The Good Doctor star Freddie Highmore discusses his character Dr. Shaun Murphy’s ending in the series finale. The hit ABC medical drama first aired in 2017 and just came to an end after 126 episodes with The Good Doctor season 7 finale. The show follows Highmore’s Shaun, an autistic surgical resident with savant syndrome, as he works on cases at San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital. Throughout the series, Shaun faces many challenges in his personal and professional lives, and experiences profound growth by the show’s end.
In an exclusive interview with TVLine, Highmore broke down how the Good Doctor finale, which sees Shaun give a TED Talk about his inspirational journey during its final moments, shows how far the character has come in all areas of his life. The actor spoke about how the evolution of his personal life has been a huge step. Check out Highmore’s comments when asked if he thinks having a family is Shaun’s greatest achievement below:
Yes, I think so. I also think that it has made Shaun a better doctor. He has always been a brilliant surgeon. Medically, he has always had this ability to see things that other people can’t. He thinks differently and comes up with incredible solutions to cases that other people would never be able to see. But I think that came not from an inability for Shaun, but simply a lack of opportunity.
To see him navigate the early days of his relationship with Lea, to getting married, to Shaun and Lea having a baby, I don’t think those are things that necessarily were something that Shaun dreamed about at the very beginning of the show. Getting him to that point does seem huge.
Why Shaun’s The Good Doctor Ending Is So Significant
Shaun’s journey in the finale shows he has adapted to his surroundings and become comfortable with himself, and a big part of this was him accepting the death of friend and mentor Dr. Glassman in the finale.
On The Good Doctor, Shaun has always excelled at his job but found the workplace a challenge, struggling throughout the show with interpersonal relationships. He found it difficult to connect with and understand people, though he gets better at this with time. His ending is interesting because, as Highmore states, having a family and a stable personal life was probably never on Shaun’s list of life goals. It also shows Shaun that he is capable of achieving great things away from the field of medicine, where he likely felt most comfortable.
There is no rulebook for being a father, a husband, or a friend, and for someone like Shaun, who likes to be able to solve things and see the finished result, this can be a challenge, especially over a long period. Shaun’s journey in the finale shows he has adapted to his surroundings and become comfortable with himself, and a big part of this was him accepting the death of friend and mentor Dr. Glassman in the finale. While Shaun was obsessed with saving him, Glassman had accepted his fate, and wanted Shaun to do the same.
The Good Doctor cast has received acclaim over the years, with Highmore in particular being singled out for praise and even collecting a Golden Globe nomination for his performance. Now, as the London-born actor gives Shaun a fitting send-off, he could garner further critical acclaim. Being able to portray a character as layered and complex as Dr. Shaun Murphy is very challenging, and The Good Doctor has no doubt become one of Highmore’s most prominent film and TV roles.
