When patients from the hospital's prescription drug trial start suffering life threatening side effects, Nic fears that her sister Jessie may be in danger. As a result, she and Conrad work to convince Bell that these trials are not worth the risk. Mina, Austin and Kit must set aside their competitive nature and work together on a patient whose health is quickly deteriorating. Devon uses Julian as the beta tester for a product he's designed.
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.
"Trial & Error" was written by Chris Bessounian & Tianna Majumdar-Langham and directed by Rob Greenlea
Conrad, Nic and company are just as surprised as the audience is to learn that Chastain has a drug trial program. Moreover, the doctor running it is even more annoying than any other previous character featured on the show. He gets tiring very quickly. He is baffled at the idea that his drug could be causing these life-threatening side effects. He sees it as the hospital or the test subjects fault for getting sick. That's absolutely horrifying. It also makes it so easy for Conrad, Nic and Bell to actually be on the same side for once. Here, they are all discussing the right way to move forward with treatment to save as many lives as possible. The story is the most personal for Nic because her sister Jessie happens to be one of the test subjects in critical condition. However, it hits them all equally hard as well. It's actually pretty genuine and moving to see Bell show some compassion when he reaches out to the family of the one patient who dies from these complications. It hits him hard and he has already run out of stereotypical mid-life crisis impulses to do as Voss explains to him. Moreover, it's clear that Nic and Jessie's relationship remains a huge focus of the season that only further contributes to Nic's anxiety problems. Those seem to be escalating and will probably lead to a shocking and uncertain moment at some point. Even though everything works out this time, she was still stunned to learn that Jessie was even doing this to make a little extra money to move into her own apartment. Elsewhere, Julian is faced with the first real sign of corruption in her industry. The show has already articulated to the audience that the medical device field is just as corrupt as every other aspect of medicine. It's a place where money exerts its influence despite the life-changing consequences these devices could carry. And now, Julian is in the OR to see the extent of the damage done from a hip replacement. Sure, it doesn't take the familiar turn of it being a replacement hip from her company or her having the same replacement in her own hip. She is saved from that kind of inner turmoil about what to do with her future. Instead, all of the drama remains personal for her and Devon. It's clear that Devon has really been taken with her this season. That's been very dangerous. Priya hasn't been seen in awhile. She shows up at the top of the hour here to prove that she and Devon still have some very charming chemistry. However, the show is also introducing a new conflict that may fuel their eventual split. Sure, it's dangerous enough to know that he kisses Julian and continues to hold her close while out in public with his colleagues. But Priya also shares that she has gotten a job offer out in California that seems too good to pass up. It's unlikely that Devon will be leaving Chastain after the show spent so much time invested in him. So, this relationship drama is building to something very melodramatic and consequential. It's been somewhat slow-moving with it just now getting to the larger point. Devon seems destined to screw his life up in some way. He does have chemistry with both women. Of course, it's also just more fun to see Mina taking control over her own life and not letting any of the attending physicians tell her what she can and can't do. That's the more fascinating storyline.
