We really enjoy watching The Good Doctor. The writers give a generally realistic perspective on the young career of an autistic doctor, Shaun Murphy, and how he navigates entering the work world and all of the perfunctory parts of life through a magnified lens for television.
Lea had a good, respectful friendship with Shaun from the initial episodes where they were neighbors. She didn’t see him as a potential romantic interest specifically because of the doctor’s autism, which is greatly pronounced for the sake of the show. Shaun’s original love interest, the lab researcher, actually recognized that Shaun was in love with Lea before Shaun acknowledged it himself. This is another realistic nuance to the neurodistinct mind — specifically learning the “how to’s” of social interactions.
Feelings are illusive to many autists. Without a concrete example of what a feeling feels like, it’s very hard for the autistic mind to put a name to their emotion. This series does a fair interpretation of the complexities of platonic, collegiate, and romantic relationships surrounding a Neurodiverse community. Season 4 has also shown the true benefits of having hospital staff who can identify with their patients in several intersectional roles.
