Why did Dr Melendez leave The Good Doctor? Know the reason behind his death

The Good Doctor's Season 3 ended with the death of a fan-favourite character Dr Neil Melendez, who was played by Nicholas Gonzalez. Dr Neil Melendez gets hit after an earthquake. He died of critical internal injuries sustained at the San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital. Saying goodbye to his few friends, he declared his love for Dr Claire Brown, who also reveals that she was in love with him. This created a lot of buzz in fans as they wondered, "Why did Dr Melendez leave The Good Doctor?"

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Why did they kill Dr Melendez in The Good Doctor?

The series creator and executive producer David Shore had given an insight into the decision of killing the character of Dr Melendez in The Good Doctor to a news portal. Shore shared that they wanted to lose a character for whom the audience would feel pain. They wanted a character who will have an impact on a large number of characters in the show. 

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David also talked about how it is the nature of a show like The Good Doctor. People must go forward, and they will come and go. He talked about how the show is a dynamic being and that new characters will come and old ones will leave. Shore also revealed that they wanted to tell honest stories, ones that include life and death. They want to throw these characters into serious situations and show an honest representation of real life in the show.

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David Shore also talked about the possibility of many deaths in the season finale, but it all worked out for it to be just Dr Melendez. They had five parallel stories going on, and it made sense that one of these ends with his death. It was the natural style of writing that brought about this death.

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Actor Nicholas Gonzalez also talked about how it was a creative decision to leave the show. He talked about how they all became family during the shooting of the show. But he says that it is time to move on, and his exit could not have been better. 

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