The Resident Season 5 Episode 19 review: Pravesh and Conrad save yet another life; Dr Bell loses medical board seat

3/5

Story: When an ER patient, a young camping enthusiast, begins to show signs of rabies, Pravesh and Conrad have to race against time to stop its progression. But when routine treatment options fail to deliver, the duo try unconventional methods in the hope of saving a life. Will the never-before-tried therapy work, though?

Review: After the events of last week’s episode, one would expect Conrad to be figuring out his and everyone at Chastain’s safety. He’s involved with the mafia, after all. This week, it was like none of that ever happened. There was no sign of Cade, though, but otherwise, it was business as usual at Chastain Memorial Park.

The only major medical drama involved a young camping enthusiast who develops rabies. He’d slept naked on one of those trips and didn’t realize he was bitten by a bat. The problem is that by the time Pravesh and Conrad realize it could be rabies, it might already be too late for their patient. Their only option is to experiment with never-before-tried treatment protocols, in the hope that his otherwise healthy body will respond to it favourably and fight the infection.

Dr Bell’s crusade to help a patient who became a paraplegic owing to medical negligence goes nowhere with the state medical board, so he decides to turn whistleblower and forfeit his seat on the board, in the interest of the greater good. In doing so, though, not only does he publicly humiliate the board, but also the governor who appoints members to it. We’ll have to wait to see what the blowback from that is going to be.

Meanwhile, AJ’s still having trouble coming to terms with his mother’s declining condition and still hopes against hope to figure out ways that will give him more quality time with her. But when the time comes, AJ is firmly by her side and lets Carol slip away peacefully. It is in those last moments he had with her that she makes him realize the need for love and companionship and AJ’s response to that is to agree to Padma’s request to become the sperm donor in her quest to motherhood. Here’s a quick reminder – Devi’s donating her eggs to Padma that are to be fertilized with donor sperm. Padma had asked AJ, but he hadn’t consented immediately. He does, eventually, but with a condition that he be allowed to participate in the upbringing of the child. That’s one problem solved, but it came only after Pravesh offered up his goodies to use for the IVF cycle.

Well, Devi donating eggs to Padma and not considering the idea of having kids with Pravesh just yet was anyway likely to be problematic, but him fathering what would essentially be their child in Padma’s womb, was unthinkable to her. Pravesh even considering that will have repercussions in their relationship.

Verdict: The Resident is only a few episodes away from the season finale, so it is about time the showrunners step it up and address the mafia angle. That day is not today and what you get is Malcolm-Jamal Warner in some of his finest moments on the show.