How the ‘Good Doctor’ Series finale handled the death of [SPOILER] – and took shape after a resized Season 7

The EPs of ‘The Good Doctor,’ on the series finale, including Claire’s return, the strike that ‘downsized the season’, and Freddie Highmore.

By Jim Halterman

May 21, 2024, 12:34 PM

Spoiler Alert: The following interview discusses events from “ The Good Doctor ” series finale “Goodbye,” streaming on Hulu as of May 22.

The Good Doctor’s Tuesday series finale was a perfect combination of emotional highs and lows, tears of joy and sadness, as well as a dose of hope. It concluded seven seasons of the ABC series.

The drama premiered September 20, 2017. It followed Shaun Murphy, an autistic surgeon, as he grew into a doctor, husband, father, and friend of his colleagues. The series was created by David Shore, and adapted from the South Korean drama “Good Doctor” of 2013. Shaun’s autistic condition often led him to face conflicts where he had to choose between logic and emotions.

Shaun’s episode features two of his closest pals – Dr. Aaron Glassman, his mentor and father figure (Richard Ship) and Dr. Claire Browne, a returning friend (Antonia Thomsen, who left as a series regular after the fourth season) facing situations where they were in danger. Shaun felt a sense of responsibility to help them. The final episode of the show was driven by this dramatic situation. It also featured happy endings for many cast members, including Dr. Morgan Reznick and Dr. Alex Park.

Shore and executive producers Liz Friedman help us deconstruct the last episode of the show, including the impact the 10-episode finale had on its conclusion. They also explain why Claire is the cast member that they brought back, and how they dealt with the death Glassman, while maintaining an optimistic ending.

Did you change your plans when you learned that the show was ending after season 7? Or did you plan ahead and have time to prepare?

Liz Friedman I planned a season finale that was either in the ballpark or something that could conclude it, or certain ideas that if included this little theme, it could launch it into next season. I knew that [the show’s ending] was possible. I wanted to give everyone as much time as possible to make a decision. Although I am sad that the show will be ending, I am glad we were given enough notice. We were able adjust and have a real finale. I am very pleased with the way we ended the show.

Did you have to make any adjustments because of the strike by writers, and the fewer episodes in the season?

Friedman : That was not planned. As part of the writers’ strike, we had to calculate how many episodes could be produced if it ended in one week. It was difficult, since we could have done 15 episodes when we returned. ABC said initially that they only wanted 13 episodes, but then the number was reduced to 10. We figured out how to downsize our story so that it would work with only 10 episodes.

Did you or anyone else watch the pilot episode in preparation for the final episode?

David Shore : Yeah, yeah. Liz immediately watched it and told me that I should also watch it. She said “Yeah! It’s really great.” I was already going to watch the movie.

Friedman We watched it when we made “The Good Lawyer”, a spin-off, [last year]. There are moments in the pilot that definitely refer back. It was an accident. We came up with a story and then I looked at the Season 1, which was about Shaun finding out that Glassman was cancerous. These two stories are very similar in a way I find pleasing. This is a good way to measure Shaun’s growth over these seven years.

What was Freddie Highmore’s opinion on the final scene and the way things were wrapped up? He was involved in a number of decisions.

FriedmanFreddie is great at that. In the last few years I’ve talked to him when I receive the next section and told him what was coming. He’s the writer’s ideal audience. He will say, “Oh that sounds good,” then add, “Oh that reminds me a little of this …”.” He is a joy to work with. He would ask us to go over every script and tell him what he wanted changed. Most of the changes he makes make the script better.

Shaun and Glassman are the true love story of the show, especially when you look at how their relationship has developed and where they end up by the end Season 7. This has always been on your mind, too?

Shore : This relationship was absolutely crucial to the show since the beginning, and remained constant throughout the entire show, which added to the sadness of the ending. It’s a very strong father-son bond, and that was something we knew from the start and wanted to continue to explore. The father’s role and how to pass it on and prepare your child for the world.

