The season 4 premiere of The Resident is going to hit a bit close to home. 

For years people have turned to television for an escape, but lately, reality and fiction are beginning to bleed together. 

Our everyday experiences and dilemmas are beginning to shape and influence the content we see on television, and, in turn, that content becomes a direct reflection of our society and provides poignant commentary on current events. 

For the most part, it’s exciting to see our daily lives reflected on screen as it offers a more robust and representative experience. However, it also means that it’s harder to escape the monotony of everyday life in lockdown.

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There’s absolutely no way to escape the pandemic plaguing our world — it has consumed every part of our lives. 

Everywhere you look, you’ll (hopefully) see face masks, people using hand sanitizer, and practicing social distancing.

And now, you’re going to see more of that reflected on the small screen. 

The medical drama, which often draws from real-life scenarios for inspiration, will tackle the pandemic in its upcoming season. 

Series co-creator Amy Holden Jones told Us Weekly: “Our premiere deals with the early days of the outbreak, focusing on the effect on our hero doctors and nurses as they risk their lives daily.

She added: “Long-term, sadly, the after-effects of COVID-19 will go on, even after we have a vaccine, and we’ll be there to show that, as well.”

The show’s writing team includes several medical professionals who weigh in on storylines to ensure accuracy. Daniel Lama and Eric Lu penned the coronavirus inspired episode. 

Meanwhile, an on-set nurse has spent her time volunteering in New York City and Texas during the pandemic. 

Jones said the episode would honor the heroes fighting on the frontlines stating, “their stories are moving, deep and tragic and continue to accumulate to this day,” Jones added. “We hope soon to share all we have learned.”

The show hasn’t begun production on the season just yet, so it may take a bit until we get to see these pandemic episodes considering, you know, we’re in a pandemic ourselves, and that pandemic has made it harder for cast and crew to film new episodes of our favorite TV shows. 

Additionally, FOX’s fall 2020 lineup is moving ahead without the medical drama, as it is being held till 2021.

However, this wouldn’t be the first mention of coronavirus in the series as the season 3 finale dealt with a highly contagious superbug that was initially compared to coronavirus. 

The Resident also won’t be the only drama incorporating the pandemic into their storylines. Grey’s Anatomy previously announced that they would touch upon the pandemic with showrunner Krista Vernoff stating, “there’s no way to be a long-running medical show and not do the medical story of our lifetimes.”

It’ll be interesting to see these two shows tackle the virus in their own unique ways. As we look to relate to our favorite characters in our shows, you have to admit,, there’s nothing more relatable than seeing their lives altered by the same disease that has stripped us of so many joyous moments this year.

Do you think it’s a good idea for shows to address the pandemic? Sound off in the comments!