Gigi was a total star!
Gigi got to truly shine during an emotional The Resident Season 5 Episode 17 when her friend fell ill and nearly died. And sweet Gloria actually did pass away in an hour that explored gerontology.
Join Meaghan Frey, Leora W., and Laura Nowak as they discuss it all.
It was probably the best Gigi installment yet. Discuss all things Gigi.
Meaghan: Gigi is an absolute rockstar. The way she was able to hone in on such key details about what was going on with Peter at such a young age? Gigi is clearly a chip off the ole block and will take after her mom and dad.
She reminded me so much of Conrad in this episode it was insane. Watching the two of them work together to figure out what was wrong with her best friend is a highlight of the season.
Can we also get a round of applause for Remington Blaire Evans (Gigi) and her portrayal of the fear surrounding something happening to Peter? That girl has a bright future ahead of her in acting.
Leora W: I wasn’t the biggest Gigi fan right out of the gate, but she’s really grown on me, especially this episode.
That age when you don’t really understand what is happening, but you know someone you care about is hurt, and you want to help? You could feel that so much from her.
She’s never had to face something like that before. Yes, her mom is dead, but she likely doesn’t actually remember Nic, so she misses the idea of a mom more than an actual person.
But this was someone she cared about. She had absolute faith that her dad could save Peter, but she learned that it wasn’t always that easy as time went on. Also, her and Peter’s friendship is adorable. I’m totally shipping them.
Laura: Gigi was the absolute best! I loved how she remembered all the details about Peter, including what he ate and when he didn’t want to play. Sometimes those small details make all the difference.
She really is daddy’s little girl and will be a great doctor or nurse. Medicine runs in her family. She and Conrad are the absolute cutest!
What did you make of Conrad and Billie’s professional conflict regarding Peter’s case? Are you relieved they found a safer solution and Peter is okay?
Meaghan: While I understood both of their points of view, it was hard for me not to be frustrated with Billie.
As a surgeon, of course, her first instinct will always be to cut, but she should know Conrad well enough to know that he would never put a child in harm’s way for his pride. Yes, he is a risk-taker, but he also knows when to pull back.
I was extremely relieved that they figured out a safe alternative. Could you imagine if Billie had done the procedure and there were complications only to find out that Conrad was right? That would have weighed heavily on her, so in some ways, Conrad saved both Billie and Peter with that decision.
Leora W: It was interesting. You related to where Conrad was coming from, but this is exactly why doctors aren’t supposed to operate on family. Conflict of interest.
Billie cared about Peter too, but she was approaching it as a doctor, and Conrad was approaching it as a father. I kind of wish Billie had been right because Conrad needs to get knocked down a peg or two.
That said, I appreciated their dynamic. The conflict was not as extreme as it could have been because it was clear that they respected each other and both wanted the same thing. And, slightly unrelated, I’m really coming around to the idea of them as a ship.
Laura: I’m relieved they found a better situation. I understood both of their points, especially since Conrad was thinking as a father and takes more risks when he thinks with his heart. I understood Billie, too, because she didn’t want a child to die. I’m relieved they could come together.
On a scale of 1-10, how devastating was Gloria’s death?
Meaghan: 8. While it was utterly devastating, it was so abrupt that it didn’t leave us much room to process what happened. Had we seen Bell and AJ trying to save her versus just cutting from AJ starting the procedure to her being dead, I think it would have had more of an emotional impact.
Leora W: Not to get too much into my personal life, but given certain things going on with elderly loved ones, let’s just say it wasn’t what I needed to be watching right now.
Going under surgery at that age is such a risk, even when the alternative is death. It’s not fair, and I don’t know why humans were created with such fragile bodies that break down so easily and can betray you in so many ways.
Laura: I’d say an 8. It was devastating, especially since they didn’t want to live without each other and found each other later in life as KitBell did.
What are your thoughts on the hour’s exploration of gerontology and its importance?
Meaghan: I loved it! The majority of my career has been working with the geriatric population, and I can’t state enough how important gerontology is as a specialty.
Too often, you will see patients go through what Gloria did. They will be passed around from specialty to specialty and pill after pill prescribed without really ever getting to the root cause of the problem and often making it.
Hospitals could really benefit from having gerontologists on staff in the ER. I can’t count the number of times that I’ve seen elderly patients go into the hospital and have their acute change in mental status deemed “mild cognitive impairment” when it is actually a UTI or have their pain written off as arthritis when it is really a fracture; the list could go on and on.
