Brilliant Minds (2024) s02e17 Episode Script

1
Previously on "Brilliant Minds"
- Why do you do that?
- Do what?
Flirt with me. You have a girlfriend.
I had a fling. It's long over.
What is this?
An address where your father is.
I knew we'd meet sooner or later.
- But who are you?
- Sophia.
You want to go to Hudson Oaks
to save Sophia?
I've got your file.
I know how to get a keycard.
We have to get out of here.
Check the file again.
We're the same person.
You made up a patient you could save.
On my watch, Dr. Wolf stays
on as head of neuro.
To that end, I would like to
start the process to terminate
the residency of Dr. Charlie Porter.
Oliver, you have a visitor.
[THUNDER CRASHES]
"That night, the boy saw
a real wolf prowling his flock.
He cried out, 'Wolf! Wolf!'
But no one came.
And the wolf gobbled up his flock."
No one believed him.
That's right.
And the moral of the story
is no pet sheep.
They attract hungry wolves.
[GIGGLING]
[SIGHS]
Bedtime.
[THUNDER AND LIGHTNING CRASH,
WIND HOWLING]
The storm is nothing to be scared of.
♪
[GASPS]
You stay here and, um
I'll be right back.
[WIND WHISTLING]
[THUNDER AND LIGHTNING
CONTINUE CRASHING]
♪
Hello?
♪
Hello?
[BREATHING SHAKILY]
- [LOUD THUD]
- [GASPS]
[VOICES WHISPERING]
[WHIMPERING]
[CRYING]
Quick. Get under the bed and hide.
I'm scared.
- Mommy!
- Okay.
I'm not going to let anything
hurt you.
Okay. Hide under here.
- Don't move.
- [DOORKNOB RATTLING]
- Mommy, I'm scared.
- Stay here.
- What's happening?
- [RATTLING CONTINUES]
- Mommy!
- [GROANING]
Leave us alone!
♪
♪
The night I met you,
I thought that I would die ♪
My world was pennies
and sorry from an operator ♪
I left you, I told you a lie ♪
My own reflection
wouldn't look me in my eye ♪
I wanna love myself ♪
Yeah ♪
Like there's no one else ♪
That's why you gotta help me out ♪
Some nights I stay awake ♪
Feeling so alone ♪
And you left me ♪
You left me alone, man ♪
You know I'll always cry for you ♪
I know ♪
[SCREAMING]
♪
[WHIMPERING]
Hey, my name is Oliver.
Uh can I help you?
Stay away from us!
Oliver, stay right where you are.
Regan, we need you to calm down.
[WHIMPERING]
- Regan, you need to calm down.
- No!
- [SCREAMING]
- Calm down.
Oliver, please go back to your room!
- Regan, stop!
- [CRYING]
Calm down!
♪
♪
Mm.
- Mm.
- Hey.
I'm pretty sure we said
we wouldn't do this at work.
And I'm pretty sure
you're the one who started it.
How about we pick this up tonight?
I'd love to,
but I got plans with a friend.
- Tomorrow?
- Sure. Tomorrow's great.
Okay.
[ELEVATOR DOORS OPEN]
Good morning, docs.
- Uh, this is me.
- Alright.
Good morning, Justine.
♪
I will die
if we don't get this apartment.
Look at the rooftop garden.
Oh, this room could be a nursery.
[CHUCKLES]
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
- Dr. Pedrosa.
- Dr. Landon.
What a pleasant surprise.
Sorry to barge in, but
Oh, this used to be my office.
Alright.
I'll send you the app to sign.
Lovely to see you, Doctor.
I'd heard rumors about the treadmill,
but no one mentioned
I'd find Dr. Pedrosa in here.
Yes, well, I don't usually
update the mothers of my exes
on my relationship status.
- Wolf knows.
- He's coming home soon,
and I'd like to set him
up for success.
Our goals are aligned.
So where are you in the
process of firing Dr. Porter?
I heard what happened at the gala.
How he told Oliver
about Noah's apartment.
Charlie cannot be here
when Oliver returns.
