The Resident Season 3 Episode 4 Review: Belief System
Jasmine Blu
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Jot it down. The Resident has the best Halloween-themed installments.
Why? Because despite classic horror themes weave throughout the hour to make it fun, as was the case with The Resident Season 3 Episode 4, the scariest aspects of the hour are other humans or combatting life and all of its obstacles.
The series finds the most creative ways to enhance the plot, increase the drama to climactic heights, and develop characters and dynamics.
It's impressive how a Halloween-themed hour often leads to revelations that impact the remainder of the season.
We'll knock out the disheartening portion of the hour first. Let the record show; this girl doesn't like it when her bros fight. When you love Devon and Conrad equally, the only side you can pick is the one where they're friends.
Related: The Resident Round Table: Were You Team Conrad or Team Devon?
Unfortunately, they can't even agree on happy couples having different belief systems.
Conrad is right, to a degree; there are going to be some limits.
He did his part during The Resident Season 3 Episode 3 and moved on, but Devon has not. Conrad's ability to move on without batting an eye is probably the reason Devon reached his conclusion in the first place.
He and Conrad are fundamentally different. On the one hand, it shows Devon is not a Conrad-copy. He's paving his way and finding his style as a doctor.
Conrad: Many couples have different belief systems and are happy.
Bella: No, I can never be with this man again. Two people this fundamentally different can never be tighter. No way.
It makes all the time Devon has spent with Irving and Kit, for example, and apart from Conrad worth it. He's getting a feel for different styles and figuring out his identity as a doctor.
Related: 9-1-1 Season 3 Episode 4 Review: Triggers
It's a natural progression of being a mentee. A person finds their path, but the friction between them speaks to another sequence too.
The fog of idolatry lifts, hero-worship dissipates, and Devon sees Conrad for who and what he is. He sees Conrad as the flawed human that he is, and yeah, we love Conrad to pieces, but he's flawed like everyone else.
They're different, and that's OK, but right now, Devon isn't treating it, or Conrad, like their differences, are OK.
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Conrad's relationship woes with Nic may be over, but his bromance with his mentee is rocky.
Many of you were quick to point out the similar behavior Devon exhibited with AJ's mentor when he was on a foolish quest to figure out what happened to Julian.
It's further proof the entire Julian arc should've been burned to a crisp and didn't do Devon any favors. It means that back then, it was a matter of him being out of character, which there is an argument for much of the Devon behavior during a portion of The Resident Season 2.
It also could be viewed as a low point for him where he decided he didn't want to be that person/doctor since it isn't him.
Conrad: We both know there is something going on. Let's talk about what's bothering you.
Devon: OK. Look, I'm grateful for everything you taught me, but there's some lessons I don't want to learn.
Conrad: What lessons?
Devon: I think you know. You cross lines that I will never cross.
His behavior after that point was consistent. It does seem like the time he spent with an even-keeled Kit has affected him.
Whatever it is that has Devon drawing a line it has led to him being across from Conrad.
The tension between them is uncomfortable and unfortunate. Conrad has always been Conrad. Devon suddenly realizing it offends him sucks. But maybe he just reached his breaking point and something he considers torture was the final straw.
They have always been two different people, and that's what made their relationship intriguing in the first place. Medically, they balance each other out in the right ways, whether they or fandom appreciate it or not.
Conrad: So we have different styles and boundaries.
Devon: No, it's more than that. We are very different people with different beliefs, and neither of us is going to change.
They get along like siblings, though. Devon was still in his head about Conrad's actions, but he wasn't saying or doing anything.
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Meanwhile, Conrad couldn't wait to bust his balls about Remy rising from the dead and implying that Devon maybe did something wrong. He meant to remind Devon that no one is perfect, not even him, but they were both so childish.
When did Nolan become such a mood on this show? Between his presence between Cain versus the Raptor and his attempts to referee Devon and Conrad, he's on his way to becoming a fandom meme.
Devon parted ways with Conrad reinforcing that they're too different, but where do they go from here? He said it like he was over it and Conrad, but what does it mean?
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Their case put a spotlight on their issues.
Hey, Pravesh, can you please tell me why your dead patient is currently sitting up in his body bag?
Nolan
Remy and Bella and their vampirism were insane. Did they name her Bella as a Twilight reference?
She was far from the milquetoast character with no personality who fell victim to the appeal of a vampire, though.
If anyone was feeling victimized in this, it was Remy. Bella was a bully. The man was dying in front of her, and she still wanted them to leave the hospital, his health damned.
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At the risk of kink-shaming, what the hell does anyone get out of feeding on one another's blood? It's unsanitary, dangerous, and gross.
You can't save him, but I can. Remy needs some of my blood because he's a vampire, and so am I.
Bella
It was a clever misdirect to have them presumed addicts at first. When you see track marks, it's a reasonable assumption. Conrad wasn't wrong for making it.
