The Resident Review: Family Affair (Season 1 Episode 8)

The Resident Season 1 Episode 8, “Family Affair” is a low energy, off-the-mark, snooze that is miraculously saved by a timely and imperative topic and the acting talents of Shaunette Renée Wilson, Emily Van Camp, and Matt Czuchry.

Patient-dumping, the practice of hospitals dumping undesirable patients at bus stops or near other hospitals without the proper discharge, is a callous and real problem.

Patient-dumping, also referred to as “turfing” on the episode, arrives at Chastain hospital at a most-inconvenient time — during a black-tie fundraising gala.

Such as in real life, medical issues don’t wait until the “right time” to present themselves.

As the Nic and Conrad work together to navigate the ethical crisis patient-dumping presents, we see how maniacal Dr. Bell is in his pursuit of money. It is a passion that Nic and Conrad manipulate in order to get what they want.

It is a reminder that no one on The Resident is an angel — even Nic and Conrad play the game.

After a couple of episodes exploring less pointed, although no less important, medical ethics issues, “Family Affair” directly tackles patient-dumping.

At a time when hospital bills are going up, affordable housing opportunities are going down and people are losing health care coverage, the ethical issue of patient-dumping is imperative.

People experiencing homelessness or mental health crises are particularly susceptible to being put out by a hospital without the proper discharge. It is a very real issue impacting many communities, such as recently when a Baltimore hospital patient-dumped. 

The more vulnerable patients also happen to be the least likely to be able to pay, so for doctors like Bell and Hunter, a practice like patient-dumping is incredibly attractive to lower costs and maximize profits.

Whistle-blowers like Conrad and Nic are needed to keep Chastain accountable and to prevent it from patient-dumping. It is refreshing and important to see the issue depicted and explained through grounded dialogue.

In addition to presenting a timely topic, the patient-dumping storyline showcases how well Nic and Conrad work as a team.

There is real trust between the exes. Even though it doesn’t extend to Conrad openly sharing his emotional baggage with Nic, it is romantic.

The slow burn is still making the pot simmer.

The romance between Mina and Micah on “Family Affair” is too sweet to burn, slowly or otherwise.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a cute coffee date as much as the next Gilmore Girls fan. But the flirting between patient and doctor just feels too immature for the rich and colorfully woven character Mina has become.

It feels like Micah is on a high school date while Mina is on an adult one.

Shaunette Renée Wilson is stellar, as always. And Micah is a great character. I just don’t think the romance makes any sense.

I am also wary of the fact that we haven’t seen any interracial couples, especially amongst the leads.

The greatest weakness on the episode is the choice to have the woman who was patient-dumped not be schizophrenic at all, but instead, have a rare form of a treatable disease.

My head shakes in disgust when Nic looks into the patient’s eyes and emphatically assures her, you’re not schizophrenic, you’re not crazy.

Wow. This approach to mental health issues leaves little hope for the hundreds of thousands of people who live with and care for people with permanent mental health illnesses.

It is somewhat reminiscent of when Arrow decided to suddenly have Felicity unparalyzed.

The message it sends is that life with a permanent disability, such as a mental illness, is not worth saving.

It is an erasure of people with disabilities and, quite frankly, I find it unacceptable.

I am also very turned off by how The Resident presents sex-work.

Dr. Feldman is not to be trusted regarding sex-related topics. In fact, Dr. Feldman is just not to be trusted.

He and Dr. Pravesh interact with the male escort on the episode and the message is: sex-work is really about listening and most clients just want to talk.

This is an inaccurate and harmful message.

As I opine on my list of 15 Reasons The Resident Needs a Second Season, the show has the opportunity to shine a light on sex-trafficking victims.

“Family Affair”‘s approach actually takes a step in the wrong direction by taking the violence and risks out of being a person who is purchased for sex.

I trust the acting, but not the writing on The Resident. I hope that the rest of the season builds my trust in both.

Doctors Notes

• Dr. Pravesh is at his absolute whiniest and most entitled at his fancy dinner with his lovely parents. How does anyone put up with him?
• When Mina offers a coffee meet-up that is “quick, black, and to-go,” I can’t help but respond in my head with “like she likes her men!”
• I am epically intrigued by Mina’s Project Runway-ready skills. I love the layers of her character. Keep them coming!
• It’s likely an unpopular opinion, but I would be very open to a Mina-Nic-Conrad love triangle. I don’t have a preference as to which person the other two are fighting over. Scratch that- Mina and Conrad fighting over Nic is most appealing.

What did you think of this episode of The Resident? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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The Resident airs Mondays at 9/8c on Fox.

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