‘The Good Doctor’ Season 3 Episode 13: Fiona Gubelmann makes us go wow with her portrayal of Morgan Reznick
Call it a plus or a minus point; a drama series is mostly about covering the major happenings of the leading characters of the story. Our very own ‘The Good Doctor’ is no exception. Although at the core the plot narrates the journey of the young and autistic Dr. Shaun Murphy, his life wouldn’t be complete without his colleagues and good friends. And his friends wouldn’t have an impact on his life unless their characters are peeled over and over and we see through each one of them. Dr. Morgan Reznick is one such character that has a significant role to play in Shaun’s life, albeit by creating an impression of her own.
So far, we have seen many shades of Morgan; the cold, stern woman who has steeled up over time, the friend who stands by those in need but believes in tough love, and also an extremely talented doctor who would give anything to make her patients’ lives better. And in the episode ‘Sex and Death’, Morgan exposed us to yet another shade of her character-- the one of suppressed emotions towards her family. The incidents of Episode 13 made us ask significant questions about life, which also directed towards Morgan, giving us a back story of her, which made her character a little sympathetic, for a change.
The young female doctor has been a little alienated from her family and she never came out clear about her background. The reason, which we got to know today, is that she has always remained in the shadows of her celebrity artist mother and her talented brother and sister, making her feel the odd one out. This kind of a family environment is bound to drive any child into a corner, feeling left out and neglected. The same happened with Morgan. And thus, she grew to be repressive about her feelings of herself, or towards others. And while she struggles with her feelings and gets on with life, she is also faced with a critical illness, making her challenges more overwhelming.
Portraying these complex emotions, time and again, actor Fiona Gubelmann does a brilliant job. For so long, she put up her hard shell of curt behavior, but not disregarding the needs of people of course. And as she peels off that layer and tries to vent out her angst towards her mother, we see Gubelmann in her best elements. She is as natural as it can get in her portrayal of the toughened Morgan who, deep down inside, seeks a little warmth and attention from her family.
We have seen Gubelmann in many popular television shows and in myriad roles. But Morgan puts everything on the backseat and sees a more mature and seasoned actor in her. Episode 13 kind of culminates all her work from the previous episodes of ‘The Good Doctor’ and makes us see Morgan for who she really is and why she does what she does. And the credit for that could only go to Gubelmann, the actor behind the character, and of course, the wonderful creators of this intense medical drama.
‘The Good Doctor’ Season 3 airs every Monday, 10pm/9c, only on ABC.
