As ABC’s The Good Doctor is soon to reach its end, a former main character from the show’s earlier season will be making a return. Antonia Thomas will be reprising her role as Claire Browne once more after she left the main cast in season 4’s finale in 2021. Her return was initially reported back in early 2024 and the show’s latest episode reveals the female doctor’s latest update since she left San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital.
The official trailer for the show’s penultimate episode, titled “Unconditional,” features the female doctor’s return to visit Shawn (Freddie Highmore) and Lea (Paige Spara). Unfortunately, this happy reunion came with bad news – Claire has breast cancer. The episode’s official synopsis was shared on TVLine, and it reads “Dr. Claire Browne returns from her work in Guatemala for a personal medical examination. Elsewhere, Dr. Glassman struggles to manage Hannah, who remains unresponsive to his attempts to help, while Park seeks out the perfect last-minute wedding location.”
The synopsis for the show’s series finale has also been released, and it reads, “As the doctors consider their futures, they work together to solve one of the most important cases of their careers.” While it’s not yet been confirmed, it could hint that the important case could be about Claire.
Season 7 marks the final season of The Good Doctor, as filming for the show ended back in March 2024, and the final episode is scheduled to air on May 21, 2024. Throughout the show’s runtime, many of the recurring cast members exiting the show in various episodes.
Why Did Claire Leave ‘The Good Doctor’?
Claire Browne first appeared in The Good Doctor back in Season 1 as a surgical resident at San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital and was a really good friend of Shawn. As each episode progressed, we got to learn more about why she wanted to be a surgeon, her love affairs, as well as her rocky relationship with her mother. Claire left the main cast in season 4 when she decided to continue helping patients in Guatemala. However, she did make a guest appearance in season 5, when she was a guest at Shawn and Lea’s wedding.
According to TVLine, Thomas left The Good Doctor because she wanted to pursue different opportunities, and she believes that Claire’s character development has reached its peak.
“I think, ultimately, for me, it’s about coming to the point where I think we’ve really run the gamut of different things that Claire can have gone through. I’m now really excited to explore different creative opportunities.”
Since her Good Doctor tenure, she has appeared in different shows, such as Tuca & Bertie, Suspect, and Still Up.
The Good Doctor Season 7 airs Tuesdays on ABC. The past seasons are also available to stream on Hulu. You can watch the trailer for the upcoming episode above.
