It was a harrowing hour of The Resident.
Nic and the baby’s lives hung in the balance on The Resident Season 4 Episode 5, and the Chastain crew worked together to save her life. Meanwhile, a Hail Mary to save Chastain came in the form of a solution to make Chastain a public hospital.
Join TV Fanatics Rachel Foertsch, Carissa Pavlica, and Meaghan Frey as they discuss everything below.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how emotional was this episode? Do you think they executed this storyline well?
Rachel: I’d give it a 9. Seeing Conrad cry was what really sent me over the edge. The only reason it’s not a 10 was that I didn’t have any doubt that Nic and the baby would be OK.
It’s just a really dark plotline, and since Nic already had a miscarriage, I couldn’t see them doing it again. I think they handled the story well, mainly because they tied it into Chastain closing. The limited supplies and doctors upped the intensity and the stakes.
Carissa: Weirdly, I wasn’t emotional at all. I didn’t think Nic was in any real danger, and I knew the hospital had to be saved because they weren’t going to decimate this incredible cast!
However, they executed it very well, and it solidified relationships within Chastain that didn’t even need the extra oomph. Working together to save Nic was the tip of the iceberg for how they’ll support each other as they create a new bedrock hospital for Atlanta with a focus on care instead of cash.
Meaghan: It was a ten on the emotional scale for me. Nic was not in any actual danger, but that didn’t take away from any of the cast’s performances for me. I even found myself getting emotional over Cain, so maybe there was just something in the air that night for me.
I appreciated the focus on the core cast. Typically the characters are all working on their own cases and split off from each other, with multiple patients thrown into the mix, too.
Limiting it to just Henry outside of the main cast was a brilliant decision. Watching them all come together to save someone beloved by every one of them was exceptional.
Who are we kidding? By all means, here’s a free space to fully fangirl over Conrad’s devastation and devotion to Nic, CoNic feels, and Matt Czuchry’s performance.
Rachel: Thank you, I needed this. It probably took me a good hour and a half to get through the episode because I had to keep pausing to collect myself.
Matt Czuchry did an excellent job, and I could physically feel how defeated Conrad was through the screen. He couldn’t even hold himself up at some points. I don’t think we’ve ever seen him like that, and I have no desire to do so again.
Carissa: Matt Czuchry is a scene-stealer of the best kind. He’s an emotional powerhouse, delivering something memorable with every episode. I’d never expect any less from this talented young man. It’s key to how we feel about CoNic, and Conrad’s similarity to the lead is why Nic is so in love with Conrad.
Meaghan: Matt Czuchry consistently puts his heart and soul into every single episode of The Resident, but this episode was something even more. Conrad fluctuating between strength and fragility was executed to perfection by Matt. As Rachel said, that was a one of a kind performance, and it will be remembered.
What are your thoughts on Chastain going public and being run by the doctors?
Rachel: I’m excited! Most of us here watch New Amsterdam, and I enjoy it because New Amsterdam is a public hospital. They do a great job of showcasing the rewards and challenges of treating all the patients who walk through the doors.
However, Chastain being a private hospital– it separated the two shows, and it was like the best of both worlds. I think I actually learned a lot about the difference between private and public hospitals because of them.
Still, this is a huge change, and I can’t wait to see this switch!
Carissa: It’s the perfect antidote to three seasons of fighting against medicine for profit. It will also give them an entirely new set of challenges.
While they always had state of the art equipment, they might need to pare back. As much as the docs have always put care first, they’ve done it with a set of golden handcuffs, and taking away the money tree will require them to approach situations much differently. It’s a very good move for a show that I adore.
Meaghan: It was the perfect solution, and I think we will see the doctors elevate their skills to another level. As Carissa said, they have had luxuries that so many other hospitals never could even dream up, and this is going to force them to go back to basics.
I think it is going to be interesting to see how Cain eventually adjusts to this huge shift. His focus has always been on profits over substance, and that is no longer going to slide.
With his concern for Nic, saving Henry, and transport to another hospital, do you finally buy into Cain changing?
