FOX's The Resident - Episode 2.08 "Heart in a Box"
Conrad goes head-to-head with Bell after he recommends one of Julian's risky medical devices to Zoey, who's already lost one son and is back in the hospital with the other. Nic fears that Conrad may be getting overly attached to his patient. Mina and Austin grow closer while working on a difficult heart transplant. Devon embarks on a very difficult day. Dr. Lane Hunter returns.
In 2018, it has become very difficult to keep up with every television show out there. It's even more difficult to provide adequate coverage on this site about the episodes that air every week. Not every show can get full coverage because of my busy and hectic viewing schedule. As such, some reviews will now be condensed to give only some summary thoughts. But it also affords a space for me to jot down my thoughts on the various episodes. And so, here are my thoughts on this week's episode of FOX's The Resident.
"Heart in a Box" was written by Marqui Jackson & Joshua Troke and directed by James Whitmore Jr.
Everyone should be very concerned about Henry and Zoey at the moment. Their family has already endured so much. The episode in which Henry's brother died was one of the best hours of the new season so far. This episode doesn't have that same emotional impact. But it does continue that story to ensure that this patient is of key importance to the season. Conrad is getting very emotionally attached to Henry and Zoey. That has always been an overwhelming quality to the residents in the emergency room. They care about what happens and set out to fix problems while bumping into the bureaucracy of the hospital's leadership. But this story is different as well. Conrad is actually becoming a part of Henry's life. He is attending baseball games and helping him with his swing. He's so excited to watch the kid slide into second base. That pride quickly turns to concern when Henry has a seizure. His medication is no longer working. His condition is worsening and the only hope appears to be a medical device that QuoVadis is just now selling to hospitals. Julian is only willing to push for it because Gordon hands her pages of data that back up their claims. Of course, she is just now starting to realize the horrors of her industry. She joined this field as a way to give back to the device that saved her life. And now, she is seeing just how corrupt and greedy her boss really is. She confronts him about his past actions with a previous company. That company oversaw the implant of a metal on metal hip replacement. That caused so much damage that really shook Julian to her core. And now, she really doesn't have any choice but to recommend this product for Henry. However, she quickly goes to the manufacturing plant to see that Gordon lied to her. The most damning piece of information is that the products are made in China but slapped with a label proclaiming them to be made completely in Atlanta. That's fraud. It's also probably the tip of the iceberg when it comes to corruption in this industry as well. As such, it's fortunate that Devon will be staying at Chastain despite his terrible shift in the ER. Even when things get tough, he loves this job. Sure, he copies a speech from Conrad in order to make his argument to Priya. He isn't even original when it comes to this discussion about leaving. That makes it a little harder to personally invest in the outcome of all of this. At least Priya remains a connection who can hopefully expose this corruption in the medical device community if that's something that Devon and Julian are interested in pursuing. But again, ensuring that justice is found isn't always that easy. This episode also features the return of Melina Kanakaredes as Lane Hunter. Her story came to a finite conclusion at the end of the first season with her being arrested for medical fraud and overcharging. And now, she is essentially blackmailing Bell in order to help her get out of prison. That's absolutely horrifying. The wheels are still spinning for her. She's not done fighting just yet. That's very ominous. Sure, it's very expositional right now. It proves that Bell doesn't really have a spine. He did the right thing in turning her in. But now, he undoes all of that good will by siding with her once more in the name of saving the hospital's reputation and his career. All of this getting out though would only cause more harm. So, it will remain a tricky slope to navigate.
