There were a lot of tears for “Into the Unknown.” We actually got some tears from Dr. Mina Okafor, too. That’s how devastating this episode was.
While I’m grateful that Dr. AJ Austin (Malcolm-Jamal Warner) will not be leaving us, I’m heartbroken for him and Mina (Shaunette Renée Wilson). Especially, AJ. His mother has stage four cancer and his girlfriend has to leave the country.
We didn’t know if Shaunette was leaving the show going into the episode, and it truly felt like a farewell episode. After “Into the Unknown” aired, she took to social media to confirm that she was leaving the show. Say it isn’t so!
Mina almost broke down crying when she realized she was leaving alone. There were flashes of all the good times she’s had.
She tried to leave without saying goodbye but the doctors and nurses of Chaistain would not let her do that.
They threw her a going-away party. And she called them her family. It was the sweetest thing. I wish she weren’t leaving, but they did her farewell justice. The Resident will not be the same without her.
I loved how she was hugging Nic Nevin (Emily VanCamp), and a tear ran down her face. It was even more brutal when she was saying goodbye to AJ. He’s not afraid of tears. He left them flow for his mother and her.
Mina leaving and AJ having to stay wasn’t the only thing happening around Chastain.
Dr. Barrett Cain (Morris Chestnut) was back. He was over-eager to get back into the OR, even though he dropped a surgical tool and couldn’t pick it back up during practice. He lied and said he completed all the tasks. We all knew this wasn’t going to end well.
It didn’t end as badly as it could have. First, Dr. Kit Voss (Jane Leeves) supervised the surgery until she was pulled away. Luckily, Dr. Billie Sutton (Jessica Lucas) was there to step in when Cain’s hand stopped working.
They made an oath, “do no harm.” How could he possibly think it was a good idea to jump back in when he wasn’t ready?
He may have had a wake-up call by the way he spoke to Rose (Cara Ricketts), saying there was no light at the end of his tunnel. He’s still come a long way, though, and I think if he can put his ego aside, he might be able to find his way back.
I like the side that Rose brings out him, but he keeps reverting back to his former self way too quickly. Cain is clearly sticking around but how will he grow from this experience? I’m waiting for his growth from all of this. And to see it stick and not just have moments of acting like a human being.
And Rose may get a cure! Dr. Devon Pravesh’s (Manish Dayal) college friend is doing a clinical trial for Sickle cell patients. There’s no guarantee, but it’s a shot. She’s such a fighter. I hope this brings her a cure, even if it gets worse before it gets better. I want there to be a happy ending to her story.
And once again, Cain provided plenty of opportunities for Dr. Kit Voss to be the badass CEO. He didn’t want her in the OR with him, but he didn’t have a choice. And we got to see her carefully consider a proposal and act on it.
The Resident writers were clearly listening when I said I wanted to see more of her being a badass CEO. Thank you.
And Pravesh found a match! The intern Dr. Leela Devi (Anuja Joshi). They do have good chemistry on screen for the resident and intern storyline. I don’t know if I really see them as more, but in these shows, the doctors and or nurses are always dating, so maybe it’s a nod to their future. For now, Devon lied and said he’s on the matchmaker for his mom. Considering how quickly word spreads in this hospital, I’m sure she’ll find out soon enough.
How do you feel about Mina leaving? Tweet me @MandyTTCarr or comment below.
