The Resident Season 3 Episode 7 Review: Woman Down
Jasmine Blu
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Our favorite nurse, Jessica, is in the clear. Well, one of our favorite nurses, of course. Sorry about that Nic.
The good news is, as far as Jessica's survival goes, The Resident Season 3 Episode 7 ended with her eyes opening, and we can release a sigh of relief that one of the cutest love stories on the series is still going strong.
In other news, is there a sign-up sheet for punching both Cain and his new lackey Logan in the face? I want in.
It may be a long line, though, and Conrad and Bell could be at the front of it. Ironically, it seems likely that Bell will swing first.
He was on edge and distraught throughout this hour, and if looks could kill, Logan would probably be deader than the dead.
But first, Jessica.
It's a comfort that the delightful Jessica Miesel is still sticking around. While she's not as prominent as the other cast members on the series, she's been a consistent and likable force since the pilot.
It's the reason her life in peril worked better than previous deaths/endangerment that we were supposed to care about that didn't have the same gutwrenching effect.
Jessica's enough of a familiar face that the audience genuinely cares about her and wants her to pull through, but she's not such an essential character that her survival was a sure thing.
It could have gone either way, and unlike Bradley (and better than Julian) we know her enough to invest in the outcome. She's the human ray of sunshine.
Cain: What's with the audience?
Conrad: She's one of your scrub nurses.
It was a nailbiter, and when most of her colleagues (because anyone you work with is a colleague, Cain Pain, thanks for the nickname V) and friends were in anguish and recounting why she mattered so much to them, we felt and understood it.
It wasn't hollow or forced.
Almost everyone was holding on by a thread. It was beautiful experiencing various people get sentimental about Jessica in their way.
It was an unexpected moment of levity when Mina snapped over the lack of tri-tip sandwiches. But it was real, raw, and even relatable.
Irving: I let her go.
Devon: No, no. You did not let her do anything.
Conrad: This is not on you or her. If you want to blame someone, blame Red Rock.
Devon: Assigning blame doesn't help Jessica. Focus on what you can do for her now.
Irving, of course, faced losing the love of his life. He was heartbroken, and you felt for him. It was some of Tasso Feldman's best work of the series.
The guilt was overpowering for Irving. He was aware of Jessica's state and suggested she not drive, but he didn't push it further. He captured the guilt one feels when you cannot anticipate a situation and get caught up in all the small details leading up to it.
At his core, AJ is a man who puts stock in family; we know that now, and the people of Chastain are his family, so he put his all into saving Jessica.
AJ: Cain cuts when no one else would. So you think he might be doing it again with Jessica.
Conrad: I think he's a cowboy. Who loves surgeons with attitude and even a healthy ego if they put patients first, like you do.
AJ: Well, I don't mind residents with cajones, but you tread lightly. You just made a dangerous enemy.
He made a prickly first impression, but when he commits to his environment and the people around him, you get a tried and true ride or die to the ends of the Earth.
Devon's role was subtler and understated compared to the others, and they did play into his latest position of maintaining balance, for lack of a better word.
However, he focused on tending to his best friend. As a side note, Priya is coming back, yes?
They're mentioning her and reminding us of how trash he was for leaving her at the altar way too much for her not to reappear.
Cain: Let everyone listen to the third-year resident and follow him anywhere. I'm the attending.
AJ: I'm also the attending, and Irving asked Conrad to coordinate care.
Cain: Why don't we go find the nursing student who has been bumbling everywhere. Maybe she would like a say as well.
Conrad tried to be the calm in the storm, and he took it upon himself to come up with the best possible solutions for Jessica's care while silently second-guessing his every move.
Why do they put so much pressure on the man? He carries the weight of the world on his shoulders often, and may the universe have mercy on us all if we have to witness him doing frantic chest compressions on another soul while they code beneath his fingertips.
Nic supported Conrad. Their forehead touch moment of quiet in the supply room before Kyle interrupted was so soft and sweet.
She also reminded Bell of Red Rock's culpability and had a beautiful moment of teaching a young nurse what the job entails and why it's worth it.
