The Resident

The Resident – Belief System (3×04)

Published

6 months ago

October 15, 2019

Lizzy Buczak

Halloween in Chastain (and Jeremiah, Georgia) ws terrifying… but so damn exciting.

Holiday-themed episodes are my favorite, but particularly when the story-arcs remain loyal to the series.

Nothing felt out of place during the Halloween episode, though it gave us a fresh look at Mina and the Raptor outside of their comfort zones in Chastain.

The mentor was supporting his mentee before her big speech when their car broke down in the middle of cornfields.

Cornfields in relation to Halloween never bode well. Neither do flat tires or radiator hoses burning out.

The mechanic that came out wasn’t overly helpful, and the obvious consensus was that he was a racist, just like all the patrons of the mostly-deserted town.

Anytime side-eyes a person of color, it usually means one thing, but while there was a racist/white supremacist storyline in play, it wasn’t in this small town.

The townsfolk were mean-mugging Mina and AJ because they were doctors, specifically, doctors at Chastain now owned by Red Rock Medical, which purchased the small-town’s hospital and shut it down.

Red Rock continues to prove that it values profit over patients in an astronomical way.

Mina and AJ were quick to prove that their values didn’t match Red Rock’s, but the townspeople weren’t any more welcoming.

When they reverted to their chambers for the evening (look, I have to keep up the creepy factor), they both experienced some bizarre dreams.

Mina dream that the whole town was sawing her open only to find “she didn’t have a heart,” while the Raptor dreamt he was getting attacked by the cornfield voodoo scarecrow.

The scenes were spooky and fun and even led to a very romantic kiss between the Raptor and Mina that for a split moment felt REAL. Why wasn’t it real? Fans demand to know.

They even bickered like a real couple at the beginning of the episode.

The chemistry between these two is out of this world; not only do they play well off of each other but anytime they gaze into each other’s eyes, it’s magnetic.

The dreams weren’t just inserted to fill a Halloween quota either; they were a product of the water being contaminated by Red Rocks dumping all their drugs down the drains.

After successfully operating on the only waiter of color, who had a flesh-eating bacteria, Mina and AJ encouraged the town to sue their employer.

Mina made it to her presentation thanks to the Raptor who entrusted her with his baby, his prized-possession, his whip.

AJ told her to picture the only person that mattered to avoid getting nervous and you guys, she imagined he was sitting there cheering her on.

I’ve never shipped a couple more. If only she’d sent him the heart.

The cases at Chastain were also Halloween-themed as Pravesh’s patient “came back from the dead,” which was a direct result of practicing “vampirism.”

Of course, there was a non-spooky explanation for what was happening. The man had too much iron in his system which was effectively shutting down organs and causing arrhythmias that made him “dead” for a little bit.

The vampirism storyline was a bit of a stretch, but at the end of the day, when the man put his health above his “beliefs,” which he admitted he was only doing to please his girlfriend, she broke up with him because they were “fundamentally different.”

Though less extreme, Conrad and Pravesh also acknowledged that they are two very different people with opposing viewpoints and beliefs that are not willing to compromise.

They may have worked well in the past, but after seeing how far Conrad was willing to go to “do the right” thing and torture the patient on The Resident Season 3 Episode 3, Pravesh couldn’t get over it.

He viewed Conrad as a hypocrite while Conrad was acting very superior. They all have egos, sure, but Conrad’s never one to harp on someone when he hasn’t run his own diagnostics. And especially after he just had a patient die just last week who seemed to be fine.

Conrad’s attitude wasn’t acceptable — he of all people knows how difficult it could be to treat a patient that isn’t exhibiting outward symptoms.

It’s unclear whether they go separate ways. They’ve always made a great team and complimented each other, which I think is important. Their opposing viewpoints are beneficial, but not if they distract both of them from the ultimate goal: helping patients.

And, lastly, there was Cain’s nightmare.

Do you know what’s scarier than a monster? A white supremacist. Cain’s patient, Hades, was disgusting in every sense of the word. And what’s worse is he had a large number of followers that were eating up all the hate he was spewing.