We’ll talk about the ending with this dilemma that Shaun finds himself in, with both Glassman and Claire’s lives at risk. What was the process of creating that story?

Friedman : We came across this medical story on microphages and thought it was a fascinating one. We thought about having Claire come back and we were thinking that she would return for a fairly mundane medical procedure [in the May 14th episode] before it escalated into this great mystery [in the second episode]. It worked well for Claire to be at the center of a dramatic medical tale, and also have her comment about all the changes that have happened in the people she has known.

Glassman’s story of his cancer returning had been simmering for some time. It worked out well to make the patients a part of the cast and the final scene. This allowed us to focus on the audience and not introduce an external patient.

You could have brought many people back from the past of the show. You could have brought back other characters, but you chose Claire.

Friedman : There was talk about bringing back another character that wasn’t feasible, and this really set up the idea that it should all be clear and that we should focus on Claire. Perez [Brandon Larracuente] makes an appearance in the final scene.

Shore : We didn’t just want someone to come in and say goodbye. We wanted them to be brought back and used properly.

Glassman’s intervention to perform this unapproved surgery to save Claire was a nice touch. It meant Shaun didn’t have the risk of jeopardizing his career. Would you say that he is saving Shaun once more, or thanking Shaun in return for all he has done for him? I went back and forth about that.

Friedman : What did you think, David?

Shore He is making one last gesture to Shaun. Shaun can’t give up his dream of becoming a doctor. Shaun is a doctor because he deserves it. We wanted Shaun ready to fully give himself up and we wanted Glassman, to realize that he had to sacrifice himself for Shaun.

How about you Liz?

Friedman : Yes, pretty much the same. Glassman was a major part of what Shaun accomplished, and I believe it is a mitzvah. This sacrifice allowed Shaun to continue using his miraculous ability as a physician.

Shore : I would like to add that there was a lot more dialogue at one time in this scene and it worked really well, but editing reduced it to a simple thank you. Shaun has a lot to thank Glassman, and the two have reached a place where Shaun no longer fights Glassman. He is just accepting Glassman.

Friedman You can tell David has moved to director mode because he is advocating less words. I agree. I’m the one who suggested that we just say that.

Did you ever think you would have more episodes, or more time to see Glassman actually die so you could attend his funeral? Or did you never want to get involved?

Friedman : What if there were more seasons to the show in a different scenario? Yes, that is a definite possibility.

Shore : I remembered thinking about that day we shot that carousel, and the moment when Shaun was alone on the carousel. The carousel scene was shot many years ago. It was about Glassman’s death, but the bigger thing was that Shaun was going to be okay.

Shaun giving a TED Talk in the future was a good way to see where he, and everyone else, end up. How did this scenario become part of the episode?

Shore I don’t even know how it began, but I’m sure it’s not me. I heard about it. It’s a great idea.

Friedman : I think that it was something we were discussing at some point. We had already started to imagine the ending, even though they hadn’t yet decided to stop at 10 episodes. Freddie mentioned that Shaun stood up and gave a speech. He said that it was a reference to the pilot and that the entire great section is in the boardroom. Glassman delivers a great speech and then Shaun follows suit.

David independently came up with an idea that Shaun would go back to the same room that he gave that speech during the pilot so that the paths all connected to the beginning.

Were the names scrolling while Shaun gives the TED Talk the actual names of patients from the show or did they have another meaning?

ShoreActual names of patients from scripts in the past. There are 1500 names in the list, based on 126 episodes.

Friedman :And when you say Adam, it’s because that was the name of the boy Shaun rescued in the pilot.

Was that last scene, in the final moments, shot after the TED Talk and all the cast gathered together and hugging, the last one you shot for the series?

Shore : In some ways I wish it was, but in the end we wouldn’t have made it through the day. We were unable to do that due to scheduling issues, but were aware of this as we shot the film. It was an extremely difficult time. It was beautiful. It was really lovely.

This interview has been edited down and condensed.