But it seems like the series is trying to make sure Devon doesn't look completely in the wrong and as a capable doctor on equal ground to make this issue less about one being superior over the other and more about their fundamental differences.
Bella was a pain in the ass, though, and for his health and peace of mind, Remy is better off without her. He needs to grow a backbone, though.
You idiots want me dead. I don't want the black doctor on the billboards out there. Or the Indian kid.
Hades
She had him sleeping in coffins, wearing fangs, and drinking blood because of his fear that he'd lose her. Someone would be more than happy to swipe right on him, but he needs to figure out how not to disappear into another person.
It's not a fun parallel to draw between the fan-favorite character and the new person we loathe, but we saw a bit of this ongoing ethical gray area with Cain's case, too.
The only reason most of us don't mind that Conrad does sketchy things in his ends justify the means, rebel with a cause manner is because of it being Conrad.
We know he means well. His motivations aren't off. He's Conrad Hawkins, and you don't question it.
It's fine when it's someone you love, but it's scarier when it's someone else. Cain's actions are why the ethical concerns of some of the doctors at Chastain are valid whether we love them or not.
Nic: Think about what you're doing. You're better than him. You're better than this!
Cain: I'm better because I can do this.
We've been waiting for him to take a blow to his sizeable ego, and it came in the form of Hades. How fitting that the lord of the underworld would be the person to knock Cain down a peg.
Also, how offensive that Hades took on the name of Hades. He was an altruistic god who maintained balance, was fair across the board, and he wasn't evil.
It was nice to see Zach Appelman from the late and distantly great Sleepy Hollow, but what a role to play.
Hades was racist, sexist, and antisemitic; the trifecta!
Hades: What the hell did you just do?
Cain: What people like you do to others. I'm taking away your right to he a human being.
His display in the ER was charming, heavy on the sarcasm, of course.
However, the rules are the rules. As medical staff, you have to treat people equally even when they're assholes the world can use few of, so an unamused staff treated him as well as they could.
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You can't have a hospital in the south without some white supremacists landing in there, yeah?
Hades' AVM meant if he didn't have surgery soon, he would be heading to the underworld -- preferably hell.
Georgia might be open-carry, Chastain is not.
Bell
But not before his time, so thankfully, his alter-Douglas popped out in time to plead with that black doctor Hades didn't want crap to do with, to save his life.
Cain barely respects any of his fellow doctors, so it shouldn't have come as a surprise that he has little respect for the psychology field and thinks Dissociative Identity Disorder is a myth.
Neurosurgeons, am I right? They think they're the only ones with an understanding of the brain. He was so cocky and arrogant staring down Hades, and given the company he was keeping in those scenes, you wanted to root for him.
Nic taking Cain up on his offer is a wise decision from a writing perspective and for her character. She's relentless in her approach to everything.
Nic: You're talking about removing a portion of this man's brain. You know as well as I do there can be serious consequences for this. We need a second opinion, another consult, and more than anything, we need to see his psych records.
Cain: Nevin, I like you most of the time, but you're a nurse practitioner. Don't ever question me.
She's not easily rattled, and she won't stop trying to get Cain in line. It's why Cain respects her, in his way, even if he was disrespectful as hell when he dismissed her again.
Cain's God complex reached new heights. He diagnosed Hades with temporal lobe epilepsy and figured out and suspected the bigotry Hades exhibited was due to the part of his brain that needed to be cut out like cancer.
Once he made up his mind he could make Hades no longer be a racist, he didn't care about the rules.
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How do you decide to perform surgery on someone and not check all of their charts? Gosh, this guy is too much!
In case you hadn't noticed I can do whatever I want. I'm a cash cow for Red Rock, which means when you sold Chatain to them, providing cover for me became your number one job. So if and when the time comes for you to explain what happened here today, I have no doubt that you will find the right spin. Because without me, there is no Red Rock. There is no Chastain, or you.
Cain
Cain's hubris got the better of him, and he almost cost the hospital hell, lawsuits, and Bell his life.
The crazy white supremacist was deadset on putting the hurt on Bell regardless of how things turned out, but when he emphasized Hades better be the same person when he woke up from surgery, it was evident his crew knew about his personality changes.
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Cain's arrogance backfired on him. Of all the patients for him to get bested by, it was a racist. He thought he was cutting Hades out to save Douglas.
Instead, he killed Douglas and preserved Hades. Hades was the real personality unaffected by his condition.
My bad, even the Raptor is a little rattled this Halloween eve
AJ
He jeopardized everything and everyone to prove something, and the result could not be farther from what he wanted. He let his personal feelings get the better of him, and the result was terrible.
As if the Ketamine and his flippant remarks about showing up Hades weren't enough, it didn't even work out the way he planned.
