Since The Resident first aired, fans of the show have been really invested in the storyline of Matt Czuchry and Emily VanCamp’s characters Conrad Hawkins and Nicolette “Nic” Nevin.
Their relationship was one of the most engaging plotlines of the series. They finally welcomed their baby girl Georgiana Grace Hawkins in the fourth season.
That pregnancy wasn’t easy. Nic got stabbed while she was heavily pregnant, and fans were bracing for bad news for a moment.
Luckily, both made it out alive, which meant no more tears for the viewers. However, the celebrations didn’t last long, and in the fifth season, the story took an absolute worst twist.
Nic’s Absence In The Third Season
The last episode of season 4 had viewers beaming with joy about how everything had worked out alright for Nicolette and Conrad.
They were excited about their beautiful journey ahead. When season 5 premiered, viewers were ready to watch Nic’s blissful personal life unfold.
But Nick didn’t appear in the first episode. She was away on a spa retreat to take care of her health. If you haven’t watched the fifth season yet, then you have been warned about major spoilers ahead.
The medical drama fans’ worst fears were proven right in the second episode.
Conrad answered the door only to find two police officers to tell him about his wife’s accident.
The showrunners didn’t try to prolong this plotline by keeping Nic on life support for the next few episodes.
In a very emotional scene of the third episode, Conrad was told that Nic wasn’t coming back. She was declared brain dead after sustaining traumatic head injuries.
Even as she died, she helped others by getting her organs donated.
It was truly a heartbreaking episode for the audience who watched it in hopes that maybe their favorite character would recover from this too.
Since it’s clear that Emily isn’t returning, fans are hoping to see her in some flashback scene in the upcoming seasons.
Reason Behind Emily VanCamp’s Emotional Exit
Before season 5 aired, Fox had already announced that Emily VanCamp had left the show. Even in the show’s trailer, she only appeared briefly.
That glimpse gave fans hope of her getting some air time in the season.
Although Emily’s imminent departure was already known, nobody predicted how her iconic character would end its run.
When Emily was asked about her shocking exit, she assured that it was for the best.
In May, VanCamp had asked the executive producer to release her from the contract with the show.
Despite being so attached to the franchise, she felt this was the right time to move on. When Nicolette was pregnant, so was Emily in real life.
While their timeline wasn’t the same, it helped Emily keep the joyful secret for a bit longer.
In August 2021, Emily welcomed her first child Iris with Josh Bowman.
Like many other actresses, she also felt that this was the right time to spend with family. Another thing that factored in enormously in her decision was the pandemic.
While talking about her memories of the show, the Canadian actress had nothing but nice things to say about the beloved cast of the series.
Emily loved playing her wonderful character on The Resident, and she also squashed any drama rumors about her leaving the show on bad terms.
There is absolutely no malice between her and The Resident’s team.
In fact, the producers were very understanding about her leaving the show to focus on her family life.
In her Deadline interview, she clarified whatever doubts anyone had about her leaving:
“Oftentimes, you hear about someone exiting a show because something bad had happened or there was some bad blood. But in this case, it’s the exact opposite. There’s nothing but love and respect between all of us.”