Since its premiere, ABC medical drama The Good Doctor has welcomed in and ushered out various characters. While cast members such as Freddie Highmore’s Shaun Murphy and Fiona Gubelmann’s Morgan Reznick remain, characters such as Beau Garrett’s Jessica Preston seemed to disappear without warning, at least for a while. Viewers were devastated when Jessica’s story abruptly ended without explanation. Even though mystery still largely surrounds Garrett’s exit, her character’s absence may have given The Good Doctor’s other characters the room to grow before welcoming her back two seasons later for a guest appearance.
Garrett originally left the series before Season 2 aired. Although official reasons for the sudden exit were never given, she spoke with Fox News in 2019 about her reflections on making the show and what she took away from the experience. She has yet to comment on the reason for her 2020 return.
The Good Doctor’s first season introduced Jessica Preston as the hospital’s risk management expert and on-staff lawyer. Her close relationship with Dr. Aaron Glassman and his deceased daughter put her in a unique position compared to other hospital staff, since Glassman was the one who believed in Shaun most despite the possible risks others saw in hiring a medical resident on the autism spectrum.
Jessica’s strong motivation to outperform her legacy gave viewers a relatable quality they could immediately grab onto. Despite her perceived privilege, she consistently set out to prove that her rank in the hospital hierarchy wasn’t a generous handout. The Good Doctor’s writers won viewers over again at the tail end of her time on the show when she stood her ground against Niel Melendez by firmly telling him she didn’t want a family and breaking off their engagement to show she would not be otherwise persuaded.
While Jessica’s character offered an extra layer of development for Aaron Glassman, as it connected his tragic backstory to a longtime friend who understood his personal connection to Shaun, the character’s absence also gave Melendez the opportunity to form other relationships after their engagement ended in the Season 1 finale. This allowed his character to significantly develop from his menacing start in Season 1 before his deadly Season 3 departure.
At the time of Garrett’s Fox interview, the actor had nothing but good things to say about her time on the show and the people she worked with while filming. “I really enjoyed working on The Good Doctor. They’re just wonderful people. It just felt like the right time to exit… we all have to move on eventually, and hopefully, the next career move will be just as gratifying,” she said when asked about the announcement that she would not be returning to the show.
Her 2019 comments unknowingly foreshadowed a surprise even greater than her quiet exit — her equally unprecedented return in Season 4. Without ever offering an explanation as to why she departed after Season 1, Garrett appeared again, almost as if she’d never left. She guest-starred in Season 4’s premiere before leaving seemingly for good this time. Her appearance reminded viewers how far the show has come despite the many characters it has lost in the four years since it began.
