SPOILER ALERT: The story contains particulars about The Good Physician Episode 709, “Unconditional.”
It’s the start of the top as ABC‘s The Good Physician tonight kicked off its two-part collection finale. The primary hour had hallmarks of a contented collection nearer — a marriage and a fan-favorite couple rekindling their romance after years aside — earlier than the episode took a double darkish flip on the finish.
Issues bought off to an excellent begin when Claire Browne (returning unique forged member Antonia Thomas) reunited with Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore) as she got here by to get a lump in her breast checked out. It had been dominated benign in Guatemala the place she heads surgical procedure however it turned out to be cancerous. A surgical procedure to take away it led by Claire’s ex Jared Kalu (Chuku Modu) and Shaun was initially unsuccessful however a followup did the trick, and Claire was on her approach to a full restoration — and getting again along with Kalu after he referred to as her “form, compassionate and heart-stoppingly lovely” and she or he confessed to him that she got here to St. Bonaventure as a result of she heard he was again and lamented not committing to him throughout their relationship.
In the meantime, Aaron Glassman (Richard Schiff) tried to take care of former affected person Hannah’s drug drawback by taking her in and administrating restricted dozes of Oxy, jeopardizing his medical license within the course of. His plan failed miserably when he discovered medication in her pocket. Upon discovering Glassman’s secret, Shaun was conflicted and able to report his mentor to Audrey Lim (Christina Chang) earlier than being dissuaded by Lea (Paige Spara) and his outdated confidant Claire.
“I’ve missed us,” Shaun mentioned on the finish of his speak with Claire about unconditional love, the becoming title of the penultimate episode.
“Me too,” Claire replied.
Cue in all followers of the present including, “us three.”
Shaun went on to confront Hannah and advised her how Glassman “didn’t repair me, he cherished me unconditionally” regardless of Shaun being shunned from everybody else for being completely different, even his family, and that, identical to Glassman noticed Shaun as “one thing extra,” he “sees that you may be extra.”
It labored, and Hannah advised Glassman that she was headed to rehab however wish to come again and see him when she was carried out. The wording of his reply, “So long as I’m right here, Unwell be right here for you,” would quickly tackle an entire new that means. Extra on that in a bit.
Morgan Reznick (Fiona Gubelmann) and Alex Park’s (Will Yun Lee) wedding ceremony was again on when Park accepted the problem to arrange a stupendous and significant ceremony in 4 days. He pulled it off, reserving the bar the place the 2 had their first date with a catch – the one out there slot was 2 AM.
Regardless of the ungodly hour, everybody confirmed up, with Claire and Kalu exchanging telling seems to be in the course of the vows. Quickly, they exchanged greater than that, sharing a kiss in the course of the reception.
Grateful for his assist with Hannah, Glassman praised Shaun, telling him, “You’ve got grown so much: as a physician, as a father, as a person,” earlier than sharing with him that his most cancers had returned, and this time it was terminal.
Minutes later, after one other kiss with Kalu on the bench outdoors the membership, Claire collapsed, and he rushed her off to the hospital.
Within the first of a two-part interview with Deadline, The Good Physician star Freddie Highmore and co-showrunners David Shore, who created the collection primarily based on a Korean format, and Liz Friedman, talk about the primary hour of the finale — together with Shaun’s Hannah intervention, Glassman’s revelation, Morgan and Park’s wedding ceremony and Claire and Kalu’s reunion — and tease what’s to come back subsequent week.
DEADLINE: Half 1 seems like a conventional, hopeful finale: we had a reunion and a kiss between Claire and Kalu that had been seven years within the making, we had a marriage. Speak about constructing that up till these cliffhangers with Claire fainting and and Glassman’s most cancers bombshell.
FRIEDMAN: I’m only a sucker for a cliffhanger. I really like a dramatic flip that simply sends you into the subsequent story, and the one factor I really like a couple of cliffhanger is having a number of moments occur on the identical time. So this actually appeared like a good way to construct it, and I really like that, within the midst of Morgan and Park’s very joyful wedding ceremony, these two not good, dramatic issues occur. That to me is simply a good way to inform tales and attempt to give folks an entire vary of feelings as I discover life does loads of that.
Richard Schiff, Freddie Highmore
Disney/Jeff Weddell
HIGHMORE: One of many issues that I cherished in regards to the finish of the penultimate episode was that when Dr. Glassman tells Shaun, he’s simply kind of shocked. It’s not an instantaneous, full rebuttal or anger; he’s simply struggling to course of it and perceive what it means.
DEADLINE: What was behind the choice to rekindle Claire and Kalu’s romance? Was it you listening to the followers that this can be a couple they needed to see reunited?
FRIEDMAN: It actually felt like a pure… After I went went again and checked out when Claire and Kalu mentioned goodbye, it was a very unhappy goodbye when he left, and I do consider that there was nonetheless an attachment there and so they simply each had their very own particular person stuff they wanted to recover from.
DEADLINE: For the marriage, we had the proposal, preparations and the ceremony all inside 2 episodes. Was it purported to be that condensed, or did you do it that approach as a result of the collection was coming to an finish?
