Brilliant Minds (2024) s02e16 Episode Script
Senses
1
Previously on "Brilliant Minds"
- What is this?
- An address.
It's where your father is.
I knew we'd meet sooner or later.
- Who are you?
- Sofia.
I live in the unit upstairs.
I don't think Sofia exists.
You think that Wolf
hallucinated a patient?
- Why do you do that?
- Do what?
Flirt with me.
Is it for sport?
You have a girlfriend.
I had a fling. It's long over.
What are you looking for?
Sofia's file.
I hope you'll think of us if
you ever have someone in need.
Thank you, Amelia.
You want to go to Hudson
Oaks to save Sofia?
I need to.
[MUFFLED] Can you
recite your full name?
Can you recite your full name?
Dr. Oliver Samuel Wolf.
Have you had any alcohol or
drugs within the last 24 hours?
Uh, yes. Both.
- Recreationally.
- [BEEPING]
On average, how many hours
of sleep do you get a night?
Uh, I don't know. Three.
Maybe four, if I'm lucky.
Any family history of mental illness?
Yes. Um, my father had
has bipolar disorder.
Here at Hudson Oaks,
patient comfort is paramount.
Don't think of it as a hospital.
Think of it as your home
and the staff as your family.
That being said,
there are house rules.
Residents' doors
are expected to remain open
during daytime hours,
and visiting hours are twice a day.
[CLEARS THROAT]
Lights out at 10:00 p.m.
I don't have anything sharp in there.
No drugs, no weapons.
You can get your sneakers back,
but we'll need the laces.
All residents are expected to
participate in group activities.
We have an incredible
art therapy program.
Did you know that Van Gogh
painted his masterpiece,
"Starry Night,"
while in a psychiatric facility?
The price of greatness.
Say ahh.
Ahhhh.
Hold your arms up for me.
- Any history of self-harm?
- Uh, no.
Your room is
right down here to the right.
Our first session
will be tomorrow morning.
I'll give you your schedule then.
You're my doctor?
Yes. Don't worry.
Dr. Pierce filled in the gaps
when I spoke to her,
but I'm very eager for
us to get to know each other.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
I thought I was seeing things.
Like, there's no way Wolf is
here in my room to rescue me.
But you actually faked
a psychotic break to save me.
Chivalry ain't dead.
Give me some time
to get the lay of the land.
First, we need to get your file
to see what kind of
fabricated diagnosis
they're using to keep you here.
If I'm being honest, Ollie,
I'm not sure they are fabricated.
I think I'm here because I need to be.
That's what Amelia wants you to think.
She wants you to be sick.
But I am your doctor, Sofia.
There is nothing wrong with you.
Inspect plate for
the braised short ribs is ready.
Where are we on the guotie
for the lineup?
Garnishing it now, Chef.
We've got 10 minutes to doors.
Let's move!
- Yes, Chef.
- Yes, Chef.
Nari, tell the new guy
my ma's pot is off limits.
Off limits.
[SPEAKING GLOBAL LANGUAGE]
It needs 20 more minutes.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
How's the marinade coming?
It's bland. It needs more umami.
- Sorry, Chef.
- Sorry, Chef.
Sorry won't cut it when Tejal Rao
obliterates us in The Times
because our beef broth tastes
like it came out of a can.
Chef!
Chef, you're on fire!
[PEOPLE GASP]
♪
♪
[SIGHS]
Oliver, you have been here
over a week,
and we have made zero progress.
When you allow childhood wounds
to follow you into
Are you aware
that all the other patients
and some of the nurses even
call you Amelia Bedelia?
Do you remember those clever
little books about the maid
who gets everything wrong?
Who came up
with that charming nickname?
Sofia?
I'm not talking about Sofia with you.
I know you convinced her to come here.
I've seen you do it before
poaching patients from Bronx General,
trying to convince them
that they need help.
That's right. Sofia was your patient.
Remind me What is her last name?
Check her file.
I don't have her file because
she isn't a patient here.
If you expect me to trust you,
Dr. Fredrick,
stop lying to me.
I know the protocol.
I checked myself in here voluntarily.
So did she.
And it is within our rights
to request a discharge.
Legally, you can keep us here
for another 72 hours for evaluation,
and then we both will
be walking out of this place.
I promise you, Oliver,
if I do my job right,
you will be walking
out of this building alone.
The clock starts now.
[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS, DOORS OPEN]
All right.
Dr. Pierce.
Did you know
that I am an expert at the art
of blowing off steam?
- You free tonight?
- That depends.
Does blowing off steam
involves drinks?
Martinis are mandatory.
Give me some credit for knowing you.
Pick you up in 12 hours?
All right.
Oh, hey, Dr. Pierce.
Any updates on Dr. Wolf?
Any chance he'll be discharged soon?
I don't know. I'm not his doctor.
Can we at least go visit him
in Hudson Oaks?
What Wolf needs right now
is time and space,
especially from his well-meaning
but overeager interns.
♪
I have to be honest, Stephens.
I'm starting to get sick
of the word "interim."
[CHUCKLES] So am I.
The good news is
the board wants to meet
to discuss making you
the permanent chief of medicine.
What's the bad news?
They want a plan in place
for neurology.
Dr. Wolf has run his course.
On top of all his other infractions,
he came here in the midst
of a psychiatric episode.
Well, I was there that day.
And I can assure you
I put a swift end to it,
and no one was harmed.
A sign of great leadership.
But replacing Wolf
is the board's bottom line.
You have to put the institution
above any doctor.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
Atomic element number one.
The simplest of all elements,
but also the
The most unique.
[CHUCKLES]
Hi, Oliver.
Hi, Dr. Adler.
We're about to break out the clay,
if you'd like to join the group
and make some pottery.
Um let me guess.
The malleability of the clay is
a metaphor for personal growth.
[TABLE BANGS]
I just think
that I should be able to draw
the nine circles of hell
without someone asking me
if it's symbolic expression.
I-I just want my art to
The plan starts now. Let's go.
Wait, what plan?
The plan to break into Amelia's office
and steal your file.
Oliver, this is not a good idea.
Wait, what happened to the girl
who convinced me
to trash my dad's apartment?
Bring her back.
Can you smell the flowers?
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
♪
[SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
♪
It's got to be here somewhere.
It's not.
What is your last name again?
Why can't I remember?
Usually I'm bad with faces
but good with names.
You're never gonna find it.
♪
♪
Ye of little faith.
[DOOR OPENS]
How did you get in here, Oliver?
This is not the behavior of someone
who is ready to be discharged.
You called neuro for a burn?
Shh.
Less talking.
Listen for what you don't hear.
♪
I would be screaming my head off.
Yeah.
So my nerves are a little fried.
In my line of work, you suffer
enough cuts and burns,
you get desensitized.
I've worked with Chef for years.
He's never had this many accidents.
Mr. Tang, is the reduced
sensitivity to pain
why you waited a week to be seen?
You know the odds of failure
for a restaurant in New York?
I can't afford a day off.
And if I could,
I wouldn't spend it here.
Well, since you are here,
we can have our team work you up
for what could be a neuropathy.
If you're gonna hold me
hostage, then I want Dr. Wolf.
The guy knew me
before I had any Michelin stars.
Uh, unfortunately, Dr. Wolf
is taking some time off.
Bull. He doesn't take time off.
