Fox got in the hospital drama game in a new way with The Resident back in January 2018. Although it wasn't the immediate ratings hit of 9-1-1 or as talked-about as The Orville, it was enough of a hit for the network that Fox ordered a second season in May. As it turns out, however, the second season won't be business back as usual after the first season. The Resident is going through some major casting shake-ups for the second season that will see some characters depart, some characters turn up more often, and one big new character played by an actress you may already know and love.
Read on for a breakdown of who's leaving, who's staying and getting an increased presence, and what familiar actress will join the Fox drama! Let's start with the characters who won't be around.
Moran Atias, Merrin Dungey, and Melina Kanakaredes will not be back for Season 2 of The Resident. Although fans of the show may be dismayed at these departures, at least some probably aren't too shocked that two of these three will be written out. The end of Season 1 ended with former CEO Claire Thorpe (Merrin Dungey) and jailed oncologist Lane Hunter (Melina Kanakaredes) poised for an exit. The show hadn't been so definitive on their departures that it was inconceivable for them to return, but there were certainly no guarantees that they'd be back. Throw in the fact that Dungey landed a job on ABC with new legal drama The Fix, and her departure isn't too much of a surprise.
The bigger surprise is that Moran Atias will depart as PR chief Renata Morali. No details are available at this point about what will drive Renata away from Chastain Park Memorial Hospital, but it sounds like Atias won't appear in the second season at all. If The Resident gives an explanation for why Renata isn't around, we probably shouldn't count on Atias turning up for it. Let's move on to the actress who is joining the series for Season 2:
Jane Leeves has signed on as a series regular for The Resident in the second season. TV fans may recognize her from her long-running role as Daphne on Frasier, although she more recently starred in all six six seasons of Hot in Cleveland with Betty White on TV Land. She's obviously a proven talent when it comes to the small screen, and she'll tackle a potentially intriguing role on The Resident. She'll play Dr. Kitt Voss, who is Chastain Park Memorial's new star surgeon in the orthopedic department. Leeves only signed on for one season, so we can't promise that she'll stick around in the event that The Resident survives to a Season 3, but anything can happen at this point. Finally, let's move on to the characters and actors we'll see more of in Season 2.
The Resident has promoted Glenn Morshower and Malcolm-Jamal Warner to series regular for Season 2, according to TVLine. Both men appeared as guest stars in the first season. Malcolm-Jamal Warner portrays cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. AJ Austin, who has more than a bit of a temper but also a great talent for surgery. Glenn Morshower plays Marshall Winthrop, a.k.a. Conrad's (Matt Czuchry) father. Conrad may not be too happy that his dad will be around more often; it should be interesting for viewers.
The Resident will return for its second season in the fall, airing on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET ahead of 9-1-1. Check out Fox's full 2018-2019 fall schedule for more information on your Fox viewing options, and swing by our summer TV guide for what you can watch sooner rather than later.
