The doctor is in! Even though FOX hasn’t announced any renewals for next season, I don’t get the feeling that The Resident (8pm ET on FOX & streaming on Hulu) is on life support. (I was right! FOX just renewed it for season 3)
The show has caught on with a solid group of fans, not the least of which are obsessed with Matt Czuchry. We’ve Cocktail Convo’d with him before, so this time I’m pouring a strong martini and chillin’ with Bruce Greenwood, aka Dr. Randolph Bell.
For Whom the Bell Tolls
It’s been an emotional season for Doc B. “I’m not sure he knows how to love,” he told me. Indeed, it’s tough when a seductress gets out of jail and comes back into your life. “Where he found himself saying outloud she was the love of my life. “
But it seems he’s getting over it. “Bell reviles Lane. There was a moment last year where he found himeslf saying outloud she was the love of my life. But I think that was really motivated by his inability to admit that he’d been manipulated.”
But Bell’s love life is just part of the dysfunction rolling around the chief’s head and for Greenwood, it’s part of why he loves the role. “I do love Dr. Bell, because you can never tell what they’re gonna roll down the alley at him. He’s constantly jumping out of the way of mistakes he’s made. “
And Bruce knows that mistakes seem to beget more mistakes, and that’s part of the comedic drama of the show. “In a sense he just creates more drama than he needs to. He’s a reactive guy who’s willing to say almost anything and then be outraged when other people treat him as though he’s willing to say almost anything. He’s out there and that’s what’s fun.”
The Write Stuff
Of course, assuming the show is brought back doesn’t mean we’ll see more of Randolph. I asked if he sends pizza or scotch to the Writer’s Room to make sure he doesn’t end up in a coma for six episodes. “That’s funny. That’s kinda the nature of television. We are all one irritated writer away from having our jugular slit.”
As Whoopi Goldberg observed in Soapdish, actors don’t like to play comas. They find it limiting. “But that’s what’s fun about it. You can never tell what’s gonna happen” I advised Bruce to make sure he avoids parking in the Head Writer’s parking space.
The Critic’s Cocktail Recommendation
Code Blue Mojito. It’s light, refreshing, and the perfect thing to chug before applying the panels to a patient in cardiac arrest. CLEAR!
Cheers!
Critic's Cocktail 