The Resident: Why Should Medical Accuracy be Prioritized Over Entertainment?!

Now that I have lured you into a sense of comfort and security with The Resident Reviews, it's time to address the colossal elephant in the room.

This inquiring mind wants to know: is there a single soul out there watching and enjoying The Resident under the guise of it being a factual, exemplary depiction of the medical field and healthcare system?

I pose this question because apathetic souls in hell are aware of the vitriol and criticism directed at this drama. The most vocal is "Medical Twitter" – a plethora of doctors, nurses, techs and more vowing to gauge their eyes out rather than watch the show.

The biggest gripe from these boisterous naysayers is the appallingly bad portrayal of the most rudimentary medical tasks. Fine, I get that.

It can be difficult when a layman inaccurately portrays a field. But, how much of the negativity is due to errors and questionable scenarios, and how much of it is due to The Resident's focus on the darker side of healthcare?

This isn't the first medical drama to drop the ball on properly depicting the field, but this is the first time I've noticed medical professionals being this outraged.

Is it because the underlying premise causes discomfort? It certainly seems that way.

No one likes it when their field is shown in a negative light. For the dozens of shows that are an ode to the profession and the professionals in it, the show that is perceived as the opposite would be lambasted.

No field is flawless, and showcasing that isn't a slight or a way of painting the entire industry with a broad stroke. It's merely an option; it's a different type of story and experience told.

I liken it to the equally as addictive 9-1-1, which is also preposterous with its portrayal of first responders and widely criticised for it. Sure, you can find a better depiction of firefighters on Chicago Fire and a better depiction of EMTs on the late Sirens, but does it matter when both series are entertaining as hell?

I don't believe Conrad Hawkins would still have a medical license or be roaming around outside of a jail cell in reality. I also don't believe that one single hospital could experience every natural and manmade catastrophe known to man (Ahem, Greys Anatomy).

Contrary to the condescending viewpoints out there, I understand that it's fiction. The Resident never professed to be a dramatic version of a documentary, so why is it being held to some impossible standard it never intended to reach?

Personally, I watch for the fantastic cast, compelling characters, intriguing dynamics, and the entertaining storytelling.

Medical professionals aren't the only ones subjected to unrealistic portrayals on shows written about their field. Look at nearly all of the crime shows and legal dramas!

A realistic cop show would be about a cop doing paperwork, and in reality, 90% of the work a lawyer does takes place outside of a courtroom. In fact, the whole purpose is to never have to see the inside of one. There have to be allowances made.

All that being said, The Resident does require one with elementary knowledge of Biology to suspend belief.

Is the onus on a TV show to be perfectly accurate? Absolutely not. People forget Scrubs is the exception, not the rule. They weren't 100% accurate either, lest we've grown so accustomed to putting the series on a pedestal that we've chosen to overlook its issues.

A controversial show like The Resident that is bold enough to put a glaring spotlight on for-profit health care and a broken system is going to take a hell of a lot of heat and be under intense scrutiny.

Unfortunately, The Resident can't expose flaws in the system while simultaneously being riddled with them. It loses some of its credibility in that sense, and that's unfortunate. It's nothing that can't be course corrected though.

Perhaps the show just needs more or stronger medical consultants to avoid distracting from an entertaining show by mixing up and mispronouncing terminology or performing chest compressions on someone's abdomen.

The enormity of the criticism for this fictitious medical drama is ludicrous, but there is credence to some of it. The Resident should take heed.

While the necessary adjustment won't win over the loudest critics, it would strengthen the show and make it better.

Moreover, it will reduce criticism to a tolerable murmur instead of the cacophony of complaints The Resident fans have been hearing since the show premiered.

There are some hard truths amidst all of that crazy drama, but they'll be lost on many if they're buried beneath casual, conspicuous inaccuracies.

It's the equivalent of writing a strong, convincing argument riddled with misspellings and grammatical errors. Sadly, that's the first thing people will notice and the first thing attacked. It distracts from an otherwise valid point.

I only hope I haven't subjected myself to this common ad hominem attack. Thank heavens for our lovely editor.

Until then, if you're looking to The Resident for 100% medical accuracy, don't. If you're looking for a fictional medical drama with talented people to teach you the ends and outs of medicine, well, why?

If anything, let it inspire you to do your own research from reputable sources. I urge you to do that anyway because the series does a great job covering lesser-known ailments.

If you think Conrad and the gang are meant to reflect all medical professionals the way that Olivia Pope reflects all Chiefs of Staff or Walter White reflects all Chemistry teachers, I don't know what to tell you.

It's true, on The Resident you'll witness many questionable actions. Conrad, our hero, nearly committed a mercy killing, and he did commit an unethical and illegal offense that should have cost him his medical license. It's a common theme in a series that is defiant against bureaucracy and red tape.

The series has shown Bell covering up a botched surgery and subsequent career-ending ailment, and we've also witnessed an implausible undocumented immigrant/ICE case, and a Billing administrator calling shots outside of her job description.

The God complexes of the doctors are as subtle as a bull in a China shop, but isn't that part of what makes the show fun?

The Resident could do itself a favor by improving its medical actions and lining its syringes in a row. It would not only be a gesture of good faith and less distracting, but it also shows respect for the field it's portraying and the craft of storytelling. I won't contest any of that.

That being said, others have to recognize the Resident for what it is – a fictional show whose primary purpose is to entertain.

What it may or may not lack in medical accuracy, it completely makes up for with interesting storylines and compelling characters. Do the science and mechanics matter all that much when the human element is so strong?