And I don't want to
be relegated to the B team.
- Could you page him?
- We wish we could, Chef.
But there are
extenuating circumstances.
- [GRUNTS]
- Chef, Chef!
Now, this this is
why people hate hospitals.
It's just a bunch
of egomaniacal control freaks
who think they're always right.
♪
Chef I think
you ought to stick around,
Wolf or no Wolf.
Chef Tang, we have a private
room at your disposal.
My mom taught me to never
stand still in a hospital.
- You can't trust it.
- My mom hates hospitals too.
Swore she'd never visit me at work.
I always say it's no Ritz-Carlton,
but it's better than the alternative.
Yeah, well, my mom's dead, so.
And my condolences to you.
Chef, good news.
Your blood and urine tests
came back normal.
The next step would be an MRI.
An MRI? Forget it. I'm done. Okay?
Tell Wolf to swing by the restaurant.
I'll be there, dead or alive.
Something is really wrong with him.
It's not just the burns.
He's been having coordination issues.
A couple of days ago, he knocked
over a tray of desserts
in the kitchen,
and that never happens.
We appreciate the intel,
but he's refusing treatment.
Unless you can convince him otherwise.
I'm pretty sure
he'd rather wear adult diapers
than agree to stay here.
But I'll see what I can do.
Why would a guy risk his life
just because Dr. Wolf is
not here to see him?
Can someone explain that logic?
It would be so much easier
if we could just be honest
with Johnny.
No one wants to hear
their doctor's in a psych ward.
I'm sorry, but it's true.
I checked myself into a psych
facility for a few days once.
I was on the razor's edge,
studying for boards.
Needed a break from life.
Dana, I didn't know that.
Yeah, I guess I don't talk about it
'cause I still have
some weird residual shame.
It was the loneliest
three days of my life.
My point is,
it can't be easy for Wolf.
Every time Jeff comes to visit,
I think maybe this time
he'll bring our daughter.
He never does.
Personally, I think
it's a little more traumatizing
for an eight-year-old to think
her mother keeps leaving her
to go on "vacation."
Maybe the staff can give me
a spray tan before discharge.
Really give her something to
talk about in therapy one day.
[PEOPLE CHUCKLING]
Thanks, Ruby.
What about you, Oliver?
Do you want to break
your vow of silence today?
No.
Um
I-I'll give my time
to someone who needs it.
Or maybe we could talk about
your superiority complex.
Seriously, when is
he gonna stop acting like
he doesn't belong here?
None of us belong here.
Hudson Oaks is locking people up
against their will.
Today it may be Sofia.
Tomorrow it could be any of us.
Okay, well,
the last psych facility I was in
discharged me after 72 hours
because they needed the bed.
I went home
and swallowed a bottle of pills.
So I feel pretty lucky to be here,
finally getting long-term care.
A month ago I couldn't
get out of bed, and now
I wake up happy to be alive.
[LAUGHS SHAKILY]
I'm sorry.
I think that's a good place to end.
Until tomorrow, my friends.
♪
♪
I find your concern
for Sofia admirable.
I'm sure she'd like to see you,
tell you a few things on her mind.
Why don't I unlock the seclusion
room on my way out tonight?
Help you two get on the same page.
♪
- My man.
- Fourth-floor walk-up, so.
- Really? That's rough.
- After a long day, it's tough.
Ooh.
Um, if this is stand-up comedy,
we're not friends anymore.
I got enough friends.
♪
[CHUCKLES]
Woman!
Woe-man!
Wh-o-o-o-a-man!
Any of y'all old enough
to get that reference?
- [LAUGHS]
- [FEEDBACK BLARES]
That'd be a no.
All right, so, uh, thank you all
for being here tonight.
For those of you that are new,
I started this gathering
as a way for us
at Bronx General
to open up in community
and get a few things off our chest.
So why don't I kick us off?
Two days ago, I treated a child
who suffered a pneumothorax.
I placed the chest tube routinely.
Suddenly there was a complication,
and for a few seconds
I thought the kid
was gonna die as a result.
Now, I quickly corrected
for the complication,
and all was well.
The kid and the parents went home.
I'm sure they did
their normal routine.
You know, bath time, bedtime.
They never knew
there was a split second
where they were almost robbed
of the mundanity of life.
But I knew, and I can't stop
thinking about it.
But I know it helps to talk about it.
- Yes.
- That's right.
Thank you for letting me share.
[APPLAUSE]
♪
♪
Oliver will be thrilled
to see a friendly face.
You're his very first visitor.
♪
Thanks. I can take it from here.
♪
Dr. Wolf.
Hi.
Ericka.
Oh! Ha! Hi.
Hi.
Um
Welcome to my office.
[BOTH CHUCKLE]
Please.
I hope it's okay that I'm here.
Dr. Pierce said
we should give you some time.
But you know me, I get impatient.
Speaking of, an old patient
of yours came by today.
Didn't want to be treated by
anyone who wasn't Dr. Wolf.
He got really upset
and then proceeded to pee his pants.
Chef Johnny Tang ring a bell?
Johnny's more my friend.
His mom was my patient.
She had M.S.
Relentless progression despite meds
and other interventions.
She died a few years ago.
What, so we have urinary incontinence?
What are his other symptoms?
He's presenting with pretty
profound sensory neuropathy.
Second-degree burns on his arm.
Didn't even feel them.
Tests have been normal so far,
but now I'm wondering
It's not a simple inheritance pattern,
but his mother's disease does increase
his risk of M.S. somewhat.
It's worth a work-up.
Well, the only problem is he
refused to stay in the hospital.
Ah. He can be pretty stubborn.
But his symptoms are concerning.
If I weren't in here,
I would pay him a visit,
observe him in his element.
Oh, say no more.
I can go and report back.
Great.
Good night, Oliver.
Um good night.
[BEEPS]
Uh
Unless, uh
Can you Can you Can you
wait for me in the parking lot?
This is my window to save Sofia,
and I have to take it right now.
I need a getaway car.
Keep the engine running.
I took the bus.
♪
Sofia. I've got your file.
I know how to get a key card.
We have to get out of here.
No. When you leave this place,
you have to leave without me.
Did Amelia tell you that?
I don't abandon my patients.
Ollie, check the file again.
♪
♪
We need to talk.
It's all there in writing.
I'm you. You're me.
No, you are real.
I told Carol you were here.
That's why she brought me.
Poor Dr. Pierce.
She had to play along.
She just wants you to get better.
But you walked
into my dad's apartment.
Because you needed me to.
Remember what you said to Dr. Porter?
Unprocessed trauma can break a person.
How do you know I said that to him?
Earth to Oliver
We're the same person.
Look, your father
made you feel unworthy.
So you created
What's the technical term?
It's in the file.
A protective delusion.
Yes. That's right.
You made up a patient you could save.
You needed me to feel worthy.
You needed me to escape.
You needed me to let go.
You needed me to face your past.
Most of all,
you needed me to get help.
♪
Don't cry, Ollie. It's been real.
Poor choice of words.
But you know what I mean.
I'm not staying here without you.
I'm sticking to the plan.
This is the plan. You belong here.
No, I'm not him. I'm not my dad.
Prove it.
Get better, Wolf.
♪
[VOICE BREAKING] I don't
want you to go.
I have to go.
♪
♪
♪
♪
Housekeeping, 3034.
