After leaving us on a cliffhanger before the midseason break, The Resident came back with a bang to break fans’ hearts in truly devastating ways. The first half of this season has been filled with so much tragedy, and it seems the second half will have fans in for more of the same.
Right out of the gate, the revelation that Dr. Bell (Bruce Greenwood) has multiple sclerosis is the culmination of a storyline set up in the series premiere episode way back in 2018. In the first half of the season, the show alluded that this story would be resolved. His devastation at his official diagnosis is evident. It’s a mark of how far Bell has come as a character that he immediately turned to his family rather than try to conceal the truth from them.
On that note, Bell bonding with his family was among the most vital aspects of this episode. Bell’s step-son, Dr. Jake Wong (Conrad Ricamora), has come through for his step-father this season after being estranged from him for many years. Dr. Kit Voss (Jane Leeves) refusing to leave Bell in his hour of need was heart-rending. Those who haven’t been sold on this relationship may find this episode the thing that convinces them otherwise.
The second hit of emotional damage was Dr. A.J. Austin’s (Malcolm-Jamal Warner) mother, Carol (Denise Dowse), approaching the end of her battle with terminal lung cancer. Seeing A.J. passionately advocate for his mother by trying to get her into a clinical trial just shows what a phenomenal son he is. Carol has suffered so long this season, and it’s devastating to see how much A.J. is already grieving the woman who raised him and has loved him unconditionally his entire life.
The final devastating blow fans were subjected to this episode was Conrad (Matt Czuchry) and A.J. treating a patient who received the donated heart of his late wife Nic (Emily VanCamp). It was such a poignant callback to a beloved character. Hannah (Kiah Alexandria Clingman) was such a lovable patient, and Nic’s heart really couldn’t have gone to a better recipient. Conrad introducing Hannah to his daughter Gigi was the moving conclusion this story deserved.
On a happier note, seeing Dr. Leela Devi (Anuja Joshi) beginning to come into her own as a surgeon was an absolute delight. Having her mentored by another incredible surgeon, Dr. Billie Sutton (Jessica Lucas), is where both of these characters need to be. Billie knows what it takes to succeed as a woman in this field, and Leela has shown again and again that she has what it takes. Theirs will surely be a friendship and mentorship we can look forward to seeing more of as the season continues.
We also got to see more of the mysterious Dr. Cade (Kaley Ronayne). With no social media presence and a resistance to sharing any backstory with anyone so far, fans don’t have much to go on. However, seeing her bond with Head Nurse Hundley (Denitra Isler) over their mutual love of sneakers and generally just being a boss in the ICU bodes well for her character fitting in well with the Chastain Memorial family. This character with an elusive history has a lot of promise so far.
The one character we saw so little of this episode was Dr. Devon Pravesh (Manish Dayal). He made the choice to scale back his clinical duties and focus more on research, but it’s clear that his compassion for patients hasn’t diminished at all. The fact that he treated A.J. and his mother with such tenderness when it became clear Carol didn’t qualify for his drug trials proved what an amazing physician he continues to be.
Overall, the midseason return of The Resident was a strong one and gave us a lot to look forward to for the rest of the season. It never relied on a constant emotional barrage but rather gave fans good stories and strong character development that built on the previous seasons in a satisfying way. This return bodes well for the remainder of season five, and the stage has been set for a second half that will be the best of what The Resident has to offer.
Other Things:
- I loved the fact that we got a Lunar New Year episode, just in time to celebrate in real time.
- No word this episode on Trevor (Miles Fowler) and where he is, completing his studies as an anesthesiologist at Chastain.
- Sammie is incredibly adorable, and Bell being a grandfather suits him spectacularly.
- “You fell in love with the man I wanted to be, and I became him because of you.” Bell said this to Voss, ripping our hearts into pieces and adding infinity points to KitBell shippers.
- “This one's for Nic,” said Billie Sutton, reminding us how much we all loved Nic and how much we miss her.
- “Wherever you go I will follow” said Kitt Voss to Bell, giving KitBell shippers even more reasons to sob.
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