Dr. Oliver Wolf reluctantly accepts a job at Bronx General Hospital where he's forced to work with a team of interns as they treat a mother who can no longer recognize her children.
The medical procedural aims to identify the person behind the disease. It's much more interested in the personal stories of the patients. Dr. Oliver Wolf connects with their humanity. He wants to understand their emotional connections. A better understanding of who they are and what matters to them informs his treatment. He offers no quick solutions. He's simply creating moments that inspire a swelling of emotions. The patients feel moved by what he accomplishes. It's a gift. That's the brilliance of how he practices. He presents as the latest in a long line of curmudgeons whose genius allows them to get away with anything. Wolf is at his last hope in accepting a job at Bronx General. He doesn't want to work there because he would have to interact with his mother. And yet, he avoids that for awhile. He's distracted by a case. It intrigues him. Yes, it hits personally too. But he's also inspired in the hopes of forging a connection between a mom and her kids. It's just within his grasp. He makes it a reality while also acknowledging plenty of hard work lies ahead.
Bronx General is an understaffed and underfunded hospital. Yet the focus remains squarely on one patient who desperately needs Wolf's help. Four interns are brought along every step of the journey. They receive hands on experience with treating patients. It's also all about understanding the human mind. They have to break free of conventions to examine the person. That means breaking the rules. That's how Wolf has always operated. He sees the benefit of bringing an Alzheimer's patient to his granddaughter's wedding. One musical performance is enough for him to form a connection. He won't form a memory from this event. That doesn't take away from the joyous feeling in the moment. He gets to experience life. That's way more rewarding than being stuck in a care facility where no one cares about him. He was left behind. He was kept away because his presence would only invite sadness onto others. The joy he expresses though inspires even more in others. That happiness makes their lives better. Wolf made that happen even though he is subsequently fired. It was dangerous and reckless despite his intentions being pure and moving.
That's the overall feeling of the show. Wolf works differently than other doctors. Carol sees the potential of creating something great together. They could form a partnership that offers enlightenment to their psych and neuro patients. The people need an advocate like Wolf. He has had to look deeper in order to connect with people because he suffers from face blindness. It's a personal detail he doesn't like to share. And yet, he needs to open up in order to forge a connection with the people he now works with. That trust must be earned though. Right now, it's just a formula that the cantankerous but brilliant boss has to have a group of interns to share his knowledge. The four are only given their broad defining characteristics. Nothing informs them beyond that. The entire show is built around Wolf and his perspective. It's crucial that he has tortured flashbacks informing his life. He endured a mentally ill father. No one could treat him. Wolf wanted them to fight harder. Tragedy still occurred. He wants to prevent that whenever he can. That motivates him. Again, the entire world revolves around his character. That's not unusual especially in a premiere. It also requires the narrative to earn the emotional stakes and manipulation that develops over the course of the hour.
It's a little too cloying as Wolf aims to reignite the emotional connection between mother and her sons. He understands the love is still there. It just doesn't happen through sight anymore. She has to rewire her brain after surgery to prioritize what she hears instead. She's devastated upon learning she may still have seizures. Her body still knows how to have that response to stress. That leaves her depressed and worried she will never truly recover. Surgery was the right option for her condition. This was a side effect she didn't expect. The system believes it's better to take the children away because she's incapable of caring for them. Wolf fights to recognize her strength as a fantastic mom. Something happened during surgery. It wasn't expected. The patient has to deal with it. She must be given the tools to address the issue and live a meaningful life. Wolf provides that clarity. He is the only person capable of doing so. That's what makes him special. It's also what makes it ironic that the show is titled Brilliant Minds. That's a plural distinction. Yet Wolf presents as the only one whose intellect may apply. The ensemble may develop. The storytelling may offer that emotional catharsis regularly. And yet, it overwhelmingly feels like a mixture of familiar tropes and storytelling habits without offering the satisfaction that the investment will be meaningful. The potential is absolutely there. The show can't be written off so cavalierly. But it's also evident that the effectiveness will come down to the cases of each individual episode and whether or not they move the viewer. That's a high bar instead of just trying to be entertaining or clever with the harsh realities of working in a hospital.
