Medical dramas have been and still are one of the most popular TV show genres, each year turning out more and more shows in this category. And this year Fox’s The Resident is joining the likes of Grey’s Anatomy, Chicago Med, and The Good Doctor. Marking it an exciting new entry into the ever growing list of medical dramatic programming. How does The Resident differ from other medical shows? And does it have a future beyond its first season? Let’s find out in this article of my first impression on The Resident.
Background on The Resident
First off, let’s talk a little about what the show is actually about. As you might have guessed from the fact that it is a medical drama TV series, the show centers on the staff of Atlanta’s Chastain Park Memorial Hospital. Where doctors, nurses and other medical personnel are trying to save lives, while also dealing with the realities of the medical industry and medicine as a whole.
On the forefront, there are Senior Resident Dr. Conrad Hawkins played by Matt Czuchry and the hospital’s newest resident Dr. Devon Pravesh portrayed by Manish Dayal. As well as Bruce Greenwood as chief of surgery Dr. Randolph Bell, Emily VanCamp as nurse Nicolette Nevin and Shaunette Renée Wilson as Doctor Mina Okafor.
What I liked about this show
Upon watching the pilot episode of The Resident, I have to say that the show intrigued me. Despite the fact that it is yet another medical drama, it is set up a bit differently than others. Rather than following an ER team or other specific hospital departments. The show centers on a senior resident and a first-year under his supervision. Who float through various different departments to care for the patients assigned to them. And this fact earns The Resident the first thing I liked about this series.
Secondly, I really liked that they set up the drama with Dr. Bell and his condition that jeopardizes all of his patient’s lives. That automatically creates conflict between Bell and other doctors, but especially amid Bell and Dr. Hawkins. Which will definitely bring a lot of added drama and interest to the stories this show tells. As well as creates the perfect setting for the show to explore the darker side of medicine aka human error and how that contributes to doctors losing patients.
Thirdly, I really liked the way Matt Czuchry played his character. Although it is clear that Conrad is one of the best doctors in the hospital, Czuchry didn’t play him as a know-it-all or overconfident asshole of a doctor. Rather, as a likable maverick doctor with his own quirks, a strong sense of self and a clear reason why he does what he does. Which makes the character of Dr. Hawkins endearing and fun to watch. And prompts me to want to watch the show just to learn more about this character.
And lastly, I also liked the fact that they are incorporating things like new medical technology and breakthroughs into the show. Because I think that it is important to show that the medical industry is evolving and getting better and better. Although it is not to the point where all human error is eliminated, letting doctors and machines save even more lives. It is slowly inching towards that goal. And asking the tough question of if human error is that frequent occurrence, shouldn’t we remove humans from the equation altogether.
What I disliked about it
Among the things I didn’t like about the show that much were some of the gorier shots that the show didn’t shy away from. For example the surgery scenes or the guy with gangrene. Although, I can understand why they were necessary because they bring realness to the show.
On top of that, the nurse-doctor romance between Nicolette and Conrad was a bit predictable and feels like an overused trope by now. So if they decide to continue playing that out, they need to make it interesting maybe giving them a past that binds them together or something like that.
And I really hope that going forward we will see a bit more personality from Manish Dayal’s Dr. Pravesh. Because the first episode didn’t really showcase it all that much and therefore the character seemed a bit stiff and two-dimensional.
The verdict
I have to say that The Resident really surprised me in a good way. Because similarly to what The Good Doctor did, this show brings new elements to the medical drama genre. And tells an interesting story that will definitely get more and more complicated as the season goes on.
So my verdict on The Resident is this. If you like medical shows. Or enjoy a good drama or character-driven show, then I would definitely recommend you to check out The Resident. This show has a great cast, good pacing, interesting concept. And it asks some hard questions that other medical dramas touch on only briefly. I could see this show not only getting a full season order but also a second season. Thus you might as well start watching it now, so you don’t have to binge it later.