Spoilers ahead for the fifth episode of The Resident Season 5, called “The Thinnest Veil.”
The Resident has delivered all manner of emotional twists and turns throughout Season 5 so far, even though the death of Nic was pretty predictable due to Emily VanCamp’s departure. The show has taken the time to explore Conrad’s grief at the sudden death of his wife combined with the need to take care of their baby daughter, and Matt Czuchry has been killing it all season. Now, “The Thinnest Veil” delivered a twist that must mean The Resident is changing how Conrad and the rest deal with Nic’s death: a time jump.
Admittedly, Season 5 actually began with a time jump, to advance Gigi in age from infant to a baby who already had a favorite toy and was working on her first words. The time jump from “The Thinnest Veil” was clearly much bigger, although the episode didn’t clarify how long. But Gigi’s age is a dead giveaway that years have passed.
In one scene, she went from being carried around in her adorable little chicken Halloween costume to being dressed as an astronaut and getting herself ready to go trick-or-treating. If I had to guess, I’d place her age at around four or so, which would mean a time jump of around three years. Conrad still picked her up to carry her, but more for fun than anything else, and she has a bed, a dollhouse, and books in her room. So what does this mean for Conrad?
Well, depending on when exactly the scene actually shifted from 2021 to years in the future, Conrad still seems to be wearing his wedding ring, so he’s presumably still holding onto Nic, but jumping ahead a few years means that The Resident can move past Conrad’s fresh grief, as well as that of Billie and the others who loved her and lost her.
The Resident taking the time to explore Conrad’s grief has been powerful, and I for one have gone through more than a few tissues during this storyline, but I’m also not upset if The Resident is going to move forward to some happier storylines. And the show didn’t take the easy way out of going straight from Conrad losing Nic to a time jump, so there won’t be an abrupt switch right from heartbreak to a few years later when Conrad has presumably (and hopefully) gotten some closure. The dinner with the whole group remembering Nic seemed like a good bookend on what was an emotional storyline.
After the time jump, his daughter certainly seems happy and healthy, and he was all smiles with her. Jumping ahead may mean that The Resident intends to explore a new relationship for Conrad without disrespecting Nic’s memory or cheapening their love story by moving him forward romantically in the same year that he lost her. There is a new character on the way, although she doesn’t necessarily sound like a candidate for Conrad’s heart.
The Resident may just have finished the arc of Conrad’s grief, particularly after his interaction with the patient who reassured him that Nic would always be with him. I’d say that the time jump is a good thing for Conrad, and for the series getting to move on. Whether or not it’s good for the other characters is another matter, though. The promo for the next episode delivers a few answers and hints, while also raising some BIG questions. Take a look:
Conrad has evidently left his work at the hospital, and Devon at least seemingly wants him back at Chastain. Bell and Kit seem to have broken up despite seemingly going strong in “The Thinnest Veil” – was his dishonesty in this episode a sign of what would turn into a bigger problem? AJ has evidently become a successful author, and it sure looks like he and Leela woke up together, which would mean bad news for Leela and Devon over the time jump. Billie appears in the promo, although all that can really be gleaned there is that she’ll be wearing her hair straight. And what does this time jump mean (or not mean) for a possible return from Cain?
Hopefully The Resident won’t waste any time in delivering some answers when it returns, but there is some bad news. The earliest that the show will be back with a new episode is on Tuesday, November 2 thanks to Fox airing the World Series. If the MLB’s World Series goes beyond five games, then the next episode of The Resident may not air until November 9 in the fall TV lineup.
