The Resident Round Table: Is The End of Cain's Reign In Sight?
Jasmine Blu
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It was a timely hour, and the last moments ofThe Resident Season 3 Episode 18 had everyone on the edge of their seats.
Cain's patient died, but she has a superbug that is rapidly spreading. Kit's son-in-law is battling cancer, and Bell made the TV show his own.
Join TV Fanatics Carissa Pavlica, Rachel Foertsch, and Meaghan Frey as they discuss the hour.
In a surprising and eerily timely end to the hour, Cain is now behind the spread of a superbug. What is your reaction, and how do you think they'll handle it?
Carissa: It's crazy how many shows are featuring out of control viruses right now. I'm happy that most are far more virulent immediately than what the majority of us are encountering.
Everything about Cain was so off the wall that standing by like a dumbass while his world began to go up in flames isn't at all surprising. I've said it before, but I don't see how Cain can come out of this.
He pushed a woman to die rather than give her care, care that could have revealed what she was carrying.
And to stand there, no to pull back when a nurse touched him on the way out of that room proves how terrified he was of it, but even running down the hall seemed useless when he wouldn't open his big damn mouth that is, otherwise, always flapping inappropriately.
Rachel: Given the current climate, that surprise ending packed an extra punch. It startled me more than a storyline like that normally would, and I'm extra invested.
I was infuriated that Cain handled the situation so poorly, but I wasn't surprised. So many people, including him, have been in and out of that room and have made contact with the patient. Including Nic and Devon.
That superbug definitely hasn't stayed contained, so there's bound to be some chaos next episode. If they would've fired Cain a long time ago, this never would have been a problem....I'm just saying.
Meaghan: Given the current pandemic, the superbug twist felt especially unsettling. It made me wonder a year from now how are all the television shows going to address COVID-19.
Given the impact it is having on the world, it would be impossible to ignore it, yet how sad would that span of television be.
If Cain had immediately sounded the alarm, I would think that this was their attempt at a redemption arc for him. Instead, he stayed silent and called Logan instead of stopping everyone in that room in their tracks, once again proving that he is a terrible person.
Which team-up was your favorite?
Carissa: I enjoyed AJ and Bell doing surgery together, especially since it came on the heels of AJ teasing the hell out of Ring My Bell.
Sharing his surgery with Bell also gave Bell the best idea for carrying on with the show while pitching the hell out of Chastain in the process. AJ stimulated Bell's mind, and that makes for a terrific team-up.
Rachel: I agree with Carissa. AJ and Bell were the dynamic duo of the episode. There was a good balance of comedy and support on both ends, and it's always fun to watch the two grumpiest characters evolve and get along so well.
Meaghan: AJ and Bell all around. They play off of each other so well. I loved AJ poking fun at Bell's celebrity status but yet also his full willingness to give credit to Bell's impeccable surgical skills.
Was Kit too overbearing? Did you enjoy having a Kit storyline?
Carissa: If we're seeing more of her family, that should mean she's sticking around. And how much did her daughter look like Natalie Portman? It was eerie.
But yes, Kit was too overbearing, seemingly because her daughter exhibits anxiety in the same way as her mother. Kit pointed out the scratching to Conrad, but she did it, too.
Conrad: I'll try to filter any news through you first, so you can be the Molly whisperer, you're lucky I like you.
Kit: It's the accent.
She's hyper-aware of her daughter's habits because she shares them. I loved that Conrad allowed her to unload on him without concern. She needed to let it out, and in receiving it, Conrad spared Kit's family.
Rachel: I'm just happy Kit's back. I do think she was too overbearing, but she's a mother trying to protect her daughter's heart.
She might have been unreasonable, but this cancer is going to change her life, as well. I don't blame her for not being able to think rationally. Her speech about there being a "before and after" really got to me.
Understandably, she wanted to keep her family in bliss for as long as possible.
Meaghan: So many of Kit's scenes were so powerful this week. Her "before and after" speech was devastating as well as her "mad at cancer" speech.
Sure she was a tad bit overbearing, but it was hard to separate her mother self from her doctor self.
She knows that Conrad did nothing wrong, and in any other situation, she would have been on his side if he did the same thing. It isn't any other situation, though. It is hers. I'm just glad that she didn't stay mad at Conrad.
