Binge Watch Review: The Good Doctor Season 1
A unique medical drama with a lot of heart
I've always been a fan of medical dramas, but it took me a while to begin watching The Good Doctor. I was already involved with so many of them that I just didn't know if I wanted to fit another one into my schedule. Well, two weeks ago, I began watching this series, and I'm so glad I did. In case you haven't watched it, here's my opinion along with the pros and cons of the first season.
The Good Doctor centers around Dr. Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore), an autistic savant surgical resident. While he has mad skills in the operating room, his people skills are lacking. He says what he's thinking, bluntly tells the truth, and often walks off during the middle of a conversation, usually because he thinks the conversation has ended. Needless to say, not everyone is excited by Shaun's social challenges.
Dr. Aaron Glassman, played wonderfully by The West Wing's Richard Schiff, has known Shaun for many years and, as the president of the hospital, he challenges the board to hire him, even offering up his own job if Shaun doesn't perform excellently.
The rest of the cast for this first season was chosen well, and they work perfectly to both learn to understand and to help Shaun adjust to this type of work he has chosen. But, of course, there are a few who don't think he belongs in the operating room, chiefly Chief of Surgery Dr. Marcus Andrews, played by Hill Harper. And he's next in line for the hospital presidency if Shaun fails.
The first season of The Good Doctor has a wealth of interesting storylines, with some incredible dramatic pieces like the two-parter Islands and Point Three Percent which has Shaun treating a boy who looks almost identical to his deceased brother, Steve.
The show's writers had a field day with the dialogue as it comes across as witty and sharp, and introducing Shaun's neighbor, Lea (Paige Spara) was a stroke of genius as she accepts Shaun as he is and helps him learn to navigate the world better than he ever has.
While there are so many positives for this show, there are some cons in my opinion, one of which was the character of Jessica Preston, played by Beau Garrett. She works for the hospital's Risk Management team and is engaged to attending surgeon Dr. Neil Melendez (Nicholas Gonzalez). Unfortunately, it seems like she was just shoe-horned in for those moments when more dramatic effect was needed. But the scenes could usually have worked just as well without the character. As good of an actress as Garrett is, her character just seemed unnecessary.
Another con was the relationship between Preston and Melendez. There was a sad lack of chemistry between the couple. Gonzalez had far more chemistry with Antonia Thomas who portrayed Dr. Claire Browne, a surgical resident who is on his team. Granted, such a relationship would have been fraught with difficulties, it would have made for more interesting plotlines.
Perhaps that explains why Jessica Preston isn't seen after the final episode of the first season. And speaking of that final episode, it's a shocker and changes the face of season two altogether, which I'll cover in my next review.
Overall, The Good Doctor is a solid show with a cast of interesting characters whose lives you want to invest in and strong storylines that are not just for entertainment. They are thought-provoking as well and may make you question your beliefs and/or opinions on certain topics. Definitely a show worth watching! I'll be reviewing season two here shortly!
About the Creator
Rachel Carrington
I write a little bit of everything because I love to write. 53 novels. Over 2,500 articles. Essays. Short Stories. Book Reviews. Movie Reviews. And more. You can find a lot of that stuff here. rachelcarrington.com. X: @rcarrington2004
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