Title: 굿 닥터 Goot Dakteo
English Title: Good Doctor
Country: South Korea
Language: Korean
Year: 2013
Episode: 20
Cast:
- 주원 Joo Won
- 문채원 Moon Chae Won
- 주상욱 Joo Sang Wook
- 김민서 Kim Min Seo
- 김영광 Kim Young Kwang
- 윤박 Yoon Park
SYNOPSIS
Park Shi On has autism and savant syndrome. He becomes a doctor but he faces bias and discrimination by the society because of his condition.
REVIEW
I think it is important to make productions about societal issues, mainly because it promotes awareness and hopefully influences discussions about said societal issues. However, I wish scriptwriters and everyone involved will do the necessary research in order to present the situation in an accurate manner, or as close to it as possible. I really don't think it's too much to ask, is it?!
I think the drama has Park Shi On display autism in the way that most people stereotype autistic people. Shi On has mannerisms and characteristics that show him as 'low functioning', which means that he won't be able to become a doctor considering his profound communicative, social and cognitive deficits. If Shi On is presented as a 'high functioning' autistic, then it is more believable that he became a doctor.
Moreover, it is highly unlikely that Shi On became a doctor because he has savant syndrome. If he is a savant, it is more possible that his exceptional talent is something creative or artistic.
Savants or people who have savant syndrome do have quite remarkable and spectacular talents. But I think it is important to note that these skills tend to be oriented in the right hemisphere of the brain, so these abilities tend to be concrete and artistic such as memorization, calculation, musical ability, artistic ability (drawing, painting, sculpting), and language ability.
Good Doctor is another case wherein I'm watching a drama because of an actor, or rather an actress. I really like Moon Chae Won and the characters that she chooses to portray but for some strange reason, I really don't like her dramas as a whole.
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굿 닥터 Good Doctor
