Dr. Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore) is a brilliant young surgeon on THE GOOD DOCTOR. But he’s also a high-functioning autistic with savant syndrome. It’s clear that his life was a hard one — his father was abusive and didn’t understand his son. And he and his brother ran away from home when they were both very young in order to escape their terrible life. But Shaun has also made it through medical school and Dr. Aaron Glassman (Richard Schiff) is determined to get him a surgical residency at his hospital. The biggest hurdle is the hospital’s board, which isn’t convinced that Shaun has the necessary temperament and skills to be a surgeon. In addition, Aaron’s rivalry with another doctor on the board could threaten his position as the hospital’s president, particularly if he’s wrong about Shaun.
Shaun isn’t aware of how controversial his hiring has been as he makes his way to San Jose. At the airport he witnesses a young boy get hit by falling glass and he immediately steps in to save him — accomplishing something an older doctor on the scene cannot do. While Shaun’s brilliance is undeniable, his behavior is off-putting to a lot of people, including the other doctors at the hospital. And it’s clear that most of them are determined to see him fail.
THE GOOD DOCTOR premieres on Monday, September 25 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