Housekeeping, 3034.
Oh, hey, Amelia.
Ruby Barish is getting
better by the day,
and I-I really think
she'll be ready for discharge
by end of week.
I don't know.
She was in quite a state
when her husband admitted her.
A discharge at this stage,
it just feels premature.
Why roll the dice?
Let's keep her here a little bit
longer in your excellent care.
I will talk to the family
[LOCKS CLANK, ALARM BLARES]
- The facility is on lockdown.
- Okay, secure the unit.
- Code Walker.
- Okay, I'm with you!
I repeat, the facility is on lockdown.
Code Walker, Code Walker.
Let's go! Go, go, go!
♪
Oliver, there's nowhere to go.
- Grab him!
- Come on.
[GRUNTING]
No, please
Please don't do this.
[GROANS]
It's high time we be honest
about why you're here.
Either we talk about him,
or we keep doing
this same song and dance.
You had me restrained.
You sedated me.
And now you want me to open up to you?
Oliver, we didn't have a choice.
I know it's hard.
I can't imagine what
you've been through.
When your father showed up
after 30 years
of pretending to be dead,
I think it shook
your entire sense of self.
Core elements of your personality.
All of it was built
on the traumatic memory
of your dad dying.
And then you found out it wasn't true.
And I think that your psyche
simply couldn't process
the enormity of that lie.
And that's where Sofia comes in.
Does that sound about right?
Sofia is gone.
But I don't want to talk to you
about this.
I want another doctor.
My mom didn't bother
writing down recipes.
She made me learn them
by cooking with her.
And this is her signature dish.
Ma's luo song tang.
- Enjoy.
- Thank you, Chef.
Mm.
You don't like it?
- Oh, no, it's it's delicious, Chef.
- Transformative.
Good.
[COUGHS]
Chef Johnny couldn't feel fire,
but I don't think that's
the only sense that's blunted.
He's the chef who can't taste.
- Hmm.
- [KNIFE PLUNGES]
[SCREAMS]
Okay, don't move.
How's the arm feeling?
I wish I could say
it hurt like a mother,
but it feels fine.
This is M.S., isn't it?
Johnny, we just started our work-up.
We don't know what this is yet.
Even if it is M.S.,
there are effective new drugs.
That's what Dr. Wolf told my mom.
Always something on the horizon.
But her disease never stabilized.
Every time she came
into Wolf's office,
he tried to help her
look at the positive.
He'd tell her that
her life was still worth living.
Was it?
I think she'd say it was.
Why don't we get going
on that L.P. and MRI?
Get some answers.
Carol, in your professional opinion,
how long do you think
Wolf will need before, um,
coming back to work?
How How has he seemed to you?
Well, actually, I don't know.
I haven't visited him yet.
I didn't think it would be
helpful to his healing process.
I just wanted to give him his space.
He doesn't need me hovering
like his mother.
Speaking of Muriel
I haven't told her yet.
I promised Wolf I wouldn't.
I can't go back on that.
Why? Is there something else
she should know?
- Uh
- [KNOCK ON DOOR]
Sorry to interrupt. I
I have some MRI results
I need to go over with you,
Dr. Nichols.
- Yeah.
- We'll talk later.
Uh
- [DOOR CLOSES]
- Thank you, sir.
Our patient has
a family history of M.S.
- [CELLPHONE VIBRATES]
- One second, Dr. Porter.
Hello?
- Josh, I'm at Hudson Oaks.
- [INDISTINCT SHOUTING]
They took away the phone you gave me.
Listen, we don't have much time.
They won't let me leave.
I need your help.
Slow down, slow down.
Who said you can't leave?
This place is awful. I have no
control over anything, no autonomy.
- Put down the phone.
- Just give me a minute.
- Please, just give me a minute!
- Put down the phone. Now!
- Get off me!
- Easy!
We don't need to restrain a patient
from making a phone call!
Leave Dr. Wolf alone now!
[PANTING]
Thank you.
It's so sad what's happened to Oliver.
But don't worry.
Things are running smoother than ever.
I want you to know
that this neuro department
is in good hands.
I'm sure Dr. Wolf
appreciates your concern.
But let me remind you, Dr. Porter,
that as a second-year resident,
your authority on neuro ends
at the hem of your lab coat.
Chain of command runs through me,
then Dr. Pierce.
Fully respect that.
I just wanted to offer my leadership
to help keep the ship afloat.
Let me see those MRI results.
♪
Johnny, you don't have
multiple sclerosis.
Your lumbar puncture
was totally normal,
and we've reviewed your
MRI results with Dr. Nichols.
Nothing consistent with M.S.
[SIGHS]
Then what's going on with me?
The next step would be an EMG
and nerve conduction studies
to take a better look
at why you've lost sensation.
But
Actually, Johnny,
any chance you're in the mood
for a field trip?
It's good to see you, Wolf.
How long has it been?
Oh, since Mom's funeral.
Look at us.
Matching hospital bracelets.
Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
Um, I'm sorry you had to come here.
Don't apologize.
I've lost a few friends who were
too ashamed to get help.
I don't want to lose another one.
It takes a lot of courage
to be here, Dr. Wolf.
Probably takes a lot of courage
to eat this food too.
[GROANS] It's inhumane.
Maybe you can make me dinner
when I get discharged?
Well, my taste buds
ain't what they used to be.
Well, I bet that makes
the connection to your mom
feel more tenuous.
After my mom died,
I couldn't eat for weeks.
The grief made this hole
in the pit of my stomach.
People don't realize that grief has
a lot of physical symptoms.
At first,
mine felt more psychological
like now I can only eat if I cook
in my mom's old ceramic pot.
Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
All the soups and stews
that she taught me to make.
It actually helped.
Till one day everything went bland.
Approximately how long ago was that?
About three weeks.
Was loss of taste your first symptom?
No. I noticed
that my coordination was off.
I couldn't chop as fast.
My vision would blur.
There was a ton of brain fog.
I had trouble remembering
recipes that I'd invented.
But when my sense
of taste and smell left,
that was like another death.
A complete void.
Like all my senses had gone blank.
Like
Like my appetite for life was gone.
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
[GROANING]
- Johnny.
- [GASPS] Code Blue!
Somebody give me 10 milligrams
of diazepam fast.
We got to clear the airway.
The seizure could cause hypoxia.
We're right here, Johnny.
We're right here.
[GROANING]
Anchoring bias.
My patient's mother had M.S.,
and therefore the mistake
would be to automatically anchor
his own symptoms within the range
of demyelinating disorders.
What could be the etiology
behind the chronic progression
of neuropathy,
incontinence, loss of coordination,
loss of taste,
and totally normal neuroimaging?
Uh, indigestion?
Inflammation?
Yes, Ruby. Inflammatory changes.
That was where my mind went too.
Except now I think it's simply
the illusion of inflammation.
A masquerader of something else.
When Johnny seized and I opened
his mouth to protect his airway,
I did notice
that his gums appeared inflamed.
Not from bacteria um
- Don't look!
- Oh.
No. No peeking.
But from lead.
Johnny's gums
reveal a sign of lead toxicity,
and that could explain all of
his other neurogenic symptoms.
And the most common cause
of lead exposure in a kitchen
would be an heirloom pot
with a lead-based glaze.
Uh Doc?
Can I use the phone?
Are you asking for permission?
