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The Resident boss breaks down Bell's midseason finale cliffhanger

Photo credit: Fox
Photo credit: Fox

The midseason finale of The Resident's season five left us with a cliffhanger as we saw Conrad (Matt Czuchry) sitting his superior Dr. Randolph Bell (Bruce Greenwood) down to discuss his medical diagnosis.

But, the episode ended with Conrad about to speak so we still don't know whether Bell's illness is curable or life-threatening.

Now, executive producer Andrew Chapman has revealed what was intended behind the cliffhanger and what we can expect going forward.

Photo credit: Fox
Photo credit: Fox

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Speaking to TVLine, Chapman said: "We always knew that one of our characters would find out what's wrong with Bell, but that we wouldn't tell anybody until after the winter finale."

"Bell's diagnosis and how he deals with it will be a major storyline going forward."

We will have to wait until The Resident returns in 2022 to find out whether Bell is down for the count – but it's not looking good as the autumn finale suggested that Bell's increasing hand tremors and blurry visions were seriously affecting it.

Chapman obviously did not reveal what he might have – cancer or stroke are strong possibilities, as Bell himself said in the episode – but he did confirm that "it's going to be a big deal."

Bell's partner Kit will also have to deal with the aftermath, with Chapman saying that in new episodes, "he's going to have to explain to her what's going on and they're going to have to deal with it together. We really see them as a foundational couple of the show."

Photo credit: Fox - Getty Images
Photo credit: Fox - Getty Images

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An earlier season five storyline may foreshadow what will happen with Bell, as his previous mentor Dr. Kranepool admitted he could no longer perform surgery. Now Bell might be faced with the same dilemma.

Chapman added: "That's going to be a central storyline for Bell. How do you deal with your own diagnosis, your own illness, and your own ability to be a surgeon, and of a certain age? Then what do you do? It's a great question, and we're going to dive into it headfirst."

Fans are likely hoping not to lose another original cast member in Bell this season, having already lost Marvel star Emily Van Camp as Nic Nevin, Conrad's wife, earlier this season in a shocking revelation. Let's all pray for Bell's speedy recovery, shall we?


The Resident season 5 airs on Tuesday at 8/7c on FOX in the US. In the UK, season 5 is airing on Fridays at 9pm on Sky Witness, and you can catch up on seasons 1-3 via Disney+.

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