KitBell’s ‘Intimate’ Wedding and Vows
There was no better way for The Resident to celebrate its 100th episode than with Dr. Kit Voss (Jane Leeves) and Dr. Randolph Bell (Bruce Greenwood) finally getting married. But of course, there were a couple of obstacles in the way, from him being called into work to treat a potential investor’s daughter (and he stayed for the surgery, even as others said they could get another doctor) to her starting her fight against the governor, who will slash the hospital’s budget in earnest.
Still, the hour did end with everyone gathered to watch the two exchange vows — which were perfect for their journey! — and say, “I do.” It wasn’t elaborate, but it was just right for the couple. “I think we all wanted it to have that feel of because we say in a previous episode, we’d both been married a few times, and at our age, it felt silly to do sort of the big wedding thing. So it was supposed to be intimate and fun, but a special occasion, especially after COVID, a chance for people to celebrate,” Leeves tells TV Insider.
Both Kit and Bell acknowledged the man he used to be in their vows, with her putting it best (and succinctly) by admitting she thought was an “arrogant sod” when they met. “I never expected you’d make me feel so happy, so loved, and I never ever thought you’d be my forever. But Randolph, you are, and I’ve never been so glad to have been so wrong,” she said. Then it was Bell’s turn: “Thank you for waiting for me to become the man I am now. I’ve made some mistakes … and then I met someone who believed I could be better — a better surgeon, better stepfather, and a better person — and all I can do is just try and become the man that somehow you know I could be. Kit, everything that’s good in me is because of you.”
The fact that “she had his number right from the start … made the relationship,” according to Leeves. “She would barge into his office all the time making demands, and he was charmed by her. I think she just saw the good in him, and they bring out the best in each other, actually. That’s what always makes a great relationship. I always think that a great relationship is when you try and become the person that the person you are with sees you as.”
Adds Greenwood, “with Kit, the opportunity for redemption presented itself. And he was so smitten with her and her sense that he could be more than he had been. He got an opportunity to remake himself, and people don’t get that opportunity very often.”
And he credits the fact that his character has changed so much that he’s still around. “In Season 1, I kind of thought, ‘listen, this guy is such a bastard that I don’t think he’s gonna survive more than a season or two,’” Greenwood admits. “I think the writers may have realized that as well and thought to themselves, if he continues to be this bad, he’s gonna get caught in a way that he can’t avoid. So I think they made an effort to sidestep that fate for him by having him sort of have this come to Jesus moment with Kit.”
Part of why we’ve been rooting so hard for Kit and Bell — remember how long it took for them to get dinner? — is because of the chemistry between Leeves and Greenwood.
“We have the best time. We have such a good relationship. We’re like this sort of giggly brother and sister. We’re the most disruptive on the set. We’re always laughing. We bring out that sort of goofball side in each other, I think, which is so much fun,” Leeves shares. “I said to him the other day because we were talking about it, when I first came to the show, I met him in the makeup trailer, and he walked in, he says, ‘lovely to meet you.’ And I said, ‘here I am, this comedy actor with all you serious actors.’ And he said, ‘you’re not gonna take this seriously, are you?’ And that was the beginning. I was like, ‘no, absolutely not.’ We deal with some heavy subjects on the show, so between takes, it’s nice to have a laugh and relax a bit.”
Greenwood agrees. “We’re good friends. We spend a lot of time together, and we just really enjoy one another’s company. I was talking to Jane the other day, and she was saying, ‘did you answer questions about what was the most difficult scene to film?’ And I said, ‘yeah, I think I did. What did you say?’ And she said, ‘marrying you,’” he laughs. “We have a lot of fun together and have tremendous respect for one another, and I guess that shows.”
In addition to officiating the ceremony, Bell’s stepson Jake (Conrad Ricamora) sang at the reception, and Greenwood hopes this episode isn’t the only time we see him this season. “Conrad’s such a beautiful guy and what a singer. Can you believe that guy’s voice? It just kills me. Just so mega talented,” he says. “We all love having him around.”
And both Leeves and Greenwood highly praised Manish Dayal (Dr. Devon Pravesh), who directed the milestone. “Manish, not least because he’s an actor, is very conscious of what’s happening emotionally for all the characters, and I think he takes some extra special care to make sure that’s reflected in the way he covers and also in the way he talks to the actors during production,” Greenwood notes. “He’s a lot of fun to work with that way. Already, he’s a good director, but I think he’s gonna be really special.”
And what better time to have Leeves and Greenwood look back at their characters’ relationship and favorite KitBell moments than for the wedding? “I keep going back to the first scene I shot with him in his office where I go and just plump myself on his desk and say, ‘you need to get me a resident to help me in surgery,’” she says. “The way she did it and the enjoyment in his eyes was what struck me in that scene. He so enjoyed her even though she was saying, ‘I want this, and I want that. Keep me happy, you wanna keep me around.’”
And then she points to the proposal from last season. “There was a scene in their bedroom where they’re getting ready for work, and when she proposes to him accidentally, she said, ‘well, let’s get married then. Oh my god, what did I just say?’” she recalls. “That was a great scene, too. It was so much fun to shoot. It was like, ‘did that just come out of my mouth?’ It was one of those moments, but yeah, it was sort of playful and fun, and I love that.”
Greenwood looks to the episode right before the 100th, when Kit was surprised Bell had come home early and was cooking for her, remembering “just the way Jane danced across the room, like a little girl all excited at a present or something. She just kind of leapt across the room, and I just thought that was so beautiful and loving and fun, and it was also the first scene we’d had in quite a long time. So it was doubly enjoyable because she was so wonderful in it and because we hadn’t worked together for a couple of weeks.”