Cain didn’t want to admit that Hades got under his skin, but it’s what impacted him to proceed with the operation without waiting for Hades’ psychological records.

Hades was showing signs of DID; Hades was terrible, but his counterpart was a tame twenty-something named Douglas Atwater who couldn’t stand sharing a mind with Hades.

Given the DID, it was difficult to figure out which personality was the dormant one, but since Cain didn’t think the situation was “real,” he didn’t wait around and proceeded with the surgery.

And, you guessed it, Hades was dominant.

Cain was reckless in his quest for revenge — he broke protocol, he broke a patient’s trust, and he refused to listen to anyone but himself.

Nic tried to warn him. but he undermined her.

All actions have consequences, and Cain singlehandedly released this evil onto the world by cutting out the only goodness left in him.

Will this be Cain’s lesson to learn? Will he start accepting responsibility? Will he try to become a better person?

The betterment arc will carry on for Cain, but when it comes to this episode, The Resident found a way to highlight a real issue in a way that resonates with people.

Bell also has an issue on his hands because he’s forced to cover for every mistake Cain makes since he’s a ‘self-proclaimed’ cash cow.

It’s an unfortunate situation for Chastain to be in because without Cain’s profits, the hospital seizes to exist and they can no longer help anyone.

Maybe Mina was onto something when she said: “I usually avoid weird people, especially on Halloween.”

>When Mina willingly walked into her own room, I told my husband that there’s no way I would have ever split up with the buff dude I was with. You take the couch, but I’m not staying alone!

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The Resident

The Resident Review – Cain Deals With a Superbug As We Deal with Coronavirus (3×19)

Published

4 days ago

March 24, 2020

Lizzy Buczak

This episode of The Resident was the one we’ve all been waiting for — it’s the beginning of Dr. Cain’s demise.

Sadly, it comes at the cost of many vulnerable patients who were unknowingly exposed to a superbug.

Cain’s unraveling and losing the power he wields as Logan Kim proved that he goes where the wind blows. That man has absolutely no loyalty.

While Kim’s actions and decisions to keep the Candida Auris a secret were disgusting, Cain wasn’t any better.

An intern had more courage and a stronger moral code than Cain did, who essentially boiled down to a sell-out for Chastain.

Cain could’ve easily ignored Kim’s threats and exposed what was really happening thus saving many lives in the process, but he chose to be a coward instead.

Kim and Cain may not have seen eye-to-eye but they prioritized profits and their personal reputation over patient care.

Both couldn’t put their egos aside and refused to acknowledge that this was bigger than anyone — their inability to own up to their mistakes would and could lead to a public health crisis. Would it be a bad look for Cain to have overlooked this superbug? Yes. But would it be better than people finding out he knew and exposed it to so many vulnerable patients? Also yes.

Kim is also a hypocrite because he was fine backing Cain’s behavior when it benefitted him and lined his pockets. He signed off on every course of treatment, on the mother of all surgeries, on keeping Dawn on the vent, but now that it might come back to bite him, all of a sudden, he’s washing his hands of any involvement. Dude.

He threatened Cain by telling people what happened when he was an intern, but honestly, it can’t be that bad if Cain just told an intern the truth. Making mistakes doesn’t make you less talented or desirable — it makes you human. And it’s incredibly in-tune to be able to acknowledge a mistake and take responsibility for it.

As a bystander who has no choice but to trust the hospitals and physicians that treat her, this episode was incredibly terrifying to watch.

Cain has a moral obligation as a doctor and yet, he preyed on a vulnerable, scared and impressionable intern to do his dirty work.

He didn’t care that he may have jeopardized Ezra’s career because it was better than putting his career on the line.

We knew Cain was a monster, but he manipulated Ezra with guilt and psychological manipulation.

Anytime someone uses the “I helped you” line and wants a favor in return didn’t do it out of the goodness of their heart — they did it because they expected something in return. You should help someone in good faith because you want to and because it’s the right thing to do.

