‘The Good Doctor’ Season 3 Episode 17: Fans call out unrealistic portrayal of medical practices, say it's 'wrong'

Amidst all heartbreaks and relationship issues explored in the episode, some fans criticize the doctors’ approach to treatment and how they don’t seem real
UPDATED MAR 19, 2020
Freddie Highmore (IMDb)
Freddie Highmore (IMDb)

ABC’s hit medical drama might be about an autistic surgeon with Savant syndrome, but the show is still a medical procedural by the definition of it. And when it comes to anything medical or scientific, it's a grey area to tread on.

So far, people never raised an issue on how the show has portrayed medical conditions. But in ‘Fixation’, the latest episode, the audience couldn’t hold their disappointment when they saw a patient with a rare and undiagnosed brain condition comes to seek help at St. Bonaventure Hospital. Viewers felt that the doctors are being unrealistic. One user on Twitter comments, “It’s wrong to portray chronic illnesses as misdiagnosis that you can make magically better. #TheGoodDoctor”

To this, another user responds with an explanation that while the show always seems close to facts, there should also be room for creative liberty. He says, “#TheGoodDoctor usually gets points for realism, but I guess even they need to stretch the truth once in a while.”

Many viewers do not, however, agree to this. After all, when dealing with medical information, it is important to be accurate with medical facts, information, trivia, and treatment, or it can send a wrong message.

Apart from this, fans are also appalled at the way Dr Shaun Murphy handled surgery. He practically used his hands instead of a surgical tool to operate onto the adrenal gland of a patient. “Melendez let Shaun lead the surgery and he squeezed the adrenal gland with his hand's Nauseated face that closeup #TheGoodDoctor,” surprisingly remarks a fan.

No matter how great the characters might be on the show, the audience feels that there cannot be room for any ambiguity of information, especially that relates to medical procedures and practices. 

However, all said and done, people are still loving the show and it has only been on rare occasions that such a complain arises. Guess, the writers would want to keep that in mind.

‘The Good Doctor’ Season 3 airs every Monday at 10pm/9c, only on ABC.

GET THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

A new ‘White Lotus’ getaway may be taking shape, and if this casting rumor is true, season 4 could be its most dramatic stay yet.
10 hours ago
Kathleen Robertson and Mark Engelhardt have been cast in recurring roles for the third instalment
18 hours ago
Middle-earth is moving closer to its next chapter, and new signs suggest ‘The Rings of Power’ may return sooner than fans ever expected.
1 day ago
‘Euphoria’ footage is finally out and the first glimpse of Season 3 suggests that growing up may be far more dangerous than staying young.
1 day ago
A Reddit user recently shared a Google Earth image showing the words "Come Back" written on a pavement
1 day ago
'Pluribus' reunited Gilligan with his long-time collaborators, music supervisor Thomas Golubić and music composer Dave Porter
1 day ago
Viewers are left wondering whether 'Heated Rivalry' will follow the books closely or embrace the subtle changes hinted at by the cast.
1 day ago
‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ Season 2 dropped on December 10, 2025, and Rick Riordan has already teased something incredible for Season 3
2 days ago
In the latest 'Pluribus' episode, titled 'The Gap', Rhea Seehorn's Carol grapples with her longing for human interaction
2 days ago
After years in development, ‘Skinny Dip’ lands at Prime Video with Amanda Seyfried in the lead role of Joey Perrone
2 days ago