Monday, January 14, 2019

REVIEW: 'The Resident' - Lane's Release From Prison Sparks Chaos at Chastain in 'After the Fall'

FOX's The Resident - Episode 2.10 "After the Fall"

Lane Hunter's victims and their families become outraged when she is released from prison. Although responsible for posting her bail, Bell continues to be tortured by her manipulation. Conrad uses work to cope with the news about his father, and he teams up with Mina, Kit and Austin to treat a patient who is suffering as a result of Lane's dangerous treatments. Devon grows worried when he doesn't hear from Julian. Nic sets her sights on a primary physician for their new clinic.


In 2018, there were 495 scripted shows airing amongst the linear channels and streaming services. The way people are consuming content now is so different than it used to be. It happens according to one's own schedule. As such, there is less necessity to provide ample coverage of each specific episode in any given season from a show. Moreover, it is simply impossible to watch everything. As such, this site is making the move to shorter episodic reviews in order to cover as many shows as possible. Premieres and finales may feature longer reviews. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the next episode of FOX's The Resident.

"After the Fall" was written by Marc Halsey & Jen Klein and directed by Edward Ornelas

The drama understood that Lane Hunter's story wasn't over just because she was arrested for her crimes. That certainly could have been a satisfying ending to that particular story. The second season didn't have to revisit that plot - especially considering it has an abundance of new antagonists this year. But the creative team also thought it was wise to continue with this story to see the longterm consequences of the characters' actions. Sure, it meant bringing Melina Kanakaredes back as more of a one-note villain. That's a little lame. The character had moral complexities in the first season. Now, she's just blackmailing Bell repeatedly in order to get what she wants. It would have been so fascinating to see how far he would go for her in order to cover up his secrets. Instead, he remains the cockroach who manages to survive everything thrown at him without having to deal with any of the consequences. He is literally writing up his letter of resignation to the board when Lane is found dead. That's such an unexpected twist. It means that her story has reached its absolute conclusion. There will be no trial. The characters won't have to give testimony to ensure that she is punished for her crimes. This can somewhat feel like a cheat though. The show may not have done legal drama well. And yet, it also robs itself of the opportunity to see the characters choose which side they will fight on. They were all passionate about this particular case. It's devastating when Conrad and Nic see Lane walking through Chastain once more. Lane is certainly walking with the confidence that she is now untouchable. Instead, she is killed by the relative of a former patient who is only introduced within this hour. That too could feel like a letdown because he's not even a major component of the story beforehand. Conrad is fighting to ensure his patient doesn't suffer any more complications because of Lane's treatment. She survives thanks to the brilliant and caring staff at Chastain. And then, her friend goes and kills Lane with him seemingly evading capture for now. That means the show is putting all of this to an end. The point of it all returning this season really was just to put the pressure on Bell. But now, he is once again the proud and powerful CEO of the hospital. He saved Marshall's life. Of course, Marshall making his final wishes known to Conrad basically ensures that he too will be dying at some point this season. Moreover, the scandal with QuoVadis is likely to explode even though Gordon Page had Julian killed for what she knew. And now, he's actually trying to frame Devon for that crime. That too may be a twist too far in order to keep things as dramatic as possible. The show may be overindulging with some of these twists just to keep the plot spinning for a longer season. That's not even mentioning the new story introduced here. Nic and Mina fought for their free clinic. And now, Nic is trying to hire a doctor who can run it. As such, she meets Alec Shaw who likes to rail against the system while operating in his own bus on the street. He is very passionate and skilled. However, his introduction mostly feels like the show bringing in a newcomer to perhaps add some tension to Conrad and Nic as a couple. That can be compelling. However, it may be better to just spend time getting the clinic up and running to see if the system can ever truly be changed.