Why is Twitter poking fun at The Good Doctor on ABC?

American medical drama The Good Doctor is one of ABC's most popular shows which has aired six seasons entailing 116 episodes so far. It was renewed for a seventh season in April 2023 after high viewership numbers and much fanfare. However, the series' portrayal of autism was a subject of heavy criticism on Twitter recently.

While fans of the show are careful not to miss a single episode of the hit show, many netizens on Twitter thought that its protagonist's portrayal of the developmental disability, autism, was ridiculous and downright insulting to people who survive with the condition.

The show was even criticized by autistic people, with one fan requesting netizens to not defend the show's representation:

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"Wow The Good Doctor is nuts": Netizens ridicule Shaun Murphy's autistic representation on the hit ABC show

The Good Doctor stars Freddie Highmore as Dr. Shaun Murphy, an autistic surgeon with a troubled past, who moves to San Jose, California, to work at a prestigious medical institution and turn his life around. While a setting like this is a recipe for feel-good television, viewers can't help but notice the show's portrayal of developmental disability.

Fans claimed that Freddie Highmore's representation of a person suffering from autism was absurd, humiliating, and at times, hilarious too. They even created memes and urged fans to shift their focus on characters who did a better job of portraying the serious condition.

Here is how fans on Twitter responded to Dr. Shaun Murphy and The Good Doctor:

Severral netizens just can't get enough of ruthlessly mocking the show. They shared videos of some of its most bizarre scenes and compared it to other shows with hilarious hospital scenes.

Many even believe that Freddie Highmore has ruined his career by playing the lead role. Some said that shows and films like Community, Abbott Elementary, and Happy Feet did a much better job of portraying autism instead.

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The Good Doctor's synopsis and cast list

According to Rotten Tomatoes, the show's synopsis reads as:

"Shaun Murphy, a young autistic surgeon who has savant syndrome, relocates from a quiet country life to join the surgical unit at the prestigious San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital -- a move strongly supported by his mentor, Dr. Aaron Glassman."

It further continues:

"Having survived a troubled childhood, Shaun is alone in the world and unable to personally connect with those around him, but he finds his niche using his extraordinary medical skill and intuition to save lives and challenge the skepticism of his colleagues."

Alongside Freddie Highmore, The Good Doctor stars Nicholas Gonzalez, Antonia Thomas, Chuku Modu, Beau Garrett, Irene Keng, Hill Harper, Richard Schiff, Tamlyn Tomita, Will Yun Lee, Fiona Gubelmann, Christina Chang, Paige Spara, and Jasika Nicole.