He could barely process his defeat before he was showing the ugliest part of him with Bell. He thinks he's untouchable, and all the charm was cast aside as he reminded Bell of his place.
Mechanic: I don't work on cars like this.
AJ: Really? Your customer reviews online say differently.
Mechanic: Well, it ain't gonna be cheap.
AJ: Well it's a good thing that money isn't an object.
He thinks he is Chastain now, and it's Bell's job to cover for him. Money talks and he thinks the money he makes means he can disregard everything and everyone.
It's what Kit warned Bell about, but now it's too late.
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Chastain needed saving, but Bell effed up merging with RRMM. They don't play by the rules, and Mina and AJ's trip confirmed it.
The horror elements continued with those Get Out vibes in the small town.
Everything about the creepy town had those sundown town vibes, and I was all but yelling at Mina and AJ to get the hell out of there ASAP.
Voodoo, whispers of curses, creepy scarecrows, and creepy, unfriendly white people staring? Abort!
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Fortunately, they didn't hate black people, they hated doctors, particularly any of them associated with RRMM.
AJ: You got this. There is no one in that building who can touch you. Remember who you are.
Mina: Dr. Mina freaking Okafor.
They shut down the town's hospital, put them out of work, and the townsfolk couldn't afford medical treatment and had to head out of town for medical care.
Sonya almost died from her flesh-eating disease because of her inability to get proper medical treatment. Don't you love how Mina and AJ can scrub up anywhere?
You don't have to get ready when you stay ready, baby.
It was disturbing to hear that RRMM didn't properly dispose of their medical waste and medication. It got into the water system, and it's the reason everyone was having those terrifying dreams and probably getting sick.
AJ: You know I want to hear your presentation, right?
Mina: Yeah, I do.
AJ: My baby is yours. You teatr her nice, she'll be good to you.
Mina: Oh no, I can't drive that car. You love that machine!
AJ: True, but I know she'll be in good hands, besides, you're a queen. You need a proper chariot.
Oh, those dreams! Mina's dream was as scary as hell.
Not only was it scary because of the nature of it, but it has to be a fear of hers that she won't find love or be loved. The doctor in her dream said she didn't have a heart.
The timing of it was something since the sexual and romantic tension between Mina and AJ has reached new heights.
They were at their most domesticated, and if you weren't 'shipping them before, wasn't there enough to make you reconsider?
AJ: We'll get a good night's rest. Tomorrow, this town will be far behind, and the next stage of your career will begin with this speech.
Mina: You sound so sure.
AJ: Let me break it down to you Ms. Cleo style. Your speech is going to be fire. You're going to receive countless fellowship offers, and in five years, you will no longer need a mentor, and we will be something else. Something more. But I will still consider myself the better.
Mina: And you will be wrong.
AJ: Well we'll see.
AJ's parting words to Mina before they headed off to bed was a love confession and promise. He already plans and hopes they'll be together in five years.
He's a patient man, and Mina, to him, is worth the wait.
Their mutual love and passion for their work mean he wants her to excel and succeed before even entertaining them being together. I respect him so much for that.
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AJ's feelings for Mina have been clear for some time, but this was a turning point for Mina. She's acknowledging her feelings for him now.
You need to order and leave.
Sonya
They were making out in her dream; she wanted him to know she does have a heart (and that hers may belong to him).
The entire reason they got stuck in town was because of AJ's insistent on accompanying her to her conference. Nothing delighted him more than watching his prized mentee and the woman whom he adores speak and make her mark in the medical game.
AJ's pride in Mina is pure and true.
When he gave her the keys to his car, it was another way of letting her know how much faith and trust he has in her. He was bummed about not being able to see her speak, but she was disappointed he couldn't be there either.
AJ: You know I want to hear your presentation, right?
Mina: Yeah, I do.
AJ: My baby is yours. You teatr her nice, she'll be good to you.
Mina: Oh no, I can't drive that car. You love that machine!
AJ: True, but I know she'll be in good hands, besides, you're a queen. You need a proper chariot.
His advice to her via text before she got on that stage was the sweetest, and he even busted out with a Lion King Mufasa reference, which is quintessential AJ.
But it's Mina who made these exchanges something worth squealing over. She almost responded to his text with a heart (why did she erase it, dammit!), and she followed his advice.
When she pictured the one person she wanted to speak to the most -- the person she wanted to make proud -- it was him.
The always stylish Raptor with his trademark hat grinning and beaming with pride. Guys, I have to end it here. The feels are too much!
Over to you, Resident Fanatics! How do we feel about the tension between Conrad and Devon?
Is the real Cain out in the open now? How can they knock him down a peg or defeat him?
What are your thoughts on the latest RRMM news?
Are you in love with QueenRaptor? Hit the comments below!
,You can watch The Resident online here via TV Fanatic!
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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.
