The Good Doctor

By Samuelle Beltejar: Feb 18, 2018

 

I find that there is nothing that can keep my attention when it comes to TV. I watched The Walking Dead, however I simply stopped watching it. The story was extremely intriguing but I easily dropped it. I began to watch Switched at Birth and I got overwhelmed with all the episodes, so I no longer made time for it. The same thing has happened with The Fosters and Drop Dead Diva. That’s why I was stunned when I couldn’t wait for the next episode of The Good Doctor.

The series began in September of last year and is all about a surgeon who has savant syndrome. This allows him to be extremely intelligent. Along with his intelligence he also has autism. Each episode follows Shawn Murphy's difficult journey as a surgical resident at St. Bonaventure Hospital, as well as the obstacles he must overcome with the stigma that surrounds his mental illness.

Shawn is accompanied by many coworkers and friends, too. One of which is Claire Browne, who is another surgical resident. She is extremely kind, professional, and motherly. She is a good friend to Shawn. The final resident that Claire is romantically involved with is Jared Kalu. He seems like a slightly brash person, however with every patient he is gentle and empathetic. All of them are under Neil Melendez, the chief of surgery, who is cocky but extremely skilled. Finally, there is Aaron Glassman who acts as Shawn’s father figure. There are other characters in the cast, as well, but these are the extremely notable ones.

In every episode you see the team’s dynamics. You watch as Melendez bosses every one of his residents around, but you can’t help to notice that he truly cares about each of them. You also watch Shawn’s incredible mind whirl as he tries to solve difficult emergencies in the blink of an eye. Finally, you see Kalu and Claire deal with all their personal endeavors.

I would highly recommend this show for anyone interested in medicine. The show proves to be extremely accurate. There are also small things that have such a big impact on the plot that are only understood with medical knowledge. An example of this is when a character diagnoses someone using an extremely long medical term that allows the viewer to know the gravity of the situation. Nevertheless, if you do not understand exactly everything you will not feel that you are missing out.

However, this show isn’t only for medical professionals. This show has something for everyone. It deals with many real world problems in the rawest and truest forms. For example, domestic abuse, sexual harassment, termination, and prejudice are all tackled in The Good Doctor. Very difficult and different situations are also seen on the show. There are episodes that feature suicide, crime, and law. This show is extremely varied.

Overall, The Good Doctor is amazing. It has frequent plot twists and cliffhangers. All episodes are intriguing. The story is also touching, as there have been many times where I have cried. This series will make you infuriated, shocked, devastated, and happy, all in one episode. The Good Doctor is one of a small handful of shows that has kept my attention and I simply cannot wait for the new episode, that airs every Monday on ABC.