'The Resident' Season 5 Halloween Episode Brings Spirits, Witches, a Serial Killer, and a Major Twis

The Resident has been known to deliver exciting Halloween episodes, but season 5’s might take the cake. Things take a turn for the spooky as the doctors at Chastain Park Memorial Hospital tend to a coven of witches and a man haunted by ghosts. Elsewhere, a serial killer is on the loose in Georgia, putting one of Chastain’s finest in danger. The episode culminates in a big twist that will change the FOX medical drama’s future. Here’s a breakdown of The Resident Season 5’s Halloween episode, plus the showrunner’s insight on how the series will continue.

[Spoiler alert: The following story contains spoilers for The Resident Season 5 Episode 5.]

A coven and a mischievous spirit visit Chastain on Halloween night in ‘The Resident’ Season 5

Days after Conrad Hawkins (played by Matt Czuchry) suddenly loses his wife, Nic Nevin (Emily VanCamp), he returns to Chastain on Halloween in search of a distraction from his pain. He finds that distraction in caring for a trio of Wiccans who visit the hospital after preparations for their Samhain ceremony go awry. The doctors eventually discover that the witches had ingested poisonous foxglove, which caused vision problems.

Conrad bonds with the High Priestess during her treatment, taking an interest in her Pagan culture and traditions. When the High Priestess dies and comes back to life, Conrad learns she wanted to see her late son in the afterlife, but it didn’t work. The two begin talking about Nic, and Conrad is inspired to host a Dumb Supper to honor his late wife.

Meanwhile, Devon Pravesh (Manish Dayal) cares for a patient who believes a ghost in his home gave him health issues. During his hospital stay, the patient experiences strange occurrences, like objects moving on their own.

Devon assures him that ghosts aren’t real and later discovers that his symptoms come from a tumor — nothing supernatural. However, AJ Austin (Malcolm-Jamal Warner) insists a spirit at the patient’s home sent him to the hospital for care. AJ shares his own supernatural beliefs, convincing Devon to change his perspective. Devon later has his own mysterious experience — a door opening on its own, a light malfunctioning, and a quiet figure popping out of nowhere.

A dangerous serial killer forces Dr. Bell to confront his mistakes

On a drive home from a sailing trip, Dr. Randolph Bell (Bruce Greenwood) picks up a hitchhiker. The two share some laughs on their ride, but things turn dark when the passenger begins asking questions about Bell’s past. He asks if Bell’s has ever killed anyone in surgery. Unsatisfied with Bell’s response, the hitchhiker pulls out a knife and asks again.

Bell must confront his mistakes in the operating room. He tells the story of when he killed a patient in a surgery that should have been simple. At the time, he shouldn’t have performed surgery at all, but hubris pushed him to do so. Bell admits that he got away with killing the patient but still feels the guilt.

The hitchhiker lets Bell go unscathed. Later, at Chastain, Bell and Kit Voss (Jane Leeves) learn that the hitchhiker is actually a very dangerous serial killer on the run.

A time jump thrusts ‘The Resident’ to Halloween night, three years later

The episode ends with a twist no one could have predicted: a huge time jump. The final minutes show Conrad and his daughter, Gigi, just over three years later on Halloween night. The time jump accounts for only moments in the episode, but it will make for drastic changes in the rest of season 5.

Showrunner Peter Elkoff explained the decision to Entertainment Tonight. He revealed that they wanted a time frame that wasn’t too far ahead but enough to give the characters a chance to move forward after Nic’s death. Additionally, Elkoff teased how “three years later” would look.

“When we come back in [episode] 6, everybody’s lives will have changed in different ways. Within the hospital and outside the hospital, our characters will be living differently than they did in episode 5. We felt like emotionally, the characters have changed some; someone’s point of view toward someone else might be different,” he said.

Going into a bit of detail, Elkoff added that Conrad will have new romantic interests. Meanwhile, Kit and Bell will be together, and Devon and Leela (Anuja Joshi) will continue their romance. Fans will even see some new characters and experience thrilling stories. All in all, Elkoff said it will feel like a “classic Resident season.”

The Resident airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on FOX.

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