Tuesday, December 17, 2019

REVIEW: 'The Resident' - Conrad's Latest Act of Defiance Towards the Rules Has Drastic Consequences in 'Whistleblower'

FOX's The Resident - Episode 3.10 "Whistleblower"

On Devon's last day as an intern, he and Conrad are faced with a moral dilemma over a suicidal patient who is in need of a liver transplant. When Bell discovers that Cain is keeping braindead patients alive in order to boost his survival rates and add to Red Rock's profits, he decides to take matters into his own hands. Adaku goes into early labor, causing a strain on her heart and Mina is left in doubt over how to best handle her care.


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.

"Whistleblower" was written by Amy Holden Jones & Andrew Chapman and directed by Rob Corn

Apparently only a year has gone by in the timeline of the series. That's absolutely crazy considering all of the insane things that have happened across three seasons. In fact, people should be absolutely horrified by Chastain's reputation because of all these scandals continually popping up. That could even be a fascinating story. This is a hospital with numerous public relations scandals but may be the only place to offer the treatment that the people of the community need. It is still financial solvent. It has that infusion of cash from Red Rock. They are the ones controlling everything now. In fact, the new leadership structure is even sweeping things under the rug in order to prop up the systems that have long been successful for them. Cain sees absolutely nothing wrong with the way he conducts himself. He is protected and even given more power because of his enablers. That shows just how horrifying the business of health care can actually be. It may be all about the profits to some. That shouldn't be the core mentality of how a person forms their medical opinion though. And yet, Cain takes an 89-year-old patient with dementia into surgery because he has the power and ability to do so. He ensures that no outcomes are terrible in his operating room. Instead, he just pads the statistics by keeping patients brain dead and leaving their families with the glimmer of hope that something miraculous can occur even when there is none. That is so abusive. He is upcharging in the hopes of proving his worth to the financial interests of the institution. That's what allows this for-profit system to succeed in the first place. People are willing to go along with it because they see the upside for their own interests. Bell is horrified that Cain would leave the hospital altogether while his resident is performing a surgery for the first time. He isn't there to aide him when complications arise. Most attendings should be aware that residents make mistakes when doing something for the first time. Cain is just so casual about his abilities as a teacher. He sees the great surgeons succeeding no matter what. If someone fails, it's symbolic of their skills and not a reflection on his abilities or teachings. There is no personal accountability. That's what makes it sickening that he remains in power. Bell and Kitt understand that they need to expose his wrongdoing. They may feel emboldened at the moment because of the security of their jobs at the hospital. Bell ensures that Kitt can keep up this fight even though he loses his title as Chief of Surgery. Cain's influence will loom even larger in the season to come. However, this system also believes that it's better off not having Conrad as an employee any longer. That action can certainly be rationalized to a certain extent. He is a constant rule breaker who pushes back against the boundaries of the hospital structure. He does so out of passion for advocating for his patients. He inspires people to follow in his actions. The ER staff is willing to quit alongside him when Logan declares that Conrad has been fired. Conrad knows that won't be beneficial to anyone. He appreciates the show of support even though he may be terrified about what happens next. It may be easier for him to fight the corruption when he no longer has to operate within it. But it can also be dire for him to no longer have that structure in order to create immediate change for his patients. He trusts that Devon, Nic and the rest of the staff will honor his legacy with the way they treat patients. However, it's an uncertain future. Devon is finished with his intern year. He is a resident now. He will teach and supervise his own interns. Conrad was suppose to be chief resident. It may actually be a power move on Logan's part to provide Conrad with the satisfaction of approval that comes from a promotion only to cruelly deprive him of it immediately after. He is fired for something seemingly trivial. The show doesn't want the audience to worry about the suicidal tendencies of Conrad and Devon's patient. Instead, it wants to distract by revealing Conrad has an engagement ring for Nic. But that potential proposal will likely be delayed due to him being fired. Similarly, Mina's life is about to change now that she has to care for a child. That was seemingly the inevitable outcome of Adaku's pregnancy. However, Adaku hasn't died yet. She just has a long road towards recovery. She may or may not wake up. At the moment though, Mina is all that this young child has which will only continue to upset her perfectly calibrated world.