Nic: Jessica is only in this situation because you overworked her for weeks.
Cain: Oh, so I'm now responsible for a nurse who didn't know enough to call an Uber?
Conrad: No, but you will be responsible if she arrests on a table because her body can't handle another invasive surgery.
Bell's reaction was a personal favorite. He doesn't bury his concern for others anymore; he's gone through too much to bother.
Jessica was one of the staff members who covered for him often, and there's a lot to unpack there, but unlike Cain, he has always known the names of the people he worked with and their personalities.
Jessica's condition gutted him, and it did come along with some guilt over his nurses being understaffed, but it went beyond that, too.
I'm devastated by this. Do you have any idea how many hours I spent with her? How many times she's had my back in a surgery? Don't suggest I don't care about her. She's not just a member of my team, she's like family to me.
Bell
Everyone else's reactions were moving but expected. Bell's was something else entirely, and he was the one who triggered a girl's allergies.
He went through with the deal with DiaCure in Jessica's honor, and when he spoke of her, it made one long for more. Bell was sentimental, and how he carried himself throughout belied a man who is earnest in wanting to do more good, and, well, tired.
Bell is the character who had the most growth from The Resident Season 1 until now, and Bruce Greenwood is remarkable and plays him so well.
I called the CEO at DiaCure. We made a deal. We're going to use their dialysis gear exclusively. You can get the data you need. I just, uh, feel like I have to do something positive. Jessica, she's my favorite of the OR nurses. She's a pistol, and sweet, and a lady. So this one's for her. Wish it were more, but it's all I got.
Bell
Then, of course, there is freaking Cain.
The pure, unadulterated "F**k You" energy throughout the hour was distinctive and, admittedly, appealing.
Chestnut is so good at making Cain a loathsome character you love to hate but also someone you begrudgingly find entertaining.
He had some great lines and dialogue during this installment, and as much as you wanted to smack the arrogant smirk off of his face, you also had to appreciate a few of them, too.
Devon: Look. We've all been here in medicine where there's no clear answer. We need to work together--
Cain: Now an intern speaks, really? Why don't we just poll all of Atlanta? Maybe everyone should have a voice at Chastain.
Chastain is our stomping ground, and the people who work there are our people. We don't like outsiders unless they mesh with the family and act accordingly.
And those who don't mesh need to be destroyed and run out of our home. It's what it is.
As customary and exhibited by AJ, no one can talk about our people but us; it's how a family is supposed to operate.
An outsider perspective is fascinating. If you look at it objectively, to some degree, it's understandable.
Nic: Today we focus on Jessica. We make sure she's okay. We make sure Irving is okay, but tomorrow ...
Conrad: Tomorrow we keep fighting.
It's why Cain had some amusing moments despite being a raging asshole who needed to sit in all of his wrongness and be wrong.
Where else would a third-year resident have as much say, pull, persuasion, and power as Conrad? He's not a surgeon, but he tells seasoned surgeons how best to operate.
It's rare for two attendings, a nurse practitioner, a resident, and an intern to stand on even ground tossing out ideas.
For the most part, it should be that way. Everyone has different areas of expertise and experiences. Sure, Conrad is just a resident, but he also has military training that helped inform his opinions.
You delayed the surgery for no good reason. You failed. Self-important neophyte. You don't even know how much you don't know. I'm going to remove the pressure from her brain and hope it's not too late. So congratulations, your narcissism almost killed your patient.
Cain
Nic is a nurse, but they think of things in ways different than doctors. Devon is only an intern, but he is in tune with his patients in a way that others don't get sometimes. None of that should be stifled because of their ranking.
However, there is a hierarchy, too. It's interesting how sometimes it's something you expect to be respected, and other times you don't.
When is it OK for Devon to respect that Conrad is his superior versus not?
Does Nic insert herself into affairs exclusively for doctors or not?
Cain: Let everyone listen to the third-year resident and follow him anywhere. I'm the attending.
AJ: I'm also the attending, and Irving asked Conrad to coordinate care.
Cain: Why don't we go find the nursing student who has been bumbling everywhere. Maybe she would like a say as well.
