The Good Doctor, Grey’s Anatomy, and more are set to cover the coronavirus in storylines. Is it too soon to do this?

Medical dramas have always tried to cover things that are happening in real life. They can involve the fact that Black women are less likely to get the medical attention they need and deserve or the problems with the U.S. health costs. It shouldn’t be surprising that both The Good Doctor and Grey’s Anatomy are planning on covering coronavirus storylines.

They’re not alone. The Resident will continue its storyline of a dangerous fungal infection that started in Season 3, and New Amsterdam still has its superflu storyline to come that it held off due to the pandemic. But the question is whether it’s too soon to start covering the coronavirus.

Some shows already had plans before the pandemic

It’s a little different for the shows that had the plans before the pandemic. New Amsterdam and The Resident had already filmed some episodes or they were in the middle of filming storylines. They had no idea that the pandemic was going to be as bad as it became. These were just dramatic storylines suited for the medical setting.

The Resident kept its episode in, quickly adding a mention of coronaviruses. This made sense considering it was a huge part of future episodes, but it also wasn’t quite the same as the coronavirus. The storyline will likely continue into Season 4 as the show didn’t get the chance to film all episodes before production was shut down.

Likewise, New Amsterdam already had a plan for a superflu episode. Out of respect for the real healthcare workers, the show decided not to air the episodes. There was too much like reality as the coronavirus grew to pandemic levels. However, the plan was always to eventually air those episodes. There are important storylines there, they introduced a new character, and the cast and crew put in a lot of hard work.

Good Doctor, The (2017) – Season 3

Is it too soon for Grey’s Anatomy and The Good Doctor?

Now we’ve found out other medical dramas will cover the coronavirus storyline. ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy was the first to mention it, but now TVLine reports that the Season 4 premiere will be a coronavirus storyline. It’s too much at the same time.

The only reason the two shows are doing these storylines is because the pandemic is so big. It’s all over the world, which means it can make storylines that will reach out to the masses. However, there’s something a little untimely about it. It’s too soon to be writing about people’s suffering and pain because of the coronavirus. These aren’t just storylines that happen to be similar, but storylines that are because of the pandemic. They’re going to leave a bitter taste in many mouths because, really, they’re just for the eyeballs.

It’s not like The Good Doctor hasn’t already done this sort of storyline. Partway through the second season, it had a deadly outbreak that required quarantining individuals. We’ve seen how the doctors react, and now it’s time to add another one in just because it’s timely?

Many people watch TV to escape the realities right now. The coronavirus is still a problem. Countries are still in states of lockdown. By the fall, there’s talk of a second wave hitting. This isn’t going away anytime soon. It’s too early to even think about coronavirus storylines.

Now I’m just waiting for Chicago Med to follow suit, because it just can’t be left out, can it?

MORE: It’s time for Max and Helen to get together on New Amsterdam

What do you think about the TV shows covering the coronavirus? Is it too early? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

The Good Doctor, Grey’s Anatomy, and New Amsterdam are set to return in the fall. The Resident is being held to midseason.