A series isn’t much fun if it doesn’t have a flawed character who somehow resonates with the audience, whether they lean more dark or are a burst of light. Characters who recognize and embrace their flaws are some of the most compelling to watch.

And we couldn’t resist breaking down some of the characters who fit the bill.

Rafe Cameron – Outer Banks

By now, we’ve discussed what went wrong in Outer Banks Season 4 and even mourned the loss of our comfort show. But moving on, the series is full of flawed characters who are somehow endearing.

No one fits the bill better than Kook King Rafe Cameron. He’s objectively a terrible person at times; his long list of crimes includes nearly killing his own sister, for starters. But this is Outer Banks, baby, where Rafe’s flaws somehow work within this series.

A self-professed killer, Rafe is, at times, mentally unstable, driven by traits like revenge and greed. Still, he’s also bound by values like legacy and family, culminating in him doing unspeakable things for oddly noble reasons.

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Rafe knows who he is and he rarely apologizes for it. However, he does make the necessary adjustments and proves himself through actions. And that’s why there’s something strangely admirable about the character—how he knows himself so well and stands in who he is, good, bad, and ugly.

Rafe isn’t a perfect character or even a good person. Still, he’s authentic, which makes him click into place and resonate well amid the class lines that often revolve around superficiality and identity crises in Outer Banks.

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Morgan Gillory – High Potential

Who hasn’t fallen in love with Morgan Gillory and High Potential?

She’s witty, intelligent, messy, and prone to making mistakes in many aspects of her life, but she’s genuinely good-hearted. Her style, openness, and honesty make her stand out. She wears her working-class background on her brazenly bright, gaudy faux fur sleeve.

She is gifted intellectually but realistically stalled in life, making her a less glamorous and more realistic depiction of neurodivergence and genuinely relatable as a character.

She’s imperfect and will be the first to tell you that upfront. She readily accepts that she’s flawed but still strives to be a better mother, friend, and person.

Morgan always holds her own and is true to herself, even though she oversteps boundaries, is pushy, and lacks a filter. That’s what makes her so likable.

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Oliver Wolf – Brilliant Minds

Oliver is absolutely brilliant, as the Brilliant Minds‘ title implies, but he’s such a deliciously complex character, not without many flaws and imperfections. He’s a socially awkward, introverted gay luddite with face blindness! And damn if we don’t love him for it.

Oliver is a fantastic doctor who focuses as much on connecting with his patients as he is on fixing their health issues. His unique approach to practicing medicine is often rooted deeply in a traumatic past of dealing with an emotionally distant mother and a father who battled and died from mental illness.

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Oliver’s flaws and experiences allow him to lead with genuine compassion and sympathy. He not only wholly embraces what makes him different and flawed and his own shortcomings, but he subsequently teaches and inspires other characters to do the same.

Oliver is a quietly inspiring character who continues to battle issues but learns how to step outside of them, and he’s a poster child for how to live one’s life, distancing oneself from shame, self-doubt, and second-guessing.

And we get to see his ongoing journey of unlearning these habits along the way.

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Beth Dutton – Yellowstone

Beth Dutton has a sharp tongue, quick wit, and the ability to destroy everything in her path, which is one of many reasons she’s one of Yellowstone‘s greatest characters.

She’s a deeply flawed woman hardened by many hurts and betrayals, turning her grief, pain, and previous trauma into a thick armor that makes her nearly indestructible.

She’s fearless, ruthless, intelligent, cunning, unafraid, and unapologetic about doing whatever it takes to get what she desires or handle something. Still, she’s fiercely loyal to most of her family and deceptively soft and vulnerable, particularly when she gets to bury herself in Rip’s arms.

Beth is a host of contradictions, a viper unafraid to strike first, hard, and fast if need be. She is most assuredly an acquired taste to many, but that makes her one of the most genuinely refreshing characters on the air and as real as it gets, baby.

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BoJack Horseman – Bojack Horseman

There’s a reason why this character tends to resonate with many viewers when they tune in.

Bojack Horseman is painfully himself throughout the series. He’s selfish, cynical, and totally self-destructive at almost all times. He’s one of the most toxic characters you’ll see, especially to those around him.

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But in knowing that, and how openly he addresses his mental illnesses, addiction issues, and all the ways in which he fails in life, that raw honesty is endearing and refreshing, and in some ways, maybe even deeply inspiring.

He tries to improve, but not so earnestly and consistently that it feels inauthentic and forced. There are no delusions about him.

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Samantha Jones – SATC

Samantha Jones is a feminist icon of a television character for a reason.

