The Good Doctor - Burnt Food - Review: "The day that the Rain smelt like Ice Cream" + POLL

Hello and welcome everyone, I hope you've enjoyed the series premiere of The Good Doctor and are ready to discuss it with the community. As this is the series premiere and this review will be covered by both Laura and me discussing the pilot in a round table. But before Laura and I dissect the episode let's recap what happened in Burnt Food.

QUICK RECAP/REVIEW

The Good Doctor is a show developed by David Shore (House MD) and Daniel Dae Kim (H5O), based on the 2013 South Korean series of the same name about an autistic doctor with Savant Syndrome aspiring to become a surgeon. The show is produced by Sony Pictures Television and ABC Studios. Burnt Food was written by David Shore and directed by Seth Gordon, whose credits include episodes of The Goldbergs, Marry In, Sneaky Pete and Horrible Movies. The pilot follows two stories, Shaun Murphy's road to San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital and the fight between his mentor and father figure dr Glassman and St. Bonaventure Hospital Board regarding Shaun's residency at the Hospital.

Shaun Murphy's trip to St. Bonaventure Hospital was a rocky road and it served as the perfect playing ground for the writers to show off what a complex character they plan to introduce to us. If you have seen Freddie Highmore in any role you know what a brilliant actor he is and the things he does with Shaun are just marvelous. The excellent writing helped for sure but Freddie's touch to this role is truly impeccable and most important moving. Throughout the hour we see so many sides of Shaun, as he started out as the slightly robotic doctor that saved the life of a young kid at the airport and later as an OCD like persona who couldn't let go of that small glitch in his patients EKG. But most important was the simple human we saw talk to the board, that no matter how complex and brilliant his mind is his core is human and driven by all the emotions that drive everyone else.

A very important part of this episode were the flashbacks. The flashbacks tell the story of what motivated Shaun to become a doctor and what motivates him to become a surgeon. I have to give major kudos to the kid actors playing Young Shaun and his brother Steve. The chemistry between Graham (Shaun) and Dylan (Steve) was heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time as they were on their own fighting against a dark world that didn't understand Shaun.

In the flashbacks, we also meet a slightly younger version of dr. Aaron Glassman (played by Richard Shiff in both timelines). Aaron's fight against the board was a perfect side story for the pilot. It served as an opportunity to create a connection between the audience and Shaun, as Aaron was detailing who Shaun is making it for viewers with no medical knowledge easier to relate and understand both sides.

The episode ended with an amazing speech by Shaun and a scene so unique that I don't really think I have the right words to transfer how powerful it was. Yes, I am talking about that OR scene. The intensity and power this scene carried were just phenomenal. I absolutely loved it and it was the perfect ending to the Pilot.

1. Overall thoughts about the Pilot.

Laura: My thoughts on this pilot have not changed since I first watched it and gave my thoughts. I was so ready for this show the minute I heard David Shore wanted to make more masterpieces. The episodes of he wrote were some of my favorites of all time. And this is not different so far for The Good Doctor. This pilot is masterfully crafted. Each scene flows seamlessly from one to the next. I am already so invested in this world and I cannot wait to learn more about each character and the facets of their lives. Also, I cannot wait for another stellar medical procedural.

Marko: When I initially heard about this project I was so hyped, I love Freddie's work so far and David made House. So when I watched the pilot the first time around I wasn't really sure what to think, I had mixed emotions. Not sure why but I wasn't completely charmed. I wanted it to be a mix of Bates Motel and House and was looking for elements of those two. But when I watched the episode the second time around for the purpose of this review I was overwhelmed. Everything just clicked, I saw all the beauty of writing, directing and performance this episode brought to life.

Laura: Interesting that your thoughts immediately changed when you put on your reviewer hat. I have never seen Bates Motel but when I heard about this show I wasn’t expecting much if any, similarities from that. But I am happy you found what you were looking for the second time around.

2. Use of childhood flashbacks in the future. Yay or nay?

Laura: YAY. Big f*cking yay over here. The flashback scenes were my favorites in the episode. I do worry that if they use these in every episode that it will get old fast. So - compromise - every once in a while let’s see them again. Shaun’s brother is one of the best characters of all time already, and I don’t say that lightly. What a kind soul. Truly the greatest brother I have seen in a long time. I felt the connection instantly; these child actors were incredible. Give them more work immediately.

Marko: Personally, I feel like the flashbacks were the most crucial part of the episode and they are very welcome to return in the future. Shaun's path to how he became the person he is today should be really entertaining, especially if the flashbacks are as good as in this episode.

3: Thoughts on the supporting characters.

Laura: I thought they were great, obviously. I just need to see a lot more of them down the line. And hopefully, their stories don’t always involve romance. Shore is particularly good at showcasing dynamics and solid interminglings involved with each specific patient. I expect that he will do the same here, with time.

Marko: I really enjoyed all the performances besides the two residents. They felt a bit too cliche, I do hope there is a lot more behind them. I was especially entertained by Beau Garett's performance. It seemed like I was speaking through her character, she channeled a lot of my emotions during that meeting. Also half of the audience relate to her desire to do Nicholas Gonzales. ;-)

Laura: I’ve seen random works from Beau in the past, and she is used really well here. She was also on an episode of _House_; I wonder if Shore will wink about that in any way. And LOL, I don’t know if I share that desire with everyone.

4.Favorite part/scene of the episode.

Laura: F L A S H B A C K S. And the moment where Shaun realizes he can work at the hospital. Made me absolutely giddy.

Marko: I'm torn between Shaun speech to the board or the final moment in the OR. Still, the OR scene wins for me. The combination of the sterile OR, the painful silence and the words cutting the air between the actors created just a scene to remember. Simply brilliant.

Laura: The OR scene really was great. Shore has a lot of experience with beautifully crafted, tense scenes in ORs.

Marko: It was obvious that he knew what he was doing. The intensity was overwhelming.

5.Favorite quote(s).

Laura:

"Never forget - you’re the smart one."

And cue my endless stream of tears. I wanted to be incinerated in that moment. Shaun’s brother is everything.

Marko: Beau Garett for the win once again.

"Doctor Andrews your wife is going to be really upset with you. If you're trying to turn this into a nepotism case we've gonna have to fire your nephew from the bookkeeping "

6. Wishes and Expectations for further outings.

Laura: I’m worried about the House comparisons here. If The Good Doctor approaches the cases of the week with the same predictability and comfort that House eventually settled into I fear the show could lose some spark very fast. I hope that Shore is able to separate this show from that on, especially in this regard. As well, the less needless romantic melodrama, the better.

Marko: This episode really set the bar high for further outings. Still, I wish that during the run of the show we see more about how Shaun became a doctor and how he decided to be a surgeon. Yes, the brother story was strong but there has to be more. Also, I wanna see flashbacks to Shoun's time in medical school.

Laura: I too would love to see more about Shaun’s backstory and his growing desire to become a doctor down the line. I wonder if his brother had anything to do with that. ;-)

That's a wrap, guys. Hope you've enjoyed our discussion just as much as the premiere of The Good Doctor. Feel free to stop by in the comment section down below and share your thoughts on the episode and our review. And don't forget to tune in next Monday when "Mount Rushmore" premieres on ABC.