They can’t just leave us hanging like that!

It’s apparent that the finale is right around the corner because much of The Resident Season 5 Episode 22 was addressing some of the loose threads from dangling storylines from the season and gearing up to tie things up.

They also left us concerned about Bell, curious about whatever is happening to Ian, crushed for Billie, and wondering if we could be losing another beloved character.

Devon has had quite a trajectory on this series. He started as an intern at Chastain, and he’s since climbed the ranks of the hospital and evolved into a talented and esteemed doctor of his own.

It’s only natural that his years of hard and impressive work would garner the attention of other hospitals. He’s made quite a name for himself with the success of his research trials.

He followed in his mentor’s footsteps by becoming a diagnostician, too. And now he also has that Chastain Rabies protocol under his belt, and that’s getting implemented in hospitals around the nation.

Devon’s professional life and the possibilities could not be better, and that’s great for him.

Of course, the question becomes what he intends to do about it. And Devon is in a position that’s unlike others, except maybe Mina when she was on the series.

Chastain raised him. He’s grown up there, spread his wings, and achieved all types of wonderful things. But it’s not uncommon for people to have experiences elsewhere rather than sticking it out at the exact same hospital where they did their internship.

Conrad: Now I’m going to say something selfish.
Devon: OK.
Conrad: Don’t break up the team.
Devon: I don’t want to, trust me.
Conrad: You can work things out. She’s worth it, and all your friends and colleagues are here.
Devon: I don’t know. I really don’t, but I do know I have to see what else is out there.
Conrad: I get it; you earned this.

For everyone else, Chastain is a home they found, but it’s not the only one they’ve known. As much as it would hurt to see Devon leave there, realistically, it would make sense if he did.

Even if he left temporarily and found himself back at Chastain because it’s his home, it would mean he got the opportunity to see what else was out there and got to thrive elsewhere.

And the amenities, accommodations, and offers out there are appealing. The hospital in Baltimore wants to make him the director of their rare disease program and head of the research facility.

It’s the opportunity of a lifetime and all the things he has strived towards since he found a new passion in research. The only reason he would say no to something that fantastic is because of his love for Chastain and his colleagues and friends.

Kitbell was smart enough to know that there was a real chance of Chastain losing one of their most valuable doctors, and they did whatever they could to appeal to him.

And Devon’s moment with Conrad was sweet. As much as Conrad wouldn’t want to lose his best friend and mentee turned partner, he also loves Devon enough to let him go if it comes down to it.

He appealed to Devon’s sentimentality without coming across as if he’d be disloyal or wrong if he chose to leave, and that’s the best, most supportive response.

But sadly, one of the driving forces behind Devon contemplating this offer is his relationship with Leela and not knowing where they stand. Everyone was still telling him how much they were rooting for the pairing to work things out.

I hate that Devon’s choice could come down to whether or not he or Leela compromises on having children, though. It shouldn’t be what makes or breaks his choice.

If both individuals feel strongly about their position on kids, neither of them should have to sacrifice that for the other person. It’s bizarre to position it that way.

Nevertheless, Devon and Leela had another conversation that turned heated when Leela implied that Devon was the one in control of whether they were together because he decided that no kids are a dealbreaker.

Then she accused him of using her as a scapegoat to blame for his choice to leave Chastain. The entire exchange was frustrating, to say the least.

Leela: Are you going to take it?
Devon: Do you think I should?
Leela: I can’t make that decision for you.
Devon: Is there anything left of us?
Leela: That’s on you. You’re the one who made it clear that not having kid was a dealbreaker.
Devon: I think the dealbreaker is that you didn’t even discuss my feelings about it. You just laid out your rules. Your job. Your body. Your eggs. Your future. Mine didn’t even factor in, and that’s not what our relationship should be. It was supposed to be a partnership.
Leela: You already made up your mind, and now you’re just justifying your decision by blaming me for the fact that you’re leaving your friends and the hospital that made you. I can’t believe you’d do that.

Devon factoring Leela because of the unknown status of their possible future together seemed genuine, and as if he was confused, not entirely blaming her as the reason he would leave. If anything, other people implied that.

