Editor’s note: The below recap contains spoilers for Brilliant Minds Season 2, Episode 4.Dr. Josh Nichols (Teddy Sears) is officially captaining the dysfunctional ship that is Bronx General on Brilliant Minds. It is definitely awkward for Wolf (Zachary Quinto) to have his ex constantly looking over his shoulder and checking his work, but the neurologist is more determined to make things work for the man he won’t admit he loves than he was for his mother. Wolf doesn’t want to see the hospital go under, and being assigned the case of one of the hospital’s biggest donors, Arianna Burnett (special guest Jane Krakowski) gives him the perfect opportunity to prove he knows how to be a team player. It also helps him establish boundaries with the new boss. While Wolf is busy figuring out his new dynamic with Josh, his team is struggling even more with the regime change. With Wolf preoccupied, the interns report to Charlie Porter (Brian Altemus), who finally shows some human empathy just as his endgame goal comes into focus. He’s positioning himself for a prestigious new gig while Ericka (Ashleigh LaThrop) is heading towards a mental crisis that no one else seems to be paying attention to. Things are changing at Bronx General as we get another big piece of the Hudson Oaks storyline that reveals the facility is not what Wolf expected when he signed himself in. The game is afoot, as Sherlock Holmes would say, but who is going to be the hero at the end of the day?
Jane Karkowski Shows Off the Value in Being Weird in ‘Brilliant Minds’

Zachary Quinto as Dr. Oliver Wolf, Jane Krakowski as Arianna Burnett in Brilliant Minds Season 2 Episode 4Image via NBC

There are few patients more terrifying for a doctor than major donors to their hospital. However, Wolf is stoked for the opportunity to treat Arianna Burnett when he learns she’s an eccentric businesswoman who takes as unorthodox an approach to her work as he does to his. He and Carol (Tamberla Perry) head to the Burnett residence when Josh informs them that Arianna has early-onset dementia and fell down the stairs. She needs a neuro workup but begs them to tread carefully because the hospital is currently a black hole of money and they can’t afford to lose the Burnett funding. When Wolf and Carol arrive at the Burnetts, they find that Arianna has spelled out “Help” with origami paper cranes. So this isn’t going to be a quick once-over. They convince the Burnetts to bring Arianna in for a series of tests in the hospital, which also leads to the discovery that Arianna is under a conservatorship after selling off her businesses. The conservatorship conversation leads to the second funniest moment of the episode as Wolf has to admit he has no idea what the “Free Britney” movement, or who Britney Spears, is in general (the first funniest moment is when Wolf finds out that Carol has a date and goes into Gay BFF mode, which this show does not utilize enough). The tests lead to mixed results, which in turn lead to more tests. In the end, Arianna does not have dementia. She’s just kooky and loves to take risks, which scares the crap out of her conservative family. This case isn’t about a one-of-a-kind medical diagnosis, but a lesson in tolerance, which Wolf is happy to help the Burnetts embrace. They need to accept that Arianna is weird and is going to make out-of-the-box choices. In turn, Arianna needs to be conscious of her family’s concerns and be better about explaining her decisions to them. It’s about listening and communicating better, which may be Wolf’s most radical treatment plan yet. Helping Arianna and the Burnetts establish a new style of communication helps Wolf put his own boundaries in place with Josh. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to help Josh be successful and do his part to keep Bronx General functioning, but he’s not going to be controlled. He’s going to treat his patients with the same care and dedication that he always has, and if Josh disagrees with how Wolf approaches medicine then he can find a new neurologist. Unfortunately, the future timeline implies that a new neurologist is already stepping up to the plate, but there’s an even more pressing issue at hand.
Ericka Is Falling Off the Deep End, and No One Is Paying Attention

