The Good Doctor’s Season 3 finale shook the series (literally) with an earthquake that caused significant damage to the San Jose area. While many characters’ lives were placed in danger, it was Dr. Neil Melendez who met an untimely death.
A central player since Season 1, Dr. Melendez was a surgeon who worked alongside Dr. Shaun Murphy at San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital. But after being struck by earthquake rubble, Melendez sustained internal organ damage, which led to his death. That, of course, meant the character’s actor, Nicholas Gonzalez, also exited the ABC medical drama. Fortunately, unlike some departures in other dramas, this was a mutual decision made by the actor and producers. In a 2020 interview with TVLine, Gonzalez said he felt he was “leaving TheGood Doctor at a really great place.”
Why Did Dr. Melendez Leave The Good Doctor?
The Good Doctor creator David Shore elaborated on why he decided to move forward with Dr. Melendez’s death, claiming it was nothing personal. “We wanted to lose a character that we would feel something about, and feel pain about,” Shore told Deadline, “and certainly, he’s a character that so many of them have been in touch with.”
And Dr. Melendez’s death was certainly impactful. In previous seasons, he had developed deep relationships with many characters. In fact, he had just broken up with Dr. Audrey Lim and only recently began developing feelings for Dr. Claire Browne. In a heartbreaking but touching scene, Melendez and Browne confess their love for each other in some of his final moments. Because the doctor was so connected to various characters on The Good Doctor, the creators knew his death would be deeply felt. “I think that would have been largely true for any of our characters,” Shore said, “but it’s particularly true for him.”
Nicholas Gonzalez Returned in Season 4
Melendez’s death also rocked the audience. Fans were upset that one of the show’s beloved characters was suddenly killed off, especially before he and Claire Browne could begin a real relationship. Even Gonzalez thought Melendez had unfinished work, telling Entertainment Weekly, “Part of me is sad to see a character I respected a lot go, someone I felt that still had a lot more to say, but there wasn’t always that opportunity.”
While no one likes to see a character die, crises like this are what make series like The Good Doctor so compelling. Melendez’s influence on San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital will always be felt. And given that Gonzalez briefly reprised his role in Season 4 — but only as visions to Claire — it’s possible everyone’s favorite surgeon could find his way back again, in some form, before the drama ends.