FRIEDMAN: To start with, we’ve carried out weddings on the present earlier than, we’ve carried out them in a dream after which in a actuality present after which an precise one. We actually preferred that Park, because the romantic, was working up in opposition to Morgan’s practicality and actually simply desirous to get this carried out to assist the adoption, that appeared like a enjoyable approach to inform that story. And that simply lent itself to it being an occasion that needed to be pulled collectively shortly. That’s actually how that story happened; it’s not that we deliberate to inform a for much longer and slower wedding ceremony story, this was a twist on methods to do it.
DEADLINE: The Hannah’s dependancy storyline. Why did you resolve to make it so outstanding towards the top of the collection? Was it about Glassman having to save lots of another individual?
FRIEDMAN: That’s a very good query. Actually, that was the story that we had began in movement earlier than we knew this was going to be the the top of the collection.
However I believe it labored effectively. For me not less than, what I preferred is that it offered a superb story for Glassman, and a few good meaty moments for Richard Schiff, who’s a incredible actor, and tied again to his backstory and a number of the explanation why he was out there to be Shaun’s mentor, after which gave Shaun a chance to assist him take care of an actual drawback. And that to me felt like a very pure balancing of how a lot Glassman has helped Shaun over the course of his life.
After which when that occurred, I discovered myself actually believing Okay, I believe Glassman would really feel that he may inform Shaun in regards to the most cancers.
SHORE: As Liz mentioned, she began that story earlier than we knew it was the top however I believe it did work out properly for the explanations implicit in your query and express in Liz’s reply — that he was saving his daughter when he couldn’t save her the primary time. It’s a pleasant bookend to what put him within the place to save lots of Shaun all these years in the past.
Freddie Highmore, Antonia Thomas
Disney/Jeff Weddell
DEADLINE: Since Day 1, there have been two folks that have at all times been there for Shaun, Glassman and Claire. Each of them are within the finale, and each of them discover themselves in peril on the finish of Half 1. Was this a aware determination?
FRIEDMAN: That’s actually fascinating and it’s the primary time I’ve considered it so no, it wasn’t aware.
SHORE: I at all times thought you had that in thoughts, Liz.
FRIEDMAN: Okay, now I revise that, let’s say I deliberate all of it alongside. It was actually about I’m a giant believer in finales which have a nostalgia aspect to them; that’s one thing the viewers desires, and it’s good to fulfill it. In order that for me was simply desirous to see Claire on display once more. After which we had an concept for methods to make {that a} two-part story. It labored out fantastically.
HIGHMORE: It was so great having Antonia again. She’s a detailed good friend, we’ve remained in contact since she left the present. I really feel one of many issues the finale did so effectively — which I believe all finales to some extent ought to do — is convey issues full circle and tie it into the place we left off on the very starting. The chance to have her again was extremely particular as a result of it did convey again for us filming it — and hopefully for the viewers — these reminiscences of the early days and it feeling conclusive by paying homage to that.
FRIEDMAN: Our intent was to have Claire return to the hospital and have the ability to touch upon how folks had modified and particularly how Shaun and Lea had modified. She is also the one who helped Shaun notice methods to embrace that Glassman wanted some assist with Hannah.
DEADLINE: In that dialog between Shaun and Claire, she spoke how, when she first noticed Shaun within the pilot, he was barely speaking, and she or he would’ve by no means anticipated him to get to the place he’s now, a father and probably the greatest attending. Freddie, whenever you began the present, did you assume that that’s the place Shaun would find yourself seven seasons later?
HIGHMORE: To start with, I wouldn’t have thought or dreamed that we’d do seven years. I really feel to begin on day one doing a pilot and assume, I’m wondering the place the character shall be seven years from now, it could have been getting forward of ourselves just a little bit. However one of many issues that I’ve at all times appreciated in regards to the present — and noticed as potential from the very starting — is the chance for Shaun to evolve and be taught and develop and alter.
He was so naive and younger and harmless in some ways, beginning his first correct job in a giant metropolis, transferring from the small city that he grew up in. To see the place he’s bought to at the moment is exceptional. And I believe, particularly in broadcast tv, and on procedurals the place there’s naturally a want to maintain issues considerably related week after week with close-ended tales, I believe there’s typically a push to have the characters additionally keep considerably the identical and never evolve an excessive amount of.
However one of many issues that I’m most pleased with is unquestionably trying again and seeing how a lot Shaun has been in a position to change, and I believe that at all times saved it fascinating for me as effectively. It by no means felt static, it at all times felt like Shaun was altering and rising, and there have been continuously new, thrilling, difficult issues to have the ability to play. I believe that’s not solely a testomony to the character and the chance for progress but additionally David and most not too long ago Liz who’ve at all times fought to maintain Shaun evolving relatively than falling into the entice of getting him be the identical week after week.
DEADLINE: What are you able to tease about Half 2 of the finale?
FRIEDMAN: We’re going to see Shaun and all people in our St. Bonaventure household coping with two of a very powerful and near their very own coronary heart sufferers that they’ve needed to take care of.
Half 2 of The Good Physician’s collection finale airs Might 21. Examine again then for Deadline’s expanded interview with Highmore, Shore and Friedman, specializing in the medical drama’s ultimate hour and legacy.