If you're a seasoned surgeon in your field of expertise, wouldn't you bristle at a third-year resident telling you that you're wrong, a nurse practitioner doubting you, and an intern saying that everyone's stance is valid?
If you're not accustomed to it, then it's enough to get anyone defensive. It didn't help matters when the situation involved someone they all care about, and you're of the mind that their emotions are getting the better of them.
It's what made Cain's digs at Conrad about being a resident amusing and astute. Admit it, if he wasn't our Conrad, wouldn't you feel the same?
Cain: We on the same page?
Logan: You tell me.
Cain: Hawkins is a whistleblower. My concern is him deciding in his self-righteous way that Red Rock is doing something he doesn't like.
Logan: That's not something I can live with.
Cain: Then that's our answer. He's a threat to the hospital.
Logan: Then I'll handle it.
It's a field where most are brought up on "respect the hierarchy" when the truth is that respect is something that should be extended on a basic level and grow and evolve when it's earned.
As irritating as it was that Cain didn't want to listen to Conrad, it was funny. Would you expect someone who doesn't know Conrad well to kowtow to him?
It sounded heartless and callous when Cain commented on how Jessica, whose name he didn't know, should've called an Uber, but wouldn't you have felt and said the same if it wasn't Jessica?
He was an ass through and through, but those were good lines despite him being despicable.
He was wrong to question AJ for wanting those too emotional to exit the surgery. It's the most responsible recommendation when someone you care about is on the table.
But the best part of Cain's villainy, in addition to rallying around their own, is how he brings our favorite characters together.
Conrad and the Raptor are one of the best dynamics on the series, and their fist bump was a fist-pump worthy moment -- unike the ominous vibe of the same gesture repeated by Cain and Logan later.
The constant parallels and comparisons between AJ and Cain feel unwarranted and unnecessary. But it was a great moment between Conrad and AJ.
Bell: You threatening me?
Logan: Absolutely not. But I'm trying to show you how much smoother everything will run if we're both on the same team. The shareholders of Red Rock Medical.
AJ did what he should've, stuck by Conrad but questioned him alone later; it was mutual respect between the two cowboys who care.
The badassery jumps off the screen, you know?
It was the same when Mina jumped in as a scrub nurse, and while her comment about how easy it was since she's a surgeon did reek of arrogance that was vexing for the practicing nurse present, it was a badass moment, too.
Cain kept questioning their choices, and the Minator and Conrad showed them who the eff they were and what the eff they do: kick ass and win.
Cain: I just wanna say I appreciate what we did, and I regret that we had words.
Conrad: This is an emotional day for all of us.
Cain: No doubt, no doubt. But don't ever question my decision again.
Conrad: Whoa. When I'm wrong I learn to listen to my colleagues.
Cain: You're not a colleague. You're a subordinate, and I don't give a damn what your process is. You're not invincible you know.
Conrad: No one is.
Cain: You sure about that?
Conrad racing the machine in to help Jessica clot blood was standard Conrad badassery, and you could hear Mina's smirk as she completed her portion despite Cain's protest.
Cain has nothing that resembles humility, and while they all have a healthy sized-ego, he believes he is God. It was foolish of me to wonder if what happened to Hades would affect him at all.
Why would it? He could revert to Hades' free will and maintain his God-complex, which is what he did.
He can't even acknowledge when he's wrong. He doesn't care about being right or wrong. It's his arrogance accompanied by his profit-focused agenda and lack of care and consideration for patients that solidifies him as vile.
You delayed the surgery for no good reason. You failed. Self-important neophyte. You don't even know how much you don't know. I'm going to remove the pressure from her brain and hope it's not too late. So congratulations, your narcissism almost killed your patient.
Cain
Where are his redeeming qualities? It doesn't even seem as though he enjoys surgeries or medicine, not the way he rushes through procedures.
He doesn't have a passion for medicine or helping people. His passion is money and making lots of it. It separates him from every other doctor and nurse at Chastain.
He doesn't like to get challenged or questioned. He has no real honor nor anything to prove. It's worse than ego.
