How does the saying go? You reap what you sow.
Well, Cain sowed at lot, and on The Resident Season 4 Episode 3, it came back to bite him in the ass hard. WHO saw all of this coming?
And while the Chastain docs are genuinely good people who wouldn’t seize a chance to gloat about Cain’s predicament, there are likely some smug Resident Fanatics right now.
They haven’t been subtle about the hints at Barrett Cain’s redemption, and if there’s a set-up for it, then it’s him lying in a hospital bed, his life and career hanging in the balance and in the hands of the same colleagues he regards with disdain.
It was a hell of an opening with Cain finding out that, no, this time there’s someone (Mina) willing to back up his patient, and therefore a “frivolous” lawsuit has merit now.
And then he jumped into the fray to save a woman and tend to people after a harrowing accident. Are we to think that even at his most offputting, his call to action as a doctor was on full display?
Is it the hero complex? It’s doubtful it was about the attention that time around, since part of the reason he got mowed down in the first place was because of him shooing away a person filming the incident instead of helping.
As a side note, while there are many times where someone recording something has been of use, it’s also such a violation. It’s disturbing how desensitized people are to human suffering — how they prioritize filming for “The ‘Gram” over helping.
As we discovered later, what served as clickbait and the leading story for news channels and sites easily could’ve jeopardized Eva’s life.
AJ: Mina, I’m giving Barrett a chance to see if he can redeem himself.
Mina: I’m not going to hold my breath about that.
Cain’s good deed did not go unpunished, let him tell it, and if you thought this incident would humble him in any way, then that time hasn’t come (yet).
Doctors make the worst patients, but he wasn’t nearly as insufferable as I would’ve imagined from him. He was astute enough to realize that if they chose to do so, from AJ and Conrad to Kit, they could’ve made his life hell. He knew he wasn’t warm and fuzzy with him, and he’s butted heads with everyone there.
The last people you want tending to you during a time of need are those whom you’ve treated abysmally. He almost expected Kit to make a snide comment about karmic justice, but Kit is nothing if not a consummate professional.
She’s also the best orthopedic surgeon. I wonder how those words tasted in his mouth as he said them?
Cain: I know what you’re thinking, that this is Karma.
Kit: The sooner we operate the better chance we have to restore your hand function. That’s what I’m thinking.
Cain took a major hit, and, surprisingly, he didn’t sustain more injuries than what he had. For any surgeon, it’s terrifying to face down a situation where your hands don’t work as they should. Cain’s hands are his moneymakers, so the loss of sensation, surgery, and recovery — any of it could kill his career.
But the series of things that went wrong from there is — I mean, someone or something was getting a good chuckle out of doing this to Cain. What started as the need for a complicated orthopedic surgery became an imminent cardiothoracic issue instead.
Somehow, Cain must be lying there thinking about how he got to this point and that it’s because of his actions and behavior. Cain knew he treated Kit like garbage, and he also recognized that he nearly killed her freaking son-in-law, so he requested that his little Resident minions be in the room, and that’s what sealed his fate.
“Closed eyes mean cut away, no need to wait for the attending.” It was at that precise moment, I snorted. Cain’s residents treating him as they would any other patient on the table and ignoring the fact that Kit’s OR rules are different was some poetic justice.
Which one of you neophytes punctured Cain’s lung?
AJ
We heard about how complicated the surgery was and that it would be a challenge for even the best surgeon, and yet these two neophytes, as AJ aptly called them, were slicing into Cain as if he was a birthday cake.
How do you perforate your boss’ lung? In the end, it wasn’t Kit or AJ, Cain had to worry about during surgery.
Did anyone else think he would wake up when his residents were operating on him? His hand twitched and everything. After everything he endured under the knife, now Cain is clinging to his life.
He’s not conscious and could never wake up. How long do you think they’ll keep Cain on ice? It’s doubtful he won’t wake up, but it’s going to be interesting to see what happens when he does.
AJ: The food wasn’t inspiring but the name was.
Cain: Wny?
