Sumith Prasad
Dr. Aaron Glassman is more than a mentor for Dr. Shaun Murphy in ABC’s medical series ‘The Good Doctor.’ Glassman has always cared and fought for Shaun, even when his peers question the autistic savant’s abilities as a surgeon. The neurosurgeon puts his reputation and prestige on the line for adding Shaun to the surgeons of San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital. He also attends Shaun and Lea’s wedding as the surgeon’s father figure. Considering their relationship, it isn’t a surprise that Shaun is worried about Glassman’s fate. The nineteenth episode of the sixth season ends with a cliffhanger that concerns the health of the neurosurgeon. So, will Glassman’s possibly deteriorating health open a gateway for Richard Schiff to leave the series? Let’s find out! SPOILERS AHEAD.
What Happened to Dr. Glassman?
Dr. Glassman has fought death for a considerable while after getting diagnosed with a highly dangerous and nearly terminal brain cancer in the first season finale. After a biopsy, it is confirmed that the neurosurgeon is fighting a low-grade glioma. In the second season, the doctor undergoes surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy to treat the same, only to eventually go into remission. In the seventeenth episode of the sixth season, Shaun asks his first-year resident Dr. Jared Kalu to do ten sutures in a patient instead of eight after a patient has lost blood post-operation due to the lack of adequate sutures. Kalu tells his attending that Dr. Glassman was in charge of the sutures, indicating that the experienced neurosurgeon committed a rookie mistake.
In the eighteenth episode, Shaun confronts Glassman concerning the symptoms and lets him know that the neurosurgeon’s brain cancer may have returned. Although Glassman tries to dismiss Shaun, the latter is convinced that the former should at least confirm the same since he doesn’t want to lose his “father” when he is about to become one. Glassman eventually takes a test to confirm whether his brain cancer has returned, only for the result to state that it hasn’t.
Although Glassman doesn’t have brain cancer, Shaun is convinced that his mentor isn’t completely fine. In the nineteenth episode of the season, Glassman assembles a crib for Shaun’s baby, only for him to miss using a couple of screws. Shaun considers the same as evidence of an unrevealed brain condition Glassman has. If that’s the case, will Glassman’s condition take him away from St. Bonaventure? Is Richard Schiff leaving the medical drama? Let’s see.
Is Richard Schiff Leaving The Good Doctor?
As of yet, neither ABC nor Richard Schiff has released a statement concerning the actor’s departure from ‘The Good Doctor.’ First of all, Schiff’s character Dr. Glassman is yet to be diagnosed with a brain disease. Missing two sutures or screws can be two mistakes Glassman commits rather than a symptom of a brain condition. Shaun can be unnecessarily worrying about the neurosurgeon because the former sees him as nothing short of a father. Understandably, Shaun must be worrying about his only “relative” and his judgments as a doctor must be affected by his personal concerns.
Even if Glassman has a brain disease, the same may not open a gateway for Schiff to leave the medical drama. If he gets diagnosed with a disease, we may see the upcoming episodes of the show revolving around his treatment and recovery in the same way the second season revolves around his recovery from brain cancer. The potential narrative development might have been conceived to establish the strength of the “father-son” relationship that exists between Glassman and Shaun as well, especially considering the involvement of the latter in the former’s storyline.
Throughout the sixth season, the writers of the series tried to establish the depth of the relationship between Glassman and Shaun, especially through Glassman staying in Shaun’s apartment and later in the same building. The attending surgeon fearing Glassman’s death is another way of depicting the same depth. In addition, Schiff has been sharing regular updates from the filming sets of the medical drama, which seemingly guarantees his involvement in the final episodes of the sixth season. Considering these factors, we believe that Schiff most likely will continue featuring in ‘The Good Doctor.’
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