Top 10 Memorable The Good Doctor Moments

In the pilot episode, Shaun Murphy takes a bus to San Jose Airport airport, where he tries to cope with the sea of stimulation around him. Then just as he’s adjusting, a sign crashes down and shatters glass all over a young boy. Shaun springs into action, saving the boy’s life. This early scene showed us life from Shaun’s perspective, and at the same time demonstrated his skills as a doctor. It’s a fantastic first impression that makes for a perfect introduction to the character.

Unless you’ve experienced first hand the effect of racism, it’s difficult to imagine what some people go through. Dr. Claire Browne is placed in an awkward situation when she has to help a patient who identifies as a Nazi. At first, she’s ejected from the operating room when her personal feelings interfere with the procedure. However, later when the patient’s life is immediately at risk, she puts aside her misgivings and saves the man’s life. It comes to a head when Claire proudly tells her racist patient how hard she’s worked to get where she is. It’s a great teaching moment that shows us how everyone deserves to be treated equally.

The first season explored Shaun’s capabilities as a surgeon and how he was perceived by his colleagues. Dr. Melendez in particular was sceptical, believing that Shaun might be brilliant, but that he needed oversight due to his difficulties with communication and social skills. Of course, sitting at home watching, we all knew that Shaun would shine given the right opportunity. And that’s what we got in this scene. As Melendez tries to kick Shaun out of a surgery, Andrews steps in and allows Shaun to stay. It’s the first moment where we see how the hospital administration has begun to understand the jackpot they won when they got Shaun.

Depending on the individual, some people on the autism spectrum have difficulty with physical touch. This includes Shaun Murphy, who resists most physical contact, even from people close to him. When two patients returning from Malaysia die of a viral respiratory disease, the hospital is quarantined. The excessive chaos and noise overwhelms Shaun, causing him to collapse. However, the most memorable moment comes in the “Quarantine Part Two” when we see Shaun and Dr. Glassman share a very rare hug. By this time we’ve come to learn how much they mean to each other, so getting to see a little affection is beautiful.

Daniel Dae Kim has been involved behind the scenes of this show since it began. In season 2, the executive producer stepped in front of the camera as the new chief of surgery, Dr. Jackson Han. Han acknowledges Shaun’s talents but doesn’t believe he should be in front of patients and has him transferred to pathology. This friction finally boils over in the episode “Breakdown”. Shaun is adamant that he is a surgeon and has an emotional breakdown, and Han fired him. We can’t help but feel hurt for Shaun and contempt for Han. Thankfully of course, Shaun does end up back where he belongs.

At the end of season 2, Shaun has already come a long way from the first time he stepped into the hospital. Although we were glad to see him back in surgery, his time in pathology did give him a chance to meet Carly. There was clearly chemistry there but Shaun’s difficulty in navigating social norms made it unclear if anything would come of it. Fans were rewarded at the end of the season when Shaun showed up at Carly’s house, flowers and chocolates in hand, and asked her out. It’s a great moment for him, and a clue to what was coming in the next season. He did leave with the flowers and chocolate, but hey, it was still incredibly romantic.

The season four finale gave fans of the show a lot to swallow in terms of story arcs, with the surgeons travelling down to Guatemala to assist local doctors. Although a lot happened, the biggest surprise to come out of this visit was Claire’s decision to leave San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital. She decides to stay in Guatemala and follow her surgical dreams there. Even though Shaun is the center of the show, Claire often felt like the heart of this group of characters. Seeing their first, and maybe last hug, was hard to watch.

The season four episode “Vamos” gave us plenty of moving moments. Morgan and Park had been an on-again, off-again couple for the better part of the season. Park was ready to dive right in while Morgan refused to admit how she felt. Although they profess their feelings later, it’s the scene where Morgan tells him that she knows she can never be a surgeon again due to her arthritis that really gets us. She’s a powerhouse in every sense of the word, so to see her so vulnerable, especially to him, meant a lot.

As much as fans may have wanted to see how Shaun and Lea would be as parents, sometimes it’s how characters face tragedy that tells a deeper story. In season four’s “Dr. Ted”, Lea has been admitted to the hospital after collapsing at home in agony. At first, it seems to be something minor, but slowly the complications in her pregnancy start to add up. It’s not long before Shaun gives Lea the news that neither of them ever wanted to hear. It’s a heartbreaking moment, and one that many parents out there have had the misfortune of living through for real.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Lea Proposes, “Vamos”
A Surprise Engagement Finishes Season 4

Shaun Says I Love You, “Autopsy”
It Was a Long Time Coming

Shaun Confronts His Dad, “Friends and Family”
He Finally Gets a Few Things Off His Chest

The Robbery, “Apple”
Poor Shaun Just Wanted an Apple

A Little Shook Up, “Hurt” & “I Love You”
An Earthquake That Would Change Everything

The end of season three saw the departure of one character and a life-altering surgery for another. Morgan successfully saves a patient but then has to confront the possibility that she may never be able to operate again due to issues with her hands. However, the biggest surprise was Claire and Melendez’s final goodbye. He had been hurt in the previous episode, and was now succumbing to his injuries. Everything about his departure was gut-wrenching as he’d gone from antagonist to hero over several years. If you don’t feel something seeing these two share a final moment together, you may want to see your own doctor.