Marriage and tragedy are the throughline in The Good Doctor season 7 episode 5, "Who at Peace," until a last-minute shocker propels The Good Doctor's final season into an unexpectedly dark direction we could not see coming.
The most light-hearted scenes of episode 5 revolve around Shaun (Freddie Highmore) and Lea's (Paige Spara) sleep training for baby Steve, but even that has its sad moments. (I am curious how they can only hear baby Steve’s crying on the monitor. Their place's walls must be very thick.)
Okay, enough suspense. Brace yourself because this is what happened on The Good Doctor season 7 episode 5.
Park and Asher's patient
Asher (Noah Galvin) and Park's (Will Yun Lee) first patient is an older man (Matt McCoy) who has fallen in the shower. Park quickly diagnoses a fractured and dislocated hip. Non-medically speaking, Asher believes the young woman playfully teasing the man is his daughter, only to be corrected by her saying she is his fiancé. Awkward looks follow, as Asher corrects himself.
Strangely, Asher will not let the topic of the older patient's relationship go, probing to learn more. Asher finds out the man is a widower and is currently converting to Judaism. The warm discussion takes a terrifying turn when the woman, Ronit (Carmel Amit), begins to feel sick before collapsing. Asher has to call for a crash cart.
After testing her, Park diagnosis Ronit with Stage 3 ovarian cancer that has spread "beyond the ovaries and pelvis." Seeing how Ronit and her fiancé comfort each other, Asher feels guilty for his suspicions. Tragically, Ronit's condition reaches a devastating conclusion. Her cancer has spread, giving her just months to live.
In one of the most moving scenes of the episode, Asher shares he can help finish the conversion of Ronit's fiancé, giving Ronit a Jewish wedding at the hospital.
Asher finds peace
Jerome (Giacomo Baessato) and Asher exchange intense conversations around Ronit and her relationship, which touches a nerve with Jerome. At first, Asher's constant dissing of marriage seems entirely related to his feelings about Ronit's May-December romance. There is more to it, though.
Asher confides to Jordan (Bria Henderson) that he found what he believes is a ring box in Jerome's possessions, and Jerome is planning to propose. Jordan is confused by Asher's reaction, thinking that is what Asher has wanted. Asher explains it is, but the rituals and ceremonial aspects surrounding marriage have him conflicted.
Jordan points out that unlike Asher's earlier life, he has choices. In planning Ronit's wedding, Asher learns from the Rabbi (David Attar) how he can be Jewish and openly gay. It is a game-changer, as he triumphantly identifies himself as Jewish and gay, even standing up to a pair of antisemites who confront him and the Rabbi.
Shaun's patient
Meanwhile, Shaun's patient has an inflamed gallbladder. During her surgery, however, it's learned she will need to have a liver transplant if an underlying cause is not treated. A gastric sleeve is recommended. As Charlie (Kayla Cromer) explains the potential complications, the mom and daughter grow concerned and change their minds.
Morgan (Fiona Gubelmann) and Shaun explain that surgical complications are rare. Charlie's personal experiences growing up with ASD and her parents getting her an in-school aid help convince the mother/daughter duo to do the surgery. Following her poignant and reflective advice, Charlie receives an elusive compliment from Shaun.
But when forced to work with Charlie again, Shaun struggles to make Lim's (Christina Chang) suggested "compliment sandwiches" to handle correcting Charlie, saying he is "running out of bread." Lea suggests he ignore most of Charlie's mistakes because they only annoy Shaun but are harmless to patient care.
In the OR, Shaun and the team encounter an emergency that Shaun swiftly blames on Charlie. Charlie is highly compelled to explain why it's not her fault. In response, Shaun demands Charlie leave the OR. Shaun is able to correct the complication, and the surgery is successfully completed. Shaun tells Glassman (Richard Schiff) he cannot work with Charlie, only to learn she has launched a complaint against him.
Eileen and Glassman's romance heats up
Lim's mom, Eileen (Bess Armstrong), informs her daughter she is sleeping with Glassman; awkwardness abounds. Lim is further stunned to learn Eileen is going salsa dancing with Glassman. Lim contends her mom is "dull," but Glassman disagrees. He gives a quick seminar on everything Eileen, and Lim appears moved.
Later, Lim tells her mom she always thought she was subservient to her father. Lim gets another speedy tutorial, this time on her parents, learning her mom was not submissive, but they had a partnership. The revelation leads Lim to admit she and Clay broke up over her reluctance to marry. Following the breakthrough moment, the mother and daughter embrace.
Shocking turn of events
As Asher walks to his engagement dinner with Jerome, the two antisemites emerge from the shadows. Struck with a blunt object, Asher suffers a massive head injury. He collapses to the ground and is soon surrounded by blood. His eyes are open blankly.
After an episode of finding so much peace, Asher has been murdered. It is a devastating twist for The Good Doctor that fades to black with a message scrolled on the screen:
"If you or anyone you know has experienced antisemitism, racism, anti-LGBTQ+ related incidents or hate crimes, or if you want to learn more about what you can do to stop hate, please visit splcenter.org."
New episodes of the medical drama air on Tuesdays at 10 pm ET/PT on ABC and are available to stream the next day on Hulu.
