Categories: Uncategorized

On ‘The Good Doctor,’ the Anti-Antihero Is In

The title of ABC’s “The Good Doctor” is simple and complicated. Mostly, the show is exactly what it sounds like: a hospital melodrama, with whiz-bang medical science, a dash of intra-staff romance and shameless sentimentality. It’s more competent than good, but it’s well-versed in the workings of the human tear duct.

What makes it distinctive — and possibly what has made it, in its debut season, one of the most-watched shows on television — is the way it interrogates the word “good.” Is there more to it, the show asks, than simply being effective?
“The Good Doctor” does that, counterintuitively, with a protagonist whose inability to connect emotionally is one of his defining features. Dr. Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore), a new surgeon at a prestigious hospital in San Jose, Calif., has autism and savant syndrome.

Earnest but distant, Shaun often needs to have simple responses explained to him, like why parents would be sad to hear that their son is going to lose his leg when the amputation will save his life.

He’s also a brilliant surgeon, able to make intuitive leaps that elude others. (In the mold of difficult-genius dramas like “Sherlock,” “The Good Doctor” visualizes his insights with 3-D graphics, like a diagram of a liver that explodes into segments to explain the function of a key vein.) Still, his skeptical co-workers, like Dr. Neil Melendez (Nicholas Gonzalez), see him as a liability.
“The Good Doctor” is sharp enough to leave open the possibility that they might sometimes have a point. Shaun’s inability to read cues can alienate patients. When he’s cogitating on a diagnosis, he goes blank, like a computer app in spinning-wheel mode, and the show suspends the tension long enough that you, like his colleagues, wonder if something’s gone wrong.

The conceit of “The Good Doctor” is that the condition that limits Shaun’s human interactions is inseparable from his gift. I can’t speak to the accuracy of its representation of autism — I am neither a doctor, nor do I play one on TV — but Shaun’s emotional challenge is the show’s emotional engine.




  • Eve

    Recent Posts

    Heart Attack Causes and its Solution

    What is the Main Cause of a Heart Attack? What is its Solution? A heart attack is the blockage of… Read More

    4 months ago

    Understanding the Debt Ceiling: Its Impact, Importance, and Implications

    In the vast economic arena, one term that often takes center stage, inciting extensive debates and discussions, is the "debt… Read More

    9 months ago

    De-Dollarization: The New World Order of Currency and Its Global Impact

    De-Dollarization: The Changing Face of Global Finance The financial landscape is in a state of flux, with an intriguing economic… Read More

    10 months ago

    Unstoppable Bayern Munich: The Story Behind Their 11th Consecutive Bundesliga Title

    The curtains closed on a dramatic Bundesliga season with Bayern Munich standing tall once again, clinching their 11th straight title.… Read More

    10 months ago

    Celine Dion Cancels Concert Tour Due to Deteriorating Stiff-Person Syndrome

    The Unfolding Story of Celine Dion's Health In recent news that has left fans across the globe stunned, iconic singer… Read More

    10 months ago

    Navigating the Crossroads: LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the LA Lakers’ Uncertain Future

    As the echoes of the recent NBA season start to fade, the attention of enthusiasts is firmly glued to one… Read More

    10 months ago