Some episodes of The Good Doctor stand out thanks to compelling storylines, from complicated medical cases to interpersonal drama between hospital staff. At its best, the show can be both heartfelt and humorous, balancing life-and-death situations with lighthearted subplots, with impressive performances from the cast, Highmore especially. But it can also be intense and emotional, with complex cases that don’t always have a happy ending and take an immense emotional toll on Shaun and his colleagues.
- Cast
- Freddie Highmore, Nicholas Gonzalez, Antonia Thomas, Chuku Modu, Beau Garrett, Hill Harper, Richard Schiff, Tamlyn Tomita, Will Yun Lee, Fiona Gubelmann, Christina Chang, Paige Spara, Jasika Nicole
- Seasons
- 7
15 “Claire” (Season 3, Episode 3)
IMDb Score: 8.5/10
This episode is mostly about Claire Browne. She’s nervous because she’s about to lead her first surgery, and she tells Dr. Lim, who tells her not to talk like that and reassures her everything will go smoothly.
This episode dives deeper into Claire’s character and her struggle as a beginning surgeon. While it’s more emotional and heartfelt, there are still some cheerful moments.
14 “Point Three Percent” (Season 1, Episode 5)
IMDb Score: 8.5
He tells the boy, but he already knows and tells Shaun he’s not afraid to die. The episode seems cathartic for Shaun Murphy as he confronts the loss of his brother and finds solace in this young patient.
13 “Hurt” (Season 3, Episode 19)
IMDb Score: 8.6
This is the first part of the two-part season finale of Season 3. An earthquake hit the city of San Jose which is on a fault line. The hospital is jarred by the experience and the staff rush to ensure the safety of their colleagues and patients. However, Dr. Neil Melendez and Dr. Aaron Glassman are at a charity event and feel the effects of the earthquake a lot more, and are put in life-threatening danger.
12 “Friends and Family” (Season 3, Episode 10)
IMDb Score: 8.6
Ethan Murphy, Dr. Shaun’s father is on his deathbed and wants to see his son one last time. Doctors Mendez, Park, Reznick, and Browne attend to a high school football player who is suffering from a severe spinal injury which leads Dr. Browne to start addressing her mental health.
This episode dives deeper into Dr. Shaun Murphy’s family and their dysfunction. Marcie explains she stayed with Ethan out of love and doesn’t blame Shaun for hating them. It’s a dramatic episode full of family dysfunction and intense feuding.
11 “Unconditional” (Season 7, Episode 9)
IMDb Score: 8.7/10
Dr. Claire Browne returns from her trip to Guatemala, but her delightful return is hindered by her breast cancer diagnosis. Dr. Glassman is still struggling with Hannah who is unresponsive to any attempts at help. On the bright side, Dr. Alex Park and Morgan Reznick search for a place to have an impromptu wedding.
10 “Burnt Food” (Season 1, Episode 1)
IMDb Score: 8.6/10
Audiences were introduced to Dr. Shaun Murphy and the staff of San Jose’s St. Bonaventure Hospital in the series premiere “Burnt Food.” As Shaun was on his way to his first day of work, he stopped to help a young boy who was injured by a piece of glass. Meanwhile, the rest of the hospital staff had concerns about Murphy, and his only defender was Dr. Glassman, his longtime friend and mentor.
It’s fitting that one of the best episodes of The Good Doctor was the series premiere. “Burnt Food” set up the show’s premise and characters, in particular showing just how intelligent, skilled and even passionate Shaun was, from stopping to save a young boy to delivering a moving speech about what motivated him to become a doctor. The episode also established the relationship between Shaun and Glassman, especially Glassman’s faith in Shaun.
9 “Faces” (Season 2, Episode 14)
IMDb Score: 8.6/10
“Faces” presented two very different storylines, at least on the surface—a lighthearted one focused on the friendship between Shaun and Glassman and a serious one presenting the complex procedure of a face transplant. But both dealt with what makes a person who they are. One of the episode’s most moving moments was the “Walk of Honor,” in which hospital staff lined the halls as the grieving mother walked with her daughter’s body to have the transplant.
8 ‘Quarantine, Pt. 2’ (Season 2, Episode 11)
IMDb Score: 8.7/10
At the conclusion of a two-part episode, the mid-season premiere, “Quarantine” had the hospital still quarantined due to a deadly virus, with parts of the hospital shut off from the others to contain the virus. The chaos and noise in the emergency room overwhelmed Shaun, and Lim’s life was in danger after catching the virus. Meanwhile, the situation posed challenges for Melendez and Claire as they worked to complete a bone-marrow transplant.
7 “I Love You” (Season 3, Episode 20)
IMDb Score: 8.7/10
After an earthquake struck San Jose, hospital staff worked to help those injured in it in the Season 3 finale “I Love You,” with some risking their own safety by doing so. Shaun was trapped with a woman, Vera, whose life he ultimately saved – but not before promising he would move on from Lea. After Shaun and Vera both made it out, Lea greeted Shaun with a passionate kiss and told him she loved him. Meanwhile, Melendez was among those injured, which ultimately led to his death due to internal bleeding.
6 “Breakdown” (Season 2, Episode 17)
IMDb Score: 8.8/10
In “Breakdown,” after being assigned to work in pathology by Dr. Han (Daniel Dae Kim), Shaun was determined to join the surgical team in an operation to remove a tumor. Shaun instead worked on the case of an infant whose injuries suggested abuse but turned out to be the result of a subdural bleed from delivery. Shaun ultimately confronts Han about returning to his prior work in surgery, leading to an emotional confrontation and Shaun’s firing.
“Breakdown” has become known for – and is named for – Shaun’s intense outburst in the episode after being pushed to his breaking point. What started as Shaun advocating for himself quickly escalated, as Shaun refused to accept Han’s decision and became confrontational. Highmore’s work on the show was always impressive, but “Breakdown” was among his best, showing how deeply Shaun was affected by Han’s decision and how passionate he was about his work as a surgeon.
