The Resident Review: Haunted (Season 1 Episode 10)

The Resident Season 1 Episode 10, “Haunted,” is a lofty examination of grief and the trauma of loss that ends with some good grief sex.

Good grief, I am sure to be haunted by those CoNic kisses.

CoNic’s Grief Sex

The second Nic offers Conrad a ride home it clicks: CoNic is happening!

Indeed, soon after the pair hobbles up the steps to Conrad’s gorgeous loft, we enter a hug-turned-sexual situation.

The get together is sensual, with indie music and low lighting as a tender backdrop. There are hands in hair and hand on faces.

Yes, to all of that!

But what does it mean for this OTP? What I do NOT think it means is that they are back together.

This is grief sex. I anticipate that Nic is going to tell Conrad that is ALL that it was, even if they both know that’s not totally true.

The fact is, Conrad has still not met Nic’s demands for him to be willing to open up to her and be vulnerable.

He does tell her that losing Lily is killing him and that his pain doesn’t excuse his blindness to her pain.

But, importantly, he is not vulnerable to her. He sees her but does not let Nic see him.

He tells her “it’s not your fault, it’s mine.” But, this isn’t a real admission of mistakes he’s made because it is NOT his fault that Lily died.

And even if losing Lily was his fault, guilt and repentance are not was Nic is asking of him. She wants his vulnerability.

Conrad needs to be willing to ask what Dr. Jacoby asks on the episode, “Shall we talk about my ghosts?”

Point being, nothing has really changed in the area of vulnerability, so I don’t think we can expect CoNic to be sailing into the next episode.

I actually think that’s perfect.

The chemistry between Matt Czuchry and Emily VanCamp (or Matt Czchury and any human being, to be honest) is super-charged. I want to see them hook-up!

But, I don’t want the ship to be rushed and get together before it actually makes sense for the characters.

Bring on the grief sex!

Grief sex is so relatable because, in a time when everything is difficult, sorrowful, and painful, a character can take a break and feel something good.

It is also relatable that Nic would go to Conrad in her time of grief.

As is evident by her knowing movement around Conrad’s truly exquisite apartment, Nic feels safe and confident when she’s with Conrad. Swoon!

The final shot of CoNic in bed (THANK YOU The Resident!) highlights that Conrad is not ready. Lily looks down at him, accusing him. There is no resolution.

If Conrad ever wants to be with Nic long-term and if he wants to get rid of his ghosts, he is going to have to face his fear and embrace his vulnerability. I love Conrad, but I’m not holding my breath.

I would NOT object to a few more hook-ups along the rocky path to CoNic OTP land, though.

Ghosts of Resident’s Past, Present, and Future

“Haunted” opens with a Ghost of Resident’s Past: Lily.

Conrad leans into the haunting, pushing himself to feel the pain that he believes he deserves for not saving Lily. His long run is a public self-flagellation that culminates in a gnarly ankle injury.

It’s a nice irony that it’s a bike that injures him as we’ve seen Conrad empowered and in control when he’s on his bike.

Soon after his first haunting, Conrad is visited by Ghost of Resident’s Future: Dr. Jacoby.

Dr. Jacoby is a pioneer in her field of brain surgery who is an elite class of doctors that Mina and Conrad will likely join. She is a vision of Conrad’s future if he doesn’t face his ghosts.

Rather than enjoy the fruits of her success, Dr. Jacoby can’t see beyond the patients that she has lost over her career.

She is haunted by her perceived mistakes, each ghost representing her guilt, fear, and insecurity.

All of the people who would still be alive if she had been good enough; if she had just been God.

Sounds pretty familiar, right?

I love Dr. Jacoby’s haunting of Conrad on the episode. The eerie recitation from memory of all the details of every person who has died while under her care works to hint at what Conrad’s inner dialogue is like.

But, I have to be honest. I don’t like that things went so well for Dr. Jacoby. She seems to just decide to say sorry to her ghosts and then move forward.

But, depression doesn’t often behave like that. Depression isn’t a matter of will or choice. It isn’t a situation of mind over matter.

I actually think it would have been a much more effective story if Dr. Jacoby had attempted suicide.

Let me be very clear, I do not want Dr. Jacoby to die. I don’t want anyone to succumb to the pain of depression.

But, The Resident is exposing the dark realities of the medical profession and this is a dark reality. It is nearly impossible to manage depression (especially a severe enough depression to have hallucinations) without hard work, treatment, and a deep desire to get better.

If Dr. Jacoby had attempted suicide, I think that would have served as more of a warning to Conrad and everyone on the Chastain Team: Face. Your. Demons.

This brings me to something that I wish The Resident was addressing explicitly: vicarious trauma. Suicide rates for people who work in high trauma situations, like E.R.s is higher than average.

Ignoring the impacts of being around and sometimes responsible for other people’s deaths can be deadly itself.

I hope that The Resident considers this mental health piece of being a provider before the close of the season.

Battle Lines Drawn

The lines have been drawn and it is time to battle. On one side we have the Evil Queen Dr. Hunter, joined by spineless Icarus, Dr. Bell.

On the other side, we have Nic, Conrad, Mina, Devon, Jude, and Claire.

Dr. Hunter shows herself to be a true snake on “Haunted,” so even though she’s outnumbered, she will put up a formidable fight.

While Conrad, Jude, and Devon are passionate about taking down Hunter-Bell, the unstoppable trio of Nicolette, Mina and Claire are who I trust to get it done.

Doctor’s Notes

• “Haunted” revisits the lethal, tribalism-based idea of “we protect our own.” I hope the show keeps coming back to this pervasive and harmful ideology.
• Mina fangirling over Dr. Jacoby is the sweetest thing ever. I love that she is inspired to review surgery tape from the 1980s. Just more evidence that Dr. Mina Okafor is a bona fide superhero.
• Dr. Pravesh is wrong. He isn’t the better doctor for Lily; Nicolette Nevin was her best doctor.
• I am so glad the show is noting the financial pressures doctors face. Just because a person is great at surgery does NOT mean they know what to do with money. Debt can be a hauntingly powerful motivator.
• Grief and loss is NOT something that can be “fixed” by another person. Nic doesn’t need Conrad to fix her, she needs him to be there for her. There is a difference.
• Another important theme that “Haunted” covers is the pressure for “what happens in the OR to stay in the OR,” or how everyone falls in line. The intentional inclusion of the difference between what happens in surgery and what is conveyed to the patient really works to highlight the absurdity of the secretive practices of hospitals. I get more information from daycare about my toddler’s bowel movements.
• Jude is excellent on the episode. I hope that something happens to keep him around. Perhaps he can become a love interest for Mina.

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

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

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