The Resident Season 1 Episode 4 Review: Identity Crisis
Jasmine Blu
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There were so many fantastic couples pairings and duos in this installment.
Whether it was badass residents, an adorable elderly couple, or longtime colleagues and friends The Resident Season 1 Episode 4 was chalked full of them. It highlighted how well the dynamics on the show are fleshing out and how well the characters are developing.
The Resident is slowing down and settling into itself, and it's all the better for it.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of The Resident is the ongoing arcs. The situation with Lily, for example, is a refreshing change of pace from the standard formula of a host of patients introduced at the top of the hour only to have their cases resolved by the hour's end.
In this instance, the viewers become just as attached and invested in the patient as the other characters.
That's not to say that the patients of the week don't tug at the heartstrings or have a presence. Eric certainly left a lasting impression in his short time alive on the show. It was awful watching the moment he walked into the hospital right up to the moment he died.
Oddly enough, that wasn't the toughest part. The toughest part was how dangerously close he came to being permanently reduced to a John Doe. Maybe there was a possibility that his mother would eventually put all the pieces together and find him, but it's tragic to think there's a chance that she wouldn't have.
There was going to be some blowback from Conrad's actions on The Resident Season 1 Episode 3. Claire made that abundantly clear with her parting words to Conrad. But was she so willing to put incoming patients in jeopardy to prove a point?
Yeah, she had to make some cutbacks and modifications to make up for the hospital footing the bill, but did that have to include cutting the Charge Nurse who kept everything running smoothly?
And while Irving on his knees hugging this Goddess who keeps everything intact was a cute and funny moment, if one woman's absence causes the entire ER to spiral out of control that speaks volumes about the hospital, to begin with.
Her replacement was Nurse Bubblehead who was taking selfies instead of doing her job. This is like strike three for Millennial representation on this show. We can't catch a break for anything! It's unfathomable that she didn't check Eric in, or give him a bracelet, or tell someone that he was complaining of a headache.
That, that's not Ian. That's not my boy.
Patient's Father
This isn't a matter of her being a nurse. This is about her having the common sense God gave a fruit fly. How did she just leave him there like that and didn't even know who he was or take down any of the most basic of information?
It was her first day on the job, it wasn't her first day on Earth, was it? I never quite caught on to why she left him there all that time and never got back to him either. Did she go back to taking selfies?
Conrad was rightfully pissed off, but nothing compared to the rage he felt when he was forced to give the wrong person a death notification because of her actions. Ian's father had to go through the motions of watching Conrad peel back that sheet only to see that the kid laying there wasn't his son.
That devastating plot motivated Conrad, as per usual, but I loved the way it involved Mina too. Which brings me to the first of the fantastic couples of the hour: Conrad and Mina.
Give me all the Hawkfor scenes. I could watch those two badasses for hours!
The best moment was subtle, but it was when they both agreed at the same time to breaking the rules and performing a surgery on Ian to save him. Poor Irving doesn't know what to do with himself with these two renegade residents going rogue all of the time.
All it took was a glance, and it was as if Conrad and Mina knew what the other was thinking or have their own unspoken language. Their friendship is the absolute best, and quite frankly, it's my favorite one of the show. They have a great chemistry that's intriguing.
How long have they known one another? How did they end up this close? It's not explicitly said, but from the looks of it, they're game for doing just about anything for one another. They're both loyal, dependable, arrogant, and rebellious. How did their friendship come to be?
The interesting thing is Mina is more inclined to follow the rules most of the time. It's only when Conrad influences her or asks her to do something that she's willing to break them. Mina's flexibility in that regard is refreshing because it doesn't put her squarely in one category. She's a Chaotic Neutral to Conrad's Chaotic Good.
You know how to cut, but you don't know when not to. I'm benching you for the day.
Attending
As much as Mina is the absolute best and can do no wrong, an attending checking her during surgery and then benching her was satisfying. There are no stakes if she's untouchable. One of the biggest nitpicks I had about the show was the unrealistic portrayal of a reasonable hierarchy implemented in this environment.
Whether it's Conrad and or Mina, it doesn't matter how great they are; they're still residents. They don't know everything yet. They still don't have the experience that some of their attendings do, and there are limitations that they have to put up with just like all those who came before them.
They aren't special, and that's why it worked out great that Mina didn't get her way in the end. She stayed on the bench.
Devon: A hospital wedding with a happy ending.
Conrad: As long as Bell doesn't kill her on the ER table.
It would have been ideal if she scrubbed in on Shirley's surgery because no one wanted to witness HODAD kill a sweet elderly woman. Fortunately, it all worked out in the end. It was an intense moment where the outcome appeared dicey.
Bell was riding high on the fact that his tremor is no longer as pronounced. The meds are doing their job, but it'll catch up to him. Until then, he's confident about going into surgeries. Meanwhile, it'll be an edge of your seat ordeal as the rest of us wait for the other shoe to drop.
The self-congratulatory spiel after the surgery was so quintessentially Bell. There isn't a single humble medical professional in this entire series, but Bell takes the cake. So does Lane.
Which brings me to one of the other deliciously good duos from the hour. Bell and Hunter are an engaging pair. There is a familiarity there, but it's not sexual tension, and that's one of many reasons it's unique.
The other reason is the fact that they're both so similar, but also, not. They share similar beliefs, but the way they carry themselves is completely different.
Lane is a captivating character. Melina Kanakeredes has a way of playing her where she's both warm and cold, caring and callous. She has a razor sharp smile that's inauthentic, and her words can be cutting but her delivery is so sweet.
Lily not seeing through her yet makes sense. She knows how to charm and appear genuine when she's far from it.
We're the best at what we do. We save lives. We just like to be paid for it.
Hunter
There is something about Lane Hunter being a character with characteristics you'd typically expect from a male, but having this feminine spin on it without falling into the "Ice Queen" trope that makes her absolutely irresistible. I hate that I love her, and I love to loathe her.
Lane's staff members are just as icy as she is, at least when it comes to communicating with Nic. It's a wonder that receptionist didn't kick Nic out as soon as he caught her spying.
Then there is Nic's old nursing school buddy. Not only did she shut down when she figured out Nic was on a phishing expedition, but she left her at the table and made it perfectly clear that she had no interest in chatting with her again.
Lane has a strict policy that her employees are discreet, and so far, it works. They're being paid handsomely, so there is no incentive for them to share any information about Lane's clinical trial.
There is something up, between Lily's latest ailments, all the hush-hush nature surrounding the trial, and the fax fiasco. Nic is onto Hunter, but Hunter is onto the fact that Nic won't let it go.
Honestly, the tension and conflict between the two women are starting to give Conrad and Bell's conflict-ridden relationship a run for its money.
Also, is it safe to say that we may see more of Priya? She may be uncovering the next Flint Water Crisis. That will inevitably tie into Devon's work at the hospital. There's no question.
Devon may have taken a backseat to all that awesome Hawkfor action, but it's a good thing that he does well solo. The wedding he arranged was the best, and so were the insurance company conversations.
Do you feel like The Resident is slowly finding its rhythm? When will the tension between Nic and Lane come to a head? Should Mina have been benched? Sound off below!
The Resident is off for three weeks, but if you want to avoid withdrawal, you can watch The Resident online right 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.
