The Good Doctor
Summary
The shocking demise of a major character onThe Good Doctormade a powerful point but also sent the wrong content in one specific way . The Freddie Highmore - led dramatic play has combined more blithesome stories with medical drama during its terminal season , pore mostly on Shaun ’s struggles as he becomes a new father and his professional difficulties as he attempts to teach an autistic medical student . Most of the drama come from disagreement about medical discussion , making the conclusion to down one ofThe beneficial Doctor’smost likeable characterseven more unexpected and impactful .
This is the 2nd timeThe Good Doctorhas made the controversial conclusion to wipe out off a popular leading fiber . At the end of time of year 3 , the series down Dr. Neil Melendez ( Nicholas Gonzalez ) after an earthquake . Melendez ’s last touch most of the other doctors , specially Dr. Lim ( Christina Chang ) , who had been secretly dating him . The late fiber last inThe Good Doctorseason 7has some similarities . However , it alsosends a negative substance that undermines the series ' focal point on acceptance of differences .
The Good Doctor writer Adam Scott Weissman explains the show ’s shocking mid - season character dying and how the writers manage it sensitively .
Asher Wolke’s Death Explained
The Character Was Murdered Right After Embracing His Jewish Identity
Asher Wolke ’s death hail at the remainder of an emotional storyline involving his touch about his Judaic identity and marriage . He had struggle with even admitting he was Jewish to a spiritual patient who wanted her fiancé to exchange prior to marriage , butwhen he learned his patient had picayune clock time to survive he got in touch with a rabbi and serve facilitate the conversion . This was what led to Asher ’s death , as he face up some bad hat who were vandalise the temple when he dropped the rabbi off before heading to a local restaurant to touch Jerome .
Asher was in good spirits after confronting the criminals because he had declared to them that he was both queer and a Jew , at last comprehend both his personal identity , but the troublemaker followed him to his car . In the final moments of the episode , one of them hit Asher in the back of the head with a metallic element object . The rabbi ran to him and prayed over him while Jerome wait in the restaurant . It was not immediately clear-cut that Asher had go , but preview scene showed the respite of the doctors at his funeral .
Asher’s Death Was Meant to Send a Message About Antisemitism
There Was Very Little Foreshadowing To Demonstrate How Violence Can Erupt Suddenly
The only foreshadowing of Asher ’s death was a comment by the rabbi that turn down his religion would not protect Asher from antisemitism . This pick made his death all the more shocking , but was done to make a point . Asher ’s murder come out of a seemingly random encounter , show that hatred and ferocity can derail life without any warning and adding to the tragical and senseless nature of the cleanup . Additionally , the perpetrator appear to be revenge for Asher sooner standing up to them when they sneer at him for being Judaic .
The point of this tragic destruction was to put a spotlight on hate offense revolve around around anti-Semitism . In literal life , these types of crimes have been on the rise recently , and Asher was the character most probable to be touch by this character of hate - based violence . SinceThe Good Doctorhas always been about acceptance of divergence , it was logical to address this way out , and the sequence followed up these perturbing scenes with a placard severalise viewers who had been affected by hatred crimes where to reach out . unluckily , this important content was adulterate by another unknowingly problematical one .
The Timing of Asher’s Death Was Problematic
Asher Died Just Before Getting His Happily Ever After
Asher was the only gay chief lineament onThe Good Doctor , and throughout his sentence on the serial his family relationship with Jerome , a nurse at the hospital , evolved . Asher ’s death occurred while Jerome was waiting to purpose to him , robbing them both of their blithely ever after . It was a troubling end seen all too often for queer character reference : gay characters are often belt down on TV to prevent them from let happy finish . This negative trope , which is known as Bury Your Gays , send off the message that gay people can not experience happiness and will be pour down if they try it .
The writers made an effort to stave off fall into this figure and consult a extremity of their team who is part of the LGBTQ+ community before writing this write up . However , the timing of Asher ’s dying fell into this trope , anyway .
On a drama likeThe Good Doctor , it ’s expect that all character reference will suffer from time to sentence , so it would be wrong to exclude Asher and Jerome from that . However , it was unnecessary to down Asher off right before he receive that felicity . The writers did this to emphasize the tragedy of the killer ’s anti-semitic behavior , but by doing so they inadvertently reinforce the idea that gay people can not have happy endings . This is particularly true because Asher and Jerome were the only gay couple onThe Good Doctor , making them the series ' only representation of a same - sexuality family relationship .
Custom image by Yeider Chacon
The Good Doctor Could Have Made The Same Point a Different Way
Asher’s Death Was Not The Only Way to Depict Antisemitism
WhileThe Good Doctorseason 7 trailerpromised heartbreaking episodes , it was not necessary to write Asher out in this shocking and tearing style , specially when he was the only LGBTQ+ chief character . It might have been a more powerful tale if Asher had not die out and or else , for example , sail his carbon monoxide gas - worker ' potentially changing position now that he had cover his Jewish religion again . Many multitude who would never be violent have minus ideas about masses who are not like them , and more people could relate to the perpetrators of such negativity than to violent criminal , and thus learn from it .
If Asher needed to be write out , it could have been carry through without killing him off . He might have make up one’s mind to go home for the first time in old age and visit his father ’s grave and Jerome could have start with him , the both of them adopt time off before the wedding . This would haveaccomplished the goal of compose Asher out ofThe Good Doctorwithout perpetuating harmful stereotypes about mirthful multitude . It already addressed antisemitism by make the bad guys vandalise the temple , so it was not necessary for the story to defeat anyone ; even if the show had still wanted to admit the attack , he did n’t have to become flat .
Giving Asher a happy termination would have load the impact of the anti - hate message , but it was not deserving sacrifice pro - LGBTQ+ messaging to make that stage . Despite the writers ' intention to avoid the negative Bury Your Gays trope , there was no way to wipe out Asher in this manner without hang into it . The Good Doctorcould have compose Asher out a dissimilar way and still made its point about anti-Semitism , even if it would n’t have been as shocking .
The Good Doctor is a medical drama television series that tells the story of Dr. Shaun Murphy, a young surgeon who has autism, as he navigates his career and personal life at the fictional San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital. Freddie Highmore plays the title role. The series premiered in 2017 on ABC.
The Good Doctorairs on ABC on Tuesdays and streams on Hulu .
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Cast
The Good Doctor is a medical drama television series that tells the story of Dr. Shaun Murphy , a young operating surgeon who has autism , as he navigates his career and personal life at the fabricated San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital . Freddie Highmore plays the title role . The series premiere in 2017 on ABC .
