The Resident's Theme Of Grief Stems From The Co-Creator's Heartbreaking Loss
A little authenticity can go an awfully long way when it comes to tried and true TV genres like medical dramas. This is the method that "The Resident" has utilized in approaching the subgenre in its own unique way, and its many fans seem to be particularly enamored with this element of the series. This makes a lot of sense, as this aspect makes for intriguing moral conundrums and digs into the grim realities of modern medical work.
However, naturally, "The Resident" also has a hefty dose of complex relationship drama and flirtatious smoldering looks that help to make many medical dramas so addictive. While much of that air was taken up by Conrad (Matt Czuchry) and Nic's (Emily VanCamp) relationship during the earlier seasons, that plot line was cut short when Nic died from a brain injury in Season 5.
As "The Resident" showrunner, Amy Holden Jones, explained to TVLine, this shocking and tragic loss was actually inspired by a traumatic event from her own life. "I lost my own husband during 2019," she recalled. "We were together my entire adult life. So grief and loss immediately became a theme of the show."
Conrad and Billie have found love in the wake of Nic's passing
While Conrad has since moved on from his grief enough that he can love again, Amy Holden Jones was quick to clarify that Billie (Jessica Lucas) is not a replacement for Nic. Though the two have shared their "I love yous," the showrunner emphasized how vital it was that the moment feels earned following the death of Nic on "The Resident."
"It was important and seeded in quite purposely from the start," she explained. "The 'CoNic' relationship was so incredibly powerful that Conrad needed a lot of time to even imagine who [he] could have those feelings [for] again," Holden Jones went on. "Time heals, even if we never forget."
Furthermore, "The Resident" co-creator pointed out that part of what bonds Conrad and Billie in the aftermath of Nic's death is how much they both cared for her. "What he and Billie share is so complex, and one of the strong pulls for him is that they both loved Nic," she concluded.
Holden Jones also told Entertainment Tonight that the loss opened up a lot of new avenues for storytelling in Season 6 of "The Resident." "It opened up the door to some very big themes: grief, recovery, loss, persistence of love, haunting by the past," she said. It's worth noting that, despite the show's cancelation, the ending does have a bittersweet resonance to it with the confirmation that the Fox series will not be returning.