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Betz’s vendetta may mean Bell’s chickens have come home to roost.
Much of the hour focused on the drug epidemic among teenagers on The Resident Season 6 Episode 8, but some of the biggest plot developments pertained to Betz’s quest to destroy Bell and Ian coming clean and heading to rehab.
Join Laura Nowak, Leora W., and Meaghan Frey as they discuss it all.
What did you think of how the series handled the fentanyl epidemic, particularly among teens?
Laura: It’s so sad the number of teens who abuse drugs. I liked how realistic they handled the drug addiction. It wasn’t preachy, but they didn’t gloss over the seriousness of it either.
Leora W: It was a little preachy, but that’s par for the course with this show. However, one important thing to note, which I promised my friend I would bring up, is that they, unfortunately, perpetuated the myth that fentanyl can be spread by touch, which IS NOT TRUE!
It is a dangerous myth because it causes people to hesitate before helping someone who might have overdosed on fentanyl. Check out this link for more: https://health.ucdavis.edu/news/headlines/can-fentanyl-be-absorbed-through-your-skin/2022/10
Meaghan: I agree with Leora. The handling of the issue felt a little heavy-handed for me and came across as a PSA.
The problem stems from something other than them tackling these heavy issues in general but rather in the dialogue surrounding it. It never comes across as a natural conversation the characters would have. All that said, this is a critical issue, and I’m glad they at least touched upon it.
Do you believe that Ian is sincere about getting help?
Laura: No. He realizes more people are onto him, and he better play the part and gets help.
Leora W: Yeah, it’s possible, but more likely, Laura’s right. Until the last second, he was trying to find an excuse not to go to rehab. He might break out or fake recovery.
Meaghan: I can’t decide one way or the other right now. I don’t really trust his character, but his being wishy-washy about his recovery is par for the course of an addict. Just because they realize they need help and want that help doesn’t mean that it completely overrides their addiction.
I hope he is serious about getting proper treatment for Cade’s sake, but I can’t help but feel like this isn’t the end of this storyline.
Should Cade have kept Ian’s secret, confided in Conrad, or told Kit? Do you think she’s enabling her father or helping him?
Laura: Cade is in a tricky spot since her dad is a talented physician, but she again literally saw what being addicted to drugs can do to patients.
It may not matter since the anesthesiologist suspects Ian was using when she saw him acting funny. If people find out Cade knew, it could get worse for her both at work and with Conrad.
Leora W: I agree that she is in a tough spot. While it isn’t Conrad’s business, it is Kit’s, and both will likely hold her accountable for not telling.
Meaghan: Cade is thinking like a daughter right now instead of like a fellow physician.
As Ian’s colleague, she absolutely should have gone to Kit about him. Even if Ian has all the best intentions, it will be very possible for him to slip, especially in the early stages of his recovery. Kit needs to be able to monitor him and ensure he isn’t putting patients at risk.
Did Kit make things worse with Betz? What do you make of Betz turning up the heat with his vendetta?
Laura: It was obvious that Betz wasn’t backing down no matter what Kit said. Kit put him on notice that Bell has several people in his corner with her on the front lines. Betz should be careful.
Leora W: Betz is a garbage person. I was sure Kit was recording Betz and was disappointed when we discovered she wasn’t. Kit is smart, and it feels like she should be too smart to do something like that, but Betz is the sort of person who brings it out in people.
I really want her to get the upper hand, though, because she IS smarter than him and should be able to beat him.
As for Bell, I agree with Laura that there was nothing she could do to save him, but it was sweet of her to try. Naive but sweet.
Meaghan: It isn’t possible to make things worse regarding Betz. That man has a serious vendetta, and nothing Kit said would sway him.
I can’t help but wonder if there is more to his hatred for Bell than just what happened at their meeting. Kit has also come for him hard, yet he isn’t going after her with the same ferocity.
Do you think HODAD and other things coming back to haunt Bell were warranted and overdue? Is this a necessary, inevitable part of his redemption arc?
Laura: I’m not thrilled to see HODAD come back up, but it may be a necessary part of his redemption. He’s not that doctor anymore, and he has a heart and a soul.
Leora W: It’s hard to say. On the one hand, I feel like he’s paid his dues. On the other hand, the people he hurt in his HODAD days never received the proper acknowledgment and compensation they deserved.
I don’t want Bell destroyed, but maybe this does have to happen. Also, I think the tremors he experienced in The Resident Season 1 were likely early signs of MS.
It never made sense that they just went away in The Resident Season 2 without explanation. Now that he knows the problem and is being treated properly, he can be a good surgeon, and it says a lot that those who once condemned him as HODAD, i.e., Conrad and Devon, now rally to his defense.
Meaghan: I, too, can’t help but wonder if Bell’s tremors during the first season were early signs of his MS. While that would explain it, it doesn’t excuse the complete lack of regard for patients’ safety that he had at that time.
I would hate to see the new Bell pay the price for old Bell’s mistakes; at the same time, the new Bell would be willing to accept the responsibility that old Bell couldn’t.
What do you think the future hold for Bell now?
Laura: With Kit and Bell’s other defenders, he’ll come out on top. I’m not sure he’ll be a leading surgeon, as Chastain has many now, but they’ll always be a place for him at Chastain to help others.
Leora W: That’s optimistic of you, Laura. He may have to step down. Then again, I thought that when he was diagnosed too, so maybe I just like to brace myself for the worst.
The truth is, Kit is right, his career isn’t the most important thing anymore, and he offered to step down when he was diagnosed. He could still live a happy, fulfilling life with Kit if he decides to leave his medical career behind him.
Meaghan: I don’t think there will be any choice but for him to step down. I was concerned last week that the stress of this situation with Betz would manifest in an MS flare, and we are already seeing that come to fruition.
Even more concerning is that he is trying to hide it by getting treatment from Conrad. That feels like something the old Bell would do.
Things are only going to get worse. For his own health, sanity, and patients’ safety, he should step down and focus on bringing real change to the healthcare system.
What was your favorite moment from the hour? Is there anything else you’d like to address?
Laura: I loved how adamantly Kit defended Bell. I also appreciated seeing Jessica, Devon, and Leela try to help him. They all know he’s changed. It was enjoyable seeing Marshall on-screen again. I wish we could have gotten a brief scene with him and Conrad.
Leora W: I liked the scene with Cade and Ian because it felt authentic and less preachy than the rest.
Also, much as I want Conrad with Billie, I am really enjoying Cade as a character, especially the parts with her father.
Of course, the Billie/Conrad shipper in me has to mention that moment when Malik called the girl who saved him, and whose birthday is the password for his phone, his best friend, and said he would die without her or something, and Conrad said he knows the feeling, and you know he was thinking about Billie.
The references to HODAD and the first season made me miss Nic all over again. She was there for that!
Meaghan: Seeing everyone come together to help Bell was big for me. They’ve all come from since The Resident Season 1, making me quite emotional.
Over to you, Resident Fanatics! Do you agree with us? Do you disagree? Sound off below.
The Resident returns with the fall finale on November 29 on FOX.
Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.