So, about The Good Doctor. I loved the premise - made me want to know more. A young autistic surgical resident, which, if they are in the real world, do tend to hide their diagnosis. I was curious to see how the show strived to accurately depict the unusual. I have heard about surgeons with mental illnesses - bipolar, OCD, adhd, etc. I just have never heard about a surgeon on the autism spectrum. So, hey, let's see what direction this show takes us, ey?
Hospital Melodrama
Dr. Shaun Murphy, the main character, is one of those lucky people to have an in, to personally know one of the higher-ups at a prestigious hospital who can vouch for him. Despite having ASD, Shaun gets admitted into the hospital’s reputable residency program, with Dr. Glassman - Shaun's inside person - maintaining the stance that Shaun is bright, perhaps even more brilliant than any other surgeon the hospital has ever had. Glassman believes in Shaun so strongly that he’s willing to risk his presidency to see Shaun succeed, to which Glassy's successor leaps at with joy what with everyone on the hiring board believing Shaun will fail.
Moral of the Story
By all means, we know Shaun doesn’t. That he'll go on to prove his mentor's words. But the execution is where you really hold your tongue for. Where it becomes tense when Shaun screws up and you're waiting for someone to yell at him, to tell him how undeserving he is to be a surgeon at the hospital. We get so many moments like this, where all Shaun gets is a slap on the wrist, when in the real world, there'd be hard-core punishments for them.
But the moral of the show stays its course. Everyone is so patient and kind and never crosses the line with Shaun. If they did, they were justified. And I get that. You want to inspire hope. But you also want to be real.
Simple Yet Complex
Okay. Let's take a pause here. I have bipolar, and to be honest, I do shy away from many opportunities because I wonder what will happen the day I experience a manic or depressive episode in front of co-workers, at a major sale, or, I don't know, when a million dollar deal is at stake.
You can never really control outbursts or episodes, for anyone really, but more so, for atypical people. And the message here is to be understanding no matter what. Or, perhaps all the hand holding and babying the show seems to give Shaun, which by the way grows more exhausting by the latter seasons, isn't exactly accurate enough of the real world. Or is it?
Do you work with someone with a mental illness? What are your thoughts about giving more chances to them? Tolerating typically outrageous behavior? Or is their mental illness their super power? I'd love to know.