And Leela is still acting as if she didn’t blatantly ignore that Devon was honest about wanting kids from the beginning of their relationship. At least he got to rightfully point out how she made all of these decisions and never once considered his feelings.

It just doesn’t feel like there is a realistic path for these two to reunite, and if they do, it would be too tarnished to enjoy them anymore. But they’ve also positioned it where Devon staying at Chastain hinges on whether or not these two make amends, so we have to deal.

Billie and AJ’s case with young Marco and his assertion of bodily autonomy against his mother was good. You rarely see a depiction of Osteogenesis Imperfecta, and you could sympathize with both Marco and his mother.

Conrad: Where’s your dad?
Cade: He got a better offer.

He’s her baby, and she spent 13 years of his life trying to protect him from the world to keep him alive. When she shared how the first time his bones fractured was when he was three months old, and she was simply placing him in a onesie, it hit hard how terrified and overprotective this woman was.

You could understand why she freaks out so much. Can you imagine how traumatizing that was for a baby Marco and his mother as a first-time parent experiencing that?

But the longer time went on, the more apparent it was that there was no other option but the risky surgery. Billie and AJ are the best of the best, so we could trust that they would do everything in their power to save him.

It was a relief that he survived the ordeal, thanks to an assist from Ian as well. Say what you will about Cade’s narcissistic father, but evidently, he’s a damn fine doctor.

However, there are so many red flags going on with him. Yet, Andrew McCarthy is so utterly charming and captivating in the role that I’m here for the ride.

It’s no sense in beating the dead horse about Cade and how they’re dumping character development on us in the final stretch.

And it bares maybe a sentence in mentioning that the feds catching the man who shot her offscreen cheapened an already inconsistently written and overly dramatic storyline.

Does the mob only have one shooter? Is that all for the case? She’s safe now and no longer requires running or a guard at the door? Maybe we’ll get more wrap-up in the finale.

Cade’s assessment of her father is as accurate as it gets. He’s a total narcissist who flips the script on her, claiming she’s “too independent and headstrong” instead of owning up to the fact that she had to raise herself because he was off feeding his ego by saving sick kids at the expense of his own.

We got dropped right in the middle of their family drama, and by now, I’m wondering if there’s a single character on this series who hasn’t experienced “daddy issues.”

The play on the installment title, with Ian bringing Cade banana pudding, to which she’s allergic, told us so much about their relationship and how out of touch he is with his daughter.

Ian’s concern for Cade would only extend for short spurts because it does seem like he cares a bit, even if it’s just because she’s an extension of himself.

Conrad: We have plenty of great surgeons. Your daughter needs you.
Ian: Why don’t you just say it? I’m in your way. You want to have Cade all to yourself.
Conrad: I’m her doctor, so, yeah, right now, you are in my way.
Ian: And I’m her father.
Conrad: Well, then start acting like it.

But he has the attention span of a gnat with Cade, and his self-interest prevails. The second he sees an opportunity to serve himself, he jumps on it, and Cade is an afterthought.

It was frustrating when he bailed on Cade when they were supposed to do their walk, but it was also ridiculous that she got out of bed and thought she could do it alone (or that no one realized she fell and busted open her incision until Conrad showed up).

His focus was on schmoozing Kit and getting her to offer him a position at Chastain as their pediatric surgeon. But why does he need to work at Chastain?

We can guess that folks may be onto his drug habit at his old job, and he wants to move on before he faces some consequences.

Cade: What’s going on?
Ian: What do you mean?
Cade: I sense an agenda. Humble pie is not your dessert.
Ian: Kit Voss offered me a job.

He’s used to charming and manipulating people, and he tried to do that a couple of times with Chastain employees to score some drugs for his personal use.

And he pocketed Cade’s benzos, too. From her reaction to that later on, it’s apparent that he’s had an issue with this before, but to what extent?

Because it’s also obvious that something medical-wise is happening with him, he nearly doubled over in pain on his way to scrubbing into surgery. And we last saw him collapsed on the floor, holding his side in his hotel room.

Is the real reason Ian is at Chastain about his health? What’s wrong with him?

Ian’s behavior sparked that protective streak in Conrad, and he wasted no time calling Ian out and putting him in his place a bit. It genuinely sucks when you see someone you care about get treated horribly.

