‘The Resident’ Star Morris Chestnut Says Cain’s ‘World Is Rocked Right Now’
Spoiler Alert
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Season 4, Episode 8 of The Resident, “First Days, Last Days.”]
Has neurosurgeon Dr. Barrett Cain (Morris Chestnut), who’s in physical therapy for his hand after getting hit by an ambulance, picked up a scalpel for the last time, at Chastain or another hospital? That’s a very real possibility on The Resident, as the March 9 winter finale shows that he has a long road ahead of him.
Physical therapy — where he meets Rose (Cara Ricketts), who has sickle cell disease and a new hip — doesn’t go well, and it’s unclear what has a worse prognosis: his hand or his attitude. The latter is so bad that new CEO Dr. Kit Voss (Jane Leeves) admits she’s not sure she sees a place for him at Chastain.
The hits keep coming when Dr. AJ Austin (Malcolm-Jamal Warner) warns Cain to back off Dr. Mina Okafor (Shaunette Renée Wilson). She informed a patient’s family of the neurosurgeon’s shady doings. Now, she’s having problems with her visa and is being investigated by the medical board. Cain tries to walk everything back, but it’s too late to stop this moving train, which will “crash” for him or Mina, Chestnut teases.
The actor takes us inside Cain’s head and ponders his potential redemption.
We’re seeing different sides of Cain this season.
Morris Chestnut: People saw the external layers of Cain last season. They never really got to see him vulnerable or struggle and see what he’s going through, so that’s why I’m excited and so thankful for the writers for this season.
(Guy D’Alema/FOX)
Is Cain trying to undo what he’s set in motion for Mina a turning point?
He’s doubting everything. Before AJ threatens him, he has the conversation with Dr. Voss, who says there may not be a place for him. She’s talked to Cain about his attitude, with Rose and therapy and the Mina situation is part of it. He’s questioning everything that he’s done to that point because the world is slipping away.
Talk about that confrontation with AJ.
Cain knows AJ is someone who’s always had his back and believed in him for the most part. AJ always does the right thing. For him to even confront Cain like that at his home, it is a big deal. Cain realizes the magnitude of the whole Mina situation. That was a great scene. Malcolm did an excellent job, and he’s so great to work with. That scene along with everything else that’s been happening to Cain is really causing him to look pretty in-depth at everything that he’s done and that’s gone on.
(Guy D’Alema/FOX)
Cain seems to tell Kit what he thinks she wants to hear, that he was out of line. But after in the bathroom, he does seem to be affected. Is that the closest to a breakdown we’ll see from him?
Up to this point, yes. That scene in Dr. Voss’ office, he’s never been faced with that before. Every hospital he’s gone to has always loved him because he’s always added to the bottom line. He’s having to hear there may not be a place for him. It’s, “What? Did I hear what you just said? Me? Cain? I’m the greatest neurosurgeon ever.”
We see a vulnerability in him in the bathroom.
Everything has come crashing down and he couldn’t even wait to get home to just let it out. Just him getting off the elevator and having people see him with the cane, and his arm in a sling…
He only sat down in Kit’s office as an “if you insist…”
He always wants to come off strong and competent and confident.
(Guy D’Alema/FOX)
Speaking of that confidence, Cain seems so certain that he can recover. Is that just his hubris talking?
Yes. It’s like an athlete who has always been able to overcome just on sheer talent alone. He has a lot of talent, but he also works hard. Cain has always believed he could do whatever he wants, however he wants, and he can get the job done no matter what the circumstances are. With this fall that he’s on, his world is rocked right now because he’s not confident at the moment.
We got that great scene with him and Rose, and he could use her in his life right now. Will we see more?
I would love to see more Rose. Cain admires a lot of what Rose possesses — her attitude, the positivity, and her strength — even at the end of that scene. Cain wasn’t trying to be mean, he just thought he was being honest. Most of the time when he’s honest like that, people just take it. She fires back at him and he respects that.
Why does he want to stay at Chastain?
There’s nowhere he would be able to go at this point because his strong suit has always been to improve the bottom line, and at this point in time, Chastain knows he can do that. Cain doesn’t feel he’s going to get another shot once he leaves Chastain, at least not soon. He wants to stay there and get back to who he was, so then he would have options.
(Guy D’Alema/FOX)
When Nic was attacked, he wanted to help, even from his hospital bed. Is he starting to care about the rest of the staff at Chastain?
It’s never really a question of whether he cares. He’s been very careful to show any type of emotion because to him, sometimes, showing a certain type of emotion or empathy would be considered weak. He does care about the people at Chastain. I believe he wants them to be somewhat of a family.
What will it take for Cain to be redeemed?
The first part is probably what he’s dealing with now. Sometimes you need to be knocked two steps backwards before you go forwards. He’s been humbled because he’s never had this type of challenge in the medical industry before. He still believes he can get back. There’s going to be a couple things that are going to continue to challenge him.
Is it a good thing he’s no longer attached to Red Rock and Logan Kim [Rob Yang]?
Yes. Cain was never really excited about Red Rock. He was the top-biller, but he wasn’t happy with Kim and how he would use things against him as leverage. He’s definitely glad to be away from that.
The Resident, Tuesdays, 8/7c, Fox
