NBC drama must avoid this potential pitfall with Charlie’s villain status

Editor’s Note: The recap below contains spoilers for Brilliant Minds Season 2, Episode 4.Dr. Josh Nichols (Teddy Sears) is officially the captain of the dysfunctional ship that is the Bronx General. Brilliant minds. This is really embarrassing 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 for his mother. Wolf doesn’t want to see the hospital go bankrupt, and be assigned the case of one of the hospital’s biggest donors, Arianna Burnett (special guest) Jane Krakowski) gives him the ideal opportunity to prove that he knows how to be a team player. It also helps him establish boundaries with the new boss..

While Wolf is busy finding his new dynamic with Josh, his team is even more grappling with the regime change. While Wolf is preoccupied, the interns report to Charlie Porter (Brian Altemus), who finally shows some human empathy when his final goal becomes clear. He is positioning himself for a prestigious new gig while Ericka (Ashleigh LaThrop) is heading towards a mental breakdown that no one else seems to be paying attention to.

Things change at Bronx General as we get another important piece of the Hudson Oaks story that reveals that the facility is not what Wolf expected when he signed up. The game is on, as Sherlock Holmes would say, but who will be the hero at the end of the day?

Jane Karkowski Shows the Importance of Being Weird in ‘Brilliant Minds’

There are few patients more terrifying to a doctor than his hospital’s major donors. However, Wolf is thrilled to have the opportunity to treat Arianna Burnett when he learns that she is an eccentric businesswoman who takes as unorthodox an approach to her work as he does to hers. Him and Carol (Tamberla Perry) are heading to the Burnett residence when Josh informs them that Arianna is suffering from early-onset dementia and that she fell down the stairs. She needs a neurological workup but begs them to be careful because the hospital is currently a black hole of money and they can’t afford to lose Burnett’s funding.

When Wolf and Carol arrive at the Burnetts’ house, they discover that Arianna has spelled “Help” with origami paper cranes. So this won’t be a quick review. They convince the Burnetts to take Arianna for a series of tests at the hospital, which also leads to the discovery that Arianna is under conservatorship after selling her businesses. The conversation about conservatorship leads to the second funniest moment of the episode, as Wolf has to admit that he has no idea what or who the “Free Britney” movement is. Britney Spearsis in general (the first funniest moment is when Wolf finds out Carol is on a date and goes into Gay BFF mode, which this show doesn’t use enough).

Testing leads to mixed results, which in turn leads to more testing. As it turns out, Arianna does not have dementia. She is simply crazy and loves taking risks, which scares her conservative family. This case is not a single medical diagnosis, but a lesson in tolerancewhich Wolf is happy to help the Burnetts adopt. They have to accept that Arianna is weird and that she will make original choices. In turn, Arianna needs to be aware of her family’s concerns and better explain her decisions to them. It’s about listening and communicating better, which is perhaps Wolf’s most radical treatment plan yet.

Helping Arianna and the Burnetts establish a new communication style helps Wolf establish his own boundaries with Josh. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to help Josh succeed and do his part to keep Bronx General running, but he won’t be controlled. He’s going to treat his patients with the same care and dedication that he always has, and if Josh doesn’t agree with the way Wolf approaches medicine, then he can find a new neurologist. Unfortunately, the future timeline means that a new neurologist is already taking over, but there is an even more pressing problem to solve.

Ericka falls in the deep end and no one pays attention

via BNC

It’s safe to say that Ericka Kinney is Wolf’s most devoted disciple. She may sometimes disagree with his methods, but it’s obvious she wants to follow his unorthodox approach. She tracks down a homeless, schizophrenic man named Sam (Nambil Rajo) who has been regularly finding himself in the emergency room at Bronx General for a few episodes now. In this week’s adventure, Ericka starts running to work so she can meet Sam in the park where he’s sleeping. She convinces him to come to the hospital for a complete neurological workup, despite Wolf and Porter telling her that she shouldn’t spend hospital resources on a man who didn’t actually seek help.

Ericka searches for a way to distract herself from her own anxiety and post-traumatic stress following the building collapse.. She believes that if she can “save” Sam, it will save herself. She doesn’t anticipate that a brain scan will freak Sam out, despite the fact that scans terrify people without intense mental disorders. Sam’s poor reaction to the machine’s loud noises requires the intervention of a security guard, and Ericka is 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 injured Sam, who should not have been at the hospital in the first place.

Ericka wants to be like Wolf, but she did not understand which lines to cross and which are the third rails. It takes Thorne and Wolf to chew her out for her to understand that forcing help on someone is not the same as defending a patient. Things get worse when Ericka returns to the park and doesn’t find Sam. She runs home and gets the medicine she threw in the trash earlier.

Charlie Porter’s Endgame Appears and He Finally Stops Twirling His Mustache

Image via NBC

It seems that Brilliant minds heard me talking shit about Charlie last week and decided to do something about it. While Wolf is busy with his VIP patient, Charlie is in charge of the interns this week. He starts off in cartoon villain fashion by being an absolute asshole to Dana (aury crabs). He tells her she would be a good doctor if it weren’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 daughter, stands up to him when she attempts a second case presentation. She doesn’t dim the lights for him when this job is already so depressing, so Charlie can suck it up. Okay, she didn’t say the last part, but I have to believe she really meant it. At the very least, I think it enough for both of us.

Charlie does a surprising thing and explains that he appreciates Dana’s humor. He’s not trying to dim the lights, but he needs her to understand that there is a time and place for that. Being a doctor is all about politics and optics, and he’s not wrong about that. It’s the most empathetic and understanding he’s been since we met him.. For a second I thought maybe there was hope for Charlie after all, but I didn’t have long to get too far.

The future storyline of Hudson Oaks comes into play. Wolf calls Josh by phone to inform him that the hospital confiscated his phone and gave him no autonomy. Basically, he’s a prisoner! There’s not enough time to elaborate before the nurses ask Wolf to hang up, and Charlie is in Josh’s office, hearing the phone call. Surprise! He took over the neuro department when Wolf moved to Hudson Oaks. He’s the new neurologist that Wolf suggests Josh find, and it makes it clear that taking Wolf’s job is the end game for Charlie. The question remains whether Charlie is directly involved in Wolf’s departure to Hudson Oaks or if he is simply taking advantage of a situation that has gone very, very wrong for our central doctor.

Charlie’s story is much more interesting when he shows that he is not a sociopath. Embrace it, making it more complicated, Brilliant minds. We are conflicted about whether he is actually better suited to the hospital. Have the interns be torn between their loyalty to Wolf and the possibility of Charlie grooming them for a more stable career. Turn us around and make us look forward to seeing what happens next rather than dreading a sickeningly obvious betrayal on the horizon. There is still hope of righting this ship!

Brilliant minds continues Mondays at 10 p.m. 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

Advantages and disadvantages

• Jane Krawkowski is an incredible score for a guest star
• Charlie finally acts like a human, which makes him more interesting.
• The wolf is funny!

• Everyone is so oblivious to Ericka’s struggles when they practice hyper-observation of patients, it’s crazy.
• Can Dr. Throne and Carol kiss already?
• Let Wolf be funny MORE