That's progress, Doc.
Go for it.
Dr. Wolf,
you are literally a lifesaver.
We'll get started
on those tests right away.
Kinney, I just got off
the phone with Dr. Fredrick.
You took Johnny Tang to go
see Dr. Wolf at Hudson Oaks,
where he suffered a seizure in
the middle of a psych hospital?
To be fair, Johnny is
back now and recovering.
I don't see the problem.
Wolf is still our boss,
even when he's in a psych facility.
Plus, visiting him paid off.
Wolf wants us to test Johnny
for lead poisoning.
- All of his symptoms align.
- This is unacceptable.
Enough, Charlie.
This isn't even about
me visiting Wolf.
This is about you finally realizing
that you spent your whole life
hating someone
who never deserved it.
Yeah.
♪
Silva, when do you clock out?
I could, um, really use
a drinking buddy.
In about an hour. But I'm not
going to McSorley's again.
There's way too many finance bros.
[LAUGHTER]
Dr. Nichols, you've surpassed
all of our expectations.
Costs are down.
Patient satisfaction scores are up.
And you averted a major disaster
with that carbon monoxide leak.
What can I say? It's never a
dull moment here at Bronx General.
[LAUGHTER] - Speaking
of lively departments
Have you prepared a list of
candidates to replace Dr. Wolf?
I have not.
And I don't plan to.
Yes, Wolf is struggling,
but it is temporary.
He will heal, and I guarantee
he'll come back to us a better doctor.
No one in this room,
no physician anywhere,
is immune to what
Oliver's going through.
It could be any of us.
One of our doctors is getting help,
help he needs, help we encourage
our patients to get.
Why does that make
so many of us uncomfortable?
Because we're expected
to be invincible?
If we terminate him,
we stigmatize the very thing
we represent.
You don't fire a dentist
who gets a cavity.
On my watch, Dr. Wolf stays on
as head of neuro.
He is the man for the job.
A once-in-a-lifetime doctor who
cares more about his patients
than all of us in here combined.
And if my stance costs me
the role of chief, well
so be it.
Now, I do realize there are times
we need to put this institution
above its doctors.
To that end,
I would like to start
the process to terminate
the residency of Dr. Charlie Porter.
Chef, good news.
Wolf was right.
Your blood test confirmed
lead poisoning.
A totally reversible disorder
now that it's been caught.
Even your sense of smell
and taste should return
with a treatment
called I.V. chelation.
It's like a magnet
for lead in the bloodstream.
I-I don't know what to say.
Thank you.
Could this happen again?
Do you know how he got
the lead poisoning?
We think his mother's
ceramic pot is the source.
The glaze can contain lead,
and over time
that can lead
to significant lead poisoning.
Especially if you've been
cooking in it that frequently.
It's my one connection to her.
I doubt that.
Johnny, I know it seems wrong
to let go of something we love,
but if we don't,
grief slowly takes hold in us.
In this case,
it could have killed you.
The only thing you have to do
is let the medication work
and get some much-needed rest.
Easier said than done.
Nah, I've turned a new leaf.
If Dr. Wolf can trust his team
and take time off to get better,
I can muster the courage.
Why is he being nice?
Is that a symptom of lead poisoning?
No, I'd say it's one
of the positive side effects
of a near-death experience.
Mm.
Nari, you're running
dinner service tonight.
You know what? You can put
your hong shao rou on the menu.
Go.
Thank you, Chef.
♪
Pierce. Slow down.
I'm headed to the bar again
tonight if you want to join.
It might feel good to share.
Anthony, stop. I don't want to share.
And, honestly, I don't have it in me
to listen to other people's
problems either.
Because that's
what you do every day at work.
I'm sorry. I'm an idiot.
No, no, your heart was
in the right place,
but I'm good.
I don't need to get on a stage
and tell everyone
how deeply conflicted I am
that I admitted my best friend
to inpatient treatment,
especially when I know his
own deeply conflicted feelings
around psych hospitals.
I don't need to say that I'm
scared he may never forgive me,
or that I resent being the one
who takes care of everyone
when I've had the year from hell.
I left my marriage because it
became impossible and miserable,
and sometimes I still feel guilty
about making that decision.
But I am tired of feeling guilty,
and I am tired of feeling awful.
And I just for once want to feel good.
♪
[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]
Um, Maya is staying
at Morris's tonight.
♪
Well, we have time for one more share.
[CLEARS THROAT] Um
I-I would like to go, I think.
When I was nine years old,
my dad had been gone for a few days.
I thought he was away for work.
But, uh, one day
when I came home from school,
he had broken into our house.
He'd smashed a window.
He was standing over the sink.
His hand was bleeding.
He was confused.
That night, I watched him
get taken away in an ambulance.
They brought him
to a psychiatric hospital.
He's bipolar, and he had
he would go on to have
a lot of stays in facilities.
He'd be gone for long periods of time.
My mom would never let me visit
him, so I imagined the worst.
Back then,
I just thought it was the place
that was making him worse.
I was so scared to come here
that I couldn't even admit
that I needed help,
and my mind created Sofia
a patient you all know
doesn't exist
just to avoid the truth.
♪
But the truth is that I'm the patient.
[SOBS]
I need help.
The mind is brilliant.
It's incredible the lengths
it will go to to protect us.
Just because you're here, Oliver,
it doesn't make you your dad.
It doesn't make you bipolar.
Although it would also be okay
if you were.
We inherit so many things
from our parents.
Good things too.
Can you think of something positive
you might have gotten
from your father?
[VOICE BREAKING] He
He was a really good doctor.
♪
[THE CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA'S
"TO BUILD A HOME" PLAYS]
Each of our five senses has receptors,
nerve pathways,
and specific brain regions
that interpret them.
The occipital lobe controls
our sense of sight
our fastest sense.
Oliver! Good news.
Your 72 hours are up.
I hate goodbyes, so let's
just say I'll see you later.
Uh, actually I'd like to stay.
But I need to talk to someone first.
Can I get my phone?
The parietal lobe
controls our sense of touch.
♪
There is a house
built out of stone ♪
Wooden floors,
walls, and windowsills ♪
The olfactory bulb
and the gustatory cortex
control our sense of smell and taste.
♪
Perfect, Chef.
Nailed it.
♪
The temporal lobe
controls our ability to hear.
Hi, Mom.
No, no, I'm okay.
Uh, I just need you to listen.
I don't want you to worry.
I'm at Hudson Oaks.
Yeah, I admitted myself
about a week ago.
Um, we both know that I haven't been
doing very well for a while,
and I want to get better.
No, I'll let you know
when I'm ready for you to visit.
Uh
Yeah, I'm sure. [CHUCKLES]
And when our senses
are too overwhelming,
we can disrupt the thalamus
with substances that dull them.
"Chain of command."
"Hem of my lab coat."
Chain of my lab coat.
[EXHALES SHARPLY]
Dude.
You gonna be okay?
♪
- Silva
- Hm?
Do you think I'm a horrible person?
No.
I just think you're in a lot of pain.
You're a good friend.
I held on as tightly
as you held on me ♪
But the brain can also blend senses
in our association cortices.
Oliver.
You have a visitor.
Sometimes something someone
can cause all our senses
to fire at the same time.
