When The Resident premiered in 2018, it gave us the duo we didn’t know we needed: Matt Czuchry’s surly doctor Conrad Hawkins, and sweet nurse Nic Nevin (Emily Van Camp). Sure, we might have pretended we were watching Logan Huntzberger and Amanda Clarke banter during the pilot episode (even if we’re not Team Logan). But we quickly became drawn to the memorable Chastain Park Memorial Hospital staff and the emotional cases. The TV series also starred Bruce Greenwood as the tough Chief of Surgery, and had a stand-out cast also including Shaunette Renée Wilson and Manish Dayal.
After six solid seasons, we’d love to know if there are going to be more exciting episodes to obsess over. Will there be a season 7 of The Resident?
Is there going to be a season 7 of The Resident?
Unfortunately, season 7 of The Resident isn’t going to happen. In April 2023, TVLine reported that Fox decided to cancel the hospital series.
As Amy Holden Jones, the co-creator of The Resident, explained in a previous interview with TVLine, the writers were aware that they might not get the chance to make another season and ensured that the final episode of season 6 wrapped everything up.
Season 6 of the Fox drama aired from September 2022 to January 2023, and fans held out hope that there would be a season 7 of The Resident. While that won’t happen, we can at least feel satisfied that all six seasons of the series delivered compelling and emotionally charged cases and plenty of drama surrounding the hospital and its dedicated staff.
Most TV shows are canceled due to low ratings, and it seems like that’s why The Resident ended after six seasons. According to Us Weekly, season 6 saw a 69% drop in ratings when compared to season 1.
How did The Resident end?
A dream series finale makes sure that the characters are in a good place. Maybe they’ve finally landed the job they always wanted, or they’re getting married, or they’re starting a family. The season 6 finale of The Resident, called “All Hands On Deck” (which ended up being the series finale) achieved the perfect balance of edge-of-your-seat drama and a peaceful ending.
One of the best parts of the series finale was when Devon Pravesh (Manish Dayal) and Leela Devi (Anuja Joshi) got engaged. Conrad also moved on from Nic and committed to Dr. Billie Sutton (Jessica Lucas). Like the most well-crafted seasons of Grey’s Anatomy, The Resident series finale gave us what we wanted: shocking moments… and the relief that everything worked out in the end.
Also like Grey’s Anatomy, The Resident exceled at telling tough stories about the health care system and often addressed the difficulty of finding funding for a hospital. In the last episode of the Fox drama, viewers found out the good news that Chasten Memorial got the money that it needed to keep going. While there’s no doubt that both series have more than a few melodramatic scenes (and we wouldn’t want it any other way), they deserve praise for showing these realistic problems. After all, it would be easy to lean into the drama without any of these relatable moments.
Was there a plan for The Resident season 7?
If The Resident had been renewed for a seventh season, the writers knew what would happen. In an interview with Hollywood Life, The Resident showrunner Andrew Chapman said that fans would likely see Leela and Devon get married. It’s easy to imagine how charming and sweet this would have been… although it’s also scary to think about what big problem would have likely come close to ruining the happy occassion.
In an interview with TV Insider, Chapman shared that the plan for Randolph Bell in season 7 included mentoring and teaching. Champan also said “his relationship to Kit Voss is so spectacular and such a fan favorite” that their dynamic would still be the same if the show received another season.
As Chapman explained, Bell became a more compassionate person over the course of The Resident and realized that helping people is more important than being right.
Although some TV shows wear out their welcome after just a few seasons, The Resident proved that it was still a strong series even after Nic’s exit after season 4. A lesser show wouldn’t have been able to maintain viewer interest after the deparature of such a beloved character. But after that point, Leela and Devon’s romance kept people watching. Conrad also became a more compelling person as time went on and saying goodbye to Nic made him grow up.
While we would have definitely loved to see season 7 of The Resident, at least we can rest assured knowing that our favorite doctors ended up where we wanted them. Now we just have to imagine what kind of wedding Leela and Devon would have had.