Good Doctor EP Unpacks Final Season Premiere — Plus, Could [Spoiler] Return Ahead Of Series Finale?

It's the beginning of the end for ABC's The Good Doctor, which kicked off its seventh and final season Tuesday with a baby-heavy premiere.

At home, Shaun and Lea adjusted to parenthood as they debated the importance of schedule and routine for their newborn son Steve. At the hospital, Dr. Murphy saved the lives of two infant patients — including Morgan and Park's foster daughter Eden — in need of the same heart.

Meanwhile, following Dr. Marcus Andrews' resignation as hospital president, Glassman and Lim were appointed co-presidents of San Jose St. Bonaventure. Afterwards, Glassy returned home and shared some quality time with his grandson.

Below, executive producer Liz Friedman breaks down the episode and hints at what's ahead during the fan-favorite medical drama's farewell run.

TVLINE | Shaun approaches fatherhood with surgical precision. Lea's a bit more go with the flow. How will we see those conflicting points of view converge this season?
We'll see them struggling and juggling. I think those are two key things that happen in parenting. There will continue to be things that each of them are good at and weaker at. There will be moments of comedic conflict, moments of real conflict, and we'll see Lea have her own struggles.

TVLINE | Can you speak to Lea's struggles this season?
Not to give you too much, but she is going to struggle with breastfeeding, which is something that came out of... well, I stole my wife's story for that one! And then she's just figuring out how to be a mom, how to go back to work, and how to settle a dispute with your partner.

TVLINE | There were a couple of moments where Shaun hesitated with Jack and Eden's care — moments where he was thinking not as a surgeon, but as a father. Will dad brain interfere with other aspects of his job?
You're going to have to watch and see! He is going to have a big challenge with the med students who come in and who really know nothing — one of whom is a real, hardcore Shaun Murphy fan. That proves to be a much more challenging relationship than he ever imagined.

TVLINE | Glassman offers to take Steve off of Shaun's hands so he and Lea can get some sleep. How should we interpret this gesture? Is this Glassman coming around to the idea of forgiving Shaun for his role in ending his surgical career? Or is this just him caring for his grandson?
I can't answer that question without spoiling some stories that are yet to come. I will say that they had a big disagreement at the end of last season and it's going to take a while to sort through all aspects of that.

TVLINE | Morgan has always been very a self-sufficient character, but she comes around to the idea that she has Park, and she doesn't have to go through this parenting thing alone. How might that serve her and benefit her in ways she hasn't allowed for before?
That's a really good question. I think it will serve her in that she has somebody to share the hard stuff with. I think it's still going to be a challenge for her because she is somebody who likes to have things her way, and has a real sense of how things should be done and would them done that way. There is going to be a lot for her and Park to navigate over the course of this season.

TVLINE | Park has been through this parenting thing before. He has Kellan, who's an adult now. Will we see his two families cross paths during this final run?
Right now, that's not something we're planning on.

TVLINE | We've seen Glassman serve as president before. But we've never seen him serve as co-president. And we've never seen Lim serve as president in any capacity. Give me a sense of what that dynamic looks like once they officially take over for Dr. Andrews.
There's a lot of fun in it, and some competition, too. That story in the first episode gave me the giggles; it made me so happy. They're both such smart characters, but they're also quite capable of being immature with each other, which is fun. They do have some real disagreements about how to manage things and how to approach matters. As they get to know each other more and spend more time together, their personal lives are going to become a little more entangled — hopefully, in a surprising way.

TVLINE | There was definitely a spark between Jordan and Jared last season. Right now, though, it seems like Jordan could really use a friend above all else. Will that relationship remain platonic, or could it blossom into something more?
It's a complicated dynamic. It has real potential to go either way. I swear that's not a d—che bag writer answer! I think they're still figuring it out.

TVLINE | Asher and Jerome are living together, cozying up at the end of a hard day with a crime procedural. Obviously, marriage is not for everyone, but is that a conversation this season?
I think we're going to see them start to contemplate those next steps.

TVLINE | It'd be an awful shame if this farewell season came to a close without Steve and Eden meeting their Aunt Claire. Please tell me we'll see Antonia Thomas back before the end. The fans miss her, I miss her, I'm sure you guys miss her....
[Laughs] No comment, Ryan!

TVLINE | Is it on the wish list?
A lot of things are on the wish list!

What did you think of The Good Doctor's final season premiere? And what are your hopes for the remaining nine episodes of the series? Grade the hour via the following poll, then leave a comment below.

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