Conrad is an enigma, and I would watch the show to its dying breath if it means learning more about him every week.

He's not the only fascinating character in the series either. From series leads to guest stars, the entire show is comprised of captivating characters and quality drama.

The medical aspects of the show may require some finesse, but the storytelling has not disappointed. Unlike other similar shows, The Resident presents a story arc and allows it to breathe, grow and evolve throughout the entire season.

That alone separates it from the run-of-the-mill, formulaic, case of the week rut medical dramas fall into.

What a way to get viewers invested in all aspects of a medical drama. It's not just about the doctors' stories being told, but it's about the patients, too.

I can't think of a better way to portray medical professionals than by showing how invested they are in their patients. If you want to maximize the angst and feelings a viewer has for a patient, then allowing them to get to know the patient helps.

Weren't we all invested in Micah's well being? We wanted him to get a heart on The Resident Season 1 Episode 3. When he returned on The Resident Season 1 Episode 7, we not only wanted him to be healthy and happy, but we were invested in his potential romantic life, too.

How about our diabetic friend? There's something endearing about how Devon grew to care so much about him. We all want him to put down the sugary doughnuts and play with the furry Doughnut.

The Resident nears soap opera levels of drama, but it's not all dark, negative, and dramatic. There's a light, wholesomeness to the doctors interacting with their patients.

It's too bad the loudest critics never stuck around long enough to see that.

The juggernaut, however, was beloved Lily who had fans invested in her well-being since the pilot.

Lily's arc is the strongest of the series, and it's remarkable how well it unfolded. Fans followed her journey and became invested in her story for the majority of the season.

The Resident took its time fleshing and expanding her story. The storyline introduced us to the treacherous Lane Hunter and gave Nic, a character who on any other show would've spent the season relegated to romantic female lead, a romance unrelated storyline.

Is the arc with Lane dramatic? Absolutely. Ironically though, it's based on a real doctor. So much for pearl-clutching over negative portrayals of real doctors, right? It's also good drama, though.

The Resident has proven that it's beyond capable of giving us good, juicy drama and keeping us on the edge of our seats. The show has only improved since the pilot, and while it hit a few rough patches, it has settled into itself and become one of the most wildly addictive medical dramas on the air.

They've managed to entertain while also shifting away from what fans would typically expect.

Take the tired love triangle trope for example. They teased the heck out of one between Conrad, Nic, and Jude, but in the end, Conrad cared enough for Nic to let her go.

Nic's primary focus has been to expose Lane and potentially save lives, and her love of Conrad takes precedence over any potential suitors. Meanwhile, Jude has expressed to both of them that they need to work their crap out or move on.

It's also refreshing that Jude is never portrayed negatively. If anything, he's been quietly in the background showing viewers the toll it takes on good doctors when they lose their patients.

He exemplifies the dedication and devotion to medicine and the pain and possible depression that comes with holding another person's life in your hands.

I don't know about you, but I don't care if a stethoscope is on backward or upside down if the series and it's actors can play my emotions like a world-class pianist plays a finely tuned piano.

Suspension of belief for surgical procedures is but a small price to pay when The Resident expertly nails the complexities of its antagonistic characters.

Bell should have been a one-note scumbag when he kicked the show off the way that he did, but there's something intriguing and disgustingly human about this desperate man trying to hold on the last vestiges of his career and glory.

He's abhorrent, but he's also charismatic. He's always self-serving, but he'll happily do what's right for others if it serves him well.

He was the primary focus of the viewers' ire for so long, and then they pulled the rug from under our feet by making the seemingly sweet and non-threatening Lane the shadiest, scariest, most despicable of them all.

Lane Hunter officially solidified herself as the "big bad" of the series and left viewers with the most gripping moment to date. Nothing prepared us for how far the woman would go. Fans are still reeling.

The Resident knows drama. They paced themselves, and it has paid off. In the end, that's precisely what we expected from them.

Tightening up on the medical jargon and practices is a given when they're granted their second season, and The Resident deserves a second season. They've earned it.

That's easily fixable. That's minor and can be rectified without issue. It's much harder for a series to effortlessly make a quality drama and bring in a devoted fanbase with strong storytelling.

Fortunately, The Resident has pulled off the latter. The rest of it is small beans.

Is it possible that the series is harshly criticized because some people have their stethoscopes in a tangle over one of the dozens of medical series potentially portraying medical staff in a less than idealistic light?

Is it possible that they would blindingly overlook the balanced approach The Resident puts forward when displaying healers because they would rather focus on the show's antagonists?

Are we supposed to ignore the fact that the healthcare system, like any other system, is flawed and in some ways influenced by corruption, classism, racism, sexism and many other things that affect all facets of life?

It's not exempt. There are statistics that support this.

Better yet, are we supposed to pretend like Lane's oncological study and character isn't inspired by real events or that the act of streeting homeless patients is non-existent, or that ICE doesn't come to hospitals and attempt to detain patients?

We've seen it on the news.

The Resident is by no means flawless. I don't dispute cries of inaccuracy, and I can understand if it's outputting for those in the field, but I'm not looking to a fictional show to teach me the proper way to run an intravenous drip.

I'm looking for it to tell me a great story. I'm looking for appealing characters.

If The Resident isn't your cup of tea because it's inaccurate and unrealistic to you, then so be it, but sheesh, let other people enjoy things!

What are your thoughts, Resident Fanatics, and foes? Hit the comments below.

The Resident will return with an all-new episode April 16. You can watch The Resident online via TV Fanatic if you need something to do during the hiatus.

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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.

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