♪
And now it's time ♪
To leave and turn ♪
♪
sync & corrections awaqeded
♪
♪
♪
♪
Previously on "Brilliant Minds"
- What is this?
- An address.
It's where your father is.
I knew we'd meet sooner or later.
- Who are you?
- Sofia.
I live in the unit upstairs.
I don't think Sofia exists.
You think that Wolf
hallucinated a patient?
- Why do you do that?
- Do what?
Flirt with me.
Is it for sport?
You have a girlfriend.
I had a fling. It's long over.
What are you looking for?
Sofia's file.
I hope you'll think of us if
you ever have someone in need.
Thank you, Amelia.
You want to go to Hudson
Oaks to save Sofia?
I need to.
[MUFFLED] Can you
recite your full name?
Can you recite your full name?
Dr. Oliver Samuel Wolf.
Have you had any alcohol or
drugs within the last 24 hours?
Uh, yes. Both.
- Recreationally.
- [BEEPING]
On average, how many hours
of sleep do you get a night?
Uh, I don't know. Three.
Maybe four, if I'm lucky.
Any family history of mental illness?
Yes. Um, my father had
has bipolar disorder.
Here at Hudson Oaks,
patient comfort is paramount.
Don't think of it as a hospital.
Think of it as your home
and the staff as your family.
That being said,
there are house rules.
Residents' doors
are expected to remain open
during daytime hours,
and visiting hours are twice a day.
[CLEARS THROAT]
Lights out at 10:00 p.m.
I don't have anything sharp in there.
No drugs, no weapons.
You can get your sneakers back,
but we'll need the laces.
All residents are expected to
participate in group activities.
We have an incredible
art therapy program.
Did you know that Van Gogh
painted his masterpiece,
"Starry Night,"
while in a psychiatric facility?
The price of greatness.
Say ahh.
Ahhhh.
Hold your arms up for me.
- Any history of self-harm?
- Uh, no.
Your room is
right down here to the right.
Our first session
will be tomorrow morning.
I'll give you your schedule then.
You're my doctor?
Yes. Don't worry.
Dr. Pierce filled in the gaps
when I spoke to her,
but I'm very eager for
us to get to know each other.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
I thought I was seeing things.
Like, there's no way Wolf is
here in my room to rescue me.
But you actually faked
a psychotic break to save me.
Chivalry ain't dead.
Give me some time
to get the lay of the land.
First, we need to get your file
to see what kind of
fabricated diagnosis
they're using to keep you here.
If I'm being honest, Ollie,
I'm not sure they are fabricated.
I think I'm here because I need to be.
That's what Amelia wants you to think.
She wants you to be sick.
But I am your doctor, Sofia.
There is nothing wrong with you.
Inspect plate for
the braised short ribs is ready.
Where are we on the guotie
for the lineup?
Garnishing it now, Chef.
We've got 10 minutes to doors.
Let's move!
- Yes, Chef.
- Yes, Chef.
Nari, tell the new guy
my ma's pot is off limits.
Off limits.
[SPEAKING GLOBAL LANGUAGE]
It needs 20 more minutes.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
How's the marinade coming?
It's bland. It needs more umami.
- Sorry, Chef.
- Sorry, Chef.
Sorry won't cut it when Tejal Rao
obliterates us in The Times
because our beef broth tastes
like it came out of a can.
Chef!
Chef, you're on fire!
[PEOPLE GASP]
♪
♪
[SIGHS]
Oliver, you have been here
over a week,
and we have made zero progress.
When you allow childhood wounds
to follow you into
Are you aware
that all the other patients
and some of the nurses even
call you Amelia Bedelia?
Do you remember those clever
little books about the maid
who gets everything wrong?
Who came up
with that charming nickname?
Sofia?
I'm not talking about Sofia with you.
I know you convinced her to come here.
I've seen you do it before
poaching patients from Bronx General,
trying to convince them
that they need help.
That's right. Sofia was your patient.
Remind me What is her last name?
Check her file.
I don't have her file because
she isn't a patient here.
If you expect me to trust you,
Dr. Fredrick,
stop lying to me.
I know the protocol.
I checked myself in here voluntarily.
So did she.
And it is within our rights
to request a discharge.
Legally, you can keep us here
for another 72 hours for evaluation,
and then we both will
be walking out of this place.
I promise you, Oliver,
if I do my job right,
you will be walking
out of this building alone.
The clock starts now.
[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS, DOORS OPEN]
All right.
Dr. Pierce.
Did you know
that I am an expert at the art
of blowing off steam?
- You free tonight?
- That depends.
Does blowing off steam
involves drinks?
Martinis are mandatory.
Give me some credit for knowing you.
Pick you up in 12 hours?
All right.
Oh, hey, Dr. Pierce.
Any updates on Dr. Wolf?
Any chance he'll be discharged soon?
I don't know. I'm not his doctor.
Can we at least go visit him
in Hudson Oaks?
What Wolf needs right now
is time and space,
especially from his well-meaning
but overeager interns.
♪
I have to be honest, Stephens.
I'm starting to get sick
of the word "interim."
[CHUCKLES] So am I.
The good news is
the board wants to meet
to discuss making you
the permanent chief of medicine.
What's the bad news?
They want a plan in place
for neurology.
Dr. Wolf has run his course.
On top of all his other infractions,
he came here in the midst
of a psychiatric episode.
Well, I was there that day.
And I can assure you
I put a swift end to it,
and no one was harmed.
A sign of great leadership.
But replacing Wolf
is the board's bottom line.
You have to put the institution
above any doctor.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
Atomic element number one.
The simplest of all elements,
but also the
The most unique.
[CHUCKLES]
Hi, Oliver.
Hi, Dr. Adler.
We're about to break out the clay,
if you'd like to join the group
and make some pottery.
Um let me guess.
The malleability of the clay is
a metaphor for personal growth.
[TABLE BANGS]
I just think
that I should be able to draw
the nine circles of hell
without someone asking me
if it's symbolic expression.
I-I just want my art to
The plan starts now. Let's go.
Wait, what plan?
The plan to break into Amelia's office
and steal your file.
Oliver, this is not a good idea.
Wait, what happened to the girl
who convinced me
to trash my dad's apartment?
Bring her back.
Can you smell the flowers?
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
♪
[SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
♪
It's got to be here somewhere.
It's not.
What is your last name again?
Why can't I remember?
Usually I'm bad with faces
but good with names.
You're never gonna find it.
♪
♪
Ye of little faith.
[DOOR OPENS]
How did you get in here, Oliver?
This is not the behavior of someone
who is ready to be discharged.
You called neuro for a burn?
Shh.
Less talking.
Listen for what you don't hear.
♪
I would be screaming my head off.
Yeah.
So my nerves are a little fried.
In my line of work, you suffer
enough cuts and burns,
you get desensitized.
I've worked with Chef for years.
He's never had this many accidents.
Mr. Tang, is the reduced
sensitivity to pain
why you waited a week to be seen?
You know the odds of failure
for a restaurant in New York?
I can't afford a day off.
And if I could,
I wouldn't spend it here.
Well, since you are here,
we can have our team work you up
for what could be a neuropathy.
If you're gonna hold me
hostage, then I want Dr. Wolf.
The guy knew me
before I had any Michelin stars.
Uh, unfortunately, Dr. Wolf
is taking some time off.
Bull. He doesn't take time off.
And I don't want to
be relegated to the B team.
