I’ve been excited about this show for weeks! I have a soft spot for medical dramas and, because I fell off the wagon with Grey’s Anatomy about 50 seasons ago, and Heartbeat was cancelled, and I can’t find Season 1 of Chicago Med anywhere, etc., I was stoked to catch this one. Especially because it stars Emily Van Camp (Revenge) and Matt Czuchry (Gilmore Girls). It seemed pretty unconventional in comparison with other medical shows, so I decided to check out some reviews ahead of the pilot episode. The overall consensus put the show at a B- so far, but I would put it at a B+ after the first two episodes. Here is the official synopsis for the show:
SHOW SYNOPSIS: The Resident centers on an idealistic young doctor who begins his first day under the supervision of a tough, brilliant senior resident who pulls the curtain back on all of the good and evil in modern day medicine. Lives may be saved or lost, but expectations will always be shattered.
“PILOT” SYNOPSIS: On his first day as an intern, Dr. Devon Pravesh faces the harsh realities of medical care as third-year resident Dr. Conrad Hawkins takes him under his wing and teaches his unconventional ways for treating patients.
The pilot episode starts out with an appendectomy gone wrong, and the surgeon at the helm is the Chief of Surgery, Dr. Randalph Bell. Uh oh. It’s obvious from the opening scene alone that the Chief of Surgery–who the nurses and fellow doctors refer to as HoDAD aka Hands of Death and Destruction–is an egotistical man who refuses to retire despite his shaky hands. He likes the fame and recognition way too much. I really can’t see him being a likable character here. Conrad Hawkins is a resident in charge of fresh-faced intern, Devon Pravesh. My first thought was, “Yes!! Logan from Gilmore Girls!” That was quickly replaced with fear because his character is kind of an ass. I’m just hoping he has some redeeming qualities that balance out his douchery towards Dr. Pravesh. It was nice seeing Emily Van Camp as Nurse Nic, but after seeing her play Emily Thorne on Revenge, I know she’s capable of being a stronger force on the show. I hope they give her that opportunity.
One of the main challenges in the episode is when Conrad gives Devon control over a case that caused a scene from the very beginning. When a teenage girl loses consciousness in the hallway, Devon fights to bring her back. He’s finally able to, but Conrad makes it clear that while he saved her from dying, she’s now brain dead. Devon takes this particularly hard, for obvious reasons.
The episode was good. I’m curious to see where these relationships lead. There is some obvious sexual tension between Conrad and Nic, and then there’s the tension between Conrad and Devon, and Conrad and HoDAD. There were some unique camera angles in the episode that gave it a different feel than other medical dramas. It almost felt like you were there in the scene with them.
“INDEPENDENCE DAY” SYNOPSIS: Conrad’s plans for a heart transplant patient are derailed, so he risks his job to rectify the situation; after a file goes missing, Nic grows suspicious of one of the doctors; Devon must make a split-second decision with a patient.
Conrad is determined to proceed with a heart transplant surgery for a patient they’ve grown familiar with, but HoDAD puts a halt on the procedure. (Still not liking his character, so he will continue being called HoDAD until something changes my mind.) I’ve come to two conclusions throughout these first two episodes: 1. Conrad is definitely not opposed to doing the wrong thing in order to do the right thing, and 2. HoDAD is definitely not opposed to doing the wrong thing so long as his face remains plastered on public busses and billboards all over the city.
In the pilot episode, we saw HoDAD dangle Mina’s immigrant status over her head in order to blackmail her into performing a surgery with a robotic device while he pretended to do it and took all of the credit. This week, Mina is once again put in a situation where HoDAD tricks her into helping him when he agrees to help Conrad acquire the organs of Devon’s brain dead patient, Chloe, only if Mina helps him. I don’t really like the way she’s being tossed around like a rag doll, but I’m also not sure how I feel about her bedside manner–or lack thereof.
What I like about the show so far is that they talk about the good AND the bad when it comes to Hospitals operating like a business rather than a true patient-care facility. The doctors and nurses make mistakes, there are some corrupt individuals in the field, and there are moments where the Hospital cares more about the money they bring in than the number of patients saved. But there are also the ones, like Nic, who try to make a difference by doing the right thing. I’m curious to see where all of the relationships go from here. How about you? Did you watch? What did you think? Let me know!
Tune in to THE RESIDENT Mondays at 9/8c on FOX
According to Kristin 