Ashleih La Throp as Ericka Kinney in Brilliant Mindsvia NBC

It’s safe to say that Ericka Kinney is Wolf’s most dedicated follower. She may disagree with his methods on occasion, but it’s obvious she wants to follow in his unorthodox approach. She’s been tracking a homeless, schizophrenic man named Sam (Nambil Rajo) who routinely winds up in the Bronx General emergency department for a couple of episodes now. In this week’s adventure, Ericka starts running to work so that she can meet Sam in the park where he sleeps. She convinces him to come into the hospital for a full neuro workup, despite being told by Wolf and Porter that she shouldn’t spend hospital resources on a man who has not actually asked for help. Ericka is looking for a way to distract from her own anxiety and PTSD from the building collapse. She believes that if she can “save” Sam, it’ll save herself. She fails to anticipate that a brain scan will freak Sam out, despite the fact that CT scans terrify people without intense mental disorders. Sam’s poor reaction to the machine’s loud noises requires security guard intervention, and Ericka gets lucky that Dr. Thorne (John Clarence Stewart) is there to mediate. If left to their own devices, the hospital security guards could have seriously traumatized and harmed Sam, who shouldn’t have been in the hospital in the first place. Ericka wants to be like Wolf, but she hasn’t figured out which lines are the ones to cross and what are third rails. It takes Thorne and Wolf chewing her out for her to understand that forcing help on someone is not the same as advocating for a patient. It gets worse when Ericka returns to the park and can’t find Sam. She runs home instead and digs out the meds she threw in the trash earlier.
Charlie Porter’s Endgame Comes into Focus, and He Finally Stops Twirling His Mustache

Aury Krebs as Dr. Dana Dang and Brian Altemus as Dr. Charlie Porter in Brilliant Minds Season 2 Episode 4Image via NBC

It seems that Brilliant Minds heard me talking crap about Charlie last week and decided to do something about it. With Wolf tied up with his VIP patient, Charlie is in charge of the interns this week. He starts off in his established cartoon villain way by being an absolute dick to Dana (Aury Krebs). He tells her she’d be a good doctor if it wasn’t for her personality. Dude. Rude is the understatement of the year, and I had a rage blackout in my notes when he said it. Dana, our girl, stands up to him when she attempts a second case presentation. She’s not dimming her light for him when this job is already so depressing, so Charlie can suck it. Okay, she didn’t say the last part, but I have to believe she meant it. At the very least, I mean it enough for both of us. Charlie does a surprising thing and explains that he enjoys Dana’s humor. He’s not trying to dim lights, but he needs her to understand that there is a time and a place for it. Being a doctor is a lot about politics and optics, and he’s not wrong about that. It’s the most empathetic and understanding he’s been since we’ve met him. For a second, I thought maybe there’s hope for Charlie after all, but I did not have long to get too far ahead of myself. The Hudson Oaks future storyline comes back into play. Wolf sneaks a phone call to Josh to inform him that the hospital has taken away his phone and given him no autonomy. He’s basically a prisoner! There’s not enough time to elaborate before orderlies make Wolf hang up the phone, and Charlie is in Josh’s office, overhearing the phone call. Surprise! He takes over the neuro department when Wolf goes to Hudson Oaks. He’s the new neurologist Wolf suggests Josh should find, and it makes it clear that taking Wolf’s job is Charlie’s endgame. The question still remains whether Charlie is directly involved with Wolf going to Hudson Oaks or if he just takes advantage of a situation gone very, very wrong for our central doctor. The Charlie storyline is way more interesting when he shows that he’s not a sociopath. Embrace making him more complicated, Brilliant Minds. Make us conflicted about whether he actually is a better fit for the hospital. Make the interns torn between their loyalty to Wolf and the possibility that Charlie will set them up for a more stable career. Twist us up and make us excited to see what happens next rather than dreading a sickeningly obvious betrayal on the horizon. There’s still hope to turn this boat around! Brilliant Minds continues Mondays at 10 PM ET. Episodes are available the next day on Peacock.

Release Date

September 23, 2024

Directors

Lee Toland Krieger, David Katzenberg, Dawn Wilkinson, Harry Jierjian, Jordan Canning, Maggie Kiley, Sudz Sutherland, Charles Randolph-Wright, Deborah Kampmeier

Writers

Sara Saedi, Ryan Knighton, Will Ewing, Daniela Lamas, Davia Carter, Stasia Demick, William Yu, David Carter, Alex Berger, Shannon Looney

Pros & Cons

Jane Krawkowski is an incredible score for a guest star
Charlie is finally acting human which makes him more interesting
Wolf is funny!

Everyone being SO oblivious to Ericka’s struggles when they practice hyper observation of patients is nuts
Can Dr. Throne and Carol just kiss already?
Let Wolf be funny MORE