Poor Ezra was left torn about what to do. On one hand, this respected surgeon is asking for his help, but on the other hand, he’s breaking rules, undermining his attending and other respectable doctors, and putting the patient at risk.

Eventually, the guilt was too much and he told Pravesh and Hawkins the truth. At that point, though, it was too late as Sophia, the EMT that brought Dawn in, died.

Conrad confronted Cain and the showdown was epic — he got to say everything he’s been thinking about Cain.

However, by this point, the fungal virus was everywhere, especially because the vent that was used on Dawn (and not sanitized! Y’all, how gross) made its rounds from room to room and patient to patient giving us all bouts of anxiety on where it would end up.

Finally, it arrived at its next destination: Derek’s room.

No patient deserved to be exposed to the vent, but Derek was the patient we were most invested in because of his connection to Kit.

We met Derek on Season 3 Episode 18 and he began his chemo, which nearly killed him.

Now, his lungs were giving out on him and he needed to be put on a ventilator to give him a fighting chance. It was painful to watch Kit’s daughter come to terms with the fact that this might be her final moment with Derek as there’s a chance he wouldn’t wake up, and for us on the other side, knowing that it was highly likely he’d experience complications.

You want to trust your hospital, but it was so easy for a machine to get overlooked.

It’s odd that Logan Kim doesn’t want this fungal infection to get out because he believes it’ll bankrupt Chastain, but is doing absolutely nothing to prevent it. Would it kill him to show a shred of humanity?

The superbug was very timely for The Resident and when they mentioned coronavirus, my jaw-dropped to the ground.

I thought the writers were just that good, but a tweet from screenwriter Amy Holden James revealed that while the storyline was conceived months ago, the line was added in during filming a few weeks ago to reflect our current climate. And thus, they aren’t wizards or sorcerers, but I’m still sticking by my initial reaction that the writers are genius.

Clarifying for the fans. The story line was conceived many months ago. The episode written two and a half months ago but shot 5 weeks ago. Lines that mention coronavirus were added as it was shot. #TheResident

— Amy Holden Jones (@aholdenj) March 25, 2020

My first reaction when an episode about a superbug that also attacked Immuno-compromised patients was shock. I was shocked that they didn’t pull it because it hit so close to home, but then I really thought about that and realized there’s absolutely no reason to pull the episode.

Superbugs, infectious diseases, coronavirus are a reality. We should know because they’re our current reality.

It’s an extreme coincidence that The Resident decided to tackle this topic at this exact moment, but honestly, it allows the series to connect with the times on a deeper level and makes it all the more relevant.

Medical shows have medical advisors that inform and guide the episode, and thus, this topic allows the series to inform the public on a very real threat. Getting educated is not something that should ever be deemed too sensitive, especially since that knowledge will come in handy at this very moment.

Plus, there’s far too many people in our society right now that simply don’t understand and grasp how coronavirus spreads. The Resident cleared that all up for everyone as we watched the vent with the little unicorn venture into every crevice of the hospital.

Look how many people touched the vent without washing their hands, look how many people were around it, and then how many people came in contact with them.

The CDC should honestly thank The Resident (which donated a ton of supplies to hospitals in need that are on the frontlines battling the virus at this very moment) for airing an entertaining yet informative episode.

Jones, the screenwriter also tweeted that hospitals are not required to tell patients if a superbug is on-site, which also blew my mind. See — an informative moment.

If you’re a healthy individual, you likely won’t care about the virus, but if you’re immunocompromised, it suddenly becomes a huge threat and you’re not even aware it’s happening.

This episode managed to highlight just how many at-risk patients there were that had various diseases.

In addition to Derek, we had Isaac, who was waiting for a lung transplant and eager to start a life after finally being reconnected with his birth parents.

But lastly, the episode touches on what The Resident has always prided itself on — exposing medical cover-ups and hypocrisy within the hospital. Obviously, the storylines are very exaggerated (sometimes) for entertainment purposes, but you know there’s always an underlying truth.

