The Resident Review: Unbefriended (Season 2 Episode 23)
Conrad and Nic are back together really quickly on The Resident Season 2 Episode 23, “The Unbefriended,” though it’s unclear whether Nic is actually compromising by essentially saying “I want what you want, but give me time.”
It’s pointless to drag on reconciliation for seasons, yet so many shows do it with the best ships — and sometimes, that comes back to bite them.
So, from that angle, it’s a great move to get Conrad and Nic back together.
But breaking your main couple up for less than a quarter of one season is pointless. Period. Reconciling them seems more like an admission of a mistake than anything else.
Alec Shaw had potential, but his exit compared to how he started makes it seem like the show had one plan for him and then abandoned it halfway through before writing him out completely.
It seems like something similar happened with Zoey and Henry, Julian, and even Kitt Voss, though the latter character is still on the show.
I’m not dwelling on the past to avoid focusing on the present, but the fact is that the past informs the present. I just have almost no emotion invested in this season finale because of all of the jagged writing throughout the season.
The cliff is the best three minutes of the whole episode, because the answers to its questions leave so much on the line.
We don’t know if Conrad is working on Jessie or Kyle — but honestly, CoNic’s relationship is affected either way. We also don’t know for sure that the person will die. But if they do, Conrad and Nic’s very “new again” relationship will be extremely fragile.
I think Nic would handle Kyle’s death better than Jessie’s. But she may blame Conrad and be angry with him either way.
If someone has to die, viewers would most certainly rather it be Kyle; there’s no question in my mind about that. Plus, there is always the chance that the person lives, no matter who they are.
It’s not something I’m going to stress about all hiatus. And that worries me for the series because it’s literally the only cliffhanger, and pretty much the only real story on the whole episode.
Viewers don’t know about Shira long enough to really care about anything that happens to her. Her storyline only serves to add tension to the transplant plot with Kyle and Jessie, and since Kyle is fine in the OR, it doesn’t matter that Shira overdoses.
It’s just a huge relief that Devon spends most of the episode treating and fighting for George “Sunflower” Wilson instead of paying attention to Shira. George is one of the people I care about most on the episode.
But this just proves to me that The Resident lost its way somewhere midseason. Because…eliminating Shira altogether would free up time they could spend on The Raptor and Mina’s story, for example.
That might seem like a surprising choice because Mina and The Raptor do get a lot of screentime on the episode. But Micah being OK after surgery and having a girlfriend is such a waste of time.
I’m happy for him. I don’t blame him for leaving Mina, though he does move on fast. But if Mina is supposed to feel distressed about Micah moving on, the show should’ve done a better job establishing that.
Viewers know they aren’t endgame, so to put it bluntly — we don’t care who he’s seeing.
Mina and The Raptor deserve a better story — and I’m even willing to wait longer for them to get together. But it seems like giving them time without Micah involved would’ve been a better use of the screen.
Plus, Kitt Voss is the best character on that show. And even though I love her first husband too, it’s hard to understand what the point of her whole storyline on the season is.
She’s been so good for Bell, and then all we get is “Yup, with the ex now.”
It’s not good enough. The Resident is capable of more. I wish I were ending the season on a more positive note. But I’m not one to give up on shows quickly. I hope the series really finds a better flow in Season 3.
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.
2 comments
Late to the party after discovering the show during lockdown, these reviews are great.
I was disappointed that Kit got back with her ex after Bell told her how he felt and actually felt sorry for him. But maybe the point of this is for her to realise that Bell is right for her.
It’s Corbin Bernsen, not Cordin.
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