The Resident Round Table: Will Cain Drag Bell Back to the Dark Side?
Jasmine Blu
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Welcome to our first The Resident Round Table!
It was an explosive premiere; The Resident Season 3 Episode 1 wasted no time letting us know who died and introducing us to new doctor Barrett Cain. He left a heck of an impression. Meanwhile, CoNic is stronger than ever, and Bell may be back to his old ways.
Join our esteemed editor Carissa Pavlica, and TV Fanatics Meaghan Frey and Rachel Foertsch as they discuss the premiere!
Jessie died. Do you think this was the best choice? How do you think this will affect Nic's storyline moving forward?
Carissa: Yes, it was the best choice. Carrying the weight of Jessie's choices was too overwhelming for Nic, and it made her a lesser person to viewers than she will ultimately be now that she's free of that constant pressure to keep Jessie alive.
Dealing with her death is far less traumatic. We should see a freer Nic, and that was evident even in the premiere.
Meaghan: Yes. Nic may be having a difficult time dealing with Jessie's death right now, but as Carissa said, this was the option that allows Nic to be free.
As nice as it would be to think that Jessie would have changed, she would have reverted to her old behavior, forcing Nic to parent her. If Kyle had died, then Nic would have been dealing with the guilt of pushing him to be the donor, and then him dying. I don't think she would have come back from that.
Related: The Resident Season 3 Episode 1 Review: From the Ashes
Rachel: Yes. I think that Jessie's instability was always going to hold Nic back. Even though Jessie made her own choices, Nic was always going to take responsibility for her and blame herself. I think if Nic's father had died she would have felt at fault because she was the one who convinced him to be the donor in the first place.
Nic going through a storyline in which she deals with her feelings of guilt isn't something that could push the show forward. We've been down a similar road before.
What do you make of Kyle enlisting Conrad's help in investigating Jessie's death? Do you feel there is more to her death than we know?
Carissa: There shouldn't be anything else about her death than we've already seen. Assisting Kyle will probably cause issues with Conrad and Nic, but if Conrad is diligent, he should be able to dissuade Kyle from taking things farther. Ultimately, Nic could be grateful that Conrad does what she can't do herself.
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Meaghan: Kyle put Conrad in a terrible position, asking him to do this behind Nic's back. Nic and Conrad have been on rocky ground as of late, so I hope that this doesn't send them back down that road again.
I do not think that there is more to Jessie's death. We have seen nothing at this point to make us believe that there is more going on than we have seen.
Rachel: All this is going to do is cause more drama between Nic and Conrad. I don't think there's more to Jessie's death, but I do think that Kyle is lying about the lawsuit. He's never been a trustworthy person, and Nic has always cared about Jessie more than their own father did.
Conrad and Nic appear to be more stable than ever. Thoughts?
Carissa: Someone said in the comments that they think it's because Jessie was the only constant in Nic's life. I prefer my thoughts on the ties getting cut, so Nic can allow herself some time for herself instead of always caring about everyone else.
I'm ready for them to be strong, defeating the evils of medical care than the will they/won't they garbage that is too prevalent on television.
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Meaghan: Thank god! Watching CoNic struggle last season put a dark cloud over the show for me. With Jessie's death, I think that Nic was faced with her mortality and that life is too short not to enjoy it with the people you love which definitely would contribute to them being on steady ground.
Writers hate to leave couples happy for too long, though, so I'm not holding my breath that this newfound stability is going to last long-term.
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Rachel: I might be in the minority, but I'm a bit tired of Conrad and Nic's ups and downs. I feel like Conrad puts more effort into the relationship than Nic does, and he deserves someone who will treat him the same way he treats others.
If The Resident can turn things around on Nic's end, then I'll be OK with CoNic, but I'm always going to want the best for Conrad Hawkins.
What's your first impression of Barrett Cain?
Carissa: In my opinion, Morris Chestnut was brought to the table to make Bell and Austin seem like baby seals in comparison. Bell has the overinflated ego and Austin the surgical edge. Cain's addition will do a lot to smoothe their rough edges because he's razor-sharp (and not necessarily in a good way).
Meaghan: Is it bad to say that I was impressed? Not with his people skills, but it is impossible not to die that his surgical skills are out of this world. One of the things about this group of characters is that people rarely enter it and come out unchanged. I think that given some time around them, we will see Cain soften.
