A world of good
Freddie Highmore stars in “The Good Doctor”
As is the case with just about everything it seems, the novel coronavirus has made its way to ABC's hit drama “The Good Doctor.” The cast of characters 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 alphabet 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 savant, Murphy often experiences trouble connecting with patients and faculty in a meaningful way. The perk to his spectrum disorder, however, is that he has saved many lives. Working double time to prove to the other doctors at the hospital that he's capable of the high-intensity routine, Murphy frequently has to make sacrifices in his life to save others and continue 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 produce after a South Korean show of the same name caught his attention. The first season of the American “Good Doctor” series aired in September 2017, and the subsequent two seasons followed suit with September premieres. Unfortunately, due to delays from COVID-19, the Season 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 addresses the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, rife with all its loss and hardships. Everyone 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 hospital staff is also dealing with the loss of Dr. Neil Melendez (Nicholas Gonzalez, “Resurrection Blvd.”), who died at the end of Season 3.
One very real pandemic challenge faced by most of the characters early in the season was that of self-isolating to protect those they care about most. From working at home to sleeping 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 massive struggle as she tests positive for COVID-19. Will she recover? Only time will tell.
Meanwhile, Dr. Audrey Lim (Christina Chang, “Nashville”) faces post-traumatic stress disorder in the wake of treating a seemingly endless stream of COVID-19 patients. Due to her PTSD, Lim ends up in a motorcycle accident but refuses tell anyone about it. Naturally, it isn't long before her secret is uncovered by Dr. Claire Browne (Antonia Thomas, “Lovesick”), who sees the wrecked bike.
At this point, we are starting to see more of how Murphy's struggle to connect with others spills over into his romantic relationships. In Season 3, he dated the head pathologist, Dr. Carly Lever (Jasika Nicole, “Fringe”), but their relationship came to an end when she realized that Murphy had deeper feelings for Lea Dilallo (Paige Spara, “Home Again,” 2017), who, in Season 1, was quite literally “the girl next door.”
This season, Murphy and Dilallo, the head of the hospital IT department, have been working on their relationship and they're finally dating. Fans patiently (or perhaps impatiently) wait to find out whether they'll stay together or if the strain of the pandemic will tear them apart.
Despite Murphy's tireless quest for acceptance among the staff, he does still have a strong friend group. Dr. Aaron Glassman (Richard Schiff, “The West Wing”), president of San Jose St. Bonaventure and somewhat of mentor to Murphy, is the closest thing Murphy has to a true friend, believing in him from the beginning rather than focusing on his differences. This makes Glassman someone Murphy can respect, and the young doctor often benefits from that support by way of seeking out Glassman's help and advice with all manner of life questions – not just medical queries.
Dr. Claire Browne is another good friend of Murphy's. Her ability to connect well with others and empathize makes her a unique balance to Murphy and this leads to their becoming good friends (especially since she's also a patient now). Browne's bedside manner and charity to staff and patients alike provides a model for Murphy as he navigates his own ability to connect.
In this season, the team of doctors — including Dr. Marcus Andrews (Hill Harper, “Limitless”) and Dr. Alex Park (Will Yun Lee, “Altered Carbon”) — take on four new resident doctors amid the healthcare crisis. Dr. Jordan Allen (Bria Henderson, “Mrs. America”), Dr. Asher Wolke (Noah Galvin, “The Real O'Neals”), Dr. Olivia Jackson (newcomer Summer Brown) and Dr. Enrique Guerin (Brian Marc, “Nerve,” 2016) bring new personalities, strengths and weaknesses to the hospital. As the existing surgeons take on training the new residents, the entire staff will be forced to adapt to their new set of responsibilities and the changes that accompany everything else happening.
The real-life pandemic-ridden world has left its mark on both St. Bonaventure Hospital and its staff in more ways than one. But, as big as the health crisis is, it still doesn't define the fourth season as a whole for, even just a few episodes into the newest season, the pace changed to focus more on the lives of its characters rather than the effects of the virus itself. Rather like the real-life heroes working hard on the front lines outside St. Bonaventure Hospital, the challenges this team face extend beyond that of solely the pandemic.
Learn how the San Jose hospital residents and patients continue to navigate the intricacies of their lives, and tune in for the latest episode of “The Good Doctor,” airing Monday, Feb. 8, on ABC.