- Could you page him?
- We wish we could, Chef.
But there are
extenuating circumstances.
- [GRUNTS]
- Chef, Chef!
Now, this this is
why people hate hospitals.
It's just a bunch
of egomaniacal control freaks
who think they're always right.
♪
Chef I think
you ought to stick around,
Wolf or no Wolf.
Chef Tang, we have a private
room at your disposal.
My mom taught me to never
stand still in a hospital.
- You can't trust it.
- My mom hates hospitals too.
Swore she'd never visit me at work.
I always say it's no Ritz-Carlton,
but it's better than the alternative.
Yeah, well, my mom's dead, so.
And my condolences to you.
Chef, good news.
Your blood and urine tests
came back normal.
The next step would be an MRI.
An MRI? Forget it. I'm done. Okay?
Tell Wolf to swing by the restaurant.
I'll be there, dead or alive.
Something is really wrong with him.
It's not just the burns.
He's been having coordination issues.
A couple of days ago, he knocked
over a tray of desserts
in the kitchen,
and that never happens.
We appreciate the intel,
but he's refusing treatment.
Unless you can convince him otherwise.
I'm pretty sure
he'd rather wear adult diapers
than agree to stay here.
But I'll see what I can do.
Why would a guy risk his life
just because Dr. Wolf is
not here to see him?
Can someone explain that logic?
It would be so much easier
if we could just be honest
with Johnny.
No one wants to hear
their doctor's in a psych ward.
I'm sorry, but it's true.
I checked myself into a psych
facility for a few days once.
I was on the razor's edge,
studying for boards.
Needed a break from life.
Dana, I didn't know that.
Yeah, I guess I don't talk about it
'cause I still have
some weird residual shame.
It was the loneliest
three days of my life.
My point is,
it can't be easy for Wolf.
Every time Jeff comes to visit,
I think maybe this time
he'll bring our daughter.
He never does.
Personally, I think
it's a little more traumatizing
for an eight-year-old to think
her mother keeps leaving her
to go on "vacation."
Maybe the staff can give me
a spray tan before discharge.
Really give her something to
talk about in therapy one day.
[PEOPLE CHUCKLING]
Thanks, Ruby.
What about you, Oliver?
Do you want to break
your vow of silence today?
No.
Um
I-I'll give my time
to someone who needs it.
Or maybe we could talk about
your superiority complex.
Seriously, when is
he gonna stop acting like
he doesn't belong here?
None of us belong here.
Hudson Oaks is locking people up
against their will.
Today it may be Sofia.
Tomorrow it could be any of us.
Okay, well,
the last psych facility I was in
discharged me after 72 hours
because they needed the bed.
I went home
and swallowed a bottle of pills.
So I feel pretty lucky to be here,
finally getting long-term care.
A month ago I couldn't
get out of bed, and now
I wake up happy to be alive.
[LAUGHS SHAKILY]
I'm sorry.
I think that's a good place to end.
Until tomorrow, my friends.
♪
♪
I find your concern
for Sofia admirable.
I'm sure she'd like to see you,
tell you a few things on her mind.
Why don't I unlock the seclusion
room on my way out tonight?
Help you two get on the same page.
♪
- My man.
- Fourth-floor walk-up, so.
- Really? That's rough.
- After a long day, it's tough.
Ooh.
Um, if this is stand-up comedy,
we're not friends anymore.
I got enough friends.
♪
[CHUCKLES]
Woman!
Woe-man!
Wh-o-o-o-a-man!
Any of y'all old enough
to get that reference?
- [LAUGHS]
- [FEEDBACK BLARES]
That'd be a no.
All right, so, uh, thank you all
for being here tonight.
For those of you that are new,
I started this gathering
as a way for us
at Bronx General
to open up in community
and get a few things off our chest.
So why don't I kick us off?
Two days ago, I treated a child
who suffered a pneumothorax.
I placed the chest tube routinely.
Suddenly there was a complication,
and for a few seconds
I thought the kid
was gonna die as a result.
Now, I quickly corrected
for the complication,
and all was well.
The kid and the parents went home.
I'm sure they did
their normal routine.
You know, bath time, bedtime.
They never knew
there was a split second
where they were almost robbed
of the mundanity of life.
But I knew, and I can't stop
thinking about it.
But I know it helps to talk about it.
- Yes.
- That's right.
Thank you for letting me share.
[APPLAUSE]
♪
♪
Oliver will be thrilled
to see a friendly face.
You're his very first visitor.
♪
Thanks. I can take it from here.
♪
Dr. Wolf.
Hi.
Ericka.
Oh! Ha! Hi.
Hi.
Um
Welcome to my office.
[BOTH CHUCKLE]
Please.
I hope it's okay that I'm here.
Dr. Pierce said
we should give you some time.
But you know me, I get impatient.
Speaking of, an old patient
of yours came by today.
Didn't want to be treated by
anyone who wasn't Dr. Wolf.
He got really upset
and then proceeded to pee his pants.
Chef Johnny Tang ring a bell?
Johnny's more my friend.
His mom was my patient.
She had M.S.
Relentless progression despite meds
and other interventions.
She died a few years ago.
What, so we have urinary incontinence?
What are his other symptoms?
He's presenting with pretty
profound sensory neuropathy.
Second-degree burns on his arm.
Didn't even feel them.
Tests have been normal so far,
but now I'm wondering
It's not a simple inheritance pattern,
but his mother's disease does increase
his risk of M.S. somewhat.
It's worth a work-up.
Well, the only problem is he
refused to stay in the hospital.
Ah. He can be pretty stubborn.
But his symptoms are concerning.
If I weren't in here,
I would pay him a visit,
observe him in his element.
Oh, say no more.
I can go and report back.
Great.
Good night, Oliver.
Um good night.
[BEEPS]
Uh
Unless, uh
Can you Can you Can you
wait for me in the parking lot?
This is my window to save Sofia,
and I have to take it right now.
I need a getaway car.
Keep the engine running.
I took the bus.
♪
Sofia. I've got your file.
I know how to get a key card.
We have to get out of here.
No. When you leave this place,
you have to leave without me.
Did Amelia tell you that?
I don't abandon my patients.
Ollie, check the file again.
♪
♪
We need to talk.
It's all there in writing.
I'm you. You're me.
No, you are real.
I told Carol you were here.
That's why she brought me.
Poor Dr. Pierce.
She had to play along.
She just wants you to get better.
But you walked
into my dad's apartment.
Because you needed me to.
Remember what you said to Dr. Porter?
Unprocessed trauma can break a person.
How do you know I said that to him?
Earth to Oliver
We're the same person.
Look, your father
made you feel unworthy.
So you created
What's the technical term?
It's in the file.
A protective delusion.
Yes. That's right.
You made up a patient you could save.
You needed me to feel worthy.
You needed me to escape.
You needed me to let go.
You needed me to face your past.
Most of all,
you needed me to get help.
♪
Don't cry, Ollie. It's been real.
Poor choice of words.
But you know what I mean.
I'm not staying here without you.
I'm sticking to the plan.
This is the plan. You belong here.
No, I'm not him. I'm not my dad.
Prove it.
Get better, Wolf.
♪
[VOICE BREAKING] I don't
want you to go.
I have to go.
♪
♪
♪
♪
Housekeeping, 3034.
Housekeeping, 3034.
