'The Good Doctor' Review: A Medical Drama That Increases Emotional Stakes

It’s not since “House” that I’ve seen a pretty good medical drama such as “The Good Doctor.” Freddie Highmore (Bates Motel) stars as ABC’s newest doc in the house. One might think that after his role as the psychopath Norman Bates, it would be hard to imagine Highmore in a different character other than Norman. But he’s talented, and he brings depth and authenticity to his role as Dr. Shaun Murphy.
Shaun is a surgeon with autism and savant syndrome, which in itself makes the prospect of being a full-fledged doctor impossible. However, the series pushes the boundaries of autism and shows that there are different experiences for people living with the disorder—much like Netflix’s “Atypical.” The challenge for Shaun is to be able to navigate his way through a stressful reality that includes workplace drama and everyday social predicaments.

‘The Good Doctor’ starts strong and ends stronger

Part of Shaun’s life is a mixture of emotional torrents and bad memories. But he also sets himself apart by showcasing a near mutant-like ability to figure out medical dilemmas by remembering the terms exactly the way he saw it in med school. This trait of Shaun is where “The Good Doctor” maximizes the incredible mind of people living in the spectrum. It doesn’t brand itself as a show that appeases what the common notion for autism is, but goes beyond it by showing the brilliant and good-natured mind of Dr. Shaun Murphy. Although visible, the show never actually tells us about his condition outright, but it’s up for us to see the workings of his mind.
But on top of the amazing qualities of Shaun is the overbearing emotional stake of “The Good Doctor.” It starts with a few flashes of Shaun’s memories, and from there you could already tell that he went through a lot. It then transcends into an even heavier emotional tone, with Shaun saving a boy’s life and us eventually finding out why he wanted to be a surgeon. All throughout the first episode, I was almost always close to tears.

It’s amazing how the show gives us a positive look at autism. But as every protagonist in every drama is, it’s important for us to see some flaws as well. “Atypical” was able to show us the flaws that its main character had, and as for Shaun, we have yet to see how his difficulties with social norms and interaction would affect him negatively.
Shaun’s primary goal is to make people feel better as a surgeon. But that’s not the only thing Shaun is there for—he’s there to make those around him realize the need to become a better person as well.
“The Good Doctor” is an emotional, heightening and a touching story that not only shows us how people live within the spectrum. It also makes us realize that in the midst of life’s greater problems, there’s always someone out there who just wants to help out in whatever way he can to prevent people from experiencing a significant loss. However, the show still has a lot to improve on, and hopefully, these will all be seen in the episodes ahead.
Catch “The Good Doctor” Mondays at 9 PM on ABC.