After Dawn Long's death and the superbug, do you think this is the end of the road for Cain?
Carissa: It has to be the end of the road for Cain. I just hope he doesn't take out Derek with him. But what are the odds that a man with an immune system as severely compromised as Derek makes it out of a superbug situation alive?
As you said, even Logan has issues with Cain's behavior. When a bad guy finds someone else despicable, you know that person is at the bottom of the heap.
Logan: I just got a readmission notification in my email. Why is Dawn Long back in this hospital?
Cain: She's sick.
Logan: Is that supposed to be a joke? She's been back here five times since her operation. Her treatment costs are starting to add up. You're supposed to be making us money, not costing us. The woman is comatose. Why are we not letting her die?
Cain: We will. Tomorrow.
Logan: Care to elaborate. After six months, Dawn Long's survival statistic rates will no longer be tracked. Our famous mother of all surgeries will have an official survivor. It's one for the record books.
Logan: And that six-month mark is tomorrow.
Cain: If she lives through the night, then all the publicity we got from that surgery will not go to waste. We just need to keep her alive until then.
Logan: And the family is on board for that?
Cain: They will be.
Logan: OK. One more day then end this charade.
And how difficult was it not to reach through the screen and punch Cain in the face? I wanted to throttle him every time he took on that pious tone and acted as if he cared about anyone.
Nobody like that should be allowed to practice medicine, and I hope that his CYA attitude gets him kicked out of medicine. He's a major fail in every way.
Rachel: I sure hope so, but Cain is a sneaky one who knows how to work the system to his advantage. However, I agree with both of you about Logan.
Logan is clearly unsettled by Cain's actions, and I think he's going to realize that Cain is doing more harm than good.
I'm not positive that Cain won't find a way to scheme his way out of the blame, but with the season finale not too far off, I think Cain is bound to be exposed for who he really is.
Meaghan: Please, for the love of God let it be. This man is dangerous. His handling of the superbug situation is going to be a PR nightmare, and hopefully, Logan can see that and kick him to the curb.
Cain has been the scariest big bad to date, simply because it makes you wonder how many doctors are out there like Cain that we aren't aware of.
Do you have any additional thoughts you would like to share?
Carissa: Did anyone else who watches both The Resident and New Amsterdam notice another similarity besides the upcoming viral outbreaks?
That being that people treated Bell's presence in the hospital the same way they treated Floyd. Does he still work here? Are you still here? The similarities are crazy across these shows.
Don't be dramatic, Dr. Bell. I don't want you gone, I just don't care if you're here.
Logan
And I was also surprised that the soccer coach allowed himself to be used by Bell on the show. I'm not sure what I feel about Bell's show, but sharing patients strikes me as kind of smarmy. I kept expecting him to start coughing up blood or something. It was just a weird scene.
Rachel: Woah! I watch both, and I didn't catch that! But now that you mention it, those are some crazy similarities.
And I was wondering where Mina was. She wasn't around the last episode either, and I'm wondering if there's a specific reason for her absence.
I guess it's too much to ask for Mina and Kit in the same episode. Why does everyone keep magically disappearing?
Meaghan: I am loving the concept for Bell's show. Hell, if it was actually a show, I would probably even watch it. He has found the perfect way to use his voice to help the masses while remaining true to his roots as a surgeon on the front lines.
What was your favorite quote and/or moment?
Carissa:
.Conrad: You requested a top surgeon right? Dr. Austin is our finest.
AJ: Dr. Hawkins is too kind yet remarkably accurate.
AJ is such a cutie pie. I love his humble arrogance. He's in an entirely different league than Cain, and I love it.
Rachel: As Carissa mentioned earlier, I loved it when AJ was making fun of Bell's new show. The "ring my bell" mockery was golden!
Meaghan: Kit declaring that she can be mad at both Conrad and cancer with a smile on her face.
Let's face it; no one can actually be mad at Conrad. Have you seen the man in scrubs? It is physically impossible to be angry while looking at that.
Over to you, Resident Fanatics. Do you agree? Disagree? Let us know below.
The Resident airs Tuesdays on NBC.
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.