Oh, hey, Amelia.
Ruby Barish is getting
better by the day,
and I-I really think
she'll be ready for discharge
by end of week.
I don't know.
She was in quite a state
when her husband admitted her.
A discharge at this stage,
it just feels premature.
Why roll the dice?
Let's keep her here a little bit
longer in your excellent care.
I will talk to the family
[LOCKS CLANK, ALARM BLARES]
- The facility is on lockdown.
- Okay, secure the unit.
- Code Walker.
- Okay, I'm with you!
I repeat, the facility is on lockdown.
Code Walker, Code Walker.
Let's go! Go, go, go!
♪
Oliver, there's nowhere to go.
- Grab him!
- Come on.
[GRUNTING]
No, please
Please don't do this.
[GROANS]
It's high time we be honest
about why you're here.
Either we talk about him,
or we keep doing
this same song and dance.
You had me restrained.
You sedated me.
And now you want me to open up to you?
Oliver, we didn't have a choice.
I know it's hard.
I can't imagine what
you've been through.
When your father showed up
after 30 years
of pretending to be dead,
I think it shook
your entire sense of self.
Core elements of your personality.
All of it was built
on the traumatic memory
of your dad dying.
And then you found out it wasn't true.
And I think that your psyche
simply couldn't process
the enormity of that lie.
And that's where Sofia comes in.
Does that sound about right?
Sofia is gone.
But I don't want to talk to you
about this.
I want another doctor.
My mom didn't bother
writing down recipes.
She made me learn them
by cooking with her.
And this is her signature dish.
Ma's luo song tang.
- Enjoy.
- Thank you, Chef.
Mm.
You don't like it?
- Oh, no, it's it's delicious, Chef.
- Transformative.
Good.
[COUGHS]
Chef Johnny couldn't feel fire,
but I don't think that's
the only sense that's blunted.
He's the chef who can't taste.
- Hmm.
- [KNIFE PLUNGES]
[SCREAMS]
Okay, don't move.
How's the arm feeling?
I wish I could say
it hurt like a mother,
but it feels fine.
This is M.S., isn't it?
Johnny, we just started our work-up.
We don't know what this is yet.
Even if it is M.S.,
there are effective new drugs.
That's what Dr. Wolf told my mom.
Always something on the horizon.
But her disease never stabilized.
Every time she came
into Wolf's office,
he tried to help her
look at the positive.
He'd tell her that
her life was still worth living.
Was it?
I think she'd say it was.
Why don't we get going
on that L.P. and MRI?
Get some answers.
Carol, in your professional opinion,
how long do you think
Wolf will need before, um,
coming back to work?
How How has he seemed to you?
Well, actually, I don't know.
I haven't visited him yet.
I didn't think it would be
helpful to his healing process.
I just wanted to give him his space.
He doesn't need me hovering
like his mother.
Speaking of Muriel
I haven't told her yet.
I promised Wolf I wouldn't.
I can't go back on that.
Why? Is there something else
she should know?
- Uh
- [KNOCK ON DOOR]
Sorry to interrupt. I
I have some MRI results
I need to go over with you,
Dr. Nichols.
- Yeah.
- We'll talk later.
Uh
- [DOOR CLOSES]
- Thank you, sir.
Our patient has
a family history of M.S.
- [CELLPHONE VIBRATES]
- One second, Dr. Porter.
Hello?
- Josh, I'm at Hudson Oaks.
- [INDISTINCT SHOUTING]
They took away the phone you gave me.
Listen, we don't have much time.
They won't let me leave.
I need your help.
Slow down, slow down.
Who said you can't leave?
This place is awful. I have no
control over anything, no autonomy.
- Put down the phone.
- Just give me a minute.
- Please, just give me a minute!
- Put down the phone. Now!
- Get off me!
- Easy!
We don't need to restrain a patient
from making a phone call!
Leave Dr. Wolf alone now!
[PANTING]
Thank you.
It's so sad what's happened to Oliver.
But don't worry.
Things are running smoother than ever.
I want you to know
that this neuro department
is in good hands.
I'm sure Dr. Wolf
appreciates your concern.
But let me remind you, Dr. Porter,
that as a second-year resident,
your authority on neuro ends
at the hem of your lab coat.
Chain of command runs through me,
then Dr. Pierce.
Fully respect that.
I just wanted to offer my leadership
to help keep the ship afloat.
Let me see those MRI results.
♪
Johnny, you don't have
multiple sclerosis.
Your lumbar puncture
was totally normal,
and we've reviewed your
MRI results with Dr. Nichols.
Nothing consistent with M.S.
[SIGHS]
Then what's going on with me?
The next step would be an EMG
and nerve conduction studies
to take a better look
at why you've lost sensation.
But
Actually, Johnny,
any chance you're in the mood
for a field trip?
It's good to see you, Wolf.
How long has it been?
Oh, since Mom's funeral.
Look at us.
Matching hospital bracelets.
Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
Um, I'm sorry you had to come here.
Don't apologize.
I've lost a few friends who were
too ashamed to get help.
I don't want to lose another one.
It takes a lot of courage
to be here, Dr. Wolf.
Probably takes a lot of courage
to eat this food too.
[GROANS] It's inhumane.
Maybe you can make me dinner
when I get discharged?
Well, my taste buds
ain't what they used to be.
Well, I bet that makes
the connection to your mom
feel more tenuous.
After my mom died,
I couldn't eat for weeks.
The grief made this hole
in the pit of my stomach.
People don't realize that grief has
a lot of physical symptoms.
At first,
mine felt more psychological
like now I can only eat if I cook
in my mom's old ceramic pot.
Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
All the soups and stews
that she taught me to make.
It actually helped.
Till one day everything went bland.
Approximately how long ago was that?
About three weeks.
Was loss of taste your first symptom?
No. I noticed
that my coordination was off.
I couldn't chop as fast.
My vision would blur.
There was a ton of brain fog.
I had trouble remembering
recipes that I'd invented.
But when my sense
of taste and smell left,
that was like another death.
A complete void.
Like all my senses had gone blank.
Like
Like my appetite for life was gone.
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
[GROANING]
- Johnny.
- [GASPS] Code Blue!
Somebody give me 10 milligrams
of diazepam fast.
We got to clear the airway.
The seizure could cause hypoxia.
We're right here, Johnny.
We're right here.
[GROANING]
Anchoring bias.
My patient's mother had M.S.,
and therefore the mistake
would be to automatically anchor
his own symptoms within the range
of demyelinating disorders.
What could be the etiology
behind the chronic progression
of neuropathy,
incontinence, loss of coordination,
loss of taste,
and totally normal neuroimaging?
Uh, indigestion?
Inflammation?
Yes, Ruby. Inflammatory changes.
That was where my mind went too.
Except now I think it's simply
the illusion of inflammation.
A masquerader of something else.
When Johnny seized and I opened
his mouth to protect his airway,
I did notice
that his gums appeared inflamed.
Not from bacteria um
- Don't look!
- Oh.
No. No peeking.
But from lead.
Johnny's gums
reveal a sign of lead toxicity,
and that could explain all of
his other neurogenic symptoms.
And the most common cause
of lead exposure in a kitchen
would be an heirloom pot
with a lead-based glaze.
Uh Doc?
Can I use the phone?
Are you asking for permission?
That's progress, Doc.
