The Resident Review: Mina’s Kangaroo Court (Season 4 Episode 2)

The teaser on The Resident Season 4 Episode 2, “Mina’s Kangaroo Court,” doesn’t just depict the doctors’ mornings — it provides insight into everyone’s mindset. 

Conrad and Nic are in wedded bliss in bed, Mina and the Raptor are sparring as usual. In contrast to the other couple, they aren’t cuddled up in bed, they are physically separated and at least partially clothed. 

When the camera cuts to Devon, he’s visibly forlorn and the soundtrack to his scene is melancholy compared to the lovers. 

It may not seem like a big deal, but the teaser foreshadows what’s coming up for each person and it’s brilliant. 

Does anyone actually blame Devon for going off on Congresswoman Randall, though?

It’s easy to blame his grief because that is the reason why he drops his bedside manner. But in a post-COVID world, what is a congresswoman doing playing games with her health and doctors’ time? 

No matter that Conrad is a fanboy, Devon’s reprimand is definitely warranted.

The Resident is doing a great job of addressing the realities of COVID-19 in a post-pandemic society. Devon’s father died in large part due to institutionalized medical racism and we need to keep hearing that and more importantly, seeing its effects. 

Devon: My father, he died alone because his public hospital in a poor brown neighborhood didn’t have enough resources to save him.

That is happening right now all over the U.S. to real people. We need to be aware of that, even if all we can do to help the situation is stay home as much as possible, wear masks, and social distance. 

It is worrisome that Devon doesn’t mention the fact that he might be hallucinating images of his father, but it’s difficult to confirm that’s a medical symptom right now. It could just be his thoughts running due to stress that will go away soon. 

Something tells me the former option is more likely, however.  

Manish Dayal is doing a wonderful job portraying functional grief. “Mina’s Kangaroo Court” picks up a few months after his father’s death. 

Society expects him to be functional, and for the most part, he appears to be. But of course, his grief would roar like a lion when a patient as educated as Congresswoman Randall withholds information from doctors for personal reasons. 

And perhaps it’s to be expected given this is his first day back at work at a hospital that he would picture his father right before his death. The man did die alone in a hospital after all.

In Devon’s case, it’s possible all he can do is wait out the grief, whereas Mina and The Raptor have a few choices when it comes to their Barrett Cain problem. 

Honestly, the sooner they act the better, but if and how they act is a complicated matter.

First of all, I have to walk back my statement from The Resident Season 4 Episode 1, “A Wedding, A Funeral” that Dr. Cain might perversely care about the hospital. 

It’s wrong of him to lie to Ben and in reality, no matter its financial struggles, no hospital would get away with fraudulent behavior like lying to a patient and scheduling a non-emergency surgery during a global pandemic. 

But as a Black man who grew up in the U.S., Dr. Austin is right that turning Dr. Cain in isn’t the simple solution that Mina thinks it is. 

I’m white-passing, so I don’t have any way to know what Mina, A.J., or Dr. Cain are feeling. I do know that part of the reason this storyline is so intriguing is that white privilege isn’t a factor here.

Mina is right that what Dr. Cain is doing is morally and medically wrong. The first solution that comes to mind is to report him and a white doctor probably wouldn’t be able to run to the hospital board fast enough.  

Even though Mina grew up in Nigeria and has a different experience with institutional racism in America, she also has a point that Dr. Cain is wrong — period. 

Dr. Cain’s actions directly resulted in his patient getting COVID and complications that caused Ben to need an emergency craniotomy. No matter how noble A.J. is to try to change Cain before he decides to ruin another Black man’s career, it’s hard to imagine one man inspiring that big a change in someone as corrupt as Cain. 

We all know that Mina is going to be extremely resistant to helping the Raptor with his mission at the very least.

This story is also a perfect way to explore the complicated nature of Minator’s sexual relationship while they are mentor and mentee. 

Mina is one of the strongest women on television today. She’s not going to compromise her morals or what she believes is right because she’s going to bed with A.J. at the end of the night. 

The couple’s negotiation to take three days off from sex is a perfect example of what we’re in for as the relationship moves forward. A.J. might need a night off from intimacy. But she’s really mad, so it’s nothing for Mina to increase that number to three. 

Minator has one of the most unique dynamics on TV and even though we’ve already been through a slow burn, Shaunette Renée Wilson and Malcolm-Jamal Warner are so good at what they do together that I don’t even want them to be near a “happily ever after” anytime soon. 

Where their professional disagreement is concerned it’s worth noting that Mina is not the type of person who would give A.J. the time he’s requesting if she did not think he had a valid point. 

We may all know what we would do, but all problems are easy to solve from the outside. 

I have to end with the CoNic pregnancy. As happy as I am for them, looking at the situation critically, I think there’s a high chance that this story ends in tragedy. 

“Mina’s Kangaroo Court” takes place a month or two from The Resident Season 4 Episode 1, “A Wedding, A Funeral.” So, Conrad and Nic have had time to live in wedded bliss off-screen. 

But a pregnancy one episode after “I do” is more ominous than anything else. There is a slim chance that there are no complications and if that ends up being the case, it’s a waste from a storytelling perspective. 

So guard your hearts, friends. 

Doctor’s Notes:

• Congresswoman Nichelle Randall gives me AOC vibes and she’s such a great character. I really hope she’s recurring but I’m not holding my breath. 
• I didn’t notice on the premiere but — Jane Leeves is a regular! Constant Dr. Kitt Voss is worth celebrating. 
• Kerr Smith’s character is already a more effective villain than Logan Kim was and he hasn’t even done much. He just looks more menacing. 
• I’m invested in Dr. Bell’s growth and have a feeling we’ll see Dr. Jake again. But something about lurking outside of the club to beg forgiveness falls flat.  
• I’m usually unfazed by gross medical surgeries on medical dramas, but the visuals during the craniotomy are next level disturbing. 

—

What did you think of this episode of The Resident? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Critic Rating:

User Rating:

 

The Resident airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on FOX. 

 Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!

15 TV Characters Who Could Use Some Luck