The Good Doctor season 2 premiere review: Chuku Modu leaving; Lea’s back!
“Hello” is an episode that is especially important to series star Freddie Highmore. After all, the actor wrote the script for it, and you could tell that he put a lot of heart into every moment. This premiere was critical to many other actors, with Jared being at the center of it.
We’re going to miss Chuku Modu as a part of the show. Jared was one of the series’ best characters, someone full of passion and heart who was prone to mistakes, but also understood Shaun Murphy better than most. He was a good person who got on the bad side of Dr. Andrews (and at times the hospital itself after what happened to Dr. Coyle), and there was so much intelligence behind how and why he left. Sometimes, characters need a fresh start and an opportunity to actually move forward. Jared didn’t hate St. Bonaventure and the people who were there; he just understood that this was a chance for him to have a fresh start and actually turn the page. That’s something that he needs and also something that the show as a whole benefits from. It’s a sign that these are characters who are going to make decisions to preserve their own personal self-interest more so than trying to fit into the show’s jigsaw puzzle.
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The final moments between Jared and Claire said a lot about who the two of them are as possible, and also Jared’s belief that this is the best for the two of them. While it was hard for him to say goodbye, he recognized that this didn’t mean the decision to leave was a mistake.
Before Jared left, he helped Shaun with a homeless patient who was suffering from what turned out to be a brain tumor. It was something that at first looked like schizophrenia, but upon further analysis there was something more there. They ran the risk of aggravating Dr. Andrews with the whole procedure, but they moved forward anyway and Jared put his trust in Shaun. Why? Shaun showed leadership in handling the situation, and he also knew what it meant to him. He knew he would never be able to move on from his own neurological condition, but this was someone who could get better.
Shaun tonight also had to figure out the best way to be there for Dr. Glassman as he continued to try and move on from his cancer diagnosis — with help from Dr. Blaize (Lisa Edelstein), who definitely has a complicated history with the character. It’s not about being there for Aaron because he felt he had to; it’s because he wanted to.
In the closing minutes, there was one final surprise in the story — Lea is back! As for what that means moving forward, that still remains to be seen.
CarterMatt Verdict
The Good Doctor season 2 started off in fine fashion, establishing once more the series’ emotional center and giving you great moments for many characters along the way. While we could’ve used more of Lea and an explanation about what happened with Kenny, maybe this will be saved for another week.
For now, let’s we want to give some praise to Highmore for the script and to Modu for a fantastic performance on what seems to be his last bow.
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