Grey’s Anatomy is a classic, but it’s time to usher in a new era of dramatic medical portrayals. The Resident is a hit new TV show by FOX that ties in medical ethics with comedy and drama, allowing for a pleasantly cathartic experience as we invest ourselves in the character's issues whilst ignoring our own.
1. None of the main characters have died
Granted, The Resident is still in its fledgling first season, but so far it seems highly unlikely that the show will pull a Shonda Rhimes and kill off half of its cast. (Don’t get me wrong, I love Shonda but she’s a bit too trigger-happy for my taste.)
2. It isn’t centered around romance
The Resident is great because it reminds me a lot of House but without all of the addiction and constant pathology sleuthing. The show does a great job of keeping the plot revolving around the medicine as well as introducing menacing subplots that deal with misuse of ethics and corruption.
3. There’s no Meredith Grey
Ok, listen. I know there are hundreds of people out there frothing at the mouth to defend Meredith but she just never appealed to me as a character. Meredith always felt like one of the weaker female characters, always worrying over Derek and just kind of ignoring the fact that she was an amazing doctor.
4. It features an empowered female cast
The Resident boasts a score of female characters who should serve as everyone’s life goals. Not only do they have a female CEO who is pretty ruthless, Shaunette Renée Wilson (some of you may know her from Black Panther) plays Mina Okafor, a surgical resident who doesn’t let anyone get in the way of her dreams and would probably cut you if you tried. She’s scary and I simultaneously love her and want to be her. Mina and Christina would probably be the best of friends.
5. It exposes medical ethics and corruption
We don’t want to talk about it, but it’s there. Rather than skirting around the rarely touched upon topic of greed and its effect on powerful people, The Resident’s main plot revolves around it with the chief of surgeon suffering from hand tremors and allowing his patients to die at the table from “medical complications” rather than renounce his title and hefty paycheck. The show also delves into the issue modern hospitals are having in regards to finding the funds to support perma patients. Overall, it's some pretty interesting stuff that might make you reflect on the paradox of hospitals catering to both medicine and business.
6. The characters are intricate
Grey’s Anatomy did a great job of this, but The Resident isn’t even finished with it’s first season and viewers already have a solid understanding of what motivates each character and their actions due to their past experiences.
7. HODAD
Here he is, Dr. Randolph Bell. This character will make you want to reach into the screen and shake him. HODAD, aka "hands of death and destruction" is the chief of surgery who is hiding an intermittent hand tremor which is stirring up all kinds of issues as he blackmails residents into keeping his secret so he can keep performing surgeries. He even looks evil.
8. Emily VanCamp
Need I say more? Truly, an icon to all.
