ABC’s The Good Doctor has experienced plenty of cast turnover. The most shocking departure was the death of Dr. Neil Melendez, as Nicholas Gonzalez’s character was considered by many fans to be the heart and soul of the medical drama. But other characters have left the show, and one of them departed fairly early on — only to return in Season 6.
Chuku Modu exited The Good Doctor after portraying surgical resident Dr. Jared Kalu in Season 1 and the Season 2 premiere. Modu’s departure came as a shock to fans who enjoyed his storyline, particularly when he stood up for a fellow resident who was assaulted by another doctor. Following Kalu’s sendoff, the series introduced other characters who are still with the show today, including Will Yun Lee’s Dr. Alex Park and Fiona Gubelmann’s Dr. Morgan Reznick. But what led to Modu’s relatively brief time on the show, and how did Kalu come back on The Good Doctor?
Updated on March 4, 2024 by Katie Doll: Dr. Jared Kalu’s departure from The Good Doctor was one of the most disappointing parts of the series’ second season. Chuku Modu was responsible for rounding out the cast, and while many people arrived to take his place, nobody could ever quite take his place. Luckily, The Good Doctor realized its mistake several seasons later. This article has been updated to expand on Modu’s return to The Good Doctor in a series regular role.
Who Was Dr. Jared Kalu on The Good Doctor?
Dr. Kalu was introduced alongside fan-favorite Dr. Claire Browne at the start of The Good Doctor, and proved instrumental in helping Dr. Shaun Murphy acclimate to his position at St. Bonaventure Hospital. While Dr. Melendez was initially hard on Shaun because of his Autism Spectrum Disorder, Kalu came to his colleague’s aid, and became one of his few friends among the staff.
As a wise person once said, “Holding a grudge is a stone in your heart.” — Dr Jared Kalu, The Good Doctor, Season 1
Kalu was known for being soft and kind, but had difficulty controlling his emotions when it came to protecting people he cared about. His demeanor as an adult was a stark contrast to what he experienced in childhood. Being raised by neglectful and rich parents, Kalu was mostly raised by nannies and spent his time in boarding school. His father disapproved of Kalu moving out and becoming a doctor at the age of 18, leading to an estranged relationship between the parents and son. Matters were made worse, but solidified the emotional disconnection, when Kalu learned that his parents moved out of his childhood home without telling him. Kalu ended up bringing all this baggage with him to St. Bonaventure Hospital.
Things took an abrupt turn when Kalu assaulted a coworker, played by Eric Winter just before he became one-half of The Rookie’s Chenford. Kalu punched Dr. Matt Coyle in order to defend Claire, who had been sexually harassed by Matt. But when the higher-ups found out, Kalu was promptly fired.
He wasn’t down for the count, however: he sued the hospital for racial discrimination — and won. Yet while Kalu regained his job, he lost the respect of Dr. Melendez and the chief of surgery, Dr. Marcus Andrews. Kalu left St. Bonaventure after accepting a job in Denver. On his last day at St. Bonaventure, Kalu and Shaun diagnose a man who is homeless, despite disobeying direct orders.
Chuku Modu’s Departure From The Good Doctor
Before Season 2 premiered, Deadline reported that The Good Doctor was going in another direction creatively and that Modu would leave the series. The actor elaborated on his exit in an Instagram post, writing, “Nothing but love love love love love, I’m filled. If only you knew the good vibes and energy that’s in constant motion when the cameras aren’t rolling. Thank you all for teaching me more than you will ever know. Thanks for the love my peoples, on to the next one.”
I love you, Claire. You never loved me. Now, I thought that maybe someday that would change, but… it won’t. Bye, Claire.
— Dr. Jared Kalu, The Good Doctor, Season 1
After leaving The Good Doctor, Modu became a series regular in the final two seasons of The CW’s The 100. He was also cast in Captain Marvel, in which he portrayed Soh-Larr, a Kree warrior taken by Skrulls in an attempt to lure Starforce to a remote planet and capture Carol Danvers. While Soh-Larr is not one of the characters who returned in The Marvels, Modu’s reappearance on The Good Doctor has been welcomed by fans who still fondly remember Jared Kalu and wanted a better storyline for him than his dramatic exit.
How Dr. Jared Kalu Returns to The Good Doctor
One of the biggest surprises in Season 6 is Kalu’s return to the series. Kalu came back to San Francisco in The Good Doctor Season 6, Episode 14, “Old Friends.” He brought one of his patients, Roland Barnes — the fifth-wealthiest person in the world — to St. Bonaventure to enlist his former colleagues’ help. But he also revealed that he quit his residency at Denver Memorial after failing to save an ovarian cancer patient during an experimental surgery. He became a concierge doctor for Roland, who saw potential in Kalu after he worked on Roland’s wife at Denver Memorial. Feelings of failure began to haunt Kalu, despite his many successes, when he saw the residency program and how great it was to work under Shaun.
Kalu made amends with Andrews and met Chief of Surgery Dr. Audrey Lim to reconsider joining the residency program. He believed that this time around, he was fully ready to take on the challenge of being a surgeon, since he learned how to better communicate and deal with challenging people without resorting to violence. The only problem was that there weren’t any slots available for third-year residents. Seeing how much he could learn under Shaun, Kalu opts to restart the residency program from scratch at St. Bons. It was a small price to pay in order to do what he loved and reignite his self-esteem. Rejoining the residency program didn’t come without struggles though; Kalu and Shaun grapple with separating their personal and professional lives now that Shaun is technically his boss. Kalu also gets thrown into a love triangle between Drs. Jordan Allen and Danny Perez.