written by Juan Ayala
One of the most popular medical dramas in TV history is House, centered around an antisocial doctor who is known for his blunt demeanor yet expert mind. House and Sneaky Pete creator David Shore brings a new groundbreaking medical drama to ABC The Good Doctor.
Freddie Highmore makes a return to television in ABC’s latest medical drama ‘The Good Doctor’. Highmore plays Shaun Murphy, a brilliant young doctor with autism who also has Savant syndrome, giving him incredible intelligence and memory skills. On the way to the hospital where he has been hired as the new resident surgeon, a young boy is struck by falling sign, cut all over with shattered glass and is on the verge of death. Dr. Murphy performs a seemingly improvised but effective medical procedure to stabilize the boy’s breathing while paramedics arrive.
Meanwhile, the man who hired him, Dr. Aaron Glassman, is battling the board of directors who are against his decision of hiring a surgeon with autism when there are equally qualified surgeons better suited for the job. The boy who was hurt at the airport is brought in to the hospital but unable to identify himself, Dr. Murphy is kicked out of the hospital. He’s eventually allowed in when a nurse remembers him insisting that the boy needs an echocardiogram.
We get several glimpses into Shaun’s childhood when he was bullied in school and scolded at home for his disability after getting kicked out of a third school. His father beats him and accidentally kills Shaun’s pet rabbit out of anger. Shaun and his brother take their pet to Dr. Glassman who is unable to help them. The boys run away from home to live on their own and live out of an abandoned bus, depending only on each other.
The premiere handles the main story and flashbacks with ease, quickly tying everything nicely together by the end of the episode with a heartbreaking monologue by Dr. Murphy toward the end. When he comes before the board to defend his position, he recalls his pet’s death and brother’s tragic death saying “My bunny died front of my eyes. My brother went to heaven in front of my eyes. I couldn’t save them. He didn’t get to live to be an adult. He should have had children and loved those children. I want to make that possible for other people.”
Freddie Highmore makes a wonderful return to television as the troubled and soft-spoken yet gifted Dr. Murphy. Highmore has shown time and again that he has an incredibly wide acting range, with his performances in projects as early as August Rush and as recent as Bates Motel. Unfortunately, the rather one-note writing confines Highmore to a corner. Despite this, he still does what he can to make the audience root for Murphy through his sincere portrayal of the character. There is also a great use of graphics in the series to express his thought process and visualize his vast knowledge in medicine.
The supporting cast features the arrogant but educated head surgeon Dr. Melendez, portrayed by Nicholas Gonzalez. Dr. Claire Browne (Antonia Thomas) and Dr. Jared Kalu (Chuku Modu) have a love story/hookup subplot feels a bit forced and harkens back to Grey's Anatomy. Dr. Browne especially has an interesting arch with Dr. Murphy, having interacted with him before he was introduced as a doctor, and soon after asked for his expertise. According to the preview for next week and the rest of the season, Dr. Murphy's expresses a true willingness to learn but Melendez has no desire to give him any real responsibility despite his knowledge.
The message of the pilot episode is clear: no one should be prevented from making a difference or saving lives.
The Good Doctor airs Monday nights at 10pm on ABC
Did you watch the premiere episode? What did you think? Let's talk! Leave your thoughts in the comments below!
One of the most popular medical dramas in TV history is House, centered around an antisocial doctor who is known for his blunt demeanor yet expert mind. House and Sneaky Pete creator David Shore brings a new groundbreaking medical drama to ABC The Good Doctor.
Freddie Highmore makes a return to television in ABC’s latest medical drama ‘The Good Doctor’. Highmore plays Shaun Murphy, a brilliant young doctor with autism who also has Savant syndrome, giving him incredible intelligence and memory skills. On the way to the hospital where he has been hired as the new resident surgeon, a young boy is struck by falling sign, cut all over with shattered glass and is on the verge of death. Dr. Murphy performs a seemingly improvised but effective medical procedure to stabilize the boy’s breathing while paramedics arrive.
Meanwhile, the man who hired him, Dr. Aaron Glassman, is battling the board of directors who are against his decision of hiring a surgeon with autism when there are equally qualified surgeons better suited for the job. The boy who was hurt at the airport is brought in to the hospital but unable to identify himself, Dr. Murphy is kicked out of the hospital. He’s eventually allowed in when a nurse remembers him insisting that the boy needs an echocardiogram.
Highmore in ABC's The Good Doctor
We get several glimpses into Shaun’s childhood when he was bullied in school and scolded at home for his disability after getting kicked out of a third school. His father beats him and accidentally kills Shaun’s pet rabbit out of anger. Shaun and his brother take their pet to Dr. Glassman who is unable to help them. The boys run away from home to live on their own and live out of an abandoned bus, depending only on each other.
The premiere handles the main story and flashbacks with ease, quickly tying everything nicely together by the end of the episode with a heartbreaking monologue by Dr. Murphy toward the end. When he comes before the board to defend his position, he recalls his pet’s death and brother’s tragic death saying “My bunny died front of my eyes. My brother went to heaven in front of my eyes. I couldn’t save them. He didn’t get to live to be an adult. He should have had children and loved those children. I want to make that possible for other people.”
Freddie Highmore makes a wonderful return to television as the troubled and soft-spoken yet gifted Dr. Murphy. Highmore has shown time and again that he has an incredibly wide acting range, with his performances in projects as early as August Rush and as recent as Bates Motel. Unfortunately, the rather one-note writing confines Highmore to a corner. Despite this, he still does what he can to make the audience root for Murphy through his sincere portrayal of the character. There is also a great use of graphics in the series to express his thought process and visualize his vast knowledge in medicine.
The supporting cast features the arrogant but educated head surgeon Dr. Melendez, portrayed by Nicholas Gonzalez. Dr. Claire Browne (Antonia Thomas) and Dr. Jared Kalu (Chuku Modu) have a love story/hookup subplot feels a bit forced and harkens back to Grey's Anatomy. Dr. Browne especially has an interesting arch with Dr. Murphy, having interacted with him before he was introduced as a doctor, and soon after asked for his expertise. According to the preview for next week and the rest of the season, Dr. Murphy's expresses a true willingness to learn but Melendez has no desire to give him any real responsibility despite his knowledge.
The message of the pilot episode is clear: no one should be prevented from making a difference or saving lives.
The Good Doctor airs Monday nights at 10pm on ABC
Did you watch the premiere episode? What did you think? Let's talk! Leave your thoughts in the comments below!