So far, “The Good Doctor” has
proven itself the potential to
become more than just a shiny
new series, so long as it can
continue to evolve in a way that
keeps the heart of the show
alive.
TV REVIEW
Read more at
MichiganDaily.com
“The Good
Doctor”
ABC
Season Premiere
Mondays at 10:00
p.m.
NO FILTER
Jen Kirkman isn’t one to
be compartmentalized
Don’t
have
a
ticket
to
Saturday’s game? No worries.
Comedian
Jen
Kirkman
—
who you may know from her
appearances
on
“Chelsea
Lately” and “Drunk History”
or her podcast “I Seem Fun”
— is bringing her “All New
Material, Girl” Tour to the
Majestic
Theater
Saturday
night.
“I want to be as clear as
possible that people are seeing
material that is new to them
and this isn’t me charging them
to see some greatest hits of
my two Netflix specials. So, I
called it the “All New Material,
Girl” Tour - to drive home that
point and make a Madonna pun
because why not?” Kirkman
wrote in an email interview
with The Michigan Daily. “It
backfired in New York City
recently when a man at the
door wanted a refund for thirty
tickets because he thought that
he and his office friends were
seeing Madonna perform her
old hits like Material Girl. I am
completely serious. So, there’s
a lot of confusion apparently.
Oh, America.”
Her most recent special, “Just
Keep Living,” a non-ironic nod
to Matthew McConaughey’s
catch phrase, premiered in
January on Netflix and is the
latest product of the veteran
comedian. After two comedy
albums, two hour specials, two
books, Kirkman has no plans of
slowing down.
“Yeah
there’s
always
something cooking with me,
but I don’t tell until there is
something to tell. I’ve got a
necklace line going right now
that I’m super excited about.
Totally serious. It’s with a
company called Bauble Bar and
they actually partnered with
a comedian and I’m selling
necklaces that say things like
‘Over Forty’ and ‘Childfree’
and ‘FeministAF.’ I’m loving
it. I think everyone should buy
some. It’s a limited edition that
ends on Dec. 31,” she wrote.
“This is what happens to
female comedians over forty.
It’s the law that we start selling
jewelry
and
clothing.
And
that’s the only time I’ll make
a joke about female comedians
or
say
the
words
‘female
comedians.’ ”
Alongside
plugs
for
her
necklace
line,
Kirkman’s
Twitter
is
a
mix
of
observational
humour
and
scathing details on harassment
from Bernie Bros and Russian
Bots, but the balance comes
naturally to her.
“I’m just a person flowing
through life. I have a thought,
I pull out the phone while I’m
in line at CVS and I tweet. I’m a
citizen on Twitter except when
I’m promoting my shows. I
don’t find the balance difficult
or frustrating because if people
want to compartmentalize me,
that’s their problem. I don’t
care what people think. I just
want them to come to my shows
and laugh. I couldn’t be more
simple in that regard. I’m not
worried about my “brand” or
my message or my whatever,”
she wrote.
But despite her politics on
Twitter, she’s not looking to be
labelled a “political comedian.”
“I have a strict definition
of what it is to be a political
comedian. I say that title
literally means someone who
does topical jokes every night
about the news of the day,
almost late night monologue
style. So, no I’m not a political
comedian in that sense. The
way the country is going -
does influence my comedy but
it always has. My comedy is
about my life, and my reaction
to my life, and since I’ve always
been a woman, and people
have always hated women,
I’ve always had a politically
personal bent to my comedy,
like talking about cat-calling
or not wanting children. But,
everyone seems to be asking
me this question and I was
never asked this question when
other people were President
so it seems like we are really
in extraordinary times and I
mean extra-ordinary in the
bad way,” she wrote. “So, yes,
people coming to the show
will for sure get a sense that
I live in the same world they
do. As Jimmy Kimmel recently
described it, ‘It feels like a
portal to Hell has been opened.’
I’m in that portal too and so I’m
hoping people find my show
cathartic and comforting but
if they’re looking for a Trump
impersonation,
they
won’t
get that from me. Although I
will be wearing a toupee,” she
wrote.
Although
someone
is
probably
angrily
tweeting
about Kirkman’s liberal or
“feminazi”
comedy
at
this
very moment, she’s over the
discussion on the acceptability
of “rape jokes.”
“I don’t really sit around
analyzing
comedy.
If
men
wanna talk about rape culture
they better have a good fucking
reason and they better be
preaching on the right side of
it. Otherwise, I’m so tired of
this debate and it’s the least
fun question on earth because
whatever my answer will be
won’t make someone be like,
‘She’s so funny I have to see her
show,’ ” she wrote. “I know you
journos want deep conversation
but people reading this stuff
are like, ‘OMG shut up already.’
I should know. They tweet me
when these pieces come out.
I’d rather talk about aliens or
something.”
However, if you are reading
this thinking “She is so funny I
have to see her show,” there are
still tickets left for Saturday’s
show.
