The Good Doctor season 6 ending explained: what happens with Dr. Glassman’s career?

Freddie Highmore in The Good Doctor
Freddie Highmore and Richard Schiff in The Good Doctor (Image credit: ABC/Jeff Weddell)

Throughout The Good Doctor season 6 we got to witness Shaun (Freddie Highmore) become an attending, save Dr. Lim's (Christina Chang) life and cure her paralysis, as well as welcome his friend Jared (Chuku Modu) back to the hospital. But as The Good Doctor season 6 has come to an end, there were many major events that had fans curious about some of their favorite characters.

Entering The Good Doctor season 6 finale, there were questions about Dr. Glassman's (Richard Schiff) career and his relationship with Shaun; if everything would go alright with Lea's (Paige Spara) delivery; and what would happen when the personal and professional lives of Dr. Andrews (Hill Harper), Dr. Reznick (Fiona Gubelmann) and Dr. Park (Will Yun Lee)?

We break down what happened in these situations, as well as what they could mean as he move forward with The Good Doctor season 7.

What happens with Shaun and Lea's baby?

Paige Spara and Freddie Highmore in The Good Doctor

Paige Spara and Freddie Highmore in The Good Doctor (Image credit: ABC/Jeff Weddell)

Season 6 saw Shaun becoming an attending and expectant father alongside his wife Lea. But pregnancy and having a child was not a foregone conclusion for the newlyweds. Lea suffered two miscarriages and was diagnosed with a condition that would make carrying a pregnancy to term almost impossible. However, Lea does get pregnant and goes into labor ahead of the season finale.

Thankfully, it is a fairly uneventful labor and delivery, with only a brief moment where suction was needed to assist the baby stalled in the birth canal. So Shaun and Lea get to welcome their baby into the world. For Shaun, after losing a patient who was a father earlier in the finale, he thinks about the significance of living for persons you still have and decides to focus on his new baby, who he names after his deceased older brother, Steven.

Learning how to operate within relationships was a big theme for Shaun this season, so next season it'll be interesting to see how take those lessons into being parent. Also, what impact will his fractured relationship with Dr. Glassman has on him?

What happens with Dr. Glassman's career?

Richard Schiff in The Good Doctor

Richard Schiff in The Good Doctor (Image credit: ABC/Jeff Weddell)

Dr. Glassman had a few things to deal with in season 6: working through the aftermath of a second divorce while supporting newlyweds Shaun and Lea; stabilizing the relationship with Dr. Lim and Shaun; providing counsel for Noah and helping Jared come back to the hospital. However, he also had his own issues that threatened to derail his career and relationship with Shaun.

There was a scare that Dr. Glassman's brain cancer had returned, though it ultimately proved not to be the case. However, Shaun notices Dr. Glassman has some cognitive issues and outs them to Dr. Lim, which puts the future of his surgical career at risk.

Thankfully, Dr. Glassman finds a solution for his career. He willingly decides to stop doing surgery and instead begins to serve as a surgical consultant, advising Dr. Lim on a difficult procedure in the finale. Perhaps there are more new development coming for his career down the road as well.

But his relationship with Shaun is still iffy, as he does not join the others in congratulating Shaun and Lea on the birth of their new baby. He does leave a gift though, a blanket with Steve already embroidered on it, proving that he still knows Shaun better than few others.

Does Dr. Andrews chose his career or personal life?

Hill Harper and Elfina Luk in The Good Doctor

Hill Harper and Elfina Luk in The Good Doctor (Image credit: ABC/Jeff Weddell)

Dr. Andrews always wanted to become hospital president. His introductory experience was bumpy, but he grew into the role. His professional life took center stage, a welcome distraction from a failed marriage and not having children. He was emotionally scarred after learning of his first wife's infidelity, but in subsequent episodes forgives her and accepts some responsibility for the failed marriage. 

Dr. Andrews eventually starts a new relationship with Nurse Villanueva (Elfina Luk), seeing this new relationship as a second chance at happiness. But his career soon butts up against his relationship. The hospital board threatens his job for not squashing the nurses' unionization efforts, essentially forcing him to pick between his career and his personal life.

His priorities are clear as he plans to tender his resignation. Will the hospital board actually accept his resignation, or compromise with him and the nurses? Does this gesture convince the nurse of Dr. Andrews' seriousness, making her also commit? It will be interesting to see if season 7 brings another thriving hospital romance.

Are Dr. Reznick, Dr. Park and Eden a ready made family?

Noah Galvin, Giacomo Baessato, Fiona Gubelmann and Will Yun Lee in The Good Doctor

Noah Galvin, Giacomo Baessato, Fiona Gubelmann and Will Yun Lee in The Good Doctor (Image credit: ABC/Jeff Weddell)

Dr. Park and Dr. Reznick finally acknowledged what viewers already knew — they love each other. This moment has been a journey since Dr. Park broke up with Dr. Reznick after she briefly opted to take a job in a different town. He constantly judges her for her career ambitions, but his opinion starts shifting when he sees her pursuing IVF. 

After many failed bouts, she still continues to try, but a turning point happens when Dr. Reznick cancels a fertility treatment to stay in the NICU to care for Eden. Dr. Reznick finally has the baby that she wants in Eden, and finds out what all working mothers know — the challenges of raising children by yourself while working. This leads to her decision to resign before Dr. Park declares his intention to build a life with her.

Viewers should look forward to watching the dynamic of first time perfectionist mom, Dr. Reznick and second time around, but first time girl dad, Dr. Park.

What happens with Danny's drug addiction? 

Brandon Larracuente and Bria Henderson in The Good Doctor

Brandon Larracuente and Bria Henderson in The Good Doctor (Image credit: ABC/Jeff Weddell)

A key relationship this season was the one between Danny (Brandon Larracuente) and Jordan (Bria Henderson). They get to know each other and explore their budding attraction. But Jordan is surprised when she learns that Danny is a recovering addict, which proves to be a real obstacle.

In the season finale, Danny gets into a serious car accident but demands that he not be given any opiates, afraid of how it would impact his recovery. However, when it is determined he needs them, the doctors ultimately give it to him. He accepts that it was the right thing to do, but knows that if he is going to successfully deal with his addiction, he needs to return to his family. So he ultimately decides to leave the hospital.

All episodes of The Good Doctor season 6 are now available to stream on Hulu in the US.

Taayoo Murray
Writer

Taayoo Murray is a New York City transplant who is a full-time boy mom, freelance writer, and teen goal-setting coach. She's also a published author of the interactive workbook, "Making Me Happen." She has been published in Health, Business Insider, HuffPost Wellness, Livestrong, Yahoo Life and others. When not working, Taayoo enjoys hanging with her three best friends and drinking white wine.