AJ: Come on, man. Another surgical god under the same roof and a brotha at that? I had hoped for a colleague, a comrade, but brotha, you have managed to alienate every single doctor in this hospital, and even still, I have my instincts that hope I felt is still very much alive. You know traumatic events like this can have profound impact on one’s constitution, so maybe you come out on the other side of this surgical gifts intact with a different outlook on life.
AJ remains on his irritating Cain redemption shtick, and bless his heart; he tried to use Cain’s position to encourage him to grow and seize the chance to make some changes and improve things.
I felt for the guy when he recalled with such vivid detail in a way only the Raptor can what it was like for him when he first heard about Cain’s arrival. He was excited at the chance to befriend another surgical god, and also, he relished the chance to bond with a fellow Black man at the top of their field.
But then, Cain was Cain, and the rest is history. Cain outwardly expressed zero interest in any of what AJ had to say regarding that. His focus was on the doctor who intended to testify against him.
Maybe it’s a good thing that Cain is unconscious right now. He would unleash hell on Mina, and there’s no way AJ will allow any of that.
No matter how much he believes in his heart that Cain can become a better person, and that they can, I don’t know, exchange friendship bracelets or nice the goodness into him, AJ wouldn’t let Cain go after Mina.
Right now, it seems as though AJ feels stuck in the middle. The news that Mina agreed to testify against Cain caught him off guard.
He and Mina are having a unique time navigating their relationship. I find their negotiations and bickering endearing. For Minator, it feels like foreplay. If the intention is to place some tension on this pair early into their romantic relationship, it feels more like an extra layer of all the lovely things that make them THEM.
Mina: I have to tell you something, otherwise I’m going to explode. But you can’t get mushy and have to agree this conversation never happened
Nic: Okay.
Mina: I’m seeing someone. He works here.
Nic: Well, it’s about damn time! Who else knows?
Mina: Just you and AJ’s parents.
You can see little things that may come up. They’re both so strong-willed, and that’s what they love about one another.
But it does make you wonder if their entire relationship will be negotiations, and how do they both know that they’ve made a decision? What happens when it feels as though one person is compromising more than the other?
Nevertheless, these two remain enjoyable together, and their chemistry is the best.
One dynamic we haven’t seen much of in a while is Bell and Mina, and the second they paired them up again, it was a reminder of how fascinating their relationship is. They had a few run-ins during The Resident Season 1, but Mina always called Bell out, and he respected her for it.
Jacob Yorn (Kerr Smith) flat out told Bell that Chastain was toast, and he went to his trusted confidant, Kit, and shared the news. It’s not worth it for Red Rock to continue investing in Chastain. As long as they don’t see the value in the hospital, Chastain’s days are numbered.
Yorn: We have no need for a new CEO. Not now, not ever.
Bell: You’re selling the hospital.
Yorn: Yeah, Red Rock doesn’t throw good money after bad.
It’s always nice when the show circles back to things, and Bell’s plan to use his talk show to showcase what Chastain is about and emphasize its importance to the community was smart.
It’s too bad Mina didn’t see it for what it was right out of the gate. Bell has evolved into a better man alright. He knew Mina thought the absolute worst of him for bringing cameras into the hospital, but he never corrected her. His ego was nonexistent; it was all about saving Chastain.
Bell picked the perfect patient to showcase, too. Emmett, the social media influencer/savant, would get some chatter flowing about the hospital.
Every day patients walk through the doors of Chastain with different needs, and our staff is ready. Our doctors and nurses work tirelessly, care deeply, sacrifice willingly. This hospital is a cornerstone of this community and a center for medical innovation, and that’s why I’m so proud to call Chastain Park Memorial home.
Bell
Did anyone else crack up when he asked for Bell’s handle and then took his phone to set up an account on Instagram and Twitter for him? It was especially funny since the darling Bruce Greenwood just remembered he had an Instagram (he was talked into getting not too long ago) and started posting again.
If you want some pure content, give it a follow; he’s adorable.
Fortunately, Mina saw what Bell was really doing, and she’s in on the plan to save Chastain. It’s a moment that circled around to when she told AJ that people don’t change.
Obviously, that’s not the case, and she sees that with Bell. He was the first person who came to mind when she said it the first time, and while it hasn’t changed personal feelings about Cain, I do appreciate that the show is finding ways to poke at those Bell/Cain parallels.
