The Resident Round Table: Does Bell Have the Best Character Arc of the Series?
Jasmine Blu
at
.
Bell is in the clear.
We found out that his supplements were not behind the poisonings onThe Resident Season 3 Episode 15. Meanwhile, Cain is still irredeemable, Mina may have a new love interest, and Chief Resident works best when Conrad shares it with his loved ones.
Join TV Fanatics Carissa Pavlica, Meaghen Frey, and Rachel Foertsch as they discuss the hour.
We learned that 3B Life isn't behind the poisoning. Are you surprised by the outcome?
Carissa: Not at all. I never thought it was the cause of the poisoning, and that was confirmed when Cain so easily relinquished his interest in the upstart. The Resident is slowly offering a resolution for the monster that is Cain. The story was fodder for a lot of character arcs.
Meaghan: Definitely not. There was no way that it was going to be that simple. I'm just surprised that it didn't end up being something more malicious. I feel like Bell should give Conrad some of his shares in the company for saving their asses.
Rachel: I'm not surprised, in the slightest. That storyline worked as a momentary scare, but if 3B Life were behind the poisoning, the repercussions of that would have taken control of the rest of the season.
Considering the scandals Chastain doctors have been involved with in the past, I don't think The Resident was looking to go down that road again anytime soon.
What are your thoughts on Bell's character arc throughout the hour and the series?
Carissa: It's not a secret that I am thrilled Randolph Bell has come around. Bruce Greenwood has always been a favorite, and his skill at playing a morally ambiguous character is part of that attraction. He was in a similar position on short-lived series called The River that I also really enjoyed.
Bell will never be perfect, and that's what makes the character so interesting. I may like the color black a whole lot, but it's grey areas of life that are the most fascinating.
Meaghan: Bell is such a stand out of this series. If you asked me day one if I thought I would ever be able to tolerate this man, I would have laughed in your face.
Now I can't get enough of him. Other writers need to take note on how to write an incredible character growth.
I worked so hard all my life to be seen like my dad, but I didn't do enough to be like him. Thank you for trying.
Bell
Rachel: I was thinking about this when I was watching, and I realized that if Bell didn't start the series as the villain, I wouldn't be such a huge fan of him now.
It's not necessarily his morality that intrigues me, but rather, the journey in which he develops these virtues. Watching Bell start at a low point and get to a high point, is much more satisfying than if he was always as ethical as he's become.
Which medical case was the most engaging?
Carissa: The three people admitted with poisoning in relation to the supplement were an interesting bunch. If I was faced with potentially dying, I'd be a lot less interested in going to my kid's recital and more interested in finding a common thread with other patients to stay alive.
Devon's superiority complex got the better of him during that case, too, which was a step backward. He shouldn't be so quick to blame or deny when there are lives at stake. He'll never be the caliber of man we have with Conrad.
Meaghan: I loved Lucy's case. I'm a fan of anything that shines a light on what a terrible human being and doctor Cain is. Besides that, though it was nice to get to see Annie again, and Lucy was just sweet as could be!
Listening to Lucy sing while there was lowkey chaos going on around her was a highlight of the episode for me.
Aaron: I'm an artist.
Professor: If nobody pays you, it's a hobby.
Rachel: I really loved them all this week. If I had to pick, I would say the heart patients, just because I found it crazy how the heart could have three separate homes in 24 hours.
I also loved the relationship between the roommates and the revelation of how much they truly enjoyed each other's company. It hit me right in the heart.
Cain's neuro center was not properly equipped and he nearly killed a young patient. React.
Carissa: Arrogance for the win! He's more interested in how things look than how they function, and that's a horrible position for a surgeon.
He doesn't care about results, either, but instead the flash of the moment, dodging statistics, and how much money he can rake in with the most pretense.
The nurses were trying to alert everyone that the center shouldn't open as it was woefully inadequate, but nobody listened. I pray they have no intention of redeeming him because there isn't any grey area with him at all. He's a one-note bad guy.
