The Good Doctor star Freddie Highmore and creator David Shore emotionally react to the show ending with season 7. The ABC series follows medical personnel at San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital, focusing on Dr. Shaun Murphy (Highmore), a surgeon with autism and savant syndrome. Along with Highmore, The Good Doctor’s cast includes Fiona Gubelmann, Will Yun Lee, Christina Chang, Paige Spara, Richard Schiff, and more. The Good Doctor has maintained steady ratings over the years, and garnered praise for its performances, earning Highmore a Golden Globe nomination, but it was confirmed in January that season 7 would be its last.
During the recent Television Critics Association panel, which Screen Rant attended, Shore revealed that he was ending The Good Doctor as he envisioned. Highmore also discussed the show’s final season, comparing it to a “graduation,” and adding that it “will never exist in the same way.” Read more of their comments regarding The Good Doctor season 7 below:
David Shore: ” We’ve been lucky enough to be able to plan the ending that we want to do. Being able to go out on your own terms is such a blessing. “
Freddie Highmore: ” It feels a bit like graduation… It’s this momentous event that fills you with nostalgia… and you realize that that bubble, that world that you’ve created for seven years will never exist in the same way. [But] like graduating, you’re excited for the future… At some point it’s necessary and probably healthy to move on. “
How Emotional Will The Good Doctor Season 7 Be?
Throughout its run, The Good Doctor has dealt with many emotional stakes, including the death of Neil Melendez (Nicholas Gonzalez) and the heartbreaking result of Lea’s first pregnancy. Given the evolution of Highmore’s character, it will be interesting to see how his arc, along with those of the current staff at San Jose St. Bonaventure, are completed. While brief, The Good Doctor season 7 trailer does give audiences an idea of the exciting, but potentially nerve-wracking final episodes, highlighting the relationship between Shaun and Dr. Aaron Glassman, and the former’s attempt to operate on Alex and Morgan’s infant.
The Good Doctor season 6 finale saw the birth of Shaun and Lea’s son Steven, making the upcoming surgery more complicated, and the worst-case scenario devastating. The last handful of minutes also revealed that Glassman intended to celebrate with Shaun, but instead chose to hand Steven’s gift to a nurse. Fans of the show are aware of their falling out, and hoping a resolution will come before The Good Doctor season 7 concludes, allowing Glassman to officially meet his grandson.
Although audiences will be sad to see The Good Doctor end with season 7, Shore’s comments about preparing the final stretch of episodes should ease any concerns about how it may come together. Because of his and Highmore’s reactions, and the series’ highs and lows, the upcoming conclusion will likely be an emotional one.
