'The Good Doctor' Season 3 Episode 19: Will Nicholas Gonzales's Neil Melendez make it to Season 4?
Dr Neil Melendez has had some journey this season on 'The Good Doctor'. ABC's hit medical drama saw the senior surgeon at St Bonaventure Hospital intermittently go through a rough patch throughout the season. Now, as the season is about to end, we see him fighting for his life and this has us worried if he will survive the final chapter of the current season. But before we speculate if he will or won’t, here is a quick look at his journey so far, which will perhaps help us determine the fate of his character.
Neil Melendez is an extremely skilled and experienced surgeon. But all great people have their downtime. For starters, he failed a case, of course, as a result of a diagnosis mistake and it had nothing to do with his ability as a surgeon. But that mistake resulted in the death of a patient on the operating table, which put him through a lot of regression for a while. He lost his confidence in his medical prowess, almost to the extent of quitting practice. Going forward, he became extra cautious and almost picky about how he diagnosed patients. Thanks to his mentor Dr Aaron Glassman and his supervisor cum love interest, Dr Audrey Lim, he got through this phase.
Then, he and his boss girlfriend Audrey broke up. That was not an easy thing to get through. Working under the same roof and yet not seeing her the same way made it quite difficult for Neil. And yet again, he overcame this tough time. He dedicated himself completely to work and evolved as a surgeon and as a man and we saw his character arc take a leap.
Around this time, he developed a soft corner for his mentee and colleague, Dr Claire Browne. The two became close friends, only to be called out by the management about nepotism. But we know very well from his behavior with Claire that he developed some strong feelings for her and so did Claire. In the previous, Episode 18, we hear Claire admitting to her therapist that she is in love with Neil. But she could never get herself to admit or profess her love to him.
Finally, as the season is about to end, we see Neil becoming a victim of a disastrous earthquake that put several lives in danger, including his own. Despite suffering an internal injury, he fulfilled his duty as a doctor and tried to save as many people as possible. But the hemorrhage got worse and he lost consciousness.
This comes at a moment when fans have been rooting for him and Claire to give into their feelings for each other and start another love story on the show. But they never had a chance.
As far as his character’s journey is concerned, we don't think it's over yet. There is the incomplete story of Neil and Claire, the possibility of Neil and Audrey getting back together, especially after the threat on his life, and Neil’s growth as a doctor. So, if you ask us, Neil Melendez will not die so soon; or at least he shouldn't. Otherwise, we will be left with a huge void in the lead characters.
Nicholas's performance in his role of Dr Melendez has been incredible and it would be unfair for the writers to ax such a character from the story, who binds together a lot of other important characters including that of our hero, Dr Shaun Murphy.
What do you think could happen with Dr Melendez? Will he or won't he make it to Season 4? Join the conversation and tell us what you think.
'The Good Doctor' Season 3 finale part 2 will air on Monday, March 30, at 10pm/9c, only on ABC.