The Resident Review: Queens (Season 2 Episode 15)
The title of The Resident Season 2 Episode 15, “Queens,” is referring to just one Queen.
Before we get to Mina’s mother, Dr. Josephine Okeke (Lynn Whitfield), let’s get the frustrating elements of the episode out of the way, starting with Quovadis. Typing that word is now officially maddening every single time.
The show seems to be going to extremes when it comes to faking viewers out before addressing the actual problem. Alluding to Zoey’s boyfriend abusing Henry is annoying. I love Henry, so I did fall for it, and at the end of the episode, I felt disrespected as a viewer.
Sure, it doesn’t feel good to fall for a sloppy storyline like that. But this is Henry Barnett we’re talking about, people! There is no time for divisive techniques — just get to saving his life.
Of course the Quovadis device in Henry’s head is misfiring and causing his heart to stop! Mina and Conrad and Nic are smart — by this episode, it’s plain ridiculous that they spend so much time asking about other circumstances rather than blaming the device.
The pacing of them investigating Lane Hunter in Season 1 is so much more engaging. This could be because of the longer episode order this season, or the content of the story. It’s probably a mix of both.
Bell joining the fight against Quovadis is another story. We know he’s motivated by money, so it makes sense that it would take him this long to see the problem.
Getting back to divisive fake-outs, the episode also does a very bad job of convincing us that Mina has the BRCA gene in the very beginning. Those few seconds in the scene itself are artistically interesting, and we are only supposed to be fooled for a split second.
But if you are going to do something like that at all, don’t give the outcome away in your promo photos days before. Why try to trick us at all if some viewers have already seen Mina at someone’s bedside?
Plus, the scene where we meet Dr. Okeke probably plays better if you hadn’t seen it in the sneak peek. Even if you missed it, discovering her relationship to Mina is only a small surprise.
Dr. Okeke herself is the biggest surprise of the episode. There is a sense that something is “off” with her in all of her scenes, but it’s hard to put a finger on.
Beyond the way she treats Mina Okafor, one of the fiercest women on TV right now, there is the fact that it’s abnormal and (while I’m all for vulnerability) quite unprofessional to bring up your family’s biggest tragedy in the middle of what is essentially a business lunch.
Even with these signs, Dr. Okeke’s angry outburst in the OR is downright shocking.
It’s no wonder that Mina came to the U.S. But I can’t shake the feeling that there is something even deeper going on here. Mina keeps saying, “She’s my mother, but she’s not my mother.”
Why not say anything like “my mother is annoying,” or “my mother is hard to deal with,” or even “my mother is a bitch”?
This is a television show we’re talking about. There is something so foreboding about the words, “She’s my mother, but she’s not my mother.” We’ll probably have to wait a while to figure out if it means anything at all.
Doctor’s Notes:
- It’s also weird that Henry says, “I wish Conrad were my dad.” But the line means something. Don’t ignore it.
- BRCA gene stories are important, but as it’s very personal to write about these choices — and the storyline is mostly about Mina and Josephine — I chose to focus on other elements of the episode.
- According to showrunner Amy Holden Jones on Twitter, the Quovadis story and Gordon Page are based on real events. That seems ridiculous, because Gordon Page is only half a step above a Disney villain as far as believability. Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction. The circumstances may be eerily true. I just wonder if there is a real person out there who Page is meant to be based on.
- Health care costs are also important to talk about. But the time spent on Devon’s patient case could’ve been spent making the other two storylines better, and I would not have been mad.
- There is a void in the episode that should be filled by Kit Voss.
- It’s nice to see Devon seemingly forget about Julian, but then I began to wonder if his concern for the cost of healthcare and the haste at which he helps his patient avoid fraud consequences has anything to do with Julian and her hip replacement and the fact that she helps put her sister through college.
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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Esme Mazzeo
Esme Mazzeo is a lifestyle and entertainment journalist from Long Island. When she's not writing for work, she's writing for fun, or searching for something to satisfy her sweet tooth. She thinks rainy days are the best kind of days. Certified night owl.
One thought on “The Resident Review: Queens (Season 2 Episode 15)”
Just started seeing The Resident, and I love it. I noticed some misrepresentation on geography and background when Mina’s mother was introduced. Apart from the ridiculous accent of course, Mina’s mother mentioned she’s building a hospital in Gombe which will be the biggest in Eastern Nigeria. The only problem is that Gombe is nowhere near Eastern Nigeria, it is in the North. whew..Simple google search could have saved that fail.
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