Major ‘The Good Doctor’ Character Officially Leaves the Show in Season 7 Premiere

The Good Doctor has officially said goodbye to Dr. Marcus Andrews. It was previously reported that Hill Harper would be departing the ABC medical drama due to his bid for Senate. He’s played Dr. Andrews since the first season, and the Season 6 finale offered a good setup for his exit. He had resigned as president of San Jose St. Bonaventure, and the Season 7 premiere revealed what he’s been up to, or at least, where he’s been.

Early in the premiere, Elfina Luk’s Nurse Dalisay Villanueva tells Chief of Surgery Dr. Audrey Lim (Christina Change) that “Marcus sends greetings from Spain.” Lim thought he was at a meditation retreat in Vietnam and Dalisay tells her he was, and “now he’s walking the Camino de Santiago.” As for the reason to have Andrews always on the move as opposed to staying put in California, executive producer Liz Friedman tells TVLine that “Andrews has been juggling a lot” at the hospital since he got divorced and was “trying to find a fit for himself.”

“He was involved with Salen — that, obviously, was not meant to be — and he had a relationship with Villanueva, but I think the job has been very subsuming for him,” Friedman continued. “To have him take a moment, having stepped down, to go and find himself, seemed like the right thing for the character.”

Harper’s departure makes sense, since he needs to focus on his political career full-time. However, since Andrews is only traveling the world and didn’t get killed off, there is always the possibility that he could come back later in the season before the show ends. Though that probably depends on the U.S. Senate race. Hopefully, this isn’t the only update viewers get about Andrews, but knowing where he is is a lot better than nothing.

Meanwhile, the Season 7 premiere also saw new parents Shaun and Lea adjusting to life with their newborn, Steve, and Shaun returning to work. There have been a lot of changes for The Good Doctor this season already, both on-screen and off. Between cast changes, a new day and time, and more, this final season is shaping up to be an interesting one. New episodes premiere on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on ABC following The Rookie, which is also at a new time. There is plenty more to look forward to, and fans will definitely want to tune in.