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Rachel: Barrett is sketchy. He may be a skilled doctor, but I agree with Kit completely. If he's billing that much money he has to be cutting corners or overtreating. I don't want a Lane 2.0, and I hope that Cain will eventually soften as Meaghan said.
After a strong character arc in the second season, will Bell return to his old ways?
Carissa: I really hope not. A show can only sustain one character at a time that ticks boxes as sharply as Bell did in The Resident Season 1 and Austin did in The Resident Season 2.
They need to continue their development even if it means they slip at times, and the guys rough it up now and again like moose bashing their heads together. And I'm still holding out hope that Bell and Kit get it on. I can't condone that if he goes back to his old ways.
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Meaghan: It would be disappointing if he did. Character growth means nothing if it is taken away as quickly as it came. Bell's reaction to the surgical repair of the internal decapitation shows how far he has come.
Yes, it is hard for him to ignore the dollar signs when they are flashing in front of him in neon lights, but he genuinely cares about patients and their outcomes now.
Rachel: Bell's character development blows my mind. He went from being my least favorite character to one of my favorites. I wouldn't be shocked if Barrett ends up being a bad influence on Bell him and starts to drag him back to the dark side.
However, I believe that Kit has, essentially, become Bell's moral compass. If he does go back to his old ways, I think she'll be there to help him see the light.
What was a favorite or noteworthy moment or quote from the episode?
Carissa: The scenes with Nic coping with Jessie's loss both at the beginning and the end were beautiful. When a show that burns so bright can take a step back (much like every time Conrad deals with a child patient), it does a lot for character development.
Nic: I keep trying to rewind the clock. It must have been something I could have done differently.
Jessie: Remember what I told you? This is not your fault.
Meaghan: The beginning had me in tears. It was clear right away what the moment was, and it was done in such a beautiful way that the wave of emotions was like a tidal wave crashing on me. It may have been one of my favorite moments from the series.
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Rachel: The moment Conrad was thrown by the explosion I was screaming. I wasn't surprised in the slightest that he saved the kid and it just goes to show again what a great doctor and person Conrad is.
I also loved the moment between Conrad and Nic where Nic told Conrad how scared she was of losing him. Nic is closed off with Conrad more often than not, so it was nice to hear her express how much he means to her.
What's on your wishlist for the rest of the season?
Carissa: I can't wait to find out what the big through-line might be with regards to healthcare. Their capacity to fight wrongdoing and make waves is always exceptional. Seeing how things shake out in the wake of Cain's addition should be interesting.
And even though I don't need romantic interludes, I still want them with Conrad and Nic (stay strong!), Bell and Kit, and Austin and Okafor. And when that competition isn't enough, mastering their roles at the hospital while always trying to best each other is always a fun watch!
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Meaghan: For the love of God, please let CoNic have a quiet season and continue to heal their relationship and grow together. I really need Devon to get a meaty storyline this season. Devon has a habit of falling to the background, and his character has become somewhat stagnant.
I also would love for them to do more long term patient-focused storylines. The focus on Lily across multiple episodes during Season 1 was one of the highlights and set The Resident apart from other medical shows.
Since then the show has shifted its focus to the more "big bad" of the season storylines so it would be nice to see it get back to what made me love the show in the first place.
Rachel: Bell and Kit! The slow burn is driving me crazy and I was heartbroken when Kit told Bell she was going to give things a try with her ex-husband.
I also hope that Austin and Okafor keep their student/teacher relationship. I know a lot of people want them together, but I never thought they would be a good romantic pair.
I hope that we get more into the healthcare storyline and Nic and Okafor open back up the free clinic. I miss Henry and Zoey. Henry was the cutest kid and I loved that he wanted Conrad to be his father.
I was also always rooting for Zoey and Conrad to get together, so it would be fun if they brought them back.
Do you agree with our panel, Resident Fanatics?!
Hit the comments below and share your responses.
The Resident returns Tuesday at 8/7c on FOX.
If you need to catch up, you can watch The Resident online here via TV Fanatic!
Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is an insomniac who spends late nights and early mornings binge-watching way too many shows and binge-drinking way too much tea. Her eclectic taste makes her an unpredictable viewer with an appreciation for complex characters, diverse representation, dynamic duos, compelling stories, and guilty pleasures. You'll definitely find her obsessively live-tweeting, waxing poetic, and chatting up fellow Fanatics and readers. Follow her on X.
