The Good Doctor Season 7 Episode 2 Review: Skin in the Game

The Good Doctor Season 7 Episode 2, “Skin in the Game,” keeps up the momentum from the pilot by combining an intense surgical operation with the intro of two new medical students and a deeper dive into parenthood.

The episode sees Dr. Shaun Murphy and his team begin training two new medical residents, Charlie and Dom, who are on their surgical rotation, while Dr. Alex Park performs a challenging surgery on a man with a gambling addiction.

Each story arc tackles very interesting concepts while representing neurodivergent individuals and new mothers, though some could have been fleshed out a little better.

One controversial aspect of The Good Doctor is that Dr. Murphy, who is autistic, is not represented by a neurodivergent actor. However, the show has tried to remedy this issue by having neurodivergent actors as guest stars.

The latest guest star was Kayla Cromer, who portrayed an autistic medical resident, Charlie, and has been open about her autism in real life.

Charlie’s entrance brings viewers back to Dr. Murphy’s initial struggles and highlights how much he has grown. Additionally, the medical resident’s bubbly attitude and self-acceptance differentiate her from Dr. Murphy and make her quite a positive addition to the team.

Unfortunately, she is not depicted as the miracle worker that Dr. Murphy always has been and doesn’t have anyone advocating for her from day one like Dr. Murphy did with Dr. Aaron Glassman.

Hence, it is a little challenging to watch Charlie be met with such a lack of empathy and the emphasis on her struggles instead of talents.

Dom has potential with his football background and wariness of the surgical rotation. However, for him to have gotten this far in his career while being unable to see blood without fainting is unrealistic, and the story arc is a bit silly.

While Dom’s and Charlie’s arcs need some work, getting to know two new residents is still refreshing and exciting, and their debut is strong enough to stir curiosity.

Patients and their families in The Good Doctor can sometimes be a bit flat, making it a welcome surprise that the patients in this episode had some backstory.

They work well with the episode’s overall theme about the importance of family regardless of disagreements. It is especially refreshing to see the show give representation to sex workers and depict them in such a positive light.

Meanwhile, the episode delivers on a tense medical procedure as Dr. Park is tasked with removing a brain tumor from Sal Zacharia in a complicated procedure that involves unhinging his jaw and accessing the brain through an incision in the back of his throat.

Viewers who get queasy at graphic medical procedures may wish to skip this one. Still, it is exactly the kind of intriguing, complex, and obscure surgery that draws some viewers to medical dramas in the first place.

Of course, it is predictable that Dr. Park will succeed, but it doesn’t detract from the drama.

One of the most interesting subplots that doesn’t get quite enough attention is Lea Dilallo-Murphy’s struggles with motherhood.

Dilallo-Murphy finds herself struggling with feelings of failure when the pediatrician recommends she supplement breastfeeding with formula for Steve.

Her feelings reflect how long-held beliefs of child care and weaning can impact mothers in ways that others may not always understand.

It would have been nice if her feelings were explored more in-depth, rather than Dilallo-Murphy getting a brief pep talk and moving on, but the continued acknowledgment of very real parental struggles is refreshing.

Ultimately, “Skin in the Game” tackles multiple interesting topics and handles most of them quite well. There is a bit of silliness and predictability, but no more than is typical for a medical procedure.

Meanwhile, the introduction of Charlie and Dom continues to build a solid foundation for the remainder of Season 7.

What did you think of this episode of The Good Doctor? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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The Good Doctor airs Tuesdays at 10/9c on ABC.

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