And now we have this extra layer to the ConCade relationship thrown in to catapult them to something more. Conrad is a natural nurturer, we saw it with his relationship with Nic, and now we’re seeing it with Cade.

She’s a strong-willed but vulnerable woman who never had anyone take care of her and was forced to look after herself, and Conrad is there to do that white knight thing he does and fulfill that role.

He’s brought Gigi into the fold, too, letting her dole out kisses, hugs, and the serotonin boost that she always provides.

Your hands, gentle, you can always tell how much a doctor cares because of their touch.

Cade

Of course, regardless of how one feels about this love triangle, they kicked into high speed during this installment; it sucked that Billie had to see that happy, snapshot moment after she decided she would do something about her feelings.

Billie and AJ have always had a nice rapport. He’s probably her closest friend at the hospital. Billie confiding in him about how she caught feelings for someone and was afraid to take that step was a lovely moment for the two.

It put some things into perspective for Billie. We know that she was attending therapy at some point, so she’s probably worked at opening her heart to people after her sexual assault. That horrible, traumatic experience was this blockade for Billie for years.

Her experience affected her serious romantic relationships, which was a hurdle that she needed to overcome. Finally, she’s ready for that, and it’s with Conrad.

AJ: Hey, what’s going on?
Billie: Lately, I’ve been a little disappointed in myself.
AJ: Really? You?
Billie: I’m afraid to do what that kid was willing to do. Take a big risk for a larger life.
AJ: Listen to me, after everything that you have been through, I can honestly say you are one of the most courageous women I know, and you have nerves of steel in the OR.
Billie: Thank you.
AJ: You’re welcome.
Billie: But here’s the thing. I haven’t been in a significant relationship in, I don’t know, a long time for a lot of reasons, my past, obviously. But now I’ve gone and fallen for someone, who I won’t identify, and there are huge potential complications.
AJ: Don’t tell me you’re afraid the guy will say no. Because that seems inconceivable.
Billie: I’m just as afraid he’ll say yes as I am afraid he’ll say no. It’s all terrifying.

She has the whole connection to Nic, his status as a widower, and Gigi to think about when it comes to their potential future. And, of course, as she said, it’s as terrifying knowing that he could accept her as it is that he could reject her.

AJ, who instantly knew it was Conrad, gave her the pep talk that she needed. And he encouraged her to bare her heart and soul to the guy. Much like their surgery, it was a risk worth taking.

Interestingly, AJ could see that Billie had feelings for AJ, but if he was encouraging her, he might not have noticed that Conrad had caught some feelings for Cade. I doubt he would advise Billie to put herself out there if he knew she could get hurt.

It’s the most overt this love triangle has been all season, and we have official confirmation that Billie is in love with Conrad. But things feel messy, and it seems Billie is destined for hurt.

AJ: I get it. Honestly, I’m terrified of becoming a father. The way it’s happening. Padma is loosy, goosy, and I am not. I just think, what if the kid doesn’t love me?
Billie: There’s not a chance of that, AJ.
AJ: Hey, Conrad and Gigi will be lucky to have you.
Billie: Is it that obvious?
AJ: Maybe not to Conrad. Billie, go tell the man how you feel.

And we’re destined for some hurt if they do anything to hurt Bell.

How did we go from Bell and Kit planning their wedding and playfully disagreeing about what that should entail to a blind Bell?

He pushed himself too hard. Apparently, offscreen, he was testifying at depositions and giving interviews on talk shows to wrap up his whistleblowing arc.

And he’s also been at Chastain performing surgeries and so forth. He did too much, pushed his body beyond its limits, and now he has an MS flair up. One hopes that is all there is, and his vision will return.

Kit: Darling, what is it?
Bell: I can’t really see.

If Bell cannot see his wife walking down the aisle or standing in front of him at the justice of the peace, or whatever Kitbell chooses, I will riot! It’s a hell of a cliffhanger to leave us on, and more emotions will come.

Over to you, Resident Fanatics.

What are your theories on Ian? Will Devon take the offer? Should he?

Do you feel bad for Billie? What’s happening to Bell? Sound off below!

You can watch The Resident online here via TV Fanatic.

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