TV Review!
“Brilliant Minds” on NBC Review by Suzanne 10/6/24
I love seeing Zachary Quinto in any movie or TV show (ever since his great role as Sylar on “Heroes”).Ā He shines here as the prickly neurologist Oliver Wolf, who has trouble getting along with others (particularly his mother). He has prosopagnosia, AKA face blindness, so that doesn’t help him with personal interaction. He works with a team of interns and his long-time good friend, Dr. Carol Pierce (Tamberla Perry, “Death and Other Details”). The show is unusual and interesting, but it might remind you a little of “House” or “The Good Doctor.” At this point, a doctor who thinks he’s more brilliant than everyone else is a familiar TV trope. The writing of the show, however, is excellent and will surprise you. The show was created, written and produced by Michael Grassi of “Riverdale.”
Like most medical dramas, the most intriguing part of the show is watching the doctors figure out what’s wrong with the patients or how to treat them. Wolf has very unusual ideas and likes to dive deep into his patient’s life in order to figure out their neurological problem.
At the beginning of the first episode, Dr. Wolf sneaks out a dementia patient (Broadway and TV vet Andre de Shields) from an elder care facility to see his grand-daughter get married. He and the old man go on stage, and the man sings and plays a Beach Boys song, “God Only Knows.” Wolf figured out that the way to reach the man was through music. The bride is overjoyed to see him there, but her parents are not too happy about Dr. Wolf’s actions. He loses his job and goes into seclusion, but Carol convinces him to come work at her hospital on an interesting case, despite the fact that he doesn’t want to work for his mother (the chief of staff, Dr. Landon, played by Donna Murphy – another Broadway, TV and movie vet).
After Dr. Wolf starts working at the hospital, he learns that he’s expected to mentor some interns, which he’s not too thrilled about. Carol makes him see that he needs to be honest about his condition and connect better with other people in order to get things done.Ā Things may not go that smoothly for the brilliant doctor, though.Ā He’s got many issues, having to do with his childhood. The only thing not an issue is that he’s gay. Another doctor on the show is played by Teddy Sears, Quinto’s former castmate in “American Horror Story,” so perhaps they’ll be teamed up in a romantic relationship. Watch and see! This show is already a hit and will keep you on your toes.
MORE INFORMATION: Official SiteĀ Trailer
Brilliant Minds
Series Premiere Monday, Sept 23 on NBC (10 – 11pm ET/PT)
Inspired by the extraordinary life and work of world-famous author and physician Oliver Sacks, āBrilliant Mindsā follows a revolutionary, larger-than-life neurologist and his team of interns as they explore the last great frontier ā the human mind ā while grappling with their own relationships and mental health.
The cast includes Zachary Quinto, Tamberla Perry, Ashleigh LaThrop, Alex MacNicoll, Aury Krebs, Spence Moore II, Teddy Sears, and Donna Murphy.
Michael Grassi serves as creator, writer and executive producer. Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Leigh London Redman, Lee Toland Krieger, DeMane Davis, Melissa Aouate, Henrik Bastin, Jonathan Cavendish, Andy Serkis, and Shefali Malhoutra also executive produce.
Berlanti Productions, Fabel Entertainment, The Imaginarium, Grassi Productions and Tavala produce in association with Warner Bros. Television and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.
Proofread and Edited by Brenda
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