The Resident Review: The Germ (Season 2 Episode 5)

It’s the little details that make an episode of TV great.

On The Resident Season 2 Episode 5, “The Germ,” the attention to detail starts with the title. “The Germ” most directly refers to the skit the hospital puts on for Jasper. But it’s also a reference to the Quovadis devices that are taking over the hospital; it’s the cancer that kills Jasper; it’s Jasper’s pediatric oncologist, who shouldn’t be working with kids; it’s Julian’s boss (forgive me, I don’t like him enough to look up his name at the moment.)

Julian herself is also the germ. She’s getting in between Devon and Priya. As I said in my review of The Resident Season 2 Episode 4, “About Time,” I’m with the minority of our readers who ship them. But the writers need to hurry up with it already. For four episodes now, we’ve been told that Devon and Priya are experiencing wedding planning tension.

Since Julian’s character was introduced, her purpose has been obvious. I even believe the chemistry between her and Devon. But they are doing too much telling and not enough showing where Priya is concerned. Perhaps the writers don’t want us to get too attached to her — but viewers are going to be sympathetic no matter what! Their relationship is about to end right before a wedding.

For it to be a real arc, I wish we saw Devon pulling away from Priya and Priya being confused about it. They’re not making me care by telling me. I just roll my eyes and want them to get on with it.

Devon may be experiencing a change of heart in more than just his relationship. Bradley Jenkins is back, in large part to plant a seed of doubt in Devon’s mind about medicine and open his eyes to the joys of medical marketing. The app he’s developing is not just a hobby.

Conrad is perfectly content where he is, but this episode makes me really start to question if he should be. He is so great with Jasper and Henry (and all of his patients that are kids), I’m starting to wish he were a pediatric surgeon, or at least a pediatrician.

The Resident is having a great season so far. The show doesn’t need to make major changes. Sometimes I just daydream about a medical series centered around a pediatric specialist.

I think I understand why it hasn’t been done yet. A series that focuses primarily on children would eventually have difficulty varying their storylines, not to mention child labor laws for the actors. It makes more sense not to focus too much on any specialty, let alone children.

But for the record, if a series like this did exist, I’d want Conrad Hawkins to be the central character.

Henry and Jasper might be my favorite patients on the series so far. “The Germ” skit is such a unique twist for this storyline. A show within a show in which practically the whole staff participates? I don’t know how realistic it is, but it is sweet to watch a little boy’s innocent dream come true right before he dies.

The best part is the entire staff knowingly smiling as the skit progresses. It gives me chills (in a good way) to watch that scene, and it’s during one of the saddest episodes of the series. I suppose you could call that great balance by the writers.

But Jasper and Henry’s story is a great example of a single-episode plot that would actually benefit from being a multi-episode arc instead.

I’m left with so many questions after watching the episode.

Conrad mentions in the beginning that the boys are adopted. How is Zoe’s experience during Jasper’s cancer battle different from that of a biological mother? Maybe none. But I wonder if there is extra monetary strain? Is she feeling a different kind of guilt than a biological mother might be? I imagine there’s an extra layer. But I don’t know, because the writers don’t tell us.

There is also a reference to a husband that left her. Watching that break down, even in just two episodes, would’ve been fascinating to me.

Conrad develops a relationship with Zoe. We know it happened during his pediatric rotation as an intern…. but it didn’t have to be so far in the past. Or if it did, why?

After watching the episode a second time, I wonder whether Conrad’s emotions after losing Henry have anything to do with him and Nic losing their baby. It could be. The two events could’ve happened simultaneously. But I have no way of knowing until I’m shown… or told, in this case.

As much as I love the episode, Henry and Jasper’s arc in particular highlights some of the biggest weaknesses of The Resident for me. I need a little bit more depth to the arcs that revolve around doctors’ personal lives (see Devon’s arc above.)

Maybe viewers are left hanging for a reason, or maybe I just think too hard. But we did get the flashbacks on The Resident Season 2 Episode 3, “Three Words.” It’s going to bug me if I’m still asking “why” at the end of the season.

The show does a better job than most medical shows at getting viewers to care about patients that we will only know for one episode. But I need them to do better with the patients who have long arcs.

I know these patients exist on the series. There was Lilly, who I did care about more than anyone on Season 1 (though not as much as I would’ve liked to). And there is Micah this season. But I care about Henry and Jasper more than those other two people combined.

I have faith that as The Resident grows, they’ll fix these issues. The writers have already given me some of what I asked for in my season premiere review. But over time, if these issues continue, they’ll kill the quality of the show.

They’d affect the quality of any show — though this episode is more proof that one of this show’s biggest strengths is their talented cast.

Doctor’s Notes:

• I’m still loving the Quovadis story, and something tells me we’re just at the beginning of that.
• I want more Mina and Nic! I find Mina’s emotions within friendships more believable than in romantic relationships right now, and I wish the show agreed with me.
• As much as I don’t think Devon will get a wedding, I want to see this Bollywood dance.
• I was VERY surprised that AJ Austin could be so easily convinced of anything, even by a mentor. I was also very surprised he has a mentor that could be so easily bought.
• Kit Voss is one of my absolute favorites, and I could ship her and Bell.
• Matt Czuchry is SO good throughout so much of “The Germ.” The scene with the baseball glove got me the most.
• For the cliff, the writers needed to end where they did. But sometimes, I think The Resident would have more of an emotional impact for me if they ended on the scene with the coda song every once in a while.

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 8/7c on FOX.

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