She is sexually liberated in a way that we hadn’t seen, unapologetic about her sexual appetite and desires, brash, bold, and progressive in a way that challenges those around her.

Samantha rarely has a filter. She is blunt to a fault, incredibly vain, and materialistic.

But she is fiercely loyal, protective, and open-minded, and through her relationships, she learns how to be vulnerable, intimate, and committed.

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Robert Spearing – Industry

Oh, Robert, the sweet and, at times, pathetic soul that he is, it’s hard not to love every bit of him.

Robert is one of Industry‘s most flawed characters, which speaks volumes for a series that is essentially all about flaws. He’s often out of his depth, someone who tends to lack confidence, fumbles through the basics of his job and is gullible and easily manipulated.

The thing about Robert is that in the world Industry cultivates, he’s mostly a genuinely good person, but because he lacks the ambition, ruthlessness, and arrogance of the other characters, he tends to fall short and stand out.

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But he offers a nice, albeit sad, at times, counterbalance to the other characters, and despite his hopeless love for a woman who’ll never properly love him back or his aspirations to climb up the social class ranks to no avail, you genuinely root for him.

And he holds fast in trying to navigate a world where he’s a guppy in shark-infested waters without sacrificing too much of what makes him. It’s quietly defiant.

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Ted Lasso – Ted Lasso

Truthfully, Ted Lasso is so aggressively positive, nice, and kind that it feels surreal and should be one of the most offputting things ever.

It’s a clear facade to some degree, masking deep pain and Ted’s depression, but how he pours himself into being a good person despite how awful he often feels aside is part of what makes the character so great.

Ted Lasso proves that you don’t have to be an asshole just because you’re hurting, and he inspires and often pulls out the best in those around him despite his shortcomings and how he behaves because of them.

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Gregory House – House M.D.

House is an arrogant doctor who completely disregards the feelings of those around him.

And yes, this disregard extends to a mostly abhorrent bedside manner that typically involves him offending everyone in the room.

He’s outspoken, snarky, blunt, and rude, and most of the time, he seems to get off on making people miserable. He also has a pretty bad painkiller addiction that only brings out the worst of his traits when he gets agitated.

But you can never accuse House of not keeping 100 at all times, and there’s something commendable about his willingness to embrace his worst traits without a second thought.

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Rose Nylund – The Golden Girls

How does the saying go? Oh, right, Rose Nylund is as dumb as a bag of rocks.

Her naivete and intellectual challenges make her a flawed character, but her innocence and moments of purity and clarity make up for it.

What’s great about Rose is that she’s conscious of how dumb she sounds often but is also not ashamed of what she doesn’t know.

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She’s always open to learning more and growing and wholly accepts and embraces her shortcomings, even putting up with the ribbing and jokes in the interim.

Most people are too self-conscious to admit when they’re out of their depth, so there’s a bravery to Rose’s authenticity.

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Emily Cooper – Emily in Paris

Emily is easily one of the most annoying characters on the air, and yet, like a bad rash, Emily in Paris persists.

But that’s also what begrudgingly makes us appreciate the character so much. She’s often a walking, talking stereotype of American ignorance, brashness, and entitlement wrapped up in a bubbly package. But she knows who and what she is and how she affects people, and she carries on anyway.

If she can win a person over, she’ll find a way to do so, and her plucky persona and inability to stay down and out even when she should sit down, zip it, take things in, and assess are what make the series so interesting.

She’s bold and smiles in the face of Parisian snobbery, never even considering being anything other than herself.

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Michael Scott – The Office

On The Office, Michael is selfish, self-absorbed, and lacks social and self-awareness.

He’s often narcissistic, and no one sticks his foot in his mouth better. He spends much of the series struggling with these traits and trying to get outside them.

But he cares enough about his colleagues and makes some effort to right things, so his flaws, political incorrectness, and insensitivity work out.

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Maggie Bell – FBI

Maggie always takes risks and takes a walk on the dark side of things on FBI.

But she’s so incredibly stubborn that it often gets frustrating.

She always sticks her ground, is opinionated, rarely holds back, and is reckless, making her a genuinely stressful person to watch on cases.

But so many of Maggie’s most frustrating traits make her a great agent, loyal partner, and solid friend, and leaning into these traits rather than straying away from them works for the character.

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Parker – Leverage/Leverage Redemption

There are very few characters like Parker, especially women, making her Leverage‘s breath of fresh air.

Parker has nothing that resembles a filter. She is brutally honest and always speaks her mind while simultaneously displaying a whimsical and childlike innocence.

