Unfortunately, The Good Doctor is now reaping the disappointing results of its previous season and a weak attempt to take the show in a 'new direction'.
The decision to thrust straight into a COVID crisis storyline has proven to be a very poor one. This first episode is essentially a drawn out and at times distasteful play by play of the still-ongoing events which each of us, including those healthcare professionals who make up a significant number of the show's audience, has had to endure in our real lives for the majority of this year. This is done for seemingly for no purpose other than reaching for an easy topical storyline as a season opener. But why the executives of this show thought their audience would want to watch a bland COVID retelling as a form of entertainment remains unclear. The episode is misery heaped upon misery.
There was also nothing particularly noteworthy or interesting in any of the storylines offered, as the patients were generic and the audience had little reason to invest given the scattergun approach to the many issues the episode attempted to draw attention to. Consequently, this episode ranged from dull to uninspired to somewhat offensive (think: a horrible attempt at instilling some kind of humour and romantic energy by using the painfully artificial and unrealistic Shaun/Lea combination for sexual innuendos). There was also a bizarre focus on characters who serve little discernible purpose other than being married to a cast member (e.g. Debbie).
Then finally, obviously, the controversial decision regarding Nicholas Gonzalez's character. It is immediately apparent in this new series that his absence has done nothing favourable for this show; indeed, the cast has seemingly now lost a cohesion that previously came from Melendez serving as the heart of the team that is meant to be the show's focus. The characters now seem disjointed and divided, or oddly forced into interactions that seem out of place.
Melendez's absence is seemingly also glossed over by the majority of characters; there is a very weak and baiting choice in the final seconds to incorporate him in the unoriginal and repetitive manner of a spectral vision. You cannot help but think this is a baffling waste of the incomplete narrative from previous seasons.
It remains to be seen where the remainder of the season will go, but if this episode is anything to go by, it is unlikely to be the show's best.
The decision to thrust straight into a COVID crisis storyline has proven to be a very poor one. This first episode is essentially a drawn out and at times distasteful play by play of the still-ongoing events which each of us, including those healthcare professionals who make up a significant number of the show's audience, has had to endure in our real lives for the majority of this year. This is done for seemingly for no purpose other than reaching for an easy topical storyline as a season opener. But why the executives of this show thought their audience would want to watch a bland COVID retelling as a form of entertainment remains unclear. The episode is misery heaped upon misery.
There was also nothing particularly noteworthy or interesting in any of the storylines offered, as the patients were generic and the audience had little reason to invest given the scattergun approach to the many issues the episode attempted to draw attention to. Consequently, this episode ranged from dull to uninspired to somewhat offensive (think: a horrible attempt at instilling some kind of humour and romantic energy by using the painfully artificial and unrealistic Shaun/Lea combination for sexual innuendos). There was also a bizarre focus on characters who serve little discernible purpose other than being married to a cast member (e.g. Debbie).
Then finally, obviously, the controversial decision regarding Nicholas Gonzalez's character. It is immediately apparent in this new series that his absence has done nothing favourable for this show; indeed, the cast has seemingly now lost a cohesion that previously came from Melendez serving as the heart of the team that is meant to be the show's focus. The characters now seem disjointed and divided, or oddly forced into interactions that seem out of place.
Melendez's absence is seemingly also glossed over by the majority of characters; there is a very weak and baiting choice in the final seconds to incorporate him in the unoriginal and repetitive manner of a spectral vision. You cannot help but think this is a baffling waste of the incomplete narrative from previous seasons.
It remains to be seen where the remainder of the season will go, but if this episode is anything to go by, it is unlikely to be the show's best.