He unleashed that same dickish behavior with Conrad that he did with Kit and Nic.
Nic: Jessica is only in this situation because you overworked her for weeks.
Cain: Oh, so I'm now responsible for a nurse who didn't know enough to call an Uber?
Conrad: No, but you will be responsible if she arrests on a table because her body can't handle another invasive surgery.
He chose to act as if it's about the hierarchy, but we know it isn't. It grinds his gears that a lowly resident would challenge him, but he doesn't even respect his colleagues.
For Cain to respect his colleagues, he'd have to believe anyone else was on his level, and he doesn't. It's not about Conrad and Mina being residents or Devon being an intern.
It's not about Nic being a nurse or Kit not making as much as him. He doesn't even respect Bell being someone who practiced medicine longer, brings in money, and is CEO.
Since when did you start making business deals?
Bell
He can stop hiding behind that. If you see yourself as a monotheistic God, then no one will ever be your colleague or on your level.
The nerve of Cain accusing Conrad of being a narcissist who would get his patient killed when that's Cain's modus operandi all day long.
Cain thinks he's untouchable, and so far, he's getting proven right. It's going to be sweet as hell when he finds out how wrong he is.
Unfortunately, he brought in his irritating lackey, whose demeanor was enough to make your palms itch to smack him.
Bell has come to recognize how important it is that board members and more have experience in the medical field.
Logan: I'll be overseeing the day to day operations now.
Bell: I oversee the day to day.
Logan: It's a partnership.
Bell: No I'm the CEO.
How can you make the best decisions for a hospital and control a bunch of doctors if you don't know diddly-squat about medicine?
Logan is just Cain in a suit. He's a Cain stand-in, which should have Bell worried.
Cain ended the hour calling for Conrad's destruction (paging our secret weapon Marshall, please!) over being a whistleblower.
Ironically, it's Bell's security that is more worrisome.
Cain: We on the same page?
Logan: You tell me.
Cain: Hawkins is a whistleblower. My concern is him deciding in his self-righteous way that Red Rock is doing something he doesn't like.
Logan: That's not something I can live with.
Cain: Then that's our answer. He's a threat to the hospital.
Logan: Then I'll handle it.
Cain is making all the right moves to take out Bell, and love him or hate him, can you imagine Chastain run by anyone other than Bell?
Cain sees Bell as weak and soft. Bell leveraged DiaCure for the data to support not using the hemoplietin and to get more nurses.
He got a nice deal out of it financially, but it was viewed as a weak move by Cain and Logan.
They might postpone destroying Conrad and focus on the larger picture of getting rid of Bell.
Bell: You have no background in healthcare.
Logan: I got a background. In profits.
Red Rock Medical thinks it's untouchable, and it's going to be satisfying when it's destroyed from the inside out.
Do you think Kyle will have a role in helping achieve that result?
He showed up to volunteer at the hospital and was useful, too. He was pretty scrappy taking on the addict and saving Clara.
Kyle is trying to be better, and he gets some credit for that. He heard about Jessica, and all he could think was he didn't want to lose the only person he has left.
Nic: I know you were scared that it was me when you heard about the accident this morning. I brushed you off. I'm sorry I did that.
Kyle: You're all I got, kid.
Nic: We're Team Nevin now.
He was the one who asked Conrad to look into Jessie's death, but he has been noticeably absent from the storyline since then.
It has to be a reason for that, yes? How will he come into play?
The drug is no longer getting used, which was their goal, I imagine. Well, it was all of the decent people's goal. Logan didn't give a damn about how many people died and only rejoiced when he heard the alternate dialysis medicine was cheaper.
That can't be the end of it.
Big Pharma is ruthless. They'll go after you. They always go after the messenger.
Nic
Like, Nic said: Conrad has pissed off Big Pharma, and they're going to be coming for him.
Over to you, Resident Fanatics!
It was a killer episode, despite no one we loved dying. Was it a satisfying episode? Was it a satisfactory review of the hour? Let's hear all of your thoughts, theories, and more below.
You can watch The Resident online here via TV Fanatic!
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.