Yes, well,
I took my concerns to the board,
and they opened a formal review.
But not easy to fire a resident.
Especially a competent one.
Well, I hired Charlie.
I'm the one who put him here.
So if I have to get rid of him
on my own,
believe me, I will do it.
Didn't you say you,
uh, used to swim every day?
I had no idea
Hudson Oaks has such nice facilities.
Oh, we don't. Lost the
lifeguards due to budget cuts.
But I thought we could dip
our toes in,
give you something to look forward to.
There's no need.
The Hudson's too cold
this time of year.
And I think my membership
to the Y has lapsed.
Well, I'm going to level
with you, Wolf.
Re-entry can be hard.
Reconnecting with the things
that make you you
more important now than ever.
♪
[SIGHS] Don't be afraid to
jump back in to the deep end.
♪
♪
Dr. Thorne paged you, too?
Yeah. Alright.
Young Mormon couple on
their honeymoon in the big city.
And let me tell you,
they are bright eyed.
On a scale from "I heart
New York" tees
to Statue of Liberty visors
Like, excited to see the show
they heard is all the rage
- "Hamilton."
- Oh.
Look, I know that psych is
Dr. Pierce's wheelhouse,
but the wife has a head injury,
and she's being cagey about
how she got it.
And the husband?
Seems protective, overly invested,
all the warning signs of DV.
Patient says
she feels more comfy
with a female doctor, so
You called all the ones you know.
Yeah.
Come on. Hey, Whitney, Zeke,
our neuro psych team is
here to have a look.
- Can you fill them in?
- I'm such a klutz.
I can't believe we're spending
our honeymoon in the E.R.
We're supposed to be sipping
frozen hot chocolates at Serendipity.
Oh.
Can you move your hand for me, please?
Tell them about the other part.
- I hurt you. Your
- No.
No, I'm I'm fine.
Um, there's a whole lot
of people in this room.
Whitney, can we chat alone?
Um, why don't you follow me?
I can take you to the cafeteria,
and you can get some water
or something to eat.
Are you hungry?
[SIGHS] Congratulations
on your marriage.
Thank you.
It was the best day of my life.
But then something went wrong.
You got hurt.
Is Zeke ever rough?
Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no,
it's not like that.
It was actually
Your first time together?
It was going fine, you know.
We were kissing and
Yeah, it just It hurt so bad,
and my body just freaked out.
I, like, lost control.
Now I've ruined everything, so
No, no. Nothing's ruined.
We'll figure it out, okay?
Okay.
And here you go. Next, please.
Here's your meds.
♪
Hey, what do you guys know
about that woman over there?
- What are you doing?
- She could have seen you.
Are you guys scared of her?
No. You just don't point
at the Howler of Hudson Oaks.
At least let me get
my asthma medication first.
- That is a ludicrous moniker.
- What?
- You haven't heard her howling?
- No.
I was here eight months ago
when she first arrived.
Her face was droopy, like a witch.
And then she disappeared
for a few weeks.
And now she's back and look.
No droop.
How do you explain that
except black magic?
Well, facial palsy is
an interesting symptom,
and it brings up a number
of questions.
- Excuse me.
- Give me a minute.
Oliver, have you got a minute?
Uh, for you, uh, anything.
I hear you've been snooping
around one of our patients.
- Regan?
- Snooping? No.
What were you just talking about?
That's patient confidentiality.
That is in
a doctor-patient relationship.
In here, you are not a doctor.
You are a patient.
At least for another day or two.
Right. Um,
I I was meaning to ask you,
what if I'm not ready to go quite yet?
If I need to stay a little bit longer?
I wouldn't want you to leave
before you're ready.
I can talk to your insurance
if you like.
Would you? I think
that it would ease my mind.
Okay.
[SIGHS] Thank you.
♪
[TAPE DISPENSER CUTS TAPE]
Uhh!
♪
♪
- Hi.
- [GASPS]
♪
I figured you'd want it back.
Are those your children?
- They were.
- Can I ask what happened?
♪
I was only trying to protect them.