Rachel: Realistically, this is a man past redemption for me. He’s had so many chances to change, and he hasn’t. Now, will the show give him a redemption arc? That’s another story. But if they do, I can’t see it feeling organic or natural.
Carissa: Hell no. Just like he knew how to make patients and their families fall for his bullshit, he’s likely doing the same thing with his coworkers. Nobody is going to tell me that he was tearing at that vent, knowing exactly where he’d end up. He was groveling and making nice to protect himself, but he fell short.
Still, the “he’s still a damn good doctor” line has me concerned. My mom’s prediction that Cain will be essential to saving the baby with surgery in the womb still seems like a possibility. Saving that baby is the only way he can be tolerated, if not redeemed.
Meaghan: I’m in the minority, which will most likely be the only time I ever feel like this, but I found Cain tolerable this week. It was most likely because he could not speak, so his arrogance could seep out of him as easily as it usually does.
I do think he was honestly concerned for Nic. His tearing off the vent seemed to be done to get their attention once he saw her because he knew the monitor would go off, and they would have to come into the room.
Do I think he has changed? No, absolutely not, and I do not feel sorry for him. But I could suspend my hate for him for one week.
Are you surprised that the Raptor reconsidered his plans and said he would move to Boston with Mina? Have they found a nice rhythm, or do you think their relationship will be tested?
Rachel: AJ has always been ride or die for Mina, so I knew he’d follow her wherever she decided to go. He might put up a bit of a fight, but he always gives in to her. I think their rhythm was good this episode, but I would’ve said the opposite a couple of weeks ago. So I’m not quite sure.
Carissa: Every relationship is on a different schedule. They work for me as is, but I’m still concerned about Mina and her need to remain in the US.
If they had gone elsewhere, she would have had sponsorship, but it seems like that’s off the table if Chastain goes public. Other than that nitpick, I want them to forge ahead and face all kinds of new experiences together, come what may.
Meaghan: I think AJ would have gone with Mina to Boston even if they were not a couple. They are a team, and I couldn’t see them being willing to separate. I continue to enjoy them each week, and I think part of that is that, at least for now, we are past the will they or won’t they, and it is so refreshing.
What was your favorite scene from the hour? Who was your MVP?
Rachel: When AJ told Mina she needed sutures, and she stapled her arm shut and turned back around to work on Nic, I was appalled. My jaw was on the floor.
The girl didn’t even flinch. I’m sure it’s due to the adrenaline, but still, that’s some hardcore stuff. Go, Mina! How can she not be my MVP after that?
I’ll close. It’s Nic. It has to be perfect.
Mina
Carissa: I’m with Rachel. When the show was over, I was still thinking about how quickly Mina took care of her injury to focus on her friend. It was an essential Minaism.
Meaghan: I couldn’t even begin to pick an MVP among the core team if I tried. Everyone was incredible this week. So, I will go with Henry. He was an absolute doll, and I adored every second of his time on screen. Thank God Cain figured out how to save him.
Is there anything else you’d love to mention?
Rachel: I loved the heart patient. He was so sweet, and I’m super happy there’s hope for him! My heart melted when he gave the figurines to Nic and Cain. I have my fingers crossed that we’ll see him again next episode.
Carissa: I’m still enjoying Cain’s panic. Finding himself in the vent farm thrilled me to bits. And there is something about how pathetic he looks with his little stocking feet just hanging there that I’m enjoying beyond how one should. ROTFL!!!
Kudos to Morris Chestnut for milking that for all it’s worth. I’m finally OK with hating Cain and appreciating Chestnut’s performance at the same time. Good show, my man!
Meaghan: OMG, Carissa, you have no idea how much I cackled when Cain found himself in the vent farm! Talk about the definition of karma. I may have given him a very temporary reprieve this week, but I reveled in his suffering at the end!
Over to you, Resident Fanatics! Do you agree? Hit the Show Comments tab below and sound off!
The Resident airs Tuesdays on FOX.
Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.