The Resident Season 3 Episode 14 Review: The Flea
Jasmine Blu
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Are we expecting a CoNic baby?
It was the first thing to pop into everyone's minds with the promos of The Resident Season 3 Episode 14, but by the end of the hour, we didn't get any confirmation on it.
We did get an exciting first day back at Chastain for Conrad.
Nic fell ill with one can only imagine was food poisoning. On a medical show, your mind either goes to something serious, like a potential illness, or you jump to babies. Fandom would probably respond better to a CoNic baby then than they have to the Mina baby plot.
After beginning and ending the hour with Nic in bed, we're no closer to figuring out why it needed to be a whole thing. But it has been a decent season for CoNic. They're on the same page again, and they're happy together.
They've fallen into this adorable domestic life; they've already reached "old married couple" levels. The only thing they're missing is making it official.
It's a pleasant turnaround for those of us who were exasperated with Nic by the end of The Resident Season 2 and a bit disillusioned with CoNic.
Now, the countdown is on for when these two lovebirds will get engaged and tie the knot.
Nic: You OK?
Conrad: Nic, I just want to say thank you for being there and for never doubting that I would be OK, and for helping me, helping me find my way back here.
Nic: You don't need to thank me.
Conrad: Yes, I do.
Nic: Hey, you'd do the same for me.
Nic is it for Conrad, and she feels the same about him. Conrad could barely handle a day apart from her. John and Becky had him appreciating the idea of spending his life with his person.
It was a touching scene when he took a moment to call Nic and thank her for supporting him and always believing in him.
His choked up voice was stirring. He meant it from the heart, and there are probably never enough words he can use to adequately describe how much he loves Nic.
It was reminiscent of another scene during The Resident Season 1 when he grabbed her hand, their entwined hands giving him some comfort, and he mentioned how much he loves that she believes in him.
And while they'll never be a couple who doesn't leave each other's sides or spend a night apart, they have something special that works for them.
Conrad and Nic are in a good place. Aside from the fact that she might want to kill him for throwing his balled up individual socks all over the floor like a barbarian, nothing can come between them.
Conrad's sentimentality must have rubbed off a bit, so may as well tackle Mina and AJ, too.
Mina and the Raptor have not let their conversion interfere with how well they work as a team, and it only makes you love them more.
Our favorite Ortho Goddess Kit was back, and man, she was sorely missed.
She knows how to command a room, and it's a testament to the greatness and the ability to set aside ego that no one made a stink about her taking the lead with Becky or ordering an esteemed cardio surgeon and an incredible fellow around.
Kit: You will both push your side of the pelvis into each other.
Mina: How hard do we push?
Kit: It must be equal pressure.
AJ: What if one pushes harder than the other?
Kit: Then her pelvis will be misaligned from her spine. We could cut her nerve. leave her paralyzed. You must be perfectly in sync. I know I can count on you guys.
AJ: We got this.
Kit herself states what we all know: Mina and AJ are perfectly in sync.
They complete each other, but it'll have to be as professionals, partners, and friends.
They have the type of easy, effortless camaraderie that means it doesn't matter if they end up a romantic pairing or not.
Their bond transcends all the labels. They're their own thing, and they work in between the spaces of categories and names.
Mina: Are you looking for your red flags?
AJ: It's early.
Mina: She's looking for your red flags.
AJ: What did you tell her?
Mina: You mean what didn't I tell her?
AJ: You know you are enjoying this a little too much.
Mina: I led with compassionate, closed with brilliant. But she would be wise to hold on and never let go. And I told her about your cats, all five of them. The woman deserves a warning.
Mina plopping down in the middle of AJ and Andrea's flirty lunch was so meta and funny as heck.
She'll always be what's in the middle of Andrea and AJ. But she won't do it deliberately, which makes you respect her more. She could have said something to thwart Andrea and AJ's burgeoning romance, but she didn't.
When Andrea asked her about AJ, she was honest and told her how great of a guy he is.
And she and AJ could sit there like mature adults and close friends and talk about Andrea and AJ moving on. Why are they so awesome? It's overwhelming.
Andrea seems like a nice woman. She has drive and passion, and AJ was supportive of her during the supplement debacle.
However, nothing compared to Bell going all-in with her when Cain and the board chose to pull out.
They went from an incredible high with all the money they made off of the supplements to a potential rock bottom if it's true that her supplements are poisoning people.