This isn’t the first time the series addressed such topics and shady business dealings, and it likely won’t be the last, but it sure is an illuminating look into what happens behind-the-scenes that patients likely never know about.

What did you think about the episode?

The Resident

The Resident Review – Ring the Bell (3×18)

Published

2 weeks ago

March 17, 2020

Lizzy Buczak

What a timely episode.

With the coronavirus outbreak taking its toll on our nation, you’ve probably heard someone say, or have said yourself, that it seems like something straight out of a movie or TV show.

This week’s The Resident proved that point. Prior to the episode, an announcement flashed on the screen that read, in part: “Superbugs of all kinds existed then and now, and any relationship to current events is coincidental.” The message also underlined that the episode was filmed far in advance of today’s events.

However, there’s something so poetic about fiction meeting reality in such a way. TV shows have always been known for offering commentary on our realities, and this is no different.

The episode re-connected with Dawn, the patient that was front-and-center of Cain’s big surgery. While the surgery technically wasn’t a success as the patient never got her quality of life back or even regained consciousness, on paper, if Cain kept her alive for just one more day, it would be considered one.

It was disgusting watching him threatening nurses and presenting Dawn’s case in a way that benefited him. He was never honest with her family about her survival rate, used her as a case-study to bolster his own credibility, and manipulated her family when Dawn was no longer of service to him.

Cain has never treated human beings like human beings and he very rarely prioritizes patient care if it doesn’t benefit him, which makes him a terrible doctor regardless of his exceptional skills. It also makes it hard to feel bad for the outcome following Dawn’s death.

Cain thought he scored a huge “W” after convincing Dawn’s eldest daughter to pull the plug, but little did he know, Dawn didn’t have pneumonia when she died, she had a superbug that was highly contagious.

If not contained, which we saw it wasn’t, a bug like that could infect everyone it came in contact with and bankrupt the hospital. In other words, it’s not looking too hot for Cain. He responded immediately and realized it was too late as nurses began to clean the room. I’m not sure why he didn’t try to stop the man from moving the ventilator into an area with other machines, but I guess at this point, Cain has just given up.

Anyone that has come in contact with Dawn is now at risk and that includes Cain, her children, the nurses, Pravesh, and Nic.

I’m not expert on superbugs, but there’s a likely chance that once they’ve been infected, anyone who has come in contact with them has now been exposed, which would mean most of Chastain. It’s a visual representation of why our government in the real world has worked so tirelessly to emphasize the importance of social distancing and self-quarantine.

Cain is going to pay the price for his greedy, reckless behavior, and I cannot wait, I just wish it didn’t come at the cost of others.

Who will he try to throw under the bus to save himself? And is this his fall from grace… finally?

Much of the hour was focused on a Kit’s daughter and her husband, who was diagnosed with cancer.

Kit has been sidelined for quite a few episodes, and it’s such a disservice to the character because she’s so awesome.

She worked alongside Conrad to protect her daughter, Molly, from the truth because she was scared of how she would handle it. While Kit’s intentions were in right place and she was coming from a place where she wanted to protect her daughter, it wasn’t right.

Her daughter is a grown woman and studying to be a doctor — she deserves to know about her husband’s diagnosis and she should be allowed to handle it in whatever way she needs to.

She wasn’t even given the chance to prove her strength until Conrads confronted Kit and made her realize that her own fears were clouding her judgment and influencing how she handled the situation. Once Kit acknowledged that the best way for everyone to move forward was with honesty and support did her relationship with her daughter truly strengthen.

It’s going to be a long road for Derek as his recovery is plagued by a catch-22. He survived his first round of chemo thanks to Molly, Nic, and Conrad, and it’s going to be uphill from there. Seeing as Nic was pulled into this case and asked to be the chemo-nurse, I think Derek’s case will likely stretch across a few episodes.

And if Nic caught the superbug, there’s a chance she spread it to Derek whose weakened immune system might not be able to fight it.

