The Good Doctor

Representation / casting choices

Diverse supporting cast matches the San Jose hospital setting without forced mismatches or heavy signaling; trans characters appear in two episodes with authentic casting, creating limited visible identity emphasis.

Political / ideological dialogue

Gender identity explanations occur in two specific episodes; minor references to social dynamics appear occasionally, but the vast majority of dialogue stays on medicine, ethics, and personal relationships.

Identity-driven story themes

Autism forms the central ongoing thread as a personal and professional challenge rather than celebratory identity politics; two transgender patient stories add affirming queer elements with dedicated focus, noticeable to viewers but not series-defining.

Institutional / cultural critique

Hospital bureaucracy and bias against Shaun’s autism drive core conflicts; early subplots touch sexism or racism as individual issues without broader modern activist framing of patriarchy, systemic power, or cultural institutions.