When all of Devon and Irving's patients mentioned they were all taking them, it was worth grimacing.
Andrea: Everything I have is in this company, don't do this.
Board member: It's over. OK? I'm sorry, maybe next time don't make your supplements out of fertilizer.
Andrea: You have no idea what you're talking about. You're just a fat cat who came for the ride. I appreciate the cash but don't speak to me like that. I'm okay doing this alone.
Bell: There's another way.
Devon wanted to make everyone aware of the connection, and he's right to be concerned about potential others getting sick.
But it was premature to push for a recall after three patients. Bell not wanting to move quickly wasn't about endangering others and trying to save his and Andrea's necks and protect their cash cow.
It was a far bigger fallout if they jumped to the worst conclusion out of the gate.
But with other unconfirmed cases popping up at a different hospital, it wasn't looking good for 3B.
Andrea: Why did you? Why did --
Bell: Because at this point, they think it's a coin toss that 3b's at fault. They're panicking, and I think the odds are slight better than that. Yeah, it's kind of betting the farm, but it's a chance to get ownership back for the people who care most about it.
As an aside, some of you have had questions about Bell's tremor for a while. It seemingly stopped being an issue after the first season.
But Bell mentioned something about how the supplements worked for him while flexing his hand.
I'm guessing in addition to when his old friend prescribed him something else, the supplements have helped him, and that's why he no longer has a tremor.
He believes in the supplement and its benefits, and he also believes in Andrea.
Bell has revealed that heart of his more than ever this season. He appeared affected by Andrea's anguish and confidence in her product. Buying out the others is risky, but much like Logan cited before, maybe the risk will pay off with a reward.
If the supplement company can get from under this and keep pulling in the numbers, then Bell and Andrea will be fine and free from Cain and others who only latched on for the wrong reasons.
Nothing was going Cain's way. The only positive for him was saving John, and with Cain, you never know if that matters to him at all.
Cain: You brought Hawkins back?
Logan: He signed a lucrative deal with a national sports franchise.
Cain: He's still a whistleblower.
Logan: I'm aware. Risk versus reward. I made the call.
Cain: It's insanity.
Logan: It turns out he's a rainmaker. Red Rock loves the rain.
Cain: Yeah, I'm aware. Remember who you're talking to?
Logan: Careful now, Barrett. Proceed with caution.
Cain: I should have been informed. Leaving me out of the loop about Hawkins is a sign of disrespect to the surgeon who has made more rain for you and Red Rock than anyone else.
Logan: Not as much as you used to. Your billing is heading in the wrong direction. Pair that with the expensive neuro center we're building on your behalf, by my assessment, I gotta say. You gotta hustle up.
Cain: Hustle up? What, exactly, are you implying?
Logan: Everyone has an expiration date. Everyone.
Logan is scum, but can we take a moment to appreciate his response to Cain bitching about Conrad's return?
Logan might have a bit more backbone then he lets on.
Although, he has always been crystal clear that he's all about the numbers, and no one, including Cain, will interfere with that.
When Logan told Cain that Conrad made it rain it that Cain hasn't been pulling the numbers in anymore, and he needs to work on that, I admittedly cackled like a Disney villain. It's not often Cain realizes he is as disposable as the next person.
Logan: His wife Becky just coded. They're still working on her. It's been hours why is he just getting to the tumor now.
Conrad: It's a delicate surgery. Dr. Cain is in the middle of a very complicated surgery and with the added precautions of the porphyria, John's a lucky guy.
Cain is only as good as the numbers he makes, and with Logan effectively calling him a dinosaur who might have peaked after Red Rock milked him for all that he's worth, he had to eat a piece of humble pie.
The tension between Cain and Logan was thick, and oh so delicious.
So far, there was enough there to suspect that the RRMM downfall could be a result of Logan or Cain.
Initially, it seemed like Logan was the key to Red Rock's self-destruction, but what if it's Cain?
Bell: Let me know how I can help you. They took your head, you found a way to grow another one, but don't think for a second they won't hesitate to bring the ax down again.
Conrad: Who's they?
Bell: Kim did the firing, but he and Cain are a team, there's no way Cain didn't have a hand in it. And Cain doesn't care that you brought in Georgia FC, for him getting rid of you is personal. Be careful.
Cain treated Logan like trash -- like he was his lackey, but Cain is the cash cow here.