Basically, Cain is the worst and this is all his fault.

Dr. Bell proved that he can do it all — he can be a surgeon and he can be a TV doctor, and he can do both well.

It’s going to be hard juggling both careers, but Bell found a way to blend them seamlessly so that they work together cohesively. He needs to be a practicing doctor for his show to feel authentic and unique, plus, he needs that connection to patients for source material. Bell didn’t want it to come off like a “schtick” since he is a real doctor, so he found a way to make that very clear to the audience. He’s here to teach about medicine in a fun and informative way — he’s like the Ellen DeGeneres of medicine! We need a real life Dr. Bell show!

He also found a way to make himself indisposable as his TV show brings a great deal of publicity to Chastain. You know Logan Kim will never reject any publicity — just look at what happened with Dawn.

Bell’s TV show brings a new layer to the already complex character as he continues to grown, evolve and impress. It will bring a new vibe to the series, and I can’t deny “ring the Bell” is super catchy!

Bell may be the most established surgeon on the team and now doubles up as a TV star, but it’s great to see his team feels comfortable enough to tease him about it. There was a time that kind of behavior wouldn’t fly, but man, Bell has really become a man of the people.

The Resident

The Resident Review – Pravesh Attends a Gala, CoNic’s Big Moment, and So Much Romance (3×16)

Published

4 weeks ago

March 3, 2020

Lizzy Buczak

It was a Super Tuesday on The Resident as most of Chastain was feeling the love!

“Reverse Cinderella” could have been a Valentine’s Day episode because there were so many lovey-dovey, gushy moments sprinkled throughout the medical plotlines.

While the biggest moment — and the one that the series and Conrad has been building up to for weeks — was the CoNic engagement, many of the other couples either got their happy ending or a cute nod to their blooming love story.

Were the couples at Chastain hit by Cupid’s arrow?

CoNic has been in the works since season one, and it’s so wonderful to finally see them on track and embracing the love that they had for each other. They hit a few rough patches, but they managed to work it and realized they’re better together.

Nic’s approach to proposing was downright hilarious. She’s right that they aren’t your typical “romantic” couple, but that’s because she’s never been the romantic in their relationship. Conrad, on the other hand, totally is.

And thankfully, he salvaged the proposal because bringing up that it’s the “practical” next step, financially sound, and spewing off insurance facts is downright sad. Come on, Nic.

Conrad’s proposal was perfect — it wasn’t over the top, but it was genuine to who they are as a couple.

Now, it’s time to plan this wedding!

CoNic wasn’t the only proposal as the episode kicked off with Irving quoting Shakespeare and getting a little help from his co-workers at Chastain who arranged themselves to spell “Will You Marry Me.” It was just the right amount of quirky for the two of them. And it’s about time Jessica got a slice of happiness following her near-death experience.

But the belle of the ball was Pravesh, who was invited as Princess Nadine’s special guest to the gala being thrown by her father, the King, as an act of gratitude to Chastain and Red Rock.

THE RESIDENT: L-R: Guest star Shazi Raja and Manish Dayal in the “Reverse Cinderella” episode of THE RESIDENT airing Tuesday, March 3 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2020 Fox Media LLC Cr: Guy D’Alema/FOX

Unfortunately, getting to the gala on time became a bigger issue as Pravesh’s patient, Gemma, an iconic fashion designer whom Mina adorably geeked out over, asked him to stay by her side when she went into surgery.

Gemma’s situation seemed simple at first, but once they realized the mass in her stomach was actually a furball from Rapunzel syndrome (an obsessive disorder brought on by eating hair), the procedure became more complex and time-consuming.

Thankfully, everything turned out okay for Gemma, who learned a valuable lesson when it came to taking care of herself and easying up on the work, and Pravesh was still able to make it to the event looking sharper than ever.

I mean, James Bond doesn’t have anything on this guy! But does he have what it takes to be a prince?

If you’re asking this gal or polling most of Twitter, they’d wholeheartedly say yes. Prince Pravesh has a nice ring to it, and he already looks like a Disney Prince Charming with his perfectly slicked back hair.

