‘The Good Doctor’ Fans Weigh in on Shaun’s Fear of Intimacy

When season 3 premiered, Shaun Murphy's date with pathologist Carly Lever went terribly wrong. Now it seems the series took two steps forward and a giant leap backward in the penultimate episode of 2019 showing Shaun still struggling to conquer his lingering fear of intimacy.

At the start of the episode called “Incomplete,” Shaun marched right into the pathology lab with flowers for Carly. He announced that he was ready to take the next step in their relationship.

He then admitted that he fears if he cannot control his anxiety he will wind up alone. Carly took his hand and told him they did not need to be sexually intimate.

However, even holding on to each other overwhelmed him and he left her room without explaining. Fans of the show were stunned by the turn of events.

However, the moment was very well representative of his condition. One of his biggest challenges is understanding his own feelings and he was being completely honest but found it difficult to deal with them.

Fans took to social media site Twitter to debate the reasons behind his actions. One fan took to Twitter to share their point of view writing:

"Loved the way Carly is being so patient with Shawn. I don't think Lea can do that. #TheGoodDoctor."

However, another fan had a different viewpoint. The fan disagreed that Carly was being patient and wrote a lengthy tweet explaining their viewpoint. The tweet reads:

"I don't think she's that patient at all. People with developmental disorders often have issues with intimacy and getting close to others and need time. A couple of months seems rushed and not patient at all. She's only thinking of her own sexual needs."

Another fan also agreed with the second viewpoint but said her viewpoint changed when"in episode 9, it was Shaun who wanted to have it" and Carly said she didn't want to when "it became difficult." However, another fan rejected the idea, writing:

"She finally said she didn't want sex after about 4 awkward and uncomfortable attempts for him. I don't trust her motives in the least."

Another fan seemed to agree that Carly was not being patient. They wrote:

"Shaun has a developmental disorder and intimacy is very difficult for him. Carly as a Dr should understand this more than anybody and stop pressuring him for sex after only 2 months."