Well, well, well; how the tables have turned.
In a shocking development, the docs of Chastain had to help Cain on The Resident Season 4 Episode 3. By the end of the hour, he was unconscious, and his career and life hung in the balance.
Join TV Fanatics Rachel Foertsch, Meaghan Frey, Carissa Pavlica, and Jasmine Blu as they discuss the episode.
What was your first reaction to Cain’s accident, and how did you feel about this storyline?
Rachel: If I’m honest, I wasn’t necessarily too invested in his well-being. He’s taken so many lives that it makes it hard to care too much about his. He may have saved one girl, but one good deed isn’t enough to erase all the bad ones.
I was entertained by the storyline, though. For once, he was at the mercy of the other doctors. It forced him to trust them rather than fight them.
Meaghan: I hate to say that Cain deserved it, but he kind of did. The storyline was interesting enough where I sometimes forgot it was Cain, so I was invested in it.
The perspective of a highly skilled surgeon as a patient has been done before, but usually, they are too incapacitated to have enough input. Watching Cain trying to take charge of his own care but no succeeding was definitely entertaining to watch.
Jasmine: Is it awful that I laughed when the accident happened? It was very soap-opera-ish. I mean, I was entertained that Cain had to rely on the people he often trashes to get him through this, and he was a hands-on patient.
Carissa: The first thing I did was contact Jasmine so that I had someone to enjoy the moment. Yes, it’s true. It couldn’t have happened to a more deserving person. Karma, baby!
What are your Cain predictions? Will he regain consciousness and reclaim the use of his hand? Do you think we’ll get a “changed” Cain?
Rachel: I think he’ll wake up, but I think whether or not he’ll be able to use his hand is up in the air. I can’t picture getting a changed Cain. If nothing’s changed him at this point, it’s unlikely it’ll happen.
It was interesting that Cain’s residents were following his own rules, and that’s what resulted in some of his complications. It’s different when you’re the one on the table, so it does make me wonder whether or not he’ll change his stance on some rules and procedures.
AJ: The food wasn’t inspiring but the name was.
Cain: Wny?
AJ: Come on, man. Another surgical god under the same roof and a brotha at that? I had hoped for a colleague, a comrade, but brotha, you have managed to alienate every single doctor in this hospital, and even still, I have my instincts that hope I felt is still very much alive. You know traumatic events like this can have profound impact on one’s constitution, so maybe you come out on the other side of this surgical gifts intact with a different outlook on life.
Meaghan: Like I believe Carissa said in a previous roundtable, they added him to the opening credits, so he is definitely going to pull through. I can’t see him losing function of his hand permanently, but I do think it is going to be the focus of his storyline for the remainder of the season.
I’m assuming his journey will be there of trying to redeem him, but as I’ve said before, it is too little too late. I could definitely see Cain pulling a Bell and Preston Burke and not being fully back at baseline hand function and faking it, putting patients at risk.
Jasmine: Yeah, as Carissa and Meaghan have pointed out, they added Cain to the credits. Morris Chestnut is a fantastic addition, so you’d want to keep him around. Cain is hanging around for a bit.
The redemption is inevitable, and it’ll probably be after he wakes up and faces the possibility of losing his abilities temporarily. I think it’s too little too late, and we’ve already had a successful one-off with Bell and don’t need it repeated.
I wonder if he’ll forget how he was before when he wakes up or something to that effect?
Carissa: I don’t care. But, as my mother said, you just know that the CoNic baby drama foretold will require in-the-womb surgery that only Cain can perform. God, I hope not. But, if he regains consciousness, I hope he’s never able to perform surgery again. He’s put enough lives in jeopardy for the almighty dollar.
Do you think Bell’s plan to bring attention and potential donors to Chastain via his talk show will prove fruitful? How much did you enjoy Bell and Mina working together again?
Rachel: I loved seeing Bell and Mina work together! It’s easy to forget how badly Bell treated her on The Resident Season 1 because they make such a good team now.
Mina probably doesn’t want to be his best friend, but she has come to accept that Bell is a changed man who cares about the patients at Chastain. I hope his plan works, but I can’t see them resolving the problem that easily.
Meaghan: It was a great idea. Most likely, some media giant or tech mogul will see the show, think about the opportunity it presents for them, and cash in. The question is: in a scenario like that, would they just be trading in the devil they know for an even worse threat?
