The Resident

I don't even like medical dramas, and I like this one. Many of the reviews here are from those who only watched the pilot, which I admit showed a rather surface-level power clash of the two main characters. But as the show has gone on (I just finished S1 E6), it has gotten increasingly interesting and much smoother to watch. I mainly started watching because of Matt Cuzchry, and he holds down the cast with a strong performance every episode. I am fascinated with their exploration of corruption in hospitals (although I think it is exaggerated at times, but what drama isn't?!), and they do weave that theme into every episode.

Good overall mix of medical drama, a romance, and individual character stories that have gotten more complex and real. Looking forward to seeing how this plays out!

I actually like and hate the show at the same time. While I like the doctors and nurses I stay angry with the administrative side of things and those who are representing them. While some reviews here say how unrealistic the show is the most unrealistic part is the doctors who stand up to the bureaucrats. If you are a patient who has been turn down because you didn't have the money or insurance to pay for the needed medical attention you know it is closer to reality then those here want to admit. I say watch it and judge for yourself. If you can get past wanting to punch the head of surgery then you might just find that you like it.

I seriously don't understand why people don't like this show. It's so entertaining and exciting, there's always something intense going on and the characters are great. It may not be completely realistic in terms of the medical detail and how hospitals actually run, but you can't expect a medical drama to be 100% accurate, and it also has to be entertaining so even if some things are incorrect I don't see the issue if they change some things to make it more engaging. I'm enthralled by every episode. A must watch in my opinion!

For the first two seasons this was one of my favourite shows with a good core premise around the tension between authority and ability wrapped up in financial decisions. A strong cast with interesting stories both individually and as a season arc round it out as a strong proposition.

Added to this there is the will-they-won't-they tension between Conrad and Nicolette beautifully and subtly portrayed by Matt Czuchry and Emily VanCamp.

By the middle of season three, however, things went downhill and the stories became ridiculous and uninteresting and many of the characters became caricatures of themselves.

Sure, most other hospital dramas touch on the broken American healthcare system but The Resident is the first one to make is the focus. Sure, it's kind of corny at times, but at its root it has a great heart - nurses being the unsung heroes, insurance company super villains, new technologies lost on aging surgeons unwilling to hang up their stethoscopes, and the treatment of patients as numbers instead of human beings by hospital administration. Sometimes the way the patients are talked about and treated by the hospital management is harder to watch than any surgical treatment. It's worth a watch.