It’s official: Dr. Ian Sullivan isn’t going anywhere.
Andrew McCarthy has been promoted to series regular for the upcoming sixth season of The Resident, after appearing in the last three episodes of Season 5, Deadline reports. (His casting originally included that he’d be a regular if the medical drama was renewed.)
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According to his character description for Season 6, “His groundbreaking surgeries rescue the most vulnerable patients and make him key to the hospital’s financial stability. But as Ian’s demons emerge, both his daughter, Dr. Cade Sullivan (Kaley Ronayne) and our doctors face a dilemma. Where do you draw the line with a doctor whose own life is spiraling dangerously out of control, even as the keeps saving lives?”
Ian first showed up at Chastain to save his daughter after she was shot; she needed blood, and he was the only possible source since her supply — she has a rare blood type — was unusable. While Cade was recovering, Ian essentially talked his way into a job offer from Chastain’s CEO, Dr. Kit Voss (Jane Leeves). But first, he needed help from his future colleagues: Ian collapsed and was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Dr. Randolph Bell’s (Bruce Greenwood) surgery was a success.
“We love him … we love the soap between him and Cade, father and daughter working in the same hospital. We think that’s really fun and interesting,” executive producer Andrew Chapman told TV Insider of Ian after the finale. “He plays the sort of narcissistic ambitious surgeon so well [and] we have little hints of character flaws. He’s had a disease, but he also has an issue with painkillers. There’s all kinds of juicy stuff that we can play going forward. Is this a guy who has addiction issues and will he be the superstar doctor moving forward?”
We’ve already seen Ian clash with Dr. Conrad Hawkins (Matt Czuchry), and whether Conrad chooses Cade or Dr. Billie Sutton (Jessica Lucas) — he’s ready to move on after losing his wife, Nic (Emily VanCamp) — something tells us that will continue in Season 6. Just how tense things get might depend on what Conrad means to Ian’s daughter going forward.
The Resident, Season 6 Premiere, Tuesday, September 20, 8/7c, Fox
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