While Brilliant Minds has dealt with different populations before, in Brilliant Minds Season 2, they have upped the stakes with their medical mysteries.
During Brilliant Minds Season 2 Episode 3, it looked like a young man with autism pushed his caseworker in front of a train and left her unconscious.
Since he struggled to communicate, Dr. Wolf and his team had to save the woman’s life and crack the code on the true story, so someone else wouldn’t take advantage of the young man.
I’ve worked with autistic students before and have a niece with autism, so this case touched my heart. It was done with care and was my favorite so far this season.
The Importance of Communicating on a Patient’s Level Remains a Common Thread of Brilliant Minds Season 2
While it’s true that every person with autism differs, some traits are similar. Head banding when they’re frustrated is a common trait.
I appreciated that Michelle (Stacy Farber) knew to bring Adam to Van and Dr. Wolf because they had the best chance of learning what actually happened at the train station.
It was another case that utilized the best skills of neuropsychology as well. Brilliant Minds Season 2 has leaned into Wolf and Carol’s friendship, showing how they work better together.
Carol knew that plainclothes and calm voices would help soothe Adam, because official-looking people would scare him.
However, he still seemed overstimulated, and not even having an old-fashioned PECS board to point to and communicate with helped.
Michelle and Carol noted they had to learn his communication strategy, not make him communicate like they did.
While Charlie wasn’t as obnoxious as usual, I hated how insensitive he was about Adam. It seemed like he had never dealt with people with autism since he badgered with questions, and seemed surprised that Charlie shoved him away.
Only Michelle and Van realized Adam didn’t mean to shove Charlie. He misinterpreted it. Adam wanted his pen to convey something to them. His language was drawing.
Katie’s Heroics Sent Dana to a Dark Place
I love that we’ve witnessed more of Katie in the field. She’s also like Dr. Wolf – reckless and stubborn.
Katie would do anything to save someone on the job. Even her partner, Max, was afraid when Katie jumped on the train track and inched Gloria out without waiting until they shut the power off.
If she had waited, Gloria would have died, but if they had moved wrong, they both would have been electrocuted.
While everyone else practically wanted to throw Katie a parade, Dana struggled with her girlfriend’s heroics.
Katie’s recklessness reminded Dana of her younger sister, and Dana feared losing another person she loved.
This was an essential arc for Dana because she harbored many buried fears related to losing her sister, and she needed to address them.
She can’t stop Katie from rescuing people in the field. Katie would be restless working in a hospital. They’re different in that way, but now they understand their motivations.
We haven’t delved into the interns’ mindsets enough lately, so I hope we explore more about Dana’s anxiety of being left.
Jacob and Van Showed How They’ll Make Talented Doctors
After they were missing in Brilliant Minds Season 2 Episode 2, it was great to see Jacob and Van again and see them saving lives. There still weren’t enough of the interns, but that’s another rant.
Jacob performed his first breathing incubation on Gloria. He has thrived and learned a great deal under Dr. Thorne’s mentorship, but he learned how to care for patients from Dr. Wolf.
It’s only because he checked on Gloria again, even though she wasn’t on his rounds, that he noticed she was bleeding uncontrollably.
All of the doctors were grateful he had, agreeing that Jacob would be a great doctor, no matter which field he chose. It was amusing to watch Dr. Thorne, Dr. Wolf, and Dr. Nichols agree on something.
We hadn’t seen Van use his Mirror Touch Synesthesia since Brilliant Minds Season 1, but it was the ideal case to use it since Adam was overstimulated, and only Van realized that.
Many patients with autism need excess noise blocked out, so using headphones was a thoughtful touch.
I also appreciated that Van and his ex-wife immediately picked up on the fact that Adam’s exceptional talent was drawing.
Every person with autism has a unique set of skills. Some play the piano, while others, like Adam, draw very detailed pictures.
The police only saw a massive young man with violent tendencies, while Wolf, Van, and Michelle were determined to crack the case.
It didn’t look like much, but Adam drew a butterfly, symbolizing a butterfly rash that Gloria had, which matched the symptoms of Lupus.
Adam needed someone who could understand him and would fight for him. That’s so challenging when many people write others with autism off.
It was even more challenging because Adam was about to age out of the system and lose services. That’s something many people worry about, especially if they don’t have a family to support them. Where will they live, and who will help them?
Van and Jacob helped to reunite Gloria and Adam, who was the only person he genuinely trusted.
With Wolf and Nichols Simmering, Brilliant Minds Has Invested in New Couples
I love Wolf and Nichols, but they’re simmering on low heat on the back burner right now. They’ve added a new complication as Nichols was promoted to Chief of Staff.
While he understands Wolf’s methods, he won’t be able to play favoritism as much as Muriel did. They’ll also need to define their relationship soon with Nichols’ new position.
In the meantime, Brilliant Minds has invested in some new couples. They started exploring Dana and Katie last season, and they’ve sped up to being fun and sexy.
I enjoy them and hope we see more of them, but I prefer a slow-burn couple or a reunion of an old couple, so I relished watching the other two couples.
Dr. Thorne and Carol act like they have been old friends, even though we’ve only known Dr. Thorne for a few episodes.
They continuously share a flirty banter, and it’s apparent that he has a soft spot for her. He was willing to break a confidence and tell her who reported her because he wanted her to stop blaming herself.
While he seemed relieved that she decided to let the situation go and learn from it, he has a deep respect for her. I’m interested in seeing where this leads.
I’m a massive Stacy Farber fan, so I’m always excited when she appears on Brilliant Minds as Van’s ex-wife, Michelle.
This case allowed them both to see each other in their work environment, something neither of them had witnessed before.
They saw each other with new respect, and I suspect Van wanted to try again, especially after seeing Adam’s drawing of the restaurant they visited on their first date.
While Michelle looked nostalgic about her handsome ex-husband, she was also afraid of making the same communication mistakes.
However, she looked hopeful as they all watched Gloria and Adam reunite. Home really is where the heart is.
Learning Who Reported Carol Was A Surprise
I’m glad the series didn’t drag out who reported Carol. Like Wolf, I initially thought it was her ex-husband as well, since things hadn’t ended well.
I never realized that Carol wanted to be Chief of Staff, but being reported and that one ding kept her from being eligible and being able to help Wolf more.
Now she had to toe a more straight and arrow line and felt like she had to watch her every step.
While Wolf and Carol are similar in their passion for their patients, they differ because Carol took full responsibility for how she handled the situation with Alison, even apologizing to Ericka and Dana.
That very thing grated on Ericka’s nerves because Wolf never got called out for his escapades, and she was convinced that Carol got reported because she was female and a POC.
Ericka went on a rampage to learn the truth, even after Carol wanted to let it go, laying it on thick about how the person would feel guilty and secrets can eat people alive.
While she was projecting about her pill-popping habits, it prompted Dana to confess that she reported Carol.
Dana didn’t regret it, so it could have been that she hated how Carol treated them that day, which triggered Dana’s sister’s bad experience in therapy.
Many of Dana’s anxiety triggers are based on her sister.
Over to you, Brilliant Minds Fanatics.
Did this case affect you? Do you approve of the new Chief of Staff? Were you surprised by who reported Carol?
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If you enjoyed our Brilliant Minds coverage and want to see more discussions about character-centric shows, yours truly covers Will Trent. We also cover medical shows like DOC, Best Medicine, and more. Interested in more analytical and passionate pieces? Check out our editorials and op-eds.
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