HOLLYWOOD—Rarely does a new series hook me instantly; so much to the point that I find myself glued to the TV screen week after week wanting to know how these characters lives will unfold and what stories will transpire in the mix as well. The first season of “The Resident” introduced to a bevy of characters, and an enthralling narrative that left audiences hooked from its very first episode. Dr. Lane and Dr. Bell were exposed, well let’s say Lane found herself being busted for prescribing treatments and medications for patients who didn’t need it, and Bell maintained his power position at the hospital, with one major caveat: Conrad’s dad, Marshall (Glenn Morshower) is his new boss.
Yes, the audience still doesn’t know the full tea on the relationship between Conrad and his estranged father, not to mention what backstory exists between Marshall and Bell. The second season premiere episode, ‘00:42:30’ saw the Chastain Park Memorial Hospital in major turmoil as the blackout left the doctors and staff without the proper technology to take care of their patients. One of the minor storylines of the episode was Dr. Austin (Malcolm Jamal Warner) and Mina (Shaunette Renee Wilson) conducting heart surgery on a premature twin. We’re not even 10 minutes into the episode, and I’m already on the edge of my seat and consumed with a bevy of emotions.
Conrad, Devon and Nic went into overdrive to ensure all patients were covered, just as Dr. Randolph Bell seemed slightly perturbed with the frantic reactions from the staff and doctors about the unexpected predicament. I swear there is nothing more annoying than a cocky and arrogant surgeon, and right now Dr. Austin takes the cake. As a viewer, every time these doctors cut open a chest I’m left on edge. Now that was a twist, I didn’t see coming; Chastain Memorial didn’t lose power from the storm, they were under attack by hackers. Bell might be an a**, but he sure knows how to operate a hospital and keep people from spiraling.
Just when I thought, the situation couldn’t get tenser, Conrad and Devon found themselves operating on an eight-year-old in the middle of an OR without the proper tools to actually complete a surgery. And I thought the series “ER” was brutal with the violence, but this has nothing on “The Resident.” Jeez, Mina is driving me nuts, she is so anxious, and that anxiety creates nerves that scare everyone else in the room. Bell and Conrad went to war about saving a kid who would have died if the hospital rejected providing him care. Is he Dr. Death or not, just as we discover someone inside the hospital is the culprit for the power outage.
The power going out in the operation room as Dr. Austin and Mina continued operating on that premature newborn only amplified the tension, just as one of the doctors brought up a valid point about doctors staring at the computer screen compared to having actual contact with the patient. Just saying I’ve seen that happen more in real life than I can count. I KNEW IT; I KNEW that Nic’s patient was the person who hacked the hospital’s computer grid.
Nic was livid, just as Nic’s patient lashed out at Chastain for leading to massive medical bills, only to discover that her ‘code’ wasn’t just directed at cutting off billing, but the electrical grid. Nic and Conrad went to bat for the patient, but I’m not so certain I would be open to not wanting to seek some sort of action for putting hundreds of lives at risk. Thank God, both of those twins survived, and the parents discovered the bond between the siblings put the brother at ease. Like I’m literally delivering the waterworks for this show, and I thought “This is Us” was a tearjerker. There is something about “The Resident” that truly taps into not only the psyche, but the heart of the viewer that keeps you glued to the TV screen.
Just when I was willing to give Bell a pass, he proves to be the same schemer he has always been. Why? He’s out to nail Conrad, who for reasons I can’t seem to fathom, I was certain that he was a surgeon, but he is NOT! And Bell wants his head on a silver platter. Oh, by the way the chemistry between Nic and Conrad continues to heat up. I’m just dying to know what happened in the past to lead to the hesitation between the two. I’m certain audiences will find out in the coming weeks. “The Resident” airs Mondays at 8 a.m. on Fox.