Mina: I was wrong. You didn’t bring the cameras here for you. You’re trying to help Chastain. How bad is it?
Bell: Bad.
Mina: You’re not the only one who loves this place, so what can we do?
Devon was finding some parallels of his own with his case. I know some have speculated that he returned to work too soon, but there is never going to be a perfect time to return to that field after losing someone you love.
The loss of his father has inspired him and is affecting how he practices medicine. Bit by bit, you see how he’s growing as a doctor, and he’s definitely more involved and vocal than he ever would’ve been before.
He didn’t want McCloud to pass away without speaking to his daughter one last time. Devon doesn’t want others to experience the regrets and loss that he did. He’s on the other side of it, and if he can spare others, he’ll try his damndest to do so.
Every single second they show him, my heart aches for him.
To echo my colleague Meaghan during The Resident Round Table, I, too, appreciate that the writers aren’t blowing past Devon’s grief. It is so authentic and true to form, and it’s at a time when there’s collective grief in so many different ways that there’s something oddly cathartic about the portrayal — how it’s quiet, and in waves, and visceral.
Devon: When I was growing up my father was always driving his cab nights, weekends, birthdays, you name it. But then there was this one day that I asked to ride along. We drove all night. He let me sit up front. He even taught me how to spot a fake 20, and then we just started talking. He spoke to me about India, what it was like immigrating to Queens, starting a family. We never talked like that again and when he died, I didn’t even get to say goodbye. What I would do for just one more day, one more ride, one more talk with my dad. My point is that maybe your daughter will feel the same.
McCloud: You don’t know our story. It’s our story. It’s not yours. Just be my doctor and try to get me through this.
Devon recalling the perfect day he spent with his father years ago and mourning not only the loss of his father but the chance to ever reclaim that day was sad. They didn’t always connect or apparently have those cherished life talks and moments again, but the fact that he had that day at all meant so much.
Devon’s relief and the brief moment of happiness when he found out that McCloud’s daughter did speak to him on the phone — that he reached out to her after Devon’s advice, and she got to say goodbye was so heartening.
And then he escaped out of the room just as quick; it was too much for him.
The emotional cases didn’t end there. Eva’s case was a great one. It was so romantic, wasn’t it?
Initially, it seemed as though maybe she was a domestic violence survivor or on the lam. Eva’s terror when she saw her face on the news — it was of someone who feared for their life.
It also seemed as though the person after her was coming to the hospital to hold her hostage. Promos are so misleading, yes?
But this was much better; Darren was the love of her life, and all he wanted was to figure out why the woman he fell in love with and planned to spend the rest of his life with disappeared without a trace.
Not only was he the person who helped Conrad and Nic figure out that she suffered from a form of anemia, not rheumatoid arthritis, but he wasted no time picking up where he left off with her.
He flew to Atlanta, helped save her life, and then told her he was willing to give up his entire life so that he (and his dog) could join her in WitSec. It’s up there with some of the show’s best patient love stories.
I got a job that I hate and a special needs bulldog that I love. Would it be crazy if we go with you this time?
Darren
And it was the perfect case for Conrad and Nic to work on together while they awaited the bloodwork confirming Nic’s pregnancy.
It makes sense that Nic needed something more concrete than a pregnancy test. It’s a surprise that they were able to get it and keep it under wraps at the hospital.
It didn’t seem as if they’d make it the whole hour without someone finding out the truth. For a moment, after Mina adorably shared her relationship news with Nic (their friendship is the cutest), it felt as though Nic would tell her about the pregnancy.
It’s just like both Conrad and Nic to secretly start acquiring things while they awaited the results. Conrad is such a lovable dork. He can’t contain his excitement, and his long list of miscellaneous items he got was laugh out loud funny.
Conrad: It’s official.
Nic: it’s official … daddy.
The moments they share are sweet, but there’s always this feeling of foreboding that probably won’t go away until their healthy baby is in their arms.
Over to you, Resident Fanatics. Are you shocked by the Cain development? What do you think will happen with him now? Let’s discuss all the things below!
You can watch The Resident online here via TV Fanatic.
Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.