Logan calls the shots, and if Cain senses he's about to be shafted by Red Rock, then maybe he'll fall on the side of Chastain.
After so long hating his guts, it would be a hell of a maneuver.
Cain was an utter pain in the ass with Conrad, but by the end of John's surgery, he couldn't hide how impressed he was too.
Cain: You're the internist here, right?
Conrad: Mhhmm.
Cain: In the great ecosystem of this hospital, you're a flea. You had one job, to make sure my patient was tuned up for surgery, so let me give you some advice upon your fresh return to this hospital: Go do your one job so my patient doesn't die in this hospital.
And Conrad sort of had Cain's back when Logan came into the gallery with his nonsense.
For all of Cain's dickish ways, Cain was a fellow doctor working to the best of his abilities in different circumstances than he's accustomed to in order to save Red Rock's biggest donor.
It warranted a modicum of respect. Conrad could extend that, but Logan was incapable of it even though Cain is their golden boy.
At first, you thought Becky would be the harder case. Her pelvis was detached from her spinal cord, for heaven's sake. She could have been paralyzed for the rest of her life if they didn't fix her. The process of removing the propeller was such a cringeworthy scene.
John: I wish I had gotten the worst of it and not her. I can't lose her. I just, I don't even know what my life looks like without Becky.
Conrad: I understand. But if we don't take care of you, then you can't take care of Becky, so why don't we focus on you for a minute.
Becky almost died, though. And John wouldn't have been the same if that happened.
Meanwhile, John's case was touch and go. He had a tumor in need of removal, but it was his undiagnosed porphyria causing issues.
It was a fascinating case as Conrad, the top internist, and dianostician had to get to the bottom of what was happening to John with Cain, looming over him and waiting for a reason to pounce.
Cain got the chance to see Conrad in action and maybe understand the hype. It's hard to say if Cain could ever appreciate it. It's not his first time getting to see some of Chastain's best kicking butt, and it hasn't done anything as far as him respecting him.
Bell: Let me know how I can help you. They took your head, you found a way to grow another one, but don't think for a second they won't hesitate to bring the ax down again.
Conrad: Who's they?
Bell: Kim did the firing, but he and Cain are a team, there's no way Cain didn't have a hand in it. And Cain doesn't care that you brought in Georgia FC, for him getting rid of you is personal. Be careful.
But, you know, Conrad is different.
Did anyone else laugh hysterically at an unfazed Conrad tapping his clipboard on Cain's shoulder and all the other little things he did that got on Cain's nerves?
Don't mess with the process, am I right?
Conrad got to the bottom of diagnosing John's porphyria with a sample of urine. It's very much enjoyable when the doctors are going through their process of diagnosing and coming up with a gameplan.
Conrad didn't let Cain's behavior faze him. Seriously, Cain has a way of making you want to reach through the screen and punch him. His flea spiel was irritating as hell.
But you could tell Conrad was thinking about what Bell said. Conrad got another shot, but Logan and Cain both made it clear they would be gunning for him at the first sign of a screwup.
It was one of those times when they went through Conrad's thought process and him testing his theory, and it made the case generally fun all-around for Conrad's first day back.
He even prepped the surgical team by compiling a list of all the medicines to avoid. It was cool how they covered the surgical lights to change the waves.
Cain: You're the internist here, right?
Conrad: Mhhmm.
Cain: In the great ecosystem of this hospital, you're a flea. You had one job, to make sure my patient was tuned up for surgery, so let me give you some advice upon your fresh return to this hospital: Go do your one job so my patient doesn't die in this hospital.
Conrad's first day back was a success and fun. Despite Cain being a jackass, the two of them did manage to work well together.
Conrad rocking his white coat is the best, and he was thrown a few curveballs while working with this patient. It didn't come easy for him, and aren't those the most interesting cases of all?
All of that, and he still got all sentimental and planned to reunite John and his wife. He's such an adorable sap.
Cain had some hiccups, but he was surprisingly chill once Conrad had the diagnosis, so it does make you wonder where he's headed.
Logan told him he was disposable, and Conrad, who has every reason to flip him off every time he sees him, turned out not to be as bad as he thought, and he worked well Cain despite his actions.
Do you think Cain is on the verge of a turnaround, or am I giving him too much credit?
How did you like Conrad's first day back? What is going to happen with the supplemental company? Are you happy Kit returned?
Hit the comments below.
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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.