From what?
From what lived in that house.
♪
[THUNDER CRASHES]
I felt it the moment that we moved in.
Something there.
Something sinister.
I thought I could shelter
them by absorbing it myself.
And it worked.
It's in me now.
[LOUD THUD]
I am the one who is haunted.
[BREATHING SHAKILY]
- Vagi-what?
- It's called vaginismus.
It's a condition
where the body painfully
contracts during penetration.
It's entirely voluntary
and it's not your fault.
But why? I mean, I love him.
So what's wrong with me?
Processing how we feel
about sex and sexuality,
it's really simple,
but it can be even more complicated
when shame is ingrained.
And for many of my patients from
strong religious backgrounds,
there can be a lot to unlearn.
It's just we've waited all this time,
and now we can't do it.
There are a lot of treatment
options out there
talk therapy, physical therapy,
vaginal dilators,
and for more severe cases,
Botox can even be helpful.
I got my elevens done
before the wedding.
[CHUCKLES]
Okay, I'm going to refer you
to a pelvic floor specialist
and a psychotherapist in Utah,
and we will leave the neurotoxins
in your face for now. Okay?
Wait. No.
Will you help me?
Just
if a fancy New York City
doctor can't fix this,
then I don't know who can.
Really, Mom?
Don't fight me on this.
Fibrosa.
I gave you polyp.
And as your mother, I gave you life.
Count it.
Um
I know how much you
hate places like this.
It means a lot that you came.
I'm not even sure why I was so scared.
All those memories
with your father, I suppose.
But this is different.
When I see how good
this place has been for you,
something has been healed
for me as well.
[SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY]
These are for you.
Um
I am thinking
of staying a little longer.
Oh.
Do not sneak an acronym in
while you're giving me news.
But if you feel like
you need more time, take it.
- Let's go.
- Please tell her it's from us.
Thank you.
She doesn't even know we're here.
Speaking of which, don't be mad at me.
But I did let myself into your house.
The mail was piling up.
I, uh Just give me one minute.
♪
Uh, excuse me.
Do you know Regan?
I'm Lucy. This is Rex. We're her kids.
Oh, uh, I'm a friend of your mom's.
A friend? That's a first.
- Rex.
- I'm also a doctor,
and I would really love
to know a little bit more
about your mom, how she was
before the psychosis.
To be honest, I don't
really remember a time before.
How long has she been here?
She's been in and out of
hospitals for the past 13 years.
I'm trying to convince
Lucy this is the best place
for Mom long term.
Unlike Rex, I remember a time
when Mom was different.
He can't see it,
but she's still in there.
What are you still doing here?!
Go, go, go!
Hey!
Go!
♪
♪
The Hudson Oaks Howler, huh?
You sure know how to pick 'em.
Hallucinations,
catatonia, voice modulation,
facial contortions,
even choreoathetosis.
Historically, these are
all telltale signs
of demonic possession, right?
Except now we know them
to be neurological symptoms.
The perfect example
of our innate desire
to attribute the physiological
as philosophical,
imbue suffering with meaning.
Not to mention,
autoimmune encephalitis
disproportionately affects
women, who also happen to be the
primary victims of exorcisms.
I'm sorry, I don't
You don't think that I'm
I think you're on to something.
Yeah.
And you're the only doctor
who doesn't need expensive scans
to find a neurological needle
in this psychiatric haystack.
Keep digging.
You know you don't have to be here.
I know. I want to be here.
♪
Plus, as chief, it's my job
to look out for my doctors.
Yeah.
♪
Dr. Landon, nice to see you.
Hmm.
What is this?
An open residency spot at NYU?
One of the most competitive
neurology placements in the nation.
And it's all yours
on one condition.
You never step foot
in Bronx General again.
And don't even think
about coming near my son.
It was one address.
I never thought
that it would go this far.
When you recruited me,
I was so grateful.
And look how you repaid me.
If your locker isn't
empty in the next 24 hours,
I will see to it that you are
removed the old-fashioned way.
♪
♪
♪
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
Regan?
