As *The Good Doctor* concluded its seven-season run, Freddie Highmore, who portrayed Dr. Shaun Murphy, experienced a mix of emotions. The end of the series is bittersweet for Highmore, given the personal and professional challenges his character, an exceptionally talented surgeon with autism, has faced.
The finale, which aired on Tuesday, May 21, left Highmore with a sense of satisfaction. “I loved how it brought things full circle, as all finales should. It looked back to the beginning,” he told Parade. He described the scene where Shaun returns to the same boardroom from the pilot episode, now to address Dr. Glassman and Lea, as “a little bit surreal, but also lovely.”
Highmore found it poignant to see Shaun, who once fought to prove himself and secure a job at the hospital, now standing in that boardroom as a husband and father. “It puts into perspective how far Shaun has come,” he said.
In the finale, viewers witness Shaun’s emotional farewell to Dr. Glassman, though the actual death of the elder doctor is not shown. “I feel that Shaun was saying goodbye to Dr. Glassman in that boardroom scene. It felt like Shaun was acknowledging Dr. Glassman’s wishes and accepting that he won’t be around in the near future,” Highmore explained.
Highmore admits that he had some expectation that Dr. Glassman’s character would die by the series’ end. “There’s an inevitability to it,” he said. “It was fitting to see Shaun accepting this goodbye and the 10-year gap demonstrating how he has processed it and how Dr. Glassman’s influence continued. I think the time jump was used incredibly effectively.”
Reflecting on the finale, Highmore appreciated seeing an older Shaun and how his family had evolved. “It was lovely to check in with all the characters who have been so special and important to the show, and see how everyone has progressed over the last 10 years,” he noted.
The final scene Highmore filmed, involving a quiet, nuanced conversation between Shaun and Lea (Paige Spara) about Dr. Glassman’s condition, remains vivid in his memory. “That last scene with Paige was incredibly special. Shaun and Lea’s relationship has been at the heart of the show and perfectly encapsulates Shaun’s journey,” he said.
Summing up the emotional impact of the Season 7 finale, Highmore feels that *The Good Doctor* concluded on a high note. “Now that it’s finished, I feel a sense of peacefulness. It comes from knowing that we all cared deeply about the show and worked hard to make it as good as possible until the very end. It leaves you feeling grateful, appreciative, and satisfied, rather than craving more.”
