The Resident Review: Belief System (Season 3 Episode 4)
Mina is in love with The Raptor!
Even though the hot and heavy hookup we are holding our breath for was just a dream, that heart emoji was real.
It is no trick. MINATOR ARE IN LOVE!
Who knows how long Mina will wait to share her true feelings, instead of the friendly thumbs up. But that doesn’t matter. What matters is that we know Mina knows AJ is the man of her dreams.
The Resident Season 3 Episode 4, “Belief System,” is a treat so tasty I don’t need to ring any doorbells this Halloween! It is spirit-rousing in the best way.
More surprising than spooky, the A-plot on “Belief System,” is like a sleek and sexy like short film placed in the middle of the medical drama.
It’s the perfect choice for a holiday special episode.
I would have loved to watch an entire episode on Mina and AJ’s wayward road trip.
The B-plot and C-plot don’t add enough to justify themselves, but they aren’t ever bad. The bits of belief system unpacking we get from Devon and Conrad’s and Nic and Cain’s conflicts are solid and interesting.
Mina and AJ’s adventure, in contrast, is stunning.
We got CoNic domestic bliss on The Resident Season 3 Episode 3, “Saints & Sinners,” so it is only fair that we get some of the casual cuteness from Mina and AJ too.
“Belief System,” does not disappoint. The car banter shared between the mentor and mentee makes me see hearts.
Near the end of the episode, AJ doesn’t even hesitate to have his lady take his baby to the conference. SQUEE.
We can see a vision of them as a married couple, teasing each other and being each other’s best friends. Talk about heart-pounding drama!
The sweet setting quickly turns eery and we are in for the episode’s main trick: the town is against doctors, not black people.
The decision to M. Night Shyamalan the story is very successful, especially because the C-plot takes care of showing us how very scary racism is.
“Belief System,” highlights that the dangers of corporatized medicine and profit-seeking hospitals are real and insidious, just like racism.
It’s The Resident at its best, thought-provoking, fresh, and sexy.
The direction of the AJ and Mina scenes is fabulous.
In particular, the use of bold colors for the costuming, props, and set builds tension, sexual and otherwise.
One of the final scenes where Mina is looking out into the audience and only sees the person she trusts the most, The Raptor, is perfection.
The tone is simultaneously luscious and intimate. We hang on every breath, every twinge of a smile shared between the two.
It lifts us off our couches and transports us as only excellent television can do. And, smartly, it delivers a sincere message and warning about medical ethics too.
Thanks to Mina and AJ, The Resident gives us the strongest Halloween episode of the year.
Doctors Notes
- I LOVE the nurse’s ghost costume.
- Nic and Cain together are very powerful. I’m into it!
- Devon comes off as a whiny baby to me on th episode. I seem to recall many times where he pushed the limits of ethics because of what he personally believed was just. High horses aren’t flattering on him.
- Mina’s constuming is so consistently stunning. I want every single piece of her wardrobe.
- CoNic arguing about leaving candy out on THEIR porch at THEIR home is everything. Toothache-level sweet.
What did you think of this episode of The Resident? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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The Resident airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on Fox.
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Janelle Ureta
Janelle Ureta is equal parts Veronica Mars, Raven Reyes, and Rebecca Bunch, but she aspires to add some Tammy Taylor to the mix. An attorney turned teacher, Janelle believes in the power of a well-told story. She is currently exploring how to tell short stories, 140 characters or less, on twitter. She loves to talk about TV, and right now she can't shut up about Timeless, Dear White People, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, The 100, or Younger.