The Resident went all in for its midseason return, though, it feels a little strange to call it that considering the drama will be airing its two-hour season finale a week from today. It’s unclear why FOX chose to break up the episodes in such a strange way, but that’s neither here nor there because this episode was so good from beginning to end.

It tackled all the lingering midseason finale storylines head-on—and the impact was felt all around and through the halls of Chastain. 

Two that were top of mind included Padma’s postpartum depression and the kiss between Conrad and Billie. 

Padma’s storyline was most important because of how common and prevalent PPD is for new mothers who may feel inadequate and overwhelmed with the realities of motherhood. It’s something that can happen to anyone—from the mother who was on the fence about having kids to the new mom who always dreamt of them and went above and beyond to make that dream a reality.

There were many outcomes for Padma’s storyline, including a very grim ending, but thankfully, Leela’s text came through at the right time and made her realize that she needed to reach out to her loved ones and ask for help. 

Upon reading Leela’s S.O.S text, Padma stepped off the bridge and drove to her sister’s so that she could get the treatment she needs. While this isn’t what she hoped for when she welcomed her twin babies, at least she’s acknowledging that there’s an issue and starting her path to recovery. 

Leela knew something was off, so I’m glad she trusted her twin instinct instead of letting everyone else tell her that she was overreacting. She still felt a sense of guilt for not seeing how bad the situation was, but it’s also important to underscore that people going through PPD may hide it from their loved ones. And since the signs of PPD are so similar to the regular anxieties of being a new mother, it could be hard to tell the difference sometimes. Thankfully, The Resident is raising awareness of a very important issue. 

AJ seemed to take it the hardest, and his reaction was a little concerning. I know he’s worried about Padma and the babies, but as a doctor, he should know that in many cases, PPD is treatable. He didn’t have to come off so dismissive by suggesting Padma might never be a good mother to the twins. It doesn’t help anyone to go to the worst-case scenario, and it’s especially strange for a man who remains cool, calm and collected throughout the most intense of surgeries. He works miracles in the O.R., and though this might be a mental health situation, he should understand that it’s something that can have a positive outcome. I truly hope that we see AJ offer his support and help Padma work through this. Padma is going to need everyone on this journey—and if the father of her children loses hope, it’s going to make her feel as though all those feelings of inadequacy were somehow accurate. 

Right off the bat, the series also addressed the kiss, with Conrad coming clean to Cade about his feeling for Billie. His honesty was somehow suprirrisng and expected at the same time. Cade was shocked while also completely acknowledging that “everyone” could see that there was something between Billie and Conrad. I guess sometimes, you’re the last to know when it comes to your own relationships. I don’t think she was even as mad about losing Conrad as she was about being made the fool, and it was the reality that she never had Conrad in the first place that hurt the most. 

Many fans weren’t pleased that the series introduced a cheating storyline, especially since that isn’t Conrad’s nature, but at the same time, love makes people do crazy things. I think it was actually realistic in terms of how life pans out sometimes. Conrad kept his heart guarded after losing Nic and struggled to open up again. It was easier to let Cade in than it was to let Billie in because the latter was so close to Nic, and he felt as though it was a betrayal of trust.

However, seeing Billie in the line of danger forced Conrad to confront those feelings that he didn’t even know he had—and that were buried so deeply inside—and while it would’ve been better if he told Cade the truth before he kissed Billie, he simply acted on impulse. 

The fact that Conrad immediately told Cade the truth because he didn’t want to lead her on or have her find out some other way is proof that he never intended for any of this to happen, nor did he intend to hurt anyone. 

I love that Conrad didn’t sugarcoat any of it or try to minimize the situation either. Billie also stepped up and confronted Cade because she wanted to address the elephant in the room since they’d all be working together.  

It was all very mature for every party involved—no one was catty or petty about it, which was nice to see.

Cade was obviously hurt, but she was also an adult who realized that this relationship wasn’t meant for her. She knew that she deserved better—and I loved it when she said she deserved someone who loved her, not someone working overtime to deny they love you. I wasn’t really on team Cade prior to this moment, but I have a newfound respect for the woman. 

She’ll be just fine, just like Dr. Yamada will be just fine. As he told Billie, his heart is intact, and I love that despite their brief fling, they remained friendly and professional. He acknowledged that the heart wants what it wants, and you can’t fault people for it. In fact, being the two people at Chastain who didn’t stand a chance against Billie and Conrad’s feelings for each other somehow brought him and Cade closer together. And I don’t hate it. There wasn’t an immediate spark, but if you think about it, they kind of make a lot more sense in the long run. 

And who knows what will happen when they bond over shared heartbreak and stiff margaritas? 

THE RESIDENT: L-R: Malcolm-Jamal Warner and Anuja Joshi in the “All In” winter premiere episode of THE RESIDENT airing Tuesday, Jan 3 (8:00-9:02 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2022 Fox Media LLC. CR: Tom Griscom/FOX

Also, I squealed with delight when Conrad reached to hold Billie’s hand in the elevator. It was a long time in the making, and we haven’t seen Conrad this genuinely happy in so long—I’ve missed that smile. The symbolism of the hand was more powerful than any kiss would have been at that very moment because it was so innocent and genuine. 

Yamada had a pretty tough day after treating and losing her mentor, Dr. Perry. It was the Leonard Perry to everyone else as he was a renowned thoracic surgeon, and honestly, one of the most unique patients the show has ever had. Perry knew what was wrong with him before they even ran any tests. 

When his odds of survival were 50-50, he decided not to let fear guide his judgment and put his fate into the hands of Dr. Austin. I’d trust him with my life, too. And while Perry didn’t die on AJ’s operating table, he suffered post-op complications that were out of anyone’s control. 

The Resident has perfected the art of delivering a scene that gets the audience in their feels. We didn’t know Dr. Perry for long, but man, his death was a straight gut punch. And it was so beautifully presented—as the end neared, he saw himself, in his prime, teaching all of his interns, who he considered family. Next to him was his star pupil, Yamada, who took the lessons he learned in Perry’s class and applied them to a real-life scenario with grace. It was truly a touching moment, and it was a nice change of pace to see someone other than Conrad deal with a high-profile patient at Chastain. 

I truly thought that Perry was going to leave Chastain a lump sum of money in his will that would go toward helping the hospital with its financial crisis, but that would’ve been a bit far-fetched. 

Conrad kind of bounced around in the episode, helping everyone with everything, including Pravesh, who treated an elderly woman who was brought to Chastain after fighting off a mugger. She didn’t seem to remember much, and while surgery was a risky decision, they all agreed that they owed it to the woman. Billie’s risk aversion made sense considering the near-death experience with her last patient’s family. She didn’t want to lose anyone else, but Kit assured her that they were doing more good by attempting to help Lilian. And thankfully, it was the right decision as she pulled through, proving to be feistier than anyone could’ve imagined. Honestly, she may be my spirit animal. 

And her willingness not to give in to the bullies—out of principle—inspired Kit to fight back against Gov. Betz rather than let him win by shutting down the Trauma 1 unit. It’s a small victory for Chastain as she didn’t have a plan in place to actually get the funding when she made the decision, but it’s nice to see the fire lit and her determination to save the hospital. 

Of course, the promo for the upcoming 2-hour finale reveals that Gov. Betz will need Chastain’s help when he suffers a medical emergency. How convenient, right? People like him always want to defund the hospital until they actually need the services that it provides, and then they’re singing a whole new tune. 

What did you think of the episode? Are you upset that the series returned only to announce its finale?