Moments Easily Missed highlights those subtle moments that happen between or beyond the dialogue — those moments you can easily miss if you don’t look closely enough.

Keeping Time

In episode 2×02 Middle Ground, Shaun raises his concerns to Dr. Melendez about Paul, a member of the hospital’s cleaning staff whom Shaun got acquainted with in season 1 when he slept in a hospital’s broom closet to avoid seeing a therapist.

Shaun noticed that Paul seemed to be jaundiced and suspected that he may have pancreatic cancer. They run tests on Paul, and Shaun’s diagnosis proves to be correct.

There’s a moment where Claire and Shaun tell Paul and his family about the surgical option they have, and the significant risks thereof. Paul then asks if he and his family can have a few minutes to discuss his decision in private.

Did you notice that Shaun actually checks his watch as he leaves the room? Just another subtle but poignant characteristic of Shaun’s ASD. He takes things very literally sometimes, and he probably meant to keep the time to go back “a few minutes later” to check about Paul’s decision.

I can totally see Shaun prompting Claire about it off-screen to ask if enough time had passed now to go back and speak with Paul about the surgery… Can’t you?