DVD Review: The Good Doctor Season 3

 

The 20-episode third season of  The Good Doctor aired during the 2019/2020 TV season. It picks up shortly after the events ending season two, with Shaun asking Carly out on a date. Said date ensues and goes about as well as you would expect. The rest of the season is pretty much centered around Shaun's interpersonal relationships. That is not to say that the medical aspects of the show are ignored, but the procedural case-of-the-week stuff takes a backseat to the more soap operaish elements of the various characters' personal lives. All of the major characters get storylines of varying degrees. Claire and Morgan each get major storylines and a lot of character development. Antonia Thomas and Fiona Gublemann really shine in their roles this year, and each will have significant arcs going into season four (at least, they are set up to be significant arcs). The season does not really end on a cliffhanger, but more of a shock that will have a massive impact on the hospital in the fourth season. 

The DVD set is a five-disc set. It is a bit light on extras. The only extras are on the last disc, including a short gag reel (about 4 minutes) and 21 minutes of deleted scenes. There are no commentary tracks or behind-the-scenes material.

The series continues to be very well-acted and reasonably well-written. As I said above, the focus of this year is a lot more on the various character relationships than the medical cases. And yes, there is a lot of sex talk, which does turn some people off. But, it is still a medical drama, and the medical cases are still important to the show. Freddie Highmore's acting continues to be top-notch. He can go from playing Shaun as unintentionally funny to sad to angry on a dime. Some of his best acting is in an episode toward the end of the season in which Shaun's father is dying of cancer, and Shaun goes to see him on his deathbed. I cannot say that everyone will like the direction the show went this year, but I think most of the show's fans will still like it. Ultimately, while it took a bit of a different turn this year, the show is still worth watching.