Mina and Bell are a super fun pair. As Rachel said, it’s easy to forget Season 1 Bell after how far he has come. Mina has never seemed like the type to hold grudges, and Bell has proven himself on many occasions that he is not that person anymore.
Every day patients walk through the doors of Chastain with different needs, and our staff is ready. Our doctors and nurses work tirelessly, care deeply, sacrifice willingly. This hospital is a cornerstone of this community and a center for medical innovation, and that’s why I’m so proud to call Chastain Park Memorial home.
Bell
Jasmine: Before The Raptor arrived, I was a big fan of the Bellina (courtesy of one of our esteemed commenters, V) dynamic. They worked well together then, and they still do now. They were among my favorite scenes.
I think Bell’s actions will help Chastain out a great deal, but it’s sadly going to take more than that. It’s a stepping stone, though.
Carissa: The many different dynamics at Chastain are what breathes life into this story, and Bell and Mina were always entertaining. She was probably the last holdout in believing that he could change.
That said, I wonder if this was a storyline that signals upcoming redemption for Cain. If Mina can see it in Bell, maybe she’ll see it in Cain. Ugh.
Which of the medical cases did you enjoy the most and why?
Rachel: Definitely Cain’s. It’s always interesting to see a doctor treated because they often try to doctor themselves. Given how arrogant Cain is, I was fully expecting him to butt heads with everyone helping him. His life was in Kit’s hands, and I liked that it forced him to concede to her.
Meaghan: Cain for sure. I loved seeing him be at the mercy of others. It’s a good dose of his own medicine after the things he has put his patients through.
Jasmine: Kit holding all the power was gratifying, I agree. I loved the case with the two lovebirds. Darren gave up his crappy job, his entire life, and brought his bulldog with him to be with her. It was romantic, and I loved it.
Carissa: There were other medical cases? Haha! I was a little invested in Cain’s comeuppance, I guess.
What was your favorite scene or quote from the hour?
Rachel: I loved when Conrad drew Nic’s blood for the pregnancy test. It’s funny seeing the doctors struggle with such simple tasks, and it really emphasizes the importance of nurses in the health care system. But, all in all, it was just cute.
Meaghan: I loved that scene so much, Rachel! As a nurse, it is so refreshing to see a show give an honest portrayal of the reality of what a doctor does vs. a nurse does. Almost every other medical show gets it so wrong.
One scene I find surprisingly hilarious was Cain dreaming that he woke up mid-surgery. For some reason, it felt exactly like something he would do.
Cain: I know what you’re thinking, that this is Karma.
Kit: The sooner we operate the better chance we have to restore your hand function. That’s what I’m thinking.
Jasmine: Mina and AJ’s constant banter and negotiations amuse me. I love that they haven’t changed that much since sleeping together. It’s satisfying as a fan of their dynamic in its entirety.
I also appreciate Devon’s grief and how the show and Dayal are portraying it. He was relieved when he found out his patient did get to speak to his daughter, but he could barely stick around in the room any longer after that, and it was such a brief but raw moment.
Carissa: My favorite scene was Cain wiggling his fingers on the operating table. I can only dream that his dream was reality, and he’s aware of everything during that surgery. He has been so callous with people with the belief that they feel and know nothing when unconscious. Surprise!!!
Is there anything else you’d love to discuss that we haven’t addressed?
Rachel: The CoNic baby is official! Not that I really had any doubt. And it’s inspiring that Devon has been able to use what happened with his father to make a positive impact on his patients.
Meaghan: I was so incredibly happy that the CoNic baby wasn’t a fake-out. When Nic said she wanted bloodwork to confirm, I was convinced that there’d be some unforeseen complication that screwed it all up.
HOWEVER, after reading the summary of the upcoming episode posted here on TV Fanatic and it seeming that complications are coming for Nic and the baby, I am not pleased — not one bit. Just let CoNic be happy for five minutes!
Jasmine: Yeah, one of the many reasons I run more cold than hot for baby storylines is the redundancy. I, too, am on edge about the potential of Nic and the baby’s life in jeopardy or having scares.
And knowing something is in the works does make it harder to enjoy where CoNic is now. The CoNic baby is going to take me a while to adapt. I literally didn’t accept the reality of having another kid brother until the nurse shoved him into my arms in the delivery room, so what can I say?
Over to you, Resident Fanatics. How do you feel about Cain and the CoNic baby? Do you agree with us?
The Resident airs Tuesdays on FOX.
Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.