You’re probably sitting on your couch, scrolling through Hulu or Disney+, trying to figure out if you have time to start another binge or if you’re about to hit a cliffhanger. It happens to the best of us. When it comes to how many episodes in season 5 of the resident, the answer isn't just a random digit. It’s 23.
Twenty-three episodes.
That’s a beefy season, especially in an era where streaming giants like Netflix or Apple TV+ try to convince us that eight episodes is a full meal. It isn’t. Fox stuck to the old-school broadcast model for this one, giving fans a long, winding journey through Chastain Memorial Hospital. But the sheer volume of episodes in this specific season serves a purpose beyond just filling airtime. This was the year everything changed for Conrad Hawkins and the rest of the crew.
The 23-Episode Marathon of Season 5
Most network dramas aim for that 22-episode sweet spot. The Resident went one step further for its fifth outing. Why? Because the writers had a massive, soul-crushing mountain to climb. If you remember where season 4 left off, things felt relatively stable. Then season 5 hit like a freight train.
The season kicked off on September 21, 2021, and didn't wrap up until May 17, 2022. That’s a long time to keep an audience engaged. To make it work, the showrunners utilized a massive time jump early on. We aren't talking a few weeks or months. They leaped years into the future. This wasn't just a gimmick; it was a necessity to move the characters past a specific, devastating grief without making the entire show feel like a funeral dirge for six months straight.
Honestly, the pacing of these 23 episodes is pretty wild. You have the initial shock of the early episodes, the slow-burn adjustment to a "new normal," and then a frantic race toward the finale. It’s a lot to take in. Some fans felt the middle section dragged a bit—standard for any show doing more than 20 episodes—but the payoff in the final stretch usually makes up for the filler.
Why the Episode Count Feels Different This Time
If you’ve been following the show since day one, you know the episode counts have been all over the place. Season 1 was a tight 14 episodes. Season 2 jumped to 23. Season 3 got cut short at 20 because of the global pandemic. Season 4 was a slim 14.
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So, returning to a 23-episode count for season 5 felt like a "return to form" for Fox. It signaled that the network still had immense faith in the show’s ability to pull in live viewers.
But there’s a catch.
More episodes mean more subplots. In season 5, we spent a lot of time on the Medicare fraud storyline and the rise of the twin sisters, Padma and Leela. With 23 hours of television to fill, the writers could afford to let these side stories breathe. Whether you actually liked those stories is a different debate entirely. Some viewers found the focus on Leela’s family life a bit distracting from the core medical cases, but that's the trade-off when you have a full broadcast order. You can't just do "medical mystery of the week" for 23 straight weeks without some soap opera drama to glue it all together.
The Impact of Nic Nevin’s Exit
We have to talk about Emily VanCamp. Her departure is the reason the 23-episode structure was so vital. If the season had been shorter—say, 10 episodes—the transition away from her character, Nic Nevin, would have felt rushed and probably disrespectful to the fans who spent years invested in "CoNic."
Instead, the show used the first few episodes of the 23-episode run to handle the immediate aftermath. Then, the time jump allowed the show to reset. We got to see Conrad as a girl-dad, navigating a world that had moved on. You need the "boring" middle episodes of a long season to sell that kind of character growth. It makes the eventual arrival at episode 23, "Neonatal," feel earned.
Breaking Down the Key Chapters
The season is basically split into three distinct acts.
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The first act is the tragedy. It’s heavy. It’s dark. It’s the episodes that made everyone cry into their popcorn. Then comes the middle act, which focuses heavily on the "Flight Crew" and Conrad's stint as a private concierge doctor. This is where the 23-episode count feels most apparent. Things slow down. We meet new faces like Cade Sullivan and Trevor (Billie's son).
The final act brings the tension back. We deal with Bell’s diagnosis—Multiple Sclerosis—and the looming threat of a medical system that values profits over patients. By the time you hit the finale, you realize that the writers needed every single one of those 23 episodes to tie these threads together.
Notable Guest Stars and Recurring Roles
Because the season was so long, the casting department had to stay busy. We saw a lot more of Kaley Ronayne as Cade and Andrew McCarthy as her father, Ian Sullivan. Ian's introduction late in the season was a masterstroke in creating a new antagonist/anti-hero dynamic that would carry over into the final season.
It’s also worth noting that the long season allowed for some deep dives into the supporting cast. AJ Austin (The Raptor) got a beautiful, albeit heartbreaking, arc involving his mother’s health. In a shorter season, that likely would have been trimmed down to a few scenes. Here, it was a centerpiece.
How to Watch Season 5 Without Burning Out
Look, 23 episodes is a lot of TV. If you’re watching this for the first time on a streaming service, it’s easy to get "medical drama fatigue." The best way to tackle it is in blocks.
- Watch episodes 1 through 5 as a standalone miniseries. This covers the "Old Era" and the immediate transition.
- Take a break.
- Treat episodes 6 through 15 as the "Expansion" phase. This is where the new characters settle in.
- Blast through 16 to 23. This is the home stretch where the stakes ramp up.
The season finale, "Neonatal," is particularly strong. It’s directed by Manish Dayal (who plays Devon Pravesh), and it manages to provide a sense of closure while leaving the door just cracked enough for the future. It’s a rare feat for a show that had already been through the ringer.
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The Legacy of Season 5’s Length
When we look back at The Resident, season 5 stands out as the most ambitious. It’s the longest season since the sophomore year and arguably the most difficult to produce. It had to survive a lead actor leaving, a shifting TV landscape, and the pressure of maintaining high ratings on a Tuesday night.
The 23-episode count allowed the show to evolve from a romantic medical drama into something more ensemble-focused and cynical about the healthcare industry. It proved that Conrad Hawkins could carry a show without Nic Nevin, something many critics doubted at the start of the year.
If you're wondering if it's worth the time investment, honestly, yeah. It’s messy at times, sure. But the high points—Bell’s vulnerability, AJ’s growth, and Conrad’s evolution into a seasoned mentor—are some of the best moments in the entire series.
Next Steps for Fans
If you're currently midway through the 23 episodes, pay close attention to the background details in the hospital pharmacy scenes starting around episode 10. There are some subtle hints about the prescription fraud plot that don't fully pay off until the final three episodes. Also, keep an eye on the chemistry between Conrad and Billie; the writers were playing a very long game there that requires you to watch the subtle glances in the quieter, "filler" episodes. Once you finish episode 23, you’ll be ready to head straight into the sixth and final season, which takes a much faster, 13-episode approach.