The Resident Season 6 Episode 8 Review: The Better Part of Valor

It looks like The Resident Season 6 Episode 8, “The Better Part of Valor,” tries to explore too many storylines in one episode. This tactic can work, but the show may have dropped the ball.

Everything is falling apart for the characters at Chastain, but we have no time to process that as we jump from scene to scene, from character to character, without catching our breaths.

I believe fans are happy to see Ian asking for help, but that development deserves better than a small apparition during this episode.

Bell Going Down

The Resident is honoring one of its finest doctors when things take a turn for the worst. We were expecting the governor to mess with Bell’s career but during his award ceremony? That is ruthless!

The sense of camaraderie and family is evident when Conrad runs from his table to intercept the man he believes will harm Bell. Once again, the show proves Chastain only works because these characters care about each other.

But Conrad isn’t the only one jumping to protect Randolph. His wife does the same thing.

Once again, we know nothing will ever truly harm Bell if he has Voss by his side. Jane Leeves does a fantastic job portraying anger, hurt, and discomfort in every scene her character faces.

All the love and support in the world cannot help Bell. The governor is out to get him, which is apparent when The Resident brings back Bell’s nickname from Season 1: HODAD (hands of death and destruction).

As much as we hate this is happening, Bell has had it coming from the very beginning.

Because we know The Resident isn’t all about one doctor, we can’t help but side with Conrad’s father when he suggests Bell takes the settlement.

At times, Marshall can be perceived as the villain because we see him focus on the business side of things. However, he proves us wrong during “The Better Part of Valor” because he thinks about everyone who works and is treated at Chastain.

The truth is the only bad guy here is the governor, and I can’t wait for someone to bring him down finally.

It would be perfect if that someone was Jessica. However, we must appreciate how fast she jumps in to help Bell even though she is well aware of his past. Jessica is a vital component of the hospital, and her role in this storyline should be more significant than it has been so far.

The Case Isn’t All There

In the past, I have highlighted the great job The Resident has done portraying different cases. However, I cannot do that with “The Better Part of Valor.”

This time, the case feels rushed. At first, it is intriguing to see a challenge presented to Conrad and the rest of the doctors. Having the first patient’s friend introduce the case and what is going on is a great move.

But that is where it ends. We don’t get to connect with the patients or their stories. So there isn’t even much closure to it.

Watching Billie, The Raptor, and Conrad talk about parenting after the case is done great because we continue to learn more about them. But what happened with the parents of the children? What repercussions does the surgery have?

The scene in the OR is extremely graphic and allows us to understand it is a complex case, but it isn’t enough to make us feel like we will remember it down the line.

The Real Reason Behind The Case

Besides the goal to constantly incorporate reality into this fictitious world, I believe the case is introduced to point out Ian’s addiction.

From the beginning of the episode, we can see Ian is jumpy, paranoid, and scared. His scene with Conrad in the ED shows us he understands addiction and how hard it can affect people. However, until then, we believed he didn’t care about his situation.

When the anesthesiologist catches him in the OR as he is stealing drugs, we believe that is it. Everything will be uncovered. But she tells him about past experiences and plants the idea in his head that something isn’t right.

And thank goodness she does! We won’t know it, but that conversation might have pushed Ian to ask for help.

Kaley Ronayne does some of her best acting when Cade finds herself in Ian’s office, facing the reality of his addiction. She realizes her dad needs help, and she won’t back down until he gets it.

That is the most powerful scene we have seen between the father and daughter — the most powerful scene of the episode.

Hopefully, The Resident’s next episode will bring us the cases we love to see the doctors dealing with, and the storylines won’t be rushed.

Everything that is going on with Bell and Ian has the potential to continue to be explored throughout the season.

The only hope is that The Resident will do it in a way that doesn’t bore us.

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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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