WARNING: This article contains spoilers for The Good Doctor season 3 that may influence your enjoyment in discovering the plotlines. Read at your own risk.
The moment Dr. Shaun Murphy (played by Freddie Highmore) has been waiting for all his life is finally here! He'll be assigned his first surgery in The Good Doctor season 3 episode 5, which will air on Monday, Oct. 21, on ABC.
The episode synopsis for The Good Doctor season 3 episode 5, titled "First Case, Second Base," confirms that Shaun will get his first surgery assignment from Dr. Audrey Lim (played by Christina Chang), the chief of surgery. However, Dr. Marcus Andrews (played by Hill Harper) will question Lim's call because he believes Shaun is still not ready for such a big task.
Andrews has always doubted Shaun's capability since The Good Doctor season 1. However, he did step up for reinstating the young doctor in the surgical team in season 2, while Andrews lost his position at the hospital in the process.
But will Shaun have a better first surgical experience than Claire (played by Antonia Thomas) in The Good Doctor season 3? Tasked to handle a cholecystectomy on a teen patient in the last episode, Claire was confident she'd do well as the lead surgeon despite the distractions at home with her former alcoholic mother as her temporary house guests.
Claire tells Lim that she's nervous taking the lead, but the chief assures her she will do fine. Claire also convinced her patient to undergo psychological therapy after the surgery is done, noting the fact that her patient's relationship with her mom is a lot like her relationship with her mother.
The cholecystectomy was a cinch for Claire, who felt elated with the success of her first surgery. But, she got home to a piece of tragic news as her mom died in a car accident. Claire found a bottle of wine at the scene when she has been trying to let her mom quit her addiction.
Meanwhile, The Good Doctor season 3 episode 5's title also suggests that Shaun and Carly (played by Jasika Nicole) might go on their next date. Their first date felt like a disaster for Shaun, but Carly seemed to enjoy his company.
Highmore said that Shaun's romantic explorations in The Good Doctor season 3 would be a slow pace. He told Entertainment Tonight that the small moments and nuances of this new experience for Shaun would be taken step-by-step.
The Good Doctor season 3 airs Monday nights on ABC.