I'm sorry to be so intrusive,
but we don't have much time
before my discharge.
Can you please draw a clock for me?
Regan, I don't believe that
your affliction is otherworldly
or psychiatric even.
But I need more evidence.
♪
♪
I know that this is confusing,
but if I'm right,
there may be a cure for your torment.
All of your neurons
and the person you were
are under siege, Regan.
Your brain is on fire.
Oh, God.
I think we're in diminishing
returns territory.
Why don't we table our cases
till morning
and get to bed at a reasonable hour?
- Hmm?
- You go ahead.
I need more time.
How about a little break before I go?
That's tempting. I'm distracted.
Let me help you.
Wait. This is
This is a patient at Hudson Oaks.
Yes, we were in the red
through November.
Occupancy picked up
shortly after and
Regan needs a full workup
at a non-psychiatric hospital.
I have to call you back.
Her condition is likely
neurological, maybe autoimmune,
a space-occupying lesion,
even lymphoma.
But the longer she goes
untreated, the worse it gets.
Okay. Slow down.
You think every doctor
over the past decade was wrong?
She is exhibiting signs of
increased intracranial pressure,
visual field deficits and papilledema.
So I can't say for certain,
but I have a hunch
between 1% and 5% of patients
who are diagnosed with schizophrenia
actually have
an underlying neurological
and completely treatable
organic illness.
Exactly.
And I am thinking about the other 99%.
Think of the message
that you will be sending all
of our psychiatric patients by
whisking Regan away to fix her.
At least prescribe her steroids.
If this is neurological,
it will temporarily help.
And if it's psychiatric,
which it is, steroids will
only make her psychosis worse.
Do you remember when you first arrived
and you were seeing things
that weren't there?
The charade with Regan
feels a lot like that.
I will not play mind games
with her and neither will you.
Hey. I need your help.
♪
Will you help me? ♪
Will you help? ♪
Figure myself out ♪
[SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY]
♪
I want to help you.
The other patients here do, too.
Everyone who is on steroids
donated what they could spare.
600 milligrams of prednisone.
Now, if I'm right, this will
help you feel less confused,
more like yourself.
But if I'm wrong
this could make you
much sicker, Regan.
Help ♪
Will you help? ♪
Figure myself out ♪
I'm not afraid of that anymore.
♪
Your plan is not working.
Vaginal dilators are
like Russian nesting dolls
of embarrassment.
And pelvic floor therapy
is just like
It is straight out
of the book of Revelation.
I just thought
that when we got married,
that everything was gonna
just click into place.
And now this is happening,
and I just
I just kind of feel
like there's no hope.
Okay.
Sometimes our bodies know what's
better than we know ourselves.
You need to be patient
and just listen.
Whitney, this isn't your fault.
What if it is?
I think I know why this is happening.
I
I'm actually not a virgin.
I slept with someone once while
Zeke was away on his mission.
We weren't together then.
It was like something took
over my body
and I was a
completely different person.
And it was fun.
But I felt horrible after.
And I swore that I would take
that secret to my grave.
But now it feels like
God is punishing me.
Hmm.
I'm sorry
that I didn't tell you before.
I just I didn't want you to look
at me differently,
the way that Zeke would
if he ever found out.
I'm not looking at you
any differently, Whitney.
I gotta be honest with Zeke, don't I?
♪
♪
Is everything okay?
Uh I
need to be upfront with you, Anthony.
Mm-hmm.
- Other than my ex
- Mm-hmm.
you are the only person
I've been with since I was 21.
And I'm not trying to define
whatever this is because I
I don't even know what
I want it to be.
But what I do know is
that I can't do this
if you're involved
with other people.
I'm not seeing anyone else,
and I don't plan to.
And for the record, I would have
asked you out a long time ago,
but I never thought
you would go for me
- What?
- at least in a real way.
You are out of my league, Dr. Pierce.
I am a working-class guy down
in the muck of the ED,
and you have, like,
four different Ivy League
degrees on your walls
and a picture with Michelle Obama.
That was one time
at a charity luncheon.