Go for it.
Dr. Wolf,
you are literally a lifesaver.
We'll get started
on those tests right away.
Kinney, I just got off
the phone with Dr. Fredrick.
You took Johnny Tang to go
see Dr. Wolf at Hudson Oaks,
where he suffered a seizure in
the middle of a psych hospital?
To be fair, Johnny is
back now and recovering.
I don't see the problem.
Wolf is still our boss,
even when he's in a psych facility.
Plus, visiting him paid off.
Wolf wants us to test Johnny
for lead poisoning.
- All of his symptoms align.
- This is unacceptable.
Enough, Charlie.
This isn't even about
me visiting Wolf.
This is about you finally realizing
that you spent your whole life
hating someone
who never deserved it.
Yeah.
♪
Silva, when do you clock out?
I could, um, really use
a drinking buddy.
In about an hour. But I'm not
going to McSorley's again.
There's way too many finance bros.
[LAUGHTER]
Dr. Nichols, you've surpassed
all of our expectations.
Costs are down.
Patient satisfaction scores are up.
And you averted a major disaster
with that carbon monoxide leak.
What can I say? It's never a
dull moment here at Bronx General.
[LAUGHTER] - Speaking
of lively departments
Have you prepared a list of
candidates to replace Dr. Wolf?
I have not.
And I don't plan to.
Yes, Wolf is struggling,
but it is temporary.
He will heal, and I guarantee
he'll come back to us a better doctor.
No one in this room,
no physician anywhere,
is immune to what
Oliver's going through.
It could be any of us.
One of our doctors is getting help,
help he needs, help we encourage
our patients to get.
Why does that make
so many of us uncomfortable?
Because we're expected
to be invincible?
If we terminate him,
we stigmatize the very thing
we represent.
You don't fire a dentist
who gets a cavity.
On my watch, Dr. Wolf stays on
as head of neuro.
He is the man for the job.
A once-in-a-lifetime doctor who
cares more about his patients
than all of us in here combined.
And if my stance costs me
the role of chief, well
so be it.
Now, I do realize there are times
we need to put this institution
above its doctors.
To that end,
I would like to start
the process to terminate
the residency of Dr. Charlie Porter.
Chef, good news.
Wolf was right.
Your blood test confirmed
lead poisoning.
A totally reversible disorder
now that it's been caught.
Even your sense of smell
and taste should return
with a treatment
called I.V. chelation.
It's like a magnet
for lead in the bloodstream.
I-I don't know what to say.
Thank you.
Could this happen again?
Do you know how he got
the lead poisoning?
We think his mother's
ceramic pot is the source.
The glaze can contain lead,
and over time
that can lead
to significant lead poisoning.
Especially if you've been
cooking in it that frequently.
It's my one connection to her.
I doubt that.
Johnny, I know it seems wrong
to let go of something we love,
but if we don't,
grief slowly takes hold in us.
In this case,
it could have killed you.
The only thing you have to do
is let the medication work
and get some much-needed rest.
Easier said than done.
Nah, I've turned a new leaf.
If Dr. Wolf can trust his team
and take time off to get better,
I can muster the courage.
Why is he being nice?
Is that a symptom of lead poisoning?
No, I'd say it's one
of the positive side effects
of a near-death experience.
Mm.
Nari, you're running
dinner service tonight.
You know what? You can put
your hong shao rou on the menu.
Go.
Thank you, Chef.
♪
Pierce. Slow down.
I'm headed to the bar again
tonight if you want to join.
It might feel good to share.
Anthony, stop. I don't want to share.
And, honestly, I don't have it in me
to listen to other people's
problems either.
Because that's
what you do every day at work.
I'm sorry. I'm an idiot.
No, no, your heart was
in the right place,
but I'm good.
I don't need to get on a stage
and tell everyone
how deeply conflicted I am
that I admitted my best friend
to inpatient treatment,
especially when I know his
own deeply conflicted feelings
around psych hospitals.
I don't need to say that I'm
scared he may never forgive me,
or that I resent being the one
who takes care of everyone
when I've had the year from hell.
I left my marriage because it
became impossible and miserable,
and sometimes I still feel guilty
about making that decision.
But I am tired of feeling guilty,
and I am tired of feeling awful.
And I just for once want to feel good.
♪
[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]
Um, Maya is staying
at Morris's tonight.
♪
Well, we have time for one more share.
[CLEARS THROAT] Um
I-I would like to go, I think.
When I was nine years old,
my dad had been gone for a few days.
I thought he was away for work.
But, uh, one day
when I came home from school,
he had broken into our house.
He'd smashed a window.
He was standing over the sink.
His hand was bleeding.
He was confused.
That night, I watched him
get taken away in an ambulance.
They brought him
to a psychiatric hospital.
He's bipolar, and he had
he would go on to have
a lot of stays in facilities.
He'd be gone for long periods of time.
My mom would never let me visit
him, so I imagined the worst.
Back then,
I just thought it was the place
that was making him worse.
I was so scared to come here
that I couldn't even admit
that I needed help,
and my mind created Sofia
a patient you all know
doesn't exist
just to avoid the truth.
♪
But the truth is that I'm the patient.
[SOBS]
I need help.
The mind is brilliant.
It's incredible the lengths
it will go to to protect us.
Just because you're here, Oliver,
it doesn't make you your dad.
It doesn't make you bipolar.
Although it would also be okay
if you were.
We inherit so many things
from our parents.
Good things too.
Can you think of something positive
you might have gotten
from your father?
[VOICE BREAKING] He
He was a really good doctor.
♪
[THE CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA'S
"TO BUILD A HOME" PLAYS]
Each of our five senses has receptors,
nerve pathways,
and specific brain regions
that interpret them.
The occipital lobe controls
our sense of sight
our fastest sense.
Oliver! Good news.
Your 72 hours are up.
I hate goodbyes, so let's
just say I'll see you later.
Uh, actually I'd like to stay.
But I need to talk to someone first.
Can I get my phone?
The parietal lobe
controls our sense of touch.
♪
There is a house
built out of stone ♪
Wooden floors,
walls, and windowsills ♪
The olfactory bulb
and the gustatory cortex
control our sense of smell and taste.
♪
Perfect, Chef.
Nailed it.
♪
The temporal lobe
controls our ability to hear.
Hi, Mom.
No, no, I'm okay.
Uh, I just need you to listen.
I don't want you to worry.
I'm at Hudson Oaks.
Yeah, I admitted myself
about a week ago.
Um, we both know that I haven't been
doing very well for a while,
and I want to get better.
No, I'll let you know
when I'm ready for you to visit.
Uh
Yeah, I'm sure. [CHUCKLES]
And when our senses
are too overwhelming,
we can disrupt the thalamus
with substances that dull them.
"Chain of command."
"Hem of my lab coat."
Chain of my lab coat.
[EXHALES SHARPLY]
Dude.
You gonna be okay?
♪
- Silva
- Hm?
Do you think I'm a horrible person?
No.
I just think you're in a lot of pain.
You're a good friend.
I held on as tightly
as you held on me ♪
But the brain can also blend senses
in our association cortices.
Oliver.
You have a visitor.
Sometimes something someone
can cause all our senses
to fire at the same time.
♪
And now it's time ♪
To leave and turn ♪
♪
sync & corrections awaqeded
♪
♪
♪
♪