When I heard the premise of NBC’s latest drama, Brilliant Minds, I was skeptical. Another medical show where the lead is a mind-blowing genius with some rare condition that affects his ability to interact with others? Sounds like something I’ve seen many times before. Despite my initial cynicism, I begrudgingly watched the first episode of Brilliant Minds to see what all the hype is about. And boy, was I wrong.
I Almost Didn’t Watch This Brand-New Medical Drama—But Now That I Caved, I Can’t Get Enough
It stars Zachary Quinto
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Published Oct 26, 2024
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Pief Weyman/NBC
If you aren’t familiar, Brilliant Minds follows an eccentric neurologist named Dr. Oliver Wolf (Zachary Quinto), who is living with a condition called face blindness , or “prosopagnosia.” (It’s a cognitive disorder where the ability to recognize faces is impaired.) After getting dismissed for using, um, unusual methods on his patients, he’s re-hired at Bronx General, where he’s tasked with leading a group of curious interns as they tackle puzzling psychological cases.
Prior to watching the pilot, Brilliant Minds sounded like just another medical drama. It’s not that BM didn’t have potential, especially with Quinto leading the cast. But the plot seemed very “been there, done that.” And I wasn’t sure it had the flair to compete with other veteran shows like Grey’s Anatomy. Still, I stand corrected.
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Brilliant Minds is a completely different breed of medical drama. It’s reminiscent of House because Dr. Wolf is truly a genius, but he struggles to connect with his peers and relay what he’s thinking. It also reminds me of The Good Doctor because his condition affects how he cares for and interacts with his patients.
Both are great shows, but they don’t have the same depth as Brilliant Minds, which explores other elements outside of the hospital (like his childhood and daddy issues). Plus, that twist at the end of episode one totally threw me for a loop. I won’t give anything away, but it piqued my interest enough to keep me watching—and based on my initial skepticism, that’s saying something.
Brilliant Minds airs on Mondays at 10 p.m. on NBC.
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