‘The Good Doctor’: [SPOILER] Has Brain Cancer

In Monday night’s episode of The Good Doctor, the show revealed tragic news at the very end. Dr. Aaron Glassman (Richard Schiff), Dr. Shaun Murphy’s (Freddie Highmore) beloved mentor, has brain cancer.

At the very end of the episode, titled “Smile,” Glassman is on a date with Debbi (Sheila Kelly). The two struggle to connect at first, but they realize they have a common love for classic cars. During the dinner, a waitress says the word “doorstop.” This suddenly leads to Glassman struggling to speak. The credits then begin.

Then, the preview for next week’s season finale starts. We see Shaun tell Glassman that he has been a good mentor.

“You may need a new mentor. I’m dying,” he tells Shaun.

In another scene, Glassman is told he has the most aggressive form of brain cancer. We then see Shaun trying desperately to cure him.

Glassman accepts his diagnosis, but Shaun clearly isn’t. In another scene, Shaun hugs Glassman and tells him, “I love you. You are going to live.”

Earlier in “Smile,” things look so promising for Glassman. Shaun decides to reconnect with Glassman after the two avoided each other for much of the second half of the season, after Glassman told Shaun he did not want to be his friend. Surprisingly, Shaun realized that Debbi was flirting with Glassman every time he ordered something from the St. Bonaventure cafeteria and tried to set them up.

Shaun thought they were both Jewish, so they should have gotten along. But during their first coffee date, they had trouble finding something in common. In reality, Glassman is only half Jewish and Debbi is not Jewish at all.

As they are about to go their separate ways, they spot a vintage car in an accident outside. They start talking about the car, and realize that they do have something in common after all: a love of old cars. When they go on their date at the end of the episode, Glassman invites Debbi to a car show just before he feels a pain in his head.

Here is how fans reacted to the shocking news.

The Good Doctor season finale will air on Monday, March 26 at 10 p.m. ET on ABC.

Photo credit: ABC/Jeff Weddell