Autism has always been central to The Good Doctor and season 7 adding a second autistic character has set the show up for a perfect series ending. The long-running medical drama stars Freddie Highmore as autistic resident surgeon Shaun Murphy, who has a unique skill set and has had to overcome other doctors’ skepticism to succeed in his career. In addition to adding House actor Peter Jacobson, The Good Doctor season 7 has introduced a second autistic character, Charlotte “Charlie” Lukatis (Kayla Cromer), the first main autistic character on a prime-time show played by an autistic actress. Shaun is now an attending physician responsible for supervising Charlie, who is a medical student.
Shaun has only known Charlie for a short time but has already decided that she is not fit to be a surgeon. After he told her she belonged in pathology, Dr. Glassman pointed out that Shaun was acting just like Dr. Han. The conversation demonstrates that Shaun has come full circle now that he’s the one in charge of an autistic student, and it indicates that his arc and the overall story will be even more satisfying in The Good Doctor’s season 7 ending, the final season.
How The Good Doctor’s Focus on Shaun’s Autism Changed
Shaun’s recent challenges have been more about relationships than about his career.
When The Good Doctor began, Shaun was a bright but quirky resident who constantly butted heads with experienced doctors. Many of his superiors didn’t believe he was suited to be a surgeon or were uncomfortable with him because he was autistic. This conflict reached its peak in The Good Doctor season 2, when Shaun had a meltdown that sparked the infamous “I Am a Surgeon” meme. In later seasons, Shaun became more well-respected at work and the focus shifted to his relationship issues, especially his conflicts with Lea, whom he eventually married.
The Good Doctor continued to be a medical drama, but Shaun’s difficulty navigating changes in his relationships became more central over time. The gimmick of Shaun visualizing facts about cases was used less and less as the years went by, and Shaun and Lea had a baby at the end of season 6, prompting another big change in focus. Shaun’s journey has gone almost as far as it can without altering the show’s premise, which is why The Good Doctor is ending after season 7.
How Charlie Allows Shaun to Come Full Circle In The Good Doctor
Shaun started as an autistic student. Now he’s on the other side of this conflict.
Shaun’s never been great at perspective-taking, but life is forcing him to see things from the point of view of his erstwhile mentors. Now that he’s the attending physician, he has to find a way to handle Charlie’s constant interruptions, overeagerness, communication difficulties, and refusal to acknowledge any merit to the feedback he gives her. So far, Shaun hasn’t mastered these skills. He’s butted heads with Charlie, told her to shut up, and labeled her as unqualified. The Good Doctor will end with season 7 and the wrap-up likely includes him reversing course on how he interacts with Charlie.
Shaun learning how to guide Charlie rather than steering her away from her dreams of becoming a surgeon would be the perfect ending. To pull this off, Shaun would have to grow past believing his perspective is always correct. He’d also pay forward the acceptance and guidance that Glassman and Lim have given him by offering the same to Charlie. The Good Doctor will wrap up Shaun’s story beautifully by doing this, something which could never happen without introducing this second autistic character.
