The Good Doctor season 4 is officially happening on ABC, but there are still a lot of questions when it comes to the story of the upcoming installment. One of the major questions here is whether or not there should be a time jump moving forward.
While a time jump might be ideal, there are different reasons why The Good Doctor season 4 shouldn't do it. For instance, a lot of stories left in the season 3 finale, particularly with what happened to Dr. Neil Melendez. The new installment needs to explore the aftermath of his death once it arrives.
Dr. Melendez's death was shocking, so opting for a time jump may not be good at all. The characters need to deal with everything that happened. And even for just a short period of time, the series needs to show how Dr. Shaun Murphy and others deal with the aftermath of Dr. Melendez's death.
Aside from that, Shaun and Lea's relationship should also be further explored one The Good Doctor season 4 premieres. At the end of the third installment, they already made it clear they loved each other. It's interesting to see how their relationship will evolve and a time jump may not show it at all.
The series needs to show the early stages of their relationship to understand what the future holds for them. A time jump may look past it and a lot of stories might be missing. Shaun and Lea have been through a lot already, so it would be nice to see their romantic relationship being explored properly.
However, CarterMatt noted that not doing a time jump in The Good Doctor season 4 may also mean that writers need to address the real-life health crisis happening around the world right now. The outlet stated that a show like this needs to cover such a story.
It should be noted that nothing is certain at the moment and it remains to be seen what has been stored in the upcoming installment. Despite the uncertainties, many were looking forward to the arrival of the new season, as well as the return of the doctor at the San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital.
Meanwhile, the official release date of The Good Doctor season 4 hasn't yet revealed, though some reports suggest it may arrive sometime in fall 2020 on ABC. But due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there could be a potential delay in filming and the premiere date might be changed.