But I am flattered
that you think of me
in the same sentence as Michelle.
♪
♪
♪
- [MOANS]
- Regan?
[YELLS IN PAIN]
Regan.
[MOANING]
I need a little help over here!
Code blue in the hallway.
Someone call 911.
Code blue, hallway.
Code blue, hallway.
What did you do, Oliver?
Some mild enhancement
around the meninges,
a few scattered white-matter lesions.
Notable, but not specific.
- Has she undergone an LP?
- Yes. Totally normal.
And antibodies won't be
back anytime soon.
Then I think,
given the new imaging findings,
she needs a brain biopsy
as soon as possible.
Did you get the lab notes
I put in her pocket?
Uh, looking at them now.
But what about the seizure?
Prednisone wouldn't have caused that.
That's because she didn't have one.
The steroids worked.
During her temporary lucidity,
I showed her how to fake one
so Hudson Oaks would
be forced to transfer her.
Dr. Wolf was in on it.
Huh.
Have you given
any more thought to my question?
What makes you feel
most like yourself?
Patients still don't count?
Ha.
Uh, well, I sold my bike.
So there's swimming,
lifting, my ferns.
It's a healthy list.
Can I be honest, Dr. Adler?
First time for everything.
I feel most myself when I'm with Josh.
I like the way he sees me.
I like who I am with him.
Putting yourself out there
can hurt like hell,
but it's never too late
to start living again.
Move towards what feels good.
You deserve it.
[SIGHS]
Dr. Pierce.
Oh, Whitney, Zeke.
We just had to pop in
before we head home.
We're just so thankful to you
for everything,
for encouraging me to open up.
You were right.
Things are much better now.
I'm happy for the both of you.
This type of openness,
it's it's special.
And it takes a lot of work,
so protect it.
Oh.
Thank you.
Of course.
♪
I just got a call from the lab
with good news, Regan.
What you have is entirely treatable.
Neurosarcoid is an autoimmune disease
that generally presents in the lungs,
but in your case,
only affected the brain.
It's incredibly rare,
but not unheard of.
And explains how your case went
misdiagnosed for so many years.
And why you responded to the steroids.
But not any of the psych meds.
So everything that I was experiencing,
all the demons and night terrors,
none of that was real.
It's likely that none of your symptoms
were psychiatric in origin.
The neurosarcoid explains all of it.
We've already started you
on steroids and methotrexate.
You'll need more over time,
but we expect you
to make a full recovery.
You can go home.
Is there someone we can call
to organize discharge?
No.
No. God.
I dragged the people
that I loved through hell.
Now there's no going home.
I can think of one person
who'd love to see you.
♪
We're not supposed to be out
of our rooms after lights out.
This isn't a prison.
We can't be afraid to live our lives.
Sometimes you got to
just jump into the deep end.
Okay. Where are you taking us, anyway?
This way.
Okay.
Okay, now we're talking.
Keep it covered ♪
I need you to run to me ♪
Run to me, lover ♪
Run until you feel
your lungs bleeding ♪
Rare is this love, keep it covered ♪
I need you to run to me ♪
Run to me, lover ♪
I need you to run ♪
Run until you feel
your lungs bleeding ♪
What the hell's going on here?!
You're very lucky there weren't
any injuries.
It is forbidden to use
the pool without supervision.
This was reckless, even for you.
Your patients will
have to live without supervision
at some point in their lives.
Well, that is if you
ever let any of them leave.
Oliver. I thought you had
turned a corner.
But your recent behavior,
it feels regressive impulsive.
You know, I've come to realize
this place isn't that bad.
There are good people on the staff.
Hudson Oaks isn't the problem.
You are.
While your disdain for me
and what I do
predates your arrival here,
I am not daunted by difficult people.
It is my job to keep you safe
and direct your course of treatment,
motivated purely by
a deeply held concern for those
who struggle
with mental-health issues.
Don't forget
your patients' deep pockets.
Speaking of, I got in touch
with your insurance.
You wanted to stay longer.
Wish granted.