But if you’re asking Nadine’s father, the King, well, that’s a hard no. Upon meeting Pravesh, the King drew a hard line for Nadine and informed her she was going back to their country and would not be allowed to pursue a music career in Atlanta.

He also belittled musicians in Atlanta as if it wasn’t one of the best cities to be for an artist. The King seems to have a little trouble letting go — letting go of his daughter, of his expectations, of the old ways.

It’s hard to watch your daughter grow up and become her own person, a person whose life goals and ambitions sometimes don’t match what you had envisioned for them, but it at least warrants a conversation.

The King didn’t just pick the worst time to tell Nadine the news, he was also rude to Pravesh, who retreated and planned the leave the party before the King’s goddaughter, Rupa, went into labor, and his assistance was needed.

Her pregnancy was high-risk because her unborn son had a rare condition in which his heart was growing outside of his body, which meant a long night for AJ and Mina, especially after they realized that the case was even more complex.

THE RESIDENT: L-R: Shaunette Rene Wilson and Malcolm-Jamal Warner in the “Reverse Cinderella” episode of THE RESIDENT airing Tuesday, March 3 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2020 Fox Media LLC Cr: Guy D’Alema/FOX

These are two of the best surgeons in Atlanta whose egos supersedes them. Their confidence in their abilities never waver, and yet, in this moment, they both looked terrified and unsure that they’d be able to meet the needs of the surgery. It was the first time we’ve ever seen any doubt creep into their minds, which was slightly jarring but also true testament to their talents.

It’s critical that a doctor knows when something is above his capabilities, but, in this case, they have absolutely no choice. The baby doesn’t have enough time to get to Boston where a doctor is on stand-by, and if they don’t operate and attempt, the baby will surely die.

You have to wonder why Rupa was even in Atlanta when her pregnancy was not only advanced but also high-risk.

Of course, for storyline sake, it puts Chastain in a bind because either the outcome will be incredible, impress the King, and work in Pravesh and Mr. Kim’s favor, or it’ll go the other way and they could lose the child invoking the King’s wrath and forcing Kim to close OB before attempting to shutter Chastain completely.

Let’s hope that for everyone’s sake, it’s the former.

Any hospital that could save Rupa and her baby would likely get a hefty donation from the King, which would, in turn, save the OB department.

Also, does Kim ever have any fun? Live a little, dude.

Before Mina and AJ were called into duty, the two shared a lovely dance that deepened those feelings for each other.

The chemistry between them is so intense that AJ completely forgot he had a girlfriend.

Everything about this moment, the longing glances, the compliments about Mina’s dress, it all felt so right and hopefully began setting up for the love story we all want!

Also, AJ, Pravesh, or Conrad in a suit — it’s simply impossible to choose.

Nic and Conrad teamed up for a medical mystery that found a patient showing symptoms despite her tests and reports coming back positive and healthy.

The step-mother had a lot to say, but none of it was helpful. In fact, it seemed to be making the young girl question her own symptoms and go into a full-on panic simply because the step-mom wanted to make her “more independent” and thought she was faking her condition to get out of her responsibilities. Sometimes, the people you love and trust could be unintentionally harming you.

It was obvious that the tea the step-mom was giving her step-daughter was going to be the culprit with The Resident using this moment to make a stance and call out the possible dangers of alternative medicine.

While I wish they underlined that there are some benefits to alternative medicine (including acupuncture), that there are cases where it can be causing more damage. The tea was imported from China and the ingredients impossible to read, but they determined it had poison that was making the patient very sick.

The episode found just the right balance of medical storylines and personal romance that made for one truly entertaining hour of television.

What did you think? Are you happy for CoNic? Jirving?

Will Nadine and Pravesh find a way to stay together? Or does he keep falling in love with unattainable women?

Can Mina and AJ just acknowledge their feelings already and make the move? Share your thoughts in the comments section, we’d love to hear them!

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