Is Brilliant Minds' Oliver Losing His Mom, Too? Zachary Quinto On How Episode 2 Will 'Clear The Way' For Another Season 2 Story
Just one episode after his father abruptly stepped out of his life again, Brilliant Minds' Dr. Oliver Wolf has to deal with more familial upheaval this week: his mother's decision to leave Bronx General.
As of Episode 2's final moments, Dr. Muriel Landon is no longer head of the hospital's psychiatry department — a voluntary move. Her decision to leave is made, in part, to assist Carol's re-entry into the organization: When the Board of Directors is split about whether to reinstall the therapist after last season's unethical behavior involving a patient, Muriel decides to step down so she can offer her position to Carol (and essentially forcing the board's hand).
The storyline naturally made us worry about how much we'd see Donna Murphy, who plays Muriel, in the coming episodes. "Donna's always around," series star/producer Zachary Quinto says with a smile. "She'll be back."
The biggest reason behind taking Muriel out of the hospital, he adds, is to give Oliver a little room to be himself without his mom popping up unexpectedly. "We spent so much of the first season dealing with Oliver's family of origin and the traumas that he was reckoning with as a result of choices and decisions that they made that he didn't have any control over," he says. "I think Michael [Grassi, showrunner] wanted to free Wolf up to have other experiences and not necessarily be tethered to [the Muriel-Oliver] dynamic at every turn."
He chuckles. "Anytime he comes out of a patient's room or walks down a hallway or past a nurse's station, there could be his mother." (Raise your hand if you, too, just flashed back to when Muriel caught Oliver and Josh kissing in the elevator.) "Part of that decision for her to step down wast to allow that relationship to materialize in other ways."
When we see Muriel outside of the hospital later in the season, he previews, "he's no longer her subordinate, and they can have a different kind of relationship, which I'm excited about."
Bringing Tamberla Perry's Carol back into Bronx General, too, will allow more time for Oliver's friendship with her — something that becomes key when, as the episode-ending flashforward reveals, she is elemental in getting him to agree to being treated at Hudson Oaks.
"The primary relationship of the series really is between Oliver and Carol. And so in order for them to clear the way for that primary relationship, I think Michael [Grassi] say that as the most dynamic and unexpected turn that we could have taken," Quinto says. "I think it works."
Elsewhere in the episode:
* A patient (played by Younger's Molly Bernard) comes to the emergency room claiming that the reality series on which she was a participant is mistreating her. But it turns out that she has Truman Show Syndrome — which apparently is a real thing — and she believes she's constantly being filmed by hidden cameras. Eventually, she starts to think she'd be a good candidate for spending time at Hudson Oaks, and Dr. Frederick (whom we met last week) is very eager to help her sign up. Oliver, however, isn't a fan of Dr. Frederick's, and encourages the patient to try a different route. Once Carol weighs in, siding with Oliver, the patient opts for outpatient treatment.
* While Oliver and Josh are out having a drink, Oliver impulsively kisses him. When Nichols pulls back and gently brings up Noah's departure, Wolf gets defensive. Josh reminds him that he said he couldn't pursue anything romantic until his "house was in order," which it most certainly is NOT. And while Josh understands that Oliver is going through some stuff, he firmly reminds him: "I don't deserve to be jerked around."
* Carol learns that Alison testified on her behalf, which went a long way in the Board of Directors being OK with her coming back to the hospital. So now we have a new little mystery: If Alison didn't report Carol for unethical behavior, who did?
* At the end of the hour, in a peek to six months from now, we see Carol guiding Oliver as he signs intake forms at Hudson Oaks, softly reassuring him that it's the best move for him.
Now it's your turn. What did you think of the episode? Sound off in the comments below!