It's all arranged.
♪
Oliver.
Good news. You have a visitor.
Looks like you've seen a ghost.
Why are you here?
Is this your version of a victory lap?
The opposite.
I came here to say you win.
I'm leaving Bronx General.
There's an open residency at NYU,
and you never have to see me again.
NYU?
Did my mom put you up to this?
I don't know what she said to you,
but do not take that job.
I don't think that's an option.
I'll talk to her.
I'll take care of it.
You don't really want to leave,
Charlie.
If you did, you would not be here.
Why did you really come to see me?
I never wanted any of this to happen.
I don't know what I wanted
but it was not this.
So I'm sorry.
[SIGHS]
You didn't do this to me.
I came here to get help I needed
long before you entered the picture.
♪
For what it's worth, I forgive you.
♪
You remind me so much of myself.
I'm nothing like you, Wolf.
You're allergic to authority.
You're addicted to self-destruction.
You're trying to fix everyone
but yourself, and you're angry.
You think that this anger
is gonna insulate you
from the pain, but it
will alienate you from everyone.
Even yourself.
Trust me.
The night of the gala, you said,
"Let's see who breaks first."
The truth is
we're all just doing our best
to hold ourselves together.
♪
[CRYING]
♪
Strange being on
this side of things.
I just wanted to say thank you
for saving my life
and whatever is left of it.
Have you seen Lucy and Rex?
No. Not yet.
After everything I did, all I
ever wanted was to protect them.
It wasn't your fault.
I know. I'm still battling demons.
They just look different.
I'm haunted by the person that I was.
The brain is our most
resilient and adaptable organ.
And yours belongs to you again
for the first time in a long time.
I want to see my kids
more than anything.
I just don't know
if they want to see me.
Well, someone
whose dad struggled
with his mental health
I can say they want to see you
♪
more than anything.
♪
Oh, how the tables have turned.
You look good back at Bronx General.
You know where I'll look even better?
- Mm.
- Our new apartment.
[SIGHS] About that
I come bearing eggplant parm.
We didn't get it, did we?
There'll be other apartments.
We don't have to rush.
Last time we broke up
because we were moving too slow.
We wanted different things.
Now that I caught up, I thought
we wanted the same things.
We do. [CHUCKLES]
And I love you for it.
Look, I want a life with you.
I want the fancy apartment, the
nursery, the sleepless nights.
I want to pick out strollers
and argue over preschools.
I want all of that, too.
I always have.
Right. It just
I don't think you know
who you want it with.
♪
[DOOR OPENS, CLOSES]
Oliver is lucky
to have a mother like you.
Not all family members are
so supportive.
However, I must share
my concerns about your son.
Concerns?
He's had some setbacks.
He broke curfew.
He snuck into unauthorized areas.
I even have reason to believe
that he stole another patient's drugs.
Uh, that sounds like his old self.
Insurance has generously offered
to cover another month
of in-patient care
if you see fit, of course.
Hmm.
With Oliver's father,
it took years
for me to recognize the signs
of when it was time to take him
to the hospital
and time to bring him home.
But eventually
♪
with one look, I knew.
As I do now.
He's ready.
♪
[SIGHS]
Healing rarely happens
in a straight line,
and we often forget how much it hurts.
But unlike the body,
the mind has a way
of growing back stronger
in the broken places.
♪
Monsters ♪
♪
Beneath your bed ♪
♪
What's real? ♪
What's in your head? ♪
♪
Sweet heat ♪
♪
Lightning falls ♪
♪
Blue crack of light and that's all ♪
I don't know who I'm
more excited to see.
- [LAUGHS]
- How did you do
Figured you needed a ride home.
Calling you to sing ♪
- Thank you.
- Mm.
♪
So, what's on the agenda?
What's the first thing you want to do?
I need to go save Sofia.
- Just kidding.
- [LAUGHS]
I want to live my life.
And I want to get Josh back.
♪
♪
[ENGINE STARTS]
[ENGINE REVS]
♪
Greg, move your head.
sync & corrections awaqeded
♪
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