When Atlanta is struck by a severe snowstorm, Mina must perform a big surgery - without AJ's help - to save the life of a young father, while Kit and Bell get stuck babysitting the man's children. Nic and Conrad experience a disagreement with a patient's treatment, causing further strain in their relationship. Devon teaches an important lesson about life and death to a first-year med student.
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. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the next episode of FOX's The Resident.
"Snowed In" was written by Eric I. Lu & Daniela Lamas and directed by Kelli Williams
This episode presents less as a disaster hour in which everything is going wrong for the hospital staff and more as an hour in which all of the main characters are forced to question their current actions. Yes, it is all set during an epic snowstorm in Atlanta. The Raptor even makes the argument that he should be able to face the brutal conditions outside because it can't be any worse than what Chicago has to deal with every year. But it presents intriguing circumstances in which the doctors feel somewhat cut off and have to rely on their own instincts. Mina has always presented as the cocky resident who has the skills to back up everything that she says. That's what has always made her a great partner to AJ and Bell. Everyone recognizes her talent. Here though, she is faced with a difficult surgery all by herself. She has to bring a man back to life after he was found frozen by his kids. Sure, the idea of the kids crashing into the hospital may not be all that unique because that was also a plot point on Chicago Med and Station 19 this past week. But that's a fairly minor point here as well. It indicates that this won't be an easy shift for the hospital just because of the severe conditions outside. Mina has to act quickly in order to save this man's life. She is the only person available to do so as well. That intensifies the pressure faced by her especially when the daughter is so sure that Mina will save her father's life. Mina even admires that spirit. That fuels her through so much of this story. In the end, she didn't ultimately need AJ's help. She was able to fix whatever problems came up. This family was able to stay together because of her actions and expertise. And yet, the show also loves playing with the idea of drastically changing body temperatures and how both heat and cold can put one's life at risk. After saving his life in surgery, he then has to be buried in snow to ensure he continues to break down all of the medicine that has been given to him. It's still a happy ending though. Meanwhile, Nic is faced with a decision about what's in the best interest of her patient who is about to enter hospice. She understands that this woman doesn't want any more treatment that could prolong her life. She knows what the hospice experience is like because she has worked there for a long time. As such, she immediately presents as a patient who knows exactly what she wants and how to communicate that to the doctors. But she also wants to make it through the night in order to have a proper goodbye with the man who got away three decades ago. Nic sees that as a hopeful story that is worth seeing through to its conclusion. That means she is able to convince Bell to perform a surgery and even shock her back to life just to make it happen. It also comes with the twisted final punchline of the patient just wanting to tell the guy to go to hell. That is so unexpected and hilarious. It's a nice beat to close the episode with. Of course, that's not where the episode actually ends. Instead, it concludes with Conrad and Nic accepting that they need to have an honest conversation about the future of their relationship and how they are feeling at this moment in time. They aren't avoiding the fact that Alec is clearly pining after Nic. They have complete trust and love in this current relationship. But it's also an important check-in to see if they are continuing to grow together and are healthy for where each other are in their lives at this point. And that really is just as important.
