‘The Resident’ Cast Teases ‘Ramifications’ Of A Season 3 Death, A ‘Dangerous’ Conrad & More

‘The Resident’ returns for season 3 on Sept. 24. HL got EXCLUSIVE scoop from stars Matt Czuchry and Jane Leeves about that shocking cliffhanger, the new doctor at Chastain, and more.

The season 2 finale left The Resident fans on edge with both Jessie and Kyle’s lives in jeopardy after surgery. Conrad was working to save one of them as a horrified Nic watched on. Jessie and Kyle’s fates will be revealed when the show returns for season 3 on Sept. 24. HollywoodLife spoke EXCLUSIVELY with stars Matt Czuchry and Jane Leeves at the Television Critics Association summer press tour about what’s ahead.

Matt teased that the very “personal death” will have “ramifications” for all characters. Despite the tragic situation for Nic, her relationship with Conrad will remain in a good place. However, Conrad will be taking even more risks this season. As for Kitt, her biggest challenge will come in the form of Morris Chestnut’s character, who is a new doctor at the hospital. Check out our full Q&A below.

What can you say about where we pick up in season 3?
Matt Czuchry: We pick up with the answer to that question that everybody had at the end of season 2. It’s done in quite a beautiful way actually. We pick right back up and fans will have the answer to that question right off the bat, which I like as an audience member. I don’t want to wait, you know? Someone dies. I can give you that much. And you know, again, what drew me to the show was that this genre allows for more of an inner connection of people because of life and death questions. The ramifications of that happen constantly throughout our show and the surprises happen. This particular death is obviously very personal so that’s going to have ramifications for all the characters on the show.

What you can you tease about how the Nic situation will impact Conrad? Nic’s directly affected by both Jessie and Kyle so this puts him in a very interesting position.
Matt Czuchry: Nic and Conrad are personally in the best space they’ve ever been in, but for Conrad, it’s more about Nic’s loss. You’re supporting a loved one as you do when someone has passed away that’s so close to you. Conrad is there for Nic and that’s the biggest thing that they deal with together.

One of the best things Amy Holden Jones said in a past interview about Conrad and Nic’s relationship is that there’s not going to be this constant love triangle or a constant threat. She loves exploring a really strong relationship between two people who aren’t just going to fall in love with someone else. I love that aspect of approaching that relationship.
Matt Czuchry: Me too. I will say there’s something about that relationship that seems sacred. It’s love, not lust. And there’s something lovely about having that portrayed. We do see that at the beginning of the season — two people who are in a relationship that is working and is healthy. In the first two seasons, we saw a lot of ups and downs.

When Kitt was introduced in season 3, she showed us a different side of Bell. What can you say about their friendship moving forward?
Jane Leeves: You know, it was interesting because when I first started on the show, we just immediately hit it off. We’re very naughty, we laugh all the time. But I said, ‘Wouldn’t it be interesting to see two grown-ups having a relationship of being true friends?’ I think that she humanizes him, she brings out his humanity, and she sees beyond the decisions he makes. She’s not afraid to say, ‘Listen, a**hole, don’t you do that’. She sees beyond that and sees that there is a soul in there. There is a good soul in there but he is hurting in some ways. I think she sees the pain in him and the good in him as well.

Matt Czuchry: I think that Bell responds to Kitt in a way that he doesn’t with anybody else in terms of letting that affect him when he’s vulnerable in that way. That relationship is very complicated but they complement each other in such a beautiful way. I love watching that relationship.

On another note, Kitt has gotten back together with her ex. What can you say about where that’s going to go? 
Jane Leeves: I don’t know. The focus for me this season, I think, is going to be butting heads with Morris Chestnut.

So he’s definitely shaking things up?
Jane Leeves: Oh yeah. He is so interesting as well because he is so different from Kitt. That dynamic is so great. I’m excited.

What about Conrad? I mean he’s not afraid to get in anyone’s face.
Matt Czuchry: Conrad is always butting up against the system and crossing those lines. He’s trying to do the most good for the most number of people. But now the hospital is owned by this conglomerate right now so he’s facing new challenges as everybody’s facing new challenges. Conrad’s willing to go cross lines he’s never been willing to cross before. But on the opposite side he’s facing more powerful people. So he’s willing to be more dangerous but he’s up against more dangerous people.

I love the show is not afraid to cross the complicated lines, especially in this medical field. The whole aspect of medical devices last season was so fascinating and something that I’d never seen before on TV.
Matt Czuchry: That’s so informative as well. Anyone I know who is having a knee replacement I say, ‘You know, make sure it’s been on the market, find out, do your research.’

I feel like that’s what sets the show apart from other medical shows.
Matt Czuchry: Yes, certainly. That’s what drew me to the pilot from the beginning. I felt like it was from a beloved genre that takes a different peek into that genre. This shows doctors and surgeons and nurses as heroes but fallible heroes. We raise these questions about medical devices, we raise these questions in the season about conglomerates and Big Pharma but present both sides to the arguments so that the audience can question that. We have kind of a reference point with this book called Unaccountable and we are showing things that other hospitals obviously haven’t shown before and I think that why fans have connected to the show.

Jane Leeves: Because they’re facing these issues in their own lives as well. You know, people are suffering and not being able to get the help they need. It’s very informative.

Matt Czuchry: Or if you go to a hospital you assume that it’s a perfect science and it’s not. With the aspect of the medical devices, people think that if it’s been approved then it must be okay to use or put inside my body. Medical devices, such as pacemakers, for example, have done amazing things. That’s what makes the contrast so interesting is that you do have this science there that saves lives but also can hurt people. It’s not black and white. It’s very gray.

What can you tease about Conrad and Devin’s dynamic this season? Because I feel like last season they were separated in a sense.
Matt Czuchry: I think that both Conrad and Devin have changed and they’ve grown in their professional skills, so you are going to see them this season actually in conflict with one another. I mentioned Conrad crossing some of those lines and even Conrad’s colleagues, including Devin, don’t see eye to eye on the right approach, which does happen in addressing issues in the medical field. A friend of mine, for example, was pregnant and it was a complicated pregnancy and there were five doctors and nurses and they had five different opinions on what they should do in this complicated situation. So just because Conrad has one way to go and Devin has another way to go, they come in conflict over the same issues. It’s a very real-life example over something very specific and important. We are going to see Conrad and Devin in a new way this season that we haven’t seen since we saw in season 1, which is kind of exciting.

Last season, Conrad’s father Marshall had a major storyline. Will we see him again? 
Matt Czuchry: I think we will. Glenn [Morshower] is an amazing person and an amazing actor and we will see him again.

Are there any more new doctors coming in other than Morris Chestnut’s character? 
Matt Czuchry: He’s the big one who’s going to be there throughout the whole season.

I have to say, the whole cast has such a great vibe and you all mesh so well onscreen together. 
Jane Leeves: You know what? That is not always the case. It makes you walk into work and just smile. You’re just like, ‘Oh, I’m so glad to see everyone.’

Matt Czuchry: I mentioned this earlier, you can’t put a price on that chemistry. The audience can feel the dynamics between the characters. Audience members gravitate towards different characters but that chemistry is the reason we’ve come back for season 3. It’s really kind of steadily built and I think that’s because a large part of the chemistry between everyone that’s collective on the show.