Why isn't The Good Doctor airing this week? Real reason explored

The Good Doctor season 7 pushed its episode 3 by two weeks (Image via Instagram)
The Good Doctor season 7 pushed its episode 3 by two weeks (Image via Instagram/thegooddoctorabc)

The Good Doctor, which returned with season 7 on February 20, 2024, did not air its scheduled third episode on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. The show, which is currently airing its final season, is busy wrapping up protagonist Shaun’s journey in the plot. However, after the first two episodes of building up the storyline, the series took a short hiatus.

The release schedule for the seventh season listed weekly episodes every Tuesday, starting February 20. However, the third episode did not appear in its scheduled slot on March 5 and is not likely to air next Tuesday either. As such, The Good Doctor season 7 episode 3, pushed for March 19, has made way for special political coverage on ABC for the 2024 elections.

The show premiered in September 2017 and chronicles the journey of Shaun Murphy, a resident doctor with Savant syndrome, a form of autism. The currently airing seventh season was renewed in April 2023, before ABC announced it to be the final season in January 2024.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series.


Why didn’t The Good Doctor season 7 episode 3 air on March 5, 2024?

The finale season is expecting an emotional plot (Image via Instagram)
The finale season is expecting an emotional plot (Image via Instagram)

As mentioned before, while the pre-release schedule for The Good Doctor season 7 showed the episodes landing every Tuesday on the channel, ABC did not air episode 3 on March 5, 2024. In its place, special political coverage was aired on the channel due to the upcoming elections.

Titled Super Tuesday: Your Voice, Your Vote 2024, the ABC special aired in the timeslot designated for The Good Doctor, at 10 pm ET. ABC plans to have these special coverages of primary elections in the US across its 16 states and territories.

As ABC has listed the third episode for March 19, 2024, The Good Doctor will be missing from the network for two consecutive Tuesdays. However, the other Tuesday shows on ABC such as Will Trent season 2 and The Rookie season 6 are airing at their scheduled times of 8 pm and 9 pm respectively.

Not only ABC but some of the other networks are also airing election special coverage. While CBS is not airing new episodes from the FBI franchise, NBC is airing special coverage without compromising on the regular primetime shows.


What has happened in the seventh season till now?

The Good Doctor season 7 has aired two episodes until February 27. The season is giving a glimpse of Shaun as a father, as he and Lea argue over childcare. Glassman takes Steve off Lea and Shaun’s hands to give the couple some rest and introduces himself as the grandfather.

At work, Shaun takes the big step of giving the donor heart to baby Jack Pierce over Morgan’s daughter Eden. However, he transplants healthy valves from Jack’s replaced heart onto Eden’s and saves both patients.

The first episode of the season also finds new entrants joining the hospital while others try to cope with the departures of their former colleagues. Moreover, Andrew’s exit lands both Glassman and Lim as co-interim presidents of the hospital.

The Good Doctor season 7 episode 2 presents Charlie Lukaitis, another autistic medical student, trying to please Shaun, but failing. Charlie almost ruins silicosis patient Rich’s surgery by revealing the truth about his daughter. Shaun steps in to persuade Rich. At Morgan’s party, Shaun and Glassman come to terms with their differences.


What is expected from The Good Doctor season 7 episode 3?

The third episode of the seventh season is titled Critical Support, which is likely to show Shaun and Glassman's equation improve. The medical cases will continue to challenge the doctors while Shaun will prove to be a difficult senior for Charlie.

Realization may hit Shaun that he is treating Charlie the way he was treated many years ago by seasoned superiors and his peers. This may soften his stance towards the young junior.


The Good Doctor season 7 episode 3 will arrive on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, at 10 pm ET. Meanwhile, viewers can rewatch the first two episodes of the show on Hulu as they wait for the third episode to arrive.

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