Season 1 Randolph Bell was a monster. But The Resident gave him one of the best arcs on television. Now, his past mistakes are returning to haunt him and could take down Chastain Memorial Park in the process.
When Bell (Bruce Greenwood) had strange symptoms, he stopped operating until he figured it out. That’s a far cry from the Bell we got introduced to in season 1, where he hid his tremors. Conrad Hawkins (Matt Czuchry) went up against him to protect the patients. Bell was an influential surgeon that seemed impossible to bring down. Now, he’s fighting the medical system with Conrad. They are even best friends.
Kit Voss (Jane Leeves) had a big part in changing Bell into the man we know today. I love watching our KitBell on screen together. They are an incredible power couple. Now, the new governor, Mark Betz (Steven Culp), is ready to ruin everything.
Betz is a sore loser. That’s all there is to it. Bell embarrassed him in front of the press. The governor didn’t like his dirty work being thrown in his face. He said immediately he wanted to take him down. So he recruited Donald Killian (Landon Ashworth) to spy on Bell. And, of course, being the man he is now, he wished he had done more for a patient they lost, even though nothing could have been done. That was what Betz needed to attack Bell with.
I’m nervous about how this can play out, especially since we’re in the sixth season, and there’s no way to know how much longer the show will last. Considering the series has been about fighting the system, you would hope it would end on a happy note, but in real life, we are nowhere near fixing the healthcare system. So, if they end happily, it would be in a fictional world.
On the other hand, the intensity of this storyline is excellent. Season 6 didn’t have a great start. I wasn’t feeling the twin storyline. But it’s picked up since then. It’s helped that the writers are hinting at Billie Sutton (Jessica Lucas) and Conrad being together. Everyone is saying they thought they would end up together. And that look on Conrad’s face when Billie was asked out was heartbreaking. It’s coming, but we’ll have to wait a little longer.
I also loved the scene with Kit and Betz. I’ve said it before; I love when she’s the boss, babe. This was that, plus protecting her man. Betz looked a little scared. Or at least taken back a little.
Bell has skeletons in his closet, but he did nothing wrong in this case. That probably won’t matter during the court case. While he may beat this, the damage it could do to Chastain could be irreparable. Who will want to go to a hospital where they let a surgeon kill people with no consequences? And who would want to work there?
They had to save the hospital last season, so if it gets renewed for another season, it’s safe to say the hospital will be fine. However, if we are nearing the end, then we should be worried.
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