“My comedy isn’t interactive
unless I need have a question
answered
during
my
set.
Comedy gets so little respect
and people seem angry that
you don’t want to talk to them.
Folks, it’s like a play. I know
the words I’m going to say
and I’m excited to say them. I
flew here to say them. If you
interrupt me, you’re basically
an asshole who wants more
from a performer than the
performance. Not cool. And it
ruins the fun for the audience.
They didn’t pay to see Jerry in
the third row yell shit out.”
Don’t be Jerry.
CHRISTIAN KENNEDY
Online Arts Editor
SINGLE REVIEW
Originally cut from their 2016
debut, Light Upon the Lake,
“You and Me” was released
to the world on September 29,
along with the announcement
of an upcoming record of early
recordings, and a cover of Allen
Toussaint’s “Southern Nights.”
The song opens with a delight-
fully fast guitar riff akin to that
of “No Matter Where We Go,”
punctuated by an uncharacter-
istically synth-y keyboard. It’s
bouncy enough to induce the
delusion that maybe, just maybe,
the Chicago-based, six-piece,
self-described country-soul
Whitney have written a purely
happy song.
Within a minute that delusion
is shattered. Electric guitar and
keyboard drop out, replaced
by a singular acoustic guitar
and drummer-vocalist Julien
Ehrlich’s familiar croon chimes
in, wistfully: “Oh, darling /
Remember, you and me, darling
/ Remember, you and me, dar-
ling.” Bare and plaintive at first,
the chorus slowly grows. First,
the keyboard reenters, then
drums and electric, transition-
ing directly back into the origi-
nal guitar melody, which then
sounds decidedly melancholic.
Though familiar in melodic
style, “You and Me” feels like a
step forward for Whitney, even
if it was written in late 2014,
early 2015. Though it lacks Will
Miller’s trumpet — one of Whit-
ney’s most alluring aspects — it
sounds and feels more layered
than any of the band’s previous
releases. A string section, two
different keyboard tones and
almost every other instrument
on the track are featured front-
and-center for at least a moment
or two over the course of just-
under-three-minutes. Though
many fans may find themselves
growing impatient for Whitney’s
second proper full-length, “You
and Me” is as clear a sign as ever
that Light Upon the Lake: Demo
Recordings should be able to
hold us over until the summer,
when the next LP is due.
- SEAN LANG
SECRETLY CANADIAN
ACROSS
1 Best-selling book
generally not on
best-seller lists
6 Benchmark:
Abbr.
9 Early automaker
13 Won’t go near
15 Back again
16 Heist haul
17 Magoo’s malady
18 Ended up off the
mark
20 Agricultural
college facility?
22 Polling abbr.
25 Arrive at hastily,
as a conclusion
26 Sundial marking
27 Content of little
substance
30 Madrid-to-Paris
dir.
31 Rose in a field
32 One who got in
before a crash?
36 Achilles __
37 Take turns
40 Lancelot
bragging about
his exploits?
44 “The BFG” author
46 Intelligence org.
47 Dutch genre
painter
48 Juillet’s season
49 KFC option
52 Red __
53 What theater
districts offer?
57 Financial workers
58 Like merciless
opponents
62 Gospel travelers
63 Get
64 Not nice at all
65 Urgent request
66 Decline, with
“out”
67 They traditionally
appear in red ...
and in another
form in 20-, 32-,
40- and 53-
Across
DOWN
1 Loud sound
2 Columbia, e.g.
3 “That’s lousy!”
4 Enlarged Revlon
ad image
5 Reduce a
sentence, say
6 MLBer at AT&T
Park
7 Highway pursuer
8 Bakery item with
some shortening?
9 “Frozen”
snowman
10 What most
pitchers have, as
batters
11 “Little” Dickens
title character
12 Obstruct
14 Author Bellow
19 What that is in
Spain
21 Scout groups
22 [It just vanished!]
23 Answer guide?
24 Get on with one’s
life
28 Revolutionary
first name
29 Child subject
31 It’s not big in
France
33 Verse lead-in
34 Prize for Indy
35 Oxford figures
38 Fare-well link
39 Italian peak
41 Like the simplest
process
42 Toyota’s Ky.
plant, e.g.
43 Old-school
diplomatic
accessory
44 Pack up the tents
and supplies
45 Like some Alban
Berg works
49 Tiny Tim, for one
50 Rene of “Thor”
51 Vegan staple
54 Hipbones
55 Direct (one’s
way)
56 Ginza quaff
59 Barbecue morsel
60 Sinus doc
61 Driller’s deg.
By Jeffrey Wechsler
©2017 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
10/06/17
10/06/17
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
RELEASE DATE– Friday, October 6, 2017
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
xwordeditor@aol.com
J
O
I
N
D
A
I
L
Y
A
R
T
S
P
L
E
A
S
E