Reviewer Rating: 4.7/5.0
4.7
Brilliant Minds specializes in exploring patients’ lives on a case-by-case basis when they need to adjust to a new environment.
In Bright Minds Season 1 Episode 8, Dr. Wolfe calls on Joan Sullivan’s family to help them adjust to and accept their mother’s changes.
At 80, Joan Sullivan was still full of courage and energy. Unfortunately, this is a side effect of neurosyphilis. I want to be that age too.
Full of wisdom, she offers advice on Wolf and Erica’s love lives. We see more flashbacks to 18-year-old Oliver Wolfe and his first love, which explains his fears about relationships and his cold war with his mother.
Dr. Pierce has a patient who comes to see her for a mysterious reason.
Joan Sullivan is an ideal role model for seniors
Dr. Wolfe quoted publicly about the need for love, lust, and sex to keep Joan healthy. I’ve met a few older ladies but none as lively or lovely as her.
She was removed from the assisted living center for having sex with multiple residents. It’s hilarious watching Dr. Wolf argue with his intern about whether hypersexuality is a symptom or if she’s having some necessary fun.
I prefer Dana’s theory that Joan might rediscover herself, but they should test for STIs, just in case. Always a realist.
Things become more complicated when Joan suffers a mini-stroke and Wolfe discovers she has neurosyphilis.
Hypersexuality was one of the symptoms, and if Dr. Wolf treated the neurosyphilis with antibiotics, he could save her life, but the sexual desire would disappear.
While many older people wouldn’t care, Joan had been single for years since her husband cheated on her, and only began to bounce back after his death.
While her sons were shocked, she wasn’t ready to let it go.
Dr. Wolfe usually teaches patients to adapt to their condition, but this time he advised Joan’s sons to accept their mother for who she is or else she will lose her vitality.
June encourages Ericka to find the right partner
It’s hard to imagine an 80-year-old woman giving sex advice, but her wise words to Erica paid off.
She didn’t want Erica to remain celibate like she had for years when love and lust were important. I love that she encourages her to find the right, soul-connected partner and join them right away.
We thought the love triangle had taken a turn after Erica revealed her deep feelings for Jacob to Van in Brilliant Minds Season 1 Episode 7 . The two often joke and work together.
Erica prepared a romantic evening with wine and candles, so when Van showed up with takeout, we were just as surprised as he was.
He is a smart man who has a strong crush on her and when she kisses him, he becomes obsessed. Maybe Erica meant that she had deep feelings for Van but didn’t tell Jacob. We’ll never know, but that kiss was pretty hot!
Dr. Pierce learns the horrifying truth about her patient
Initially, it’s refreshing to see Dr. Carol Pierce counseling patients about boundaries and old relationships. I was a familiar topic to her.
But red flags arise when her new patient Allison knows too much about her, such as her maiden name and marital status. Then Allison missed a practice.
Carol recruits Dana and her research skills to learn more about Allison, but she’s not ready to face the truth.
Alison is her husband’s old mistress. It feels like a bad soap opera plot as Alison stalks Carol pretending she needs help and wins Maurice back.
Carol tried to refer Alison elsewhere, but Alison sounded desperate and she couldn’t do it. It’s great to see Carol in her own story and give Tambella Perry time to shine.
Flashback reveals why Wolff is afraid of relationships
“Bright Minds” excels at incorporating memories of Wolfe’s youth to explain his family drama or his personality.
This time, the show introduces teenager Oliver (Ted Sutherland) and his first relationship with medical student Tom, who spends the summer with them.
This is the first time Oliver talks about his father’s death because it’s too much for his mother to handle. He finally looked like a young man happily in love.
But when his mother catches them kissing, she chases Tom away, a moment that defines their relationship. Oliver thinks his mother is ashamed of him because they never discussed it, so he thinks he did something wrong.
It’s heartbreaking that he carried those feelings for so long, but he came out in the 1990s when things were different and she feared for his safety.
Maybe now that they’ve talked, he’ll forgive her for sending his first love away and their relationship can be repaired. They have to learn to communicate sometimes. They don’t always have someone to intervene.
Wolfe and Nichols define their relationship
Teddy Sears is right. This episode defines Nichols and Wolfe’s relationship. At first, they seemed just hot and heavy, sneaking passionate kisses in Wolfe’s office whenever possible.
Their cute lunch dates, witty banter, and smoldering looks make them the root of a couple. I loved that Nichols knew he could be intimidating when he offered to talk to Joan’s family, which made Wolfe weak.
There’s nothing sexier than an elevator kiss. But they should have stopped and locked the door, which would have prevented Wolfe’s mother from seeing another kiss.
She tried to stay out of it, but what she said was enough to scare Nichols, who took a step back and claimed that he and Wolfe only got together because they missed Roman.
Although Wolfe initially agreed, he was hurt and accused his mother of ruining another relationship. Then he fights for his man.
He learned a lot from those last two patients, and sometimes they have to intervene immediately.
I love that Nichols joked about their odds, knowing that Wolff has proven him wrong multiple times. I can’t wait to see where these two go.
Over to you, bright-minded fanatic. Are you excited about Wolfe and Nichols’ relationship status?
Did you expect the love triangle to turn out like this? What do you think of June?
Let us know in the comments.
Watch “Ingenuity” online
