This article includes mentions of sexual assault.
Although Conrad and Billie didn't start their unexpected relationship until The Resident season 6, the couple's romance started brewing long before they even realized their feelings. The Resident is a medical drama that ran for six seasons on Fox. The series follows charming doctor Conrad Hawkins as he faces the cruel realities of being in the medical field, along with the highs and lows of everyday life.
For the three seasons of The Resident, Conrad Hawkins, the series' main character, is in a relationship with nurse practitioner Nicolette "Nic" Nevin. The two eventually get married and have a child together, Gigi, but in a tragic turn of events, Nic dies of a traumatic brain injury at the start of The Resident season 5. For the remainder of The Resident's season, Conrad must deal with the loss of his wife, and over time, he decides that he wants to move on because that's what Nic would want. He eventually falls for Billie Sutton in The Resident season 6, however, their romance has plenty of lead-up in the preceding season, and there are many hints that suggest the pairing would eventually happen.
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8 Billie’s Longing Look After She Gives Him Permission To Move On
In The Resident season 5, Conrad is working through his conflicted feelings as he mourns the loss of Nic but also considers a potential romance with Marion, a worker at the hospital daycare. During The Resident season 5, episode 8, Billie tells Conrad that it would be normal and valid for him to move on romantically after Nic's (played by Emily VanCamp) death. At the end of the episode, Conrad confirms with Billie, asking if she really meant it. After seeing the spark between him and Marion, she says yes and encourages him to go for it.
Although this scene may seem like Conrad and Billie are entirely platonic, the words left unsaid make the moment much more romantic. Once Billie emphasizes that Conrad should go after Marion, he turns around and Billie looks after him longingly. At this moment, the audience sees Billie's feelings for Conrad and her desire to be with him. However, being a good friend and understanding Conrad, Billie does not push her feelings onto him in this The Resident episode and instead helps him cope with his grief and budding romantic feelings. This shows the first hints of a healthy base of their relationship, which eventually grows as the show continues.
7 “If You’re Going Into Battle, I Want To Be Your Wingman.”
One major plot point for Billie in The Resident season 5 is the introduction of her son, Trevor, and the backstory of her pregnancy. It is revealed that a doctor, who is up for a seat on the state medical board, is the man who raped Billie when she was 13, resulting in her pregnancy with Trevor. In The Resident season 5, episode 14, Billie decides to file an ethics complaint against the doctor and decides to trust Conrad by telling him about the situation.
When it comes to this topic, Billie is intensely reserved and refuses to speak about it to anyone except Nic, hoping to keep the truth a secret from her co-workers at The Resident's Chastain Hospital, so now has no one to support her. However, when Conrad shows concern for her and asks for her to share, she trusts him and receives his undying loyalty. He encourages her to speak out and offers his help in fighting this battle, saying "If you’re going into battle, I want to be your wingman.” This assertion shows that Conrad cares about Billie deeply and will even put himself at risk for her.
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6 Conrad Makes Sure Billie Isn’t Alone After Everything Comes Out
In the same episode, The Resident season 5, episode 14, Conrad makes sure that Billie isn't alone when her secret finally comes out. Billie files her complaint and must speak in front of her co-workers documenting the doctor's actions and her consequent pregnancy. In the final moments of the episode, The Resident's main character leaves Billie alone outside following the proceedings and notices Conrad hanging around. He immediately asks if she is ok and then wonders if the next day they can meet up and just talk. Billie agrees, and the moment shows a new tenderness between them. His concern for her, once again, proves his affection and shows the efforts he is making to ensure that she's alright.
5 Billie Confesses Her Love For Conrad To AJ
During the penultimate episode of The Resident season 5, Billie has a heart-to-heart with AJ, where both parties discuss their fears about relationships and family matters. While AJ confides in Billie about his worry about becoming a father, Billie tells AJ that she hasn't been in a real relationship in a long time but has now realized that she has feelings for someone in the medical TV show who she refuses to name. AJ, not fooled, tells Billie that Conrad and Gigi would be lucky to have her, and she wonders aloud if her feelings are that obvious.
Although Billie and Conrad don't officially get together until the following season of The Resident, Billie's confession seems like a sort of tipping point in their relationship. Earlier in the season, she shows signs of having a crush on Conrad, but in this scene, she finally admits it not only to herself but to another person. She also gets confirmation that the relationship could work and that it's fairly obvious. This scene is pivotal for their romance because it opens the door for Billie to make a move.
4 The Love Triangle Introduced
With Conrad close to moving on from Nic's death, The Resident season 5 finale presents a potential love triangle for season 6 between Conrad, Billie, and newcomer, Cade. Cade enters The Resident's cast as an accomplished ER doctor who is now working at Chastain Hospital. Conrad, ever the leader, helps Cade settle and a few sparks fly. In The Resident season 5 finale, Billie and Cade chat at a bar and both acknowledge that they're friends with Conrad, but both potentially want more.
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This love triangle is significant in Conrad and Billie's relationship because it forces their feelings into the spotlight. With another person in the romantic mix, it's impossible for Conrad and Billie to ignore the tension that has existed between them and furthermore, a choice must be made. The love triangle makes Billie become more invested in her feelings for Conrad and pushes Conrad to see his feelings clearly and make a decision on who he wants to be with, which is eventually Billie.
3 Billie Caring About Gigi Like She’s Her Own
A significant part of Conrad's life in The Resident medical drama is his daughter, Gigi, especially after Nic dies, and he becomes a single father. Conrad does the best he can to take care of her and lead her on the right path, and Billie helps with this, as well. Billie works hard to be a good person for Gigi to look up to and help her in any way she can. But more than that, Billie genuinely cares for Gigi, as well. Billie's affection for Gigi is an optimistic sign of her relationship with Conrad and makes their romance even more seamless and bound to happen.
In The Resident season 6, episode 6, Kit and Bell have their wedding, and happy, romantic emotions are certainly running high. Billie asks Conrad if he wants to dance and he agrees, as Dr. Jake Wong (played by How to Get Away with Murder's Oliver Hampton) sings Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling In Love." They make their way onto the dance floor, joking around at first and laughing. Then, Conrad thanks Billie for taking care of Gigi and says that he is grateful for her. The tone of the scene suddenly changes from silly to serious as Billie says, "It's nothing. I love you guys."
As Billie says this, it's clear that what she truly means is that she loves Conrad romantically, though she can't say this directly. Conrad seems to realize the depth of her feelings but he also keeps his to himself. Suddenly, their dance becomes more intimate as Conrad pulls Billie close and they dance together, both in a state of awe. This dance, though seemingly small, marks a vital moment in their relationship because they both realize, at this moment, how deeply they care for each other. Their character personalities in The Resident also mean that they are hesitant to show how they feel, but that it would be easy, at this point, to take their relationship to the next level.
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1 Everyone Can See It
The biggest signifier of Conrad and Billie's impending romance in The Resident is the fact that everyone except them can see it coming. Even before Billie admits her feelings, AJ reveals that the sparks between them are completely obvious. This means that for an entire season before they actually enter a relationship, their romance is obvious and expected. This fact was a massive hint that Conrad and Billie would eventually end up together, even if they didn't realize it themselves.
In the final seasons of the beloved hospital drama, the love life of protagonist Conrad Hawkins has many ups and downs, but in the end, he sticks with Billie, who proves to be a good match for him. Billie puts Conrad before herself and is a huge help when it comes to Gigi and, in turn, Conrad supports Billie completely and goes out of his way to aid her in any way he can. Despite the long build-up towards their relationship, Conrad and Billie were meant to be together very early on, making their eventual romance that much stronger and satisfying.
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