The Good Doctor is back, and Shaun and Lea’s relationship is already going through another big test.
On The Good Doctor Season 4 Episode 1, Shaun worried about Lea’s health after treating a patient who tested positive for COVID-19.
Freddie Highmore, who plays Shaun, opened up to Entertainment Tonight about the challenges ahead for the couple.
“That’s definitely a challenge for Shaun and Lea at the beginning of season 4,” Highmore told the outlet.
“Now that they’ve just about figured out that the two of them want to give their relationship a go and move it past the early stage of a relationship into something a little bit more mature, there’s a much bigger obstacle that comes up and is put in their way.”
“It will be challenging for them as they try to embark on a relationship amidst a pandemic,” Highmore said of the new relationship, adding that it imitates real-life couples.
“But that’s something that everyone has been dealing with and feels very relatable, whether it’s a romantic relationship as it is with Shaun and Lea at this moment in time, or whether it’s those platonic relationships and close friendships and how we’ve all been reevaluating them.”
“And I think also reevaluating the people we choose to spend time with now that we have a forcibly close group of people,” he said.
“I think all of the doctors on the show are thinking, ‘Well, who is it that I want to spend my time with? Is it worth including this person in my bubble or not?'”
If you watch The Good Doctor online you know the pandemic took center stage on the recent fourth season premiere, and Highmore said they wanted to pay tribute to real-life healthcare workers.
“Even in those first two episodes, it’s also about finding hope and looking towards a future where we can get back to,” he said.
“It won’t ever get back to normal, but get back to some sense of normal.
“That’s been important for us too, to continue to find those little helpful moments in life even amongst dark times that the show has always been very good at doing.”
What are your thoughts on the challenges ahead?
Hit the comments below.
The Good Doctor continues Mondays at 10/9c.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.