The Resident star Morris Chestnut teases Cain's next move as he faces a rocky road
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Warning: This article contains spoilers for Tuesday's episode of The Resident, "First Days, Last Days."
Morris Chestnut is being challenged this season on The Resident as his character, Dr. Barrett Cain, relearns basic skills after a car accident that nearly claimed his life.
"He's been humbled in a number of different ways," the actor tells EW exclusively. "He's always been so confident in his abilities, and now that they have been taken away, for the first time he's doubting himself. Cain needs to build back his confidence and his courage so he can get back to doing what he feels he does better than anybody else."
Executive producer Andrew Chapman explains why it was important to bring Cain down a few pegs this season and how the character is working on his redemption.
"It feels great to have a villain on a show, but it's really important that the viewer understand why this person is the way they are," Chapman says. "It's important to understand the hubris and ambition and the pride of someone like Barrett Cain. We love the idea of having this person who can do all the things — and they do them for reasons like money, vanity, ambition — who can be brought low by circumstances you never see coming, like getting into a car accident that ruins his ability to be a surgeon. Finding your path to redemption is such a human thing, and it's such a powerful part of storytelling."
Guy D'Alema/FOX Morris Chestnut in 'The Resident'
On Tuesday's episode of the Fox series, Cain headed to physical therapy, where he met fellow patient Rose Williams (Cara Ricketts). He became frustrated as he struggled to use his hands to stack toy blocks, knowing he was no closer to getting back to work, and he took out his frustrations on Rose — but she gave it to him right back.
"She came back strong and held her own," Chestnut says. "She stood up to him. At the end of the day, he definitely sees something in her that he truly respects and admires. He wasn't saying those things to her to be mean, he's normally just blatantly honest about his thoughts and opinions. There are things that they can learn from each other. What I can reveal is that he's interested in seeing what makes her tick and what helps her stay positive. He has admiration for her."
Adds Chapman, "You'll see his relationship with Rose evolve. Let's see how that all plays out. People need other people to soften their edges. Both tragedy and relationships can do that. I won't say where that relationship will end up, but it's interesting."
The episode also revealed that Cain has been behind many of Mina's (Shaunette Renee Wilson) challenges, leaving both her medical license and her visa in danger. It was her boyfriend, the Raptor (Malcolm-Jamal Warner), who figured it all out, leading to a confrontation between the two men.
FOX Shaunette Renée Wilson and Malcolm-Jamal Warner in 'The Resident'
"They're going to have some ups and downs, lots of nerve-racking moments until the bitter end," Chapman says. "I don't want to give too much away, but know that it's going to be explosive between Cain and Raptor because Raptor is being protective of the people he loves. It's going to be very messy. We're definitely going to ruffle feathers, and it's going to be intense."
In one of Cain's most vulnerable moments, viewers saw him break down inside a locked public bathroom. As arrogant as the character is, it was one of the few times he came across as vulnerable, with all the complexities and emotions that come with the human experience.
"Last season when I was on the show, we were talking about how I wanted the audience to really understand Cain," Chestnut says. "He's a very clear character, and people knew what he was about. Well, they knew the result of him, but we've never seen him vulnerable or what makes him tick. That's what I spoke to the writers about, and they said we'd be able to explore that this year, and I'm so grateful for that."
The big cliffhanger of the night had nothing to do with Cain, but it was similarly dramatic: Pravesh (Manish Dayal) reconnected with Princess Nadine Suheimat (Shazi Raja), who was in Atlanta and anxious to see her former beau. In the final scene, she was holding an infant, and Pravesh was left wondering whether he fathered the child.
"I'm not willing to give this one away," Chapman says. "It's fun little cliffhanger that we're using so he can take a look at himself and what he's doing with his life. Everything will be revealed in the next episode when we return on April 13."
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