The Resident Season 1 Episode 6 Review: No Matter the Cost
Jasmine Blu
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This new series is truly coming into itself with each installment.
The Resident Season 1 Episode 6 was another solid hour of a series that continues to entertain. What made this one particularly great was the way it centered around a couple of the characters. We spent nearly as much time outside of the hospital as we did inside of it.
The hour was enlightening for viewers who have become attached to the show's regulars. The hour was especially informative when it came to Conrad, Nic, and Mina.
Conrad's complicated history with his father runs deep. He expressed in so many words that he felt more like his father's pawn than anything else. Marshall only wanted custody of him growing up because it was a way to stick it to Conrad's mother, not because he actually wanted anything to do with his son.
It's likely that we've barely scratched the surface with Conrad's issues with his father. He doesn't elaborate on what specifically bothers him so much. We got bits and pieces without anything concrete.
I'd love to know more. Without enough history, their tension can run the risk of being cliche. Conrad's the guy with the rich dad who didn't pay him enough attention growing up or whatever, and thus he ended up being this rebellious individual who overcompensates for it as an adult.
Winthrop: You look well. Atlanta suits you.
Conrad: Why are you here, Dad?
Winthrop: I'm looking for worthwhile investment opportunities.
Conrad: It's been over a decade since we last spoke, and you suddenly show up. What's the real reason?
Winthrop: You were always suspicious.
Conrad: And you were always a narcissist.
I'd rather it not be that. It feels like there is more beneath the surface. Anyway, the tension between the two was certainly intense.
Conrad doesn't respect his father at all, and he made that abundantly clear. Their conversation at breakfast was insightful. Conrad and his father haven't spoken to one another in ten years.
Related: The Resident Season 1 Episode 5 Review: None the Wiser
Marshall's money is an issue for Conrad, and he questions his father's motives, but I'd love to know more about their history. Conrad speaks of his father in such a harsh way that you'd swear the guy killed kittens in his free time. He doesn't offer up very much to give anyone an idea as to why his father is repugnant.
Other than being arrogant and carrying himself like a rich guy who possibly doesn't care about others, there's not much to glean from his first impression. Was there for you guys?
What's interesting is Marshall's proposal. Marshall wants to open up a series of small hospitals, and he wants Conrad to be the one to run them. That's a tempting offer.
Marshall knows that Conrad fights like hell on behalf of his patients and scoffs at bureaucracy and red tape. He's only a resident, though. He can't change anything from his position.
I don't capitalize off of people's misfortune. That's the difference between us.
Conrad
Marshall would give him the chance to run an entire hospital how he deemed fit the second his residency is over. He could train doctors the proper way. He could make a real difference.
Related: The Resident Promo: Bring on the Daddy Issues!
We don't know very much about Conrad's past with his father, but it does seem like Marshall may be trying to make up to Conrad in some way. Although, he could have ulterior motives too. It's hard to say.
The offer is beyond tempting though. Would you consider it? On any given day I'm all for trading in crappy dads for pocket lint, but if Conrad could continue doing what he's passionate about and make a more significant impact, it's something worth considering.
Conrad was able to bond with his patient over their daddy issues. Nigel was a sweet guy. He was passionate about his craft and willing to put up with chronic pain as long as he could keep dancing.
It was loathsome how the other doctors caught word and came in bickering over which of them was right and what procedure to do on a guy who was over being used as a pin cushion.
Wilcot was the worst of the bunch though. Are all the doctors at Chastain Park colossal douchebags? Is that a pre-requisite of some sort? How many times were he and Conrad close to coming to blows?
Wilmot: Hey, you think you're so damn smart. You know one of these days your need to play God with the rules is going to cost the patient their life. And when that happens, there's going to be a long line of us ready to make sure your medical career goes up in flames.
Conrad: Ohh, one man against an army, now you're talking my language. That gets me excited. You know what else gets me excited? Knowing that if your hand is still on my arm in 3 seconds, you're going to be waking up in the ER wondering how you got there.
Wilcot has it out for Conrad because, get this, he doesn't like that Conrad is an arrogant dick with a God complex. Pot meet Kettle and all that jazz. Men!
Related: The Resident Season 1 Episode 4 Review: Identity Crisis
Wilcot did a hell of a lot of talking, but he didn't have a leg to stand on the majority of the time because he didn't give a crap about the patient. When Nigel was damn near coding on the floor, Ben Wilcot was nowhere to be found. He didn't ask for an update or care how the patient was doing. Instead, he would rather gun for Conrad.
It was ridiculous! Again, inquiring minds would love to know if there is a history of some sort there or are they just butting heads just because?
