‘The Resident’: Kit Faces Off With Governor, Plus Cade Gives Ian an Ultimatum (RECAP)

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for The Resident Season 6 Episode 8, “The Better Part of Valor.”]

Dr. Randolph Bell’s (Bruce Greenwood) very recent past comes back to bite him in the latest episode of The Resident — but Governor Betz (Steven Culp) learns not to mess with his wife, Chastain CEO Dr. Kit Voss (Jane Leeves).

After Bell embarrassed him in front of the press in “The Chimera,” Betz has him served with court papers just as he’s receiving the Lifetime of Service Award for what he’s done for Chastain. (Kit sweetly introduces him with, “I think you all know that my admiration for Randolph Bell goes far beyond his skill as a surgeon, his dedication as a doctor, and his kindness as a human being.”)

Kit suggests he postpone his deposition until they have more information, but he’s not worried since he’s been through it many times. Claire’s sepsis was too far along to save her, he points out. But Betz has brought in his frat buddy lawyer (a “snake”), and Kit knows he wants to embarrass Bell. “I don’t scare that easily,” Bell insists. But as his lawyer stresses, they need to be concerned about what PIs might find digging into his records.

Both Dr. Leela Devi (Anuja Joshi) and Dr. Devon Pravesh (Manish Dayal) are also deposed, and most worrisome for Bell is the lawyer asking Devon about MS symptoms and operating and Bell’s “HODAD” — Hands of Death and Destruction —nickname. Before Bell’s deposition, he sees Donald coming out of the room and realizes the scrub tech was Betz’s spy. It’s even more obvious when the lawyer asks about something he said to Leela after the operation. Jessica (Jessica Miesel), after Bell had Devon get her, interrupts to pull him into surgery. “Apparently, I have a life to save, so this legal colonoscopy can wait for another day,” Bell says before leaving and thanking the nurse.

Kit checks on Bell and tells him Marshall (Glenn Morshower) thinks they should settle. Bell doesn’t want to since it would be admitting to a mistake he didn’t make, but she admits she’s worried about the stress with his MS. Bell agrees, telling her she’s right as usual … but then it turns out the other side refuses to settle. Donald claims he saw Bell showing symptoms of his MS during the surgery, which is a lie.

However, Bell is having a flare-up (numbness in his hand, a tremor) and asks Conrad for prednisone to knock it down. He’ll see his neurologist when she’s back in town. He doesn’t want to make a big deal out of it and upset Kit … who meanwhile meets with the governor in a bar. “I don’t beg, governor. But I am willing to negotiate, so why don’t you tell me exactly what you want, we can try to sort this out like adults?” she offers. All Betz wants is to make an example out of Bell for embarrassing him: by having him lose his job, possibly his medical license, and whatever shred of a reputation he has left.

Tom Griscom/FOX

“The truth is, governor, that you miscalculated. Because you think Randolph Bell is like you: vain, self-important, small-minded, hungry for money and power. But the thing about men like that, men like you, is that more than anything, they’re afraid. It’s sad, really. But Randolph Bell is not afraid. Because he’s not fighting for himself, he’s fighting for what’s right. You think that by attacking his reputation and livelihood, it’s going to make him back down, scare him away,” Kit informs him. He may think he has a strong case, but she knows he doesn’t — and she’ll make him regret his actions after the lawsuit is thrown out in court. (Go, Kit!)

When she returns to her office, Bell waits for her, explaining, “there’s nothing for me at home if you’re here.” Kit tells him about her meeting with the governor and losing her temper, but he just smiles. They’ll face whatever’s coming their way.

Elsewhere, Dr. Conrad Hawkins (Matt Czuchry) and Dr. Cade Sullivan (Kaley Ronayne) treat teenagers who OD on fentanyl. If you ask Dr. Ian Sullivan (Andrew McCarthy), they should say they were “poisoned.” But he thinks he has his own drug problem under control, even when he’s almost caught grabbing a vial off a cart. Once in his office, he texts someone, “need to talk.”

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When Cade comes in, he tells her he’s in a jam and gives her the vial. He was going to use it on himself, he admits. He knows it was a mistake, but he has everything under control and can show her the protocol he was following. He balances his meds for fatigue and anxiety carefully, and that allows him to perform miracles in the OR, he says. Propofol could kill him, she argues. He knows he should be under the care of a psychiatrist, but it’s too late, Ian tells her before asking if she knows what’s required of him as a pediatric surgeon, with parents begging him to save their kids. But all Cade sees is the addict he is.

He wants to stop, but he needs her help, he says. Prescribe him the meds so it’s legal, then titrate him off them and monitor his progress. She refuses to enable him. Ian apologizes, insisting he’d never do anything to hurt her. She offers to help her way: by finding him the right rehab. If not, she’ll report him. He argues his career would be up in smoke and tries to convince her not to tell Kit or Conrad. Think of all the lives he could still save, he pleads. She agrees not to tell anyone, not even Conrad if he goes to rehab. She’ll lie for him one last time, then she’s done. He agrees.

And Cade doesn’t tell Conrad when she cancels their plans for a real date, instead saying she’s driving her father to the airport for a conference in Dallas. The episode ends with Cade picking Ian up from his office, and he tries to convince her to stop at his place for a few things (like his toothbrush) — does anyone buy that? — but she says she’ll buy him a new one. The rehab facility she’s taking him to focuses on treating doctors. “I’m scared, Kincaid,” Ian admits. She is, too.

The Resident, Tuesdays, 8/7c, Fox