Meaghan: He is completely out of control. To knowingly put patients in danger because you are too rushed to start bringing in the cash is inexcusable.
Red Rock won't be happy until they are facing a major lawsuit when all of their gross negligence comes to light. Cain may bring in a lot of money, but he is going to lose him a lot just as easily.
As a nurse, I could have killed Cain when he told Nic that there is a reason they don't name buildings after nurses.
Nic: She nearly died
Cain: But she didn't.
Nic: Because we got lucky.
Cain:I don't believe in luck, just talent and fate.
Nic: Caution isn't weakness.
Cain: Risk is part of the job.
Nic: So you risk a little girls life? Why? To impress some donors?
Cain: Again nobody died.
Nic: Even when we do everything we can to prepare, things go wrong. What chance do our patients have if we don't?
Cain: There's a reason they don't name buildings after nurses.
Also, I'm completely nitpicking here, but can they please stop acting like an APRN like Nic would be working on the floor because they are short-staffed? They practice on almost the exact same level as a doctor and would not function in that capacity.
Rachel: As usual, I have to mention that I hate Cain. He's the worst -- plain and simple. His arrogance and greed got in the way again, and a little girl almost ended up dead because of it.
But I also can't help but feel that there's a part of Cain who genuinely believes he's doing right by his patients. It's rare, but we keep getting these glimpses that show us he may not be as bad as he seems.
There hasn't been much emphasis on it, and given that you have to squint to see it, I could very well be looking for an opportunity for his redemption. But for some reason, I still believe that he could potentially come around and surprise us all. It's really just a hunch more than anything.
Will Bell take the talk show host gig? Do you think Cain will try to steal it instead?
Carissa: The thought never crossed my mind. Did I miss a reference that made it seem like a possibility? Cain is only a people pleaser if money is involved. He could never speak truth that an audience would want to hear with any authenticity for a period longer than a PowerPoint presentation.
I'm over him. Way over him.
Why reach one person at a time for the rest of your career when you can reach them through that?
Dr. Pierce
Meaghan: I genuinely hope Bell takes it. He deserves to get away from the madness that is Red Rock, and he would be really great at it.
I never thought about Cain stepping in and taking it, and now that you said it, I am very worried. I couldn't see them wanting Cain for the job; however, if it meant getting rid of him then, by all means, go for it!
Rachel: I hope neither of them gets the talk show host gig. I think Bell would do well at first, but I'm partially worried that being away from the patients and doctors would have a negative effect on him.
I want to say that I'm confident in Bell's character, especially given what he was willing to sacrifice with 3B Life, but I'm not positive that the spotlight won't eventually cause a regression for him.
The people and the environment he was in is what helped him make such a drastic personal change, and I don't think he's strong enough yet to go without it.
Do you have any additional thoughts or favorite moments from the hour?
Carissa: I hate to beat a dead horse, but where the hell was Kit? She's the yin to Cain's yang in the neuro venture. Given that his name is on the thing and she wasn't there, does that mean he stole the idea and ran with it without her involvement?
Would she have allowed it to open based on a shell without any substance? Something seems wrong here.
Andrea can start over again. She can recover. You won't.
Publicist
Meaghan: I loved the moment in the end with Devon, Conrad, and Nic hanging out in Conrad's office. We don't get to see enough of them together outside of when they are seeing patients, so moments like this are always nice to see.
I'm with you on this Kit situation, Carissa! She is being horribly underused, and I am so over it! We need her around to keep Cain in check.
Rachel: I'm with Carissa and Meaghan. My favorite part was Devon, Conrad, and Nic hanging out in the office, but where was Kit???
I would understand if she missed an episode or two, but lately, I feel as if she's become a guest star. Were there actress availability issues, or is her consistent absence a purposeful choice?
Over to you, Resident Fanatics. Do you agree with us? Do you disagree? Sound off below.
The Resident returns March. 3 on FOX.
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.
