Why did Asher Wolke leave The Good Doctor? Reasons explored

The Good Doctor left fans shocked with an unexpected twist in the final season, as Dr. Asher Wolke was killed off after spending four years on the show. Played by Noah Galvin, the doctor died a brutal death in a hate crime as two men attacked him.

Asher joined the ABC medical drama in Season 4 as a surgical resident. As a Jewish gay man, he struggled with his identity and became an atheist, as he thought religion would never accept his sexuality.

Over the years, he became an important and layered character, which is why his death still affects fans. Asher Wolke left The Good Doctor as the creators wanted to highlight the theme of increasing hate crimes by killing off the character. At the same time, reports suggested that Noah Galvin wanted to pursue other opportunities in his career.

The reason behind Asher’s exit from The Good Doctor

Asher Wolke departed The Good Doctor after his death in Season 7 Episode 5, Who at Peace. The move came as a shock to many, as the character was written off just a few episodes before the series finale.

Writer Adam Scott Weissman, who worked on the script of the episode along with Peter Blake, revealed the reason behind killing off Asher in an interview with The Wrap. The writer disclosed that the team wanted to explore the theme of discrimination on the basis of religion and sexuality, which leads to hate crimes.

At the same time, the writers wanted to highlight that life sometimes does not go our way, and events like Asher’s sudden death can happen to anyone. Weissman said:

“We came into this [episode] with the thought that life doesn’t always have happy endings. Sometimes things happen suddenly and in a tragic way. Oftentimes [these issues] become real when it happens to someone you know, or someone we love on TV, so this horrible thing happens that also brings it home for our viewers.”

Apart from expressing the important themes, actor Noah Galvin’s decision to move to other projects also likely played a role in the death of Asher. As per sources quoted by The Wrap, the actor wanted to explore new opportunities in his career after four years on The Good Doctor.

Asher’s journey on The Good Doctor

Asher Wolke was introduced in The Good Doctor Season 4 as a recurring character and was promoted to series regular in Season 5. Raised by a rabbi father, Asher often felt stuck between his religion and his sexuality, which turned him towards atheism. On joining the San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital, he started a romance with nurse Jerome Martel, but remained unsure about their relationship.

In The Good Doctor Season 7 Episode 5, he finally accepted both his religion and his feelings for Jerome. After tending to a Jewish patient and meeting with a rabbi, he realized that he could still follow Judaism while being true to his sexuality.

Thus, Asher’s story in the show came a full circle before he died. As he confronted two antisemitic men and stopped them from vandalizing a synagogue, they attacked him and killed him. Talking about how Asher died a heroic death, Weissman said:

“It’s a sad note, but it’s also a high note in that it’s a heroic moment for him where he embraces all sides of his identity, and does it to protect someone else and to protect the sacred space.”

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