The Good Doctor Season 7 Episode 3 Review: Critical Support

After a brief hiatus, The Good Doctor Season 7 Episode 3, “Critical Support,” arrives on air and continues building the tension while navigating a medical mystery.

The episode sees Dr. Shaun Murphy continue to clash with the new medical resident, Charlie, while also tending to a patient with a medical mystery. Meanwhile, Dr. Alex Park continues supporting his medical resident, Dominick, as they are tasked with a risky amputation and re-attachment.

It does an excellent job of showing the differences in how doctors train medical residents and capturing two intense medical maladies.

The episode’s central theme centers on teaching and how a good teacher accepts each trainee’s unique qualities and struggles.

Dr. Park is painted in a particularly heartwarming light for how he takes Dominick under his wing, remaining patient despite his hemophobia. He shows such kindness to the medical resident that it even makes Dr. Morgan Reznick realize how good of a father he will be to Eden.

Meanwhile, it’s clear that to get its point across, the episode also wishes to show a poor teaching example. Hence, it uses Dr. Murphy’s impatience and harshness towards Charlie.

The only problem is that Dr. Murphy and Charlie may not have been the best candidates for this scenario. Pitting the only two neurodivergent doctors against each other is simply an odd choice.

It’s difficult to watch their brutal interactions and complete lack of support and understanding for one another. At the same time, it does raise awareness of how those on the spectrum can unintentionally offend and alienate others.

Meanwhile, Dr. Murphy’s actions are somewhat explained at the end, when he reveals he doesn’t wish to accommodate Charlie because no one accommodated him in the beginning.

Although it seems unlikely he would use the discrimination he faces to discriminate against someone like him, it is still a powerful moment.

It is a startling but eye-opening reminder that just because Dr. Murphy is in a better place now doesn’t mean he simply forgot how poorly the hospital once treated him.

However, it would be more realistic if his past painful experiences made him more compassionate towards new medical residents.

While the episode is slightly shaky on the personal side, the medical component is quite strong. Viewers are perplexed by a patient with neurological symptoms and a mass in his lungs that seemingly disappears and reappears at odd intervals.

The buildup of the mystery and final unexpected diagnosis is done very well.

The gore also ramps up considerably with one patient’s meat grinder incident. However, this patient’s case also gets a satisfying and hopeful conclusion.

As far as medical dramas go, these cases are the exact kind of mystifying and intense scenarios that draw viewers in.

Unfortunately, in between the exploration of Dr. Murphy’s and Dr. Park’s teaching styles and the intriguing medical cases, the episode deviates into some silly territory with Dr. Aaron Glassman and Dr. Audrey Lim’s tiresome bickering about co-president duties.

Ultimately, “Critical Support” maintains the fast pace and tension, as well as includes some teachable moments and strong medical cases.

At the same time, The Good Doctor should also explore the positives in Dr. Murphy’s and Charlie’s shared experiences as neurodivergent doctors and give greater weight to strong side stories, like Dr. Murphy’s experiences with parenthood, instead of delving into petty dramas.

What did you think of this episode of The Good Doctor? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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The Good Doctor airs Tuesdays at 10/9c on ABC.

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