How many antagonistic personalities can a show have? We're nearing a handful of them now. Jocko Sims will be sticking around for a bit, so we can expect more of this display of dominant male behavior.
Meanwhile, Conrad will be probably direct some of his wrath at Jude too. Honestly, everyone was catching hell from Conrad during this installment.
Related: The Resident Season 1 Episode 3 Review: Comrades in Arms
The good news is that the photo of Nic and Jude was misleading. Yes, Jude was returning Nic's necklace, but it wasn't because of them doing the horizontal tango the night before. He found it in the nurse's lounge and returned it as a decent guy would.
Conrad saw the exchange from afar, and his mind pretty much went in the same direction mine did at first. It had him avoiding Nic for the remainder of the hour until their devastating parting words at the end.
Nic: Hey, talk to me. Don't do this; don't shut me out. Look, if this is about Jude-
Conrad: Hey, no explanation necessary. It's your life.
Nic: Conrad.
Conrad: You told me repeatedly that this thing was over between us, I just didn't want to hear it. That's on me.
Do I want Nic and Conrad together? Eventually, I would be game for it. I know it's going to take some time, so I can't say that the pairing is a must-have one for me.
That didn't make Conrad's heartbreak any easier to bear, however. He was absolutely crushed, and when he blamed himself for not accepting no for an answer earlier, it was a punch to the gut. Someone, please hug him!
Nic's friendship with Jude was going to be a problem whether Conrad assumed the worst or not. Nic's friendship with Mina will never in a million years be a problem. Can we have more of that girl action? It was fabulous!
Mina being a badass at this point comes as no surprise. She took down her mugger like a boss, carted him to the hospital, and she even stitched herself up with no pain meds.
Mina damn near running her own free clinic out of her home didn't come as much of a surprise. I loved the discussion she and Nic had after the family left.
Clinics are rapidly disappearing, and there aren't enough of them in the neighborhoods that need them most. Urban and Rural areas benefit most from free clinics, but because of funding issues, they're usually shut down. That leaves whole communities with nowhere to go. It's terrible.
Mina's experience with her neighbors and her account about her life in Niger reminded me of Harry's Law. In that show, there was a young kid who served as the neighborhood doctor. He took care of the entire neighborhood and often treated gunshot wounds, and the kid was no older than 12.
It's unfortunate how creative more impoverished communities have to be when it comes to healthcare which is something that every citizen should have access to regardless of who they are or where they are.
Nic was driven to help the kid who attempted to mug Mina because of her history with a sister who was an addict. Every time Nic shares a tiny facet of herself, it's welcomed. She doesn't always have the presence that she needs on this show.
The background on both of these characters was very much appreciated.
Am I reading this properly? Lily is in acute renal failure?
Devon
So was more screentime for Devon. One minor complaint that never makes it into the reviews is that Devon is underused on this show. He stood out the first two installments, but then he fell by the wayside after Independence Day.
That's something that the show needs to work on because Devon is just as critical of a character as Conrad, but he doesn't get the same amount of development and screentime. For example, will anything come of Devon's girlfriend investigating something shady?
Fortunately, whereas Conrad blew Nic off repeatedly when she brought up Lane, Devon is on Nic's side.
Devon is no fool. He expressed his skepticism when Nic approached him, but he still kept a watchful eye on Lily. It's a good thing he did and that he was so forceful with Isabel the nurse because he discovered that Lily is in renal failure.
With Devon, it was the first time Lily exhibited fear and doubt. It was the first time Lily's faith in Lane wavered. In that sense, Devon was able to do something that Nic couldn't.
Devon is underestimated by the others it seems. He has this way of taking in the utter poppycock someone is feeding him and pretending like he's falling for it, but then, later on, you realize that he hasn't. I love it!
You were right. We have to do something about Lane.
Devon
Lane tried to act as if someone at her lab screwed up, and she was completely oblivious to Lily's numbers. The cute, charming, sweet act of hers did not work on Devon.
This partnership between Devon and Nic could lead to an epic takedown of Lane. Will they succeed? Probably not, but it'll be fun to watch regardless.
As for Bell, he's so good at manipulation, isn't he? All the alarms were sounded when Carver mentioned surgical error rates and all that good stuff. Bell has been killing people left and right, and it has gone unnoticed by most of the hospital for whatever reason.
Typical, all he had to do was spin the angle that Carver's addition would cost them money and he had her in the palm of his shaky hand.
How did you feel about this hour? Do you look forward to Devon and Nic taking Lane down? Should Conrad consider Marshall's deal? Did heartbroken Conrad break your heart? Sound off below!
If you're still not convinced that this show is awesome, then I urge you to watch The Resident online and find out for yourself.
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.
