The Resident Review: Woman Down (Season 3 Episode 7)
The Resident Season 3 Episode 7, “Woman Down,” is a sobfest as Jessica’s Chastain family holds her life in their reverent hands.
While The Resident Season 3 Episode 6, “Nurses’ Day,” is supposed, according to the title at least, to focus on nurses, it is really “Woman Down,” that honors them.
The episode shows us how incredibly challenging nursing is, and why it is worth the sacrifice. It also shows us how doctors really do see nurses and value them as contributors and as people.
Dr. Bell’s obvious love for Jessica is what first gets me on the episode. He’s so rarely emotional. I didn’t know he saw her. I didn’t know he cared for her.
From then on, I can’t stop crying.
It is no mystery that Irving has been my least favorite character. “Woman Down,” changes that.
Tasso Feldman is positively stunning on the episode.
His emotionality, whether it is horror, courage, guilt, or fragility, anchors the episode and allows it to take Jessica seriously in a way that culture fails to.
Irving grappling with his accountability for Jessica’s crash and the “what ifs” is powerful stuff.
IRVING FELDMAN: Scared doesn’t even begin to cover it.
Feldman’s devotion to Jessica is romantic, in a way. He shows that he is not fickle or too scared of the potential loss to deprioritize being there for her.
IRVING FELDMAN: This is the last place I want to be and I won’t be anywhere else.
There is no going back now. We know the range and sincerity that Feldman, the character and the actor, brings to The Resident.
I look forward to more episodes where Jessica and Irving are centered and can substantively add to the already high quality of Season 3’s episodes.
The way everyone at the hospital comes together to save Jessica and support each other is touching.
The writing is a bit heavy-handed at times. There are points where a gesture or action would feel more authentic than explicit dialogue.
For example, the tri-tip moment could have been concluded with a look at Irving and hand squeeze, rather than, “We’re all in this together.”
The truly gripping mini-arcs on the episode, though, secure the emotional resonance.
Mina’s reaction to the tri-tip, for example, is heartbreaking.
Nic has several of these small moments that make a big impact. Her closet time with the new nurse is a very powerful message about nursing and Nic’s ethics.
The episode does a truly excellent job of celebrating the nursing profession without any head patting. I am certain that people watching will feel inspired to join nursing and feel proud to become a nurse.
Cain is straight-up awful. He’s greedy, fake, underhanded, and mean.
But, and I can’t believe I’m about to write this, he’s right about Conrad.
He’s not ENTIRELY right. Conrad is not a threat to the hospital, even if he is a threat to the ends Profit Boss and Cain have in mind.
Conrad is a resident. He does not have the training or experience to make the big calls. He is also not held responsible in the way an attending is.
There are positives and negatives to the hierarchal position of a resident.
The Resident has done an excellent job of exploring the risks of being too beholden to hierarchy or seniority.
However, Conrad has a huge issue with control. He is not infallible and Cain is right to point this out.
Also, Cain is an exceptionally talented neurosurgeon. Conrad is not a surgeon at all. Combat experience doesn’t prepare you for everything.
Conrad is unable to recognize that there will be a time when his unwillingness to fall in line and his inability to be vulnerable actually causes patients to die.
I actually really appreciate that Cain is able to so incisively locate Conrad’s flaw, his hubris. He is so darn unlikeable that his criticisms are easy for Conrad to brush off.
That could make the realization that he should listen to Cain’s criticism (for the right reasons, as opposed to Cain’s nefarious ones) VERY painful.
Bring on the drama.
Doctors Notes
- Jessica’s parents sound dope. It’s no surprise Jessica turned out so awesome.
- I spend at least 3 minutes of each episode with my eyes covered because I can just not handle the cuts and innards.
- Great episode for Dr. Bell. His sincere shock when he realizes Profit Boss has no background in health care hits hard.
- Should CoNic get married in that closet? I don’t know, it feels special.
- The episode is about Nurse Jessica Moore, played by Jessica Miesel, and written by Jessica Ball. VERY COOL!
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.