They just aren’t willing to take the time with geriatric patients. This is really where The Resident differentiates itself from other medical shows. While it does have crazy and interesting cases, it also takes a realistic approach to healthcare and shines a light on the industry’s deficiencies.
Leora W: I agree with Meaghan. It’s an important issue that needs to be highlighted more, and they did it well.
For all his issues, Gloria’s husband was still sharp enough to encourage med students who hadn’t been all that engaged or enthusiastic coming in. Zach remembered his words when he figured out how to diagnose Gloria.
We dismiss the elderly too easily and figure it’s okay if bad things happen to them because they’ve lived long lives and it’s the natural course of things, but that’s just not true!
Laura: I enjoyed it immensely. It was so important that the elderly be treated with respect. I loved how Gloria’s husband still wanted more med students to study gerontology. It was excellent seeing Kit, Bell, Devon, and AJ involved in the same story, but it was heartbreaking losing her.
Did you enjoy Devon and Zach’s mentor/mentee dynamic and Zach finding his calling?
Meaghan: It was so good! Zach has never really stuck out to me much, but this episode really allowed him to shine.
I loved watching that little light go on when he realized that this was what he needed to be doing with his career.
It also highlighted what a great mentor Devon is. Sure, he can sometimes be a hard ass — like how he was willing to sell out Zach to AJ if he abandoned Gloria’s case –, but he was able to make Zach a better provider in doing so. Conrad taught him well.
Leora W: I did. It’s funny because I couldn’t have picked Zach out of a lineup before this episode. Now, I’d have a better shot.
The guy went through so much character growth in one episode, but it was so believable and well done. Kudos, Resident. This is when the show shines.
Laura: I did. Zach never really registered with me, but I loved how he evolved and saw Gloria as a strong person and grieved when she died.
Is Leela overstepping and micromanaging the baby process?
Meaghan: Absolutely. I get it, it’s her egg, but it will not be her baby. Padma needs to make these decisions for herself.
It’s okay for Leela to give her advice, but she has been extremely overbearing so far. I worry about what that will mean when Padma actually has the baby.
Will Leela be able to let go and treat the baby as her niece/nephew instead of her child, or will she be right there criticizing all of Padma’s parenting choices? Because I can guarantee those two do not have a similar parenting philosophy.
Leora W: Again, I agree. This is why I felt this wasn’t a good idea.
It is her baby, and a part of her will always feel that way, which Padma will resent. She really should have gone with another donor.
Laura: I think this could be the issue that hinders the sisters’ relationship and why sisters should never be egg donors or surrogates.
It’s been a long time since they’ve done this on primetime television, but it never goes well, and I don’t see this going any different since Leela will feel like the baby is partly hers.
Will AJ agree to be Padma’s sperm donor? How do you feel about this development?
Meaghan: I’m a big fan of this solution, and I’m going to need him to say yes.
For some reason, I feel like he will reject the idea of being purely a sperm donor and counter with having some type of joint custody agreement where they raise the child together while not actually being together. I’d definitely be down to see daddy AJ.
Leora W: I think it’s awkward. He’s not just a friend; they’ve slept together, and now she’s asking him to be the father of her child. It could be a good storyline, but it could also be disastrous.
Plus, I’m not really down on AJ and Padma as a couple. Maybe it’s because she’s Leela’s twin, or perhaps it’s because I’m not over Minataur and still hoping he’ll end the series flying out to Nigeria to be with the woman he loves.
Laura: I also think AJ would want to be involved, complicating this. That could be good and messy or complicated if that’s not what she wanted.
What was your favorite moment, storyline, etc., from the hour? Is there anything else you’d like to address?
Meaghan: My favorite storyline, of course, has to be the Gigi and Conrad team-up. I could watch a whole series based solely on their dynamic.
Leora W: The Gigi one was great. I love Billie and Conrad (though he’s been getting on my nerves recently), and the plot was relatable with a happy ending.
I liked the Kit/Bell/Devon/Gloria/Zach one, but it was tragic and hit way too close to home for me right now. I don’t like the sperm-donor storyline.
As for anything else needing addressing, are we going to find out Devon has a child out there at some point?
Laura: I agree with Meaghan that I could watch an entire hour of Gigi and Conrad. She’s going to be a doctor like her daddy.
Do you agee with our round table? Do you disagree? Sound off below!
The Resident airs Tuesdays on FOX.
Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.