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She’s whipsmart in an untraditional way, fierce, loyal, and badass. In two different series, she learned how to come to grips with who she is as a person and truly thrive within that.

Parker’s journey towards embracing who and what she is and making everyone around her and the world a better place is one of Leverage’s most lasting impacts.

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Quigley Smitty – The Rookie

Smitty is such a staple on The Rookie that it would be difficult to envision the series without him.

He’s an opportunistic and supremely lazy officer who doesn’t do much unless it’s self-serving and seemingly is riding out the gig until he can retire. On paper, he should be a truly loathsome character as he rarely lifts a finger.

But when he does, he’s shockingly badass and possesses a self-awareness that makes you appreciate rather than resent him. With Smitty, you almost always know who and what you’ll get; something is comforting about that.

He doesn’t mince any words about what he will and won’t do, and he doesn’t feel he has anything to prove, and you have to respect that!

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Will Trent – Will Trent

Will is constantly evolving as a character.

He battles various issues, from his dyslexia and OCD to his lack of social awareness and inability to get along with others easily.

He seems stuck in his ways, but with time and effort, he comes to grips with who he is and accepts it while making meaningful improvements along the way that enhance his life and those around him.

Of all the characters in Will Trent, he’s one of the most real, grounded, and unapologetic, and also one of the most inspiring.

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Kitty Song Covey – XO, Kitty

Kitty is such an endearing character, which is one of many reasons Netflix created XO, Kitty for her after the success of the To All the Boys movie franchise.

But Kitty is certainly a character with her fair share of issues, many of which are the catalyst behind her landing in South Korea in the first place.

Kitty is incredibly impulsive, in case moving halfway across the world didn’t already reach that natural conclusion. She is also naive about love and what her true love story should be like possessing some childlike, fairytale idealism far from reality.

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Like many young people coming into their own, she’s often selfish and absorbed, at times lacking insight and awareness about those around her.

But even with all of these flaws, she’s an endearing enough character because she’s genuine about working her way through them and becoming a better person, as well as genuinely figuring out who she is and what she wants out of life.

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Louis Litt – Suits

By now, we all know that Suits has a treasure trove of fascinating and flawed characters who stayed true to themselves and stood in all they were.

But one of the most unexpectedly compelling from the bunch was Louis Litt. He was quick to anger, jealous, often whiny, lacked self-confidence, and desperate.

Louis was also devoted and loyal to those who mattered, smart, and adaptable. He wore his flaws on his sleeve, and despite the occasional moment of being treated like more antagonist and nuisance than ally at various points in the series, his multifaceted portrayal makes him such a great character.

Watch XO, Kitty Online

Somehow, falling somewhere between being an outcast and a mascot.

There are some of our favorite television characters who embrace their flaws, and now, we want to hear about some of yours.

Who would you place on this list? Sound off below!

The post Unapologetically Real: TV Characters Who Embrace Their Flaws appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Through characters and stories we love, we can help heal the divide and show people that we are all human and all want similar things.

That may seem like small comfort at a time when racism, homo/transphobia, sexism, and anti-Semitism are at an all-time high. Even so, let’s celebrate characters changing the narrative and helping make a better, less prejudiced world.

FBI’s Omar Adom “O.A.” Zidan Is The First Egyptian-Born Lead Character on A Police Procedural

When I think about characters changing the narrative, O.A. is always the first one that comes to mind.

Unfortunately, many peace-loving Muslims get blamed for terrorist activity related to conflict in the Middle East, and that’s been reflected in our television shows for a very long time.

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Before O.A. was introduced on FBI Season 1 Episode 1. there were few Muslim characters on TV who were not either guilty of terrorism or being accused of it based on credible evidence.

Sure, Law & Order: SVU had a couple of episodes about Muslim women who were raped and killed because they didn’t subscribe to radical Islam, but guess who was always the culprit? Their Muslim fathers or brothers.

That changed seven seasons ago when O.A. was introduced. He is the first and so far only Middle Eastern-born Muslim character to be a leading man in any show, and he’s also an FBI agent.

His loyalty to the United States is never in doubt. Before becoming a field agent in an office that specializes in counter-terrorism, he served in the Army and did two tours in Iraq that left him with PTSD.

Like so many of our veterans, he has PTSD because of his experiences, though he has kept it under control enough to become one of the best, most trusted agents in the New York Field Office.

We won’t talk about his relationship with Clay on FBI Season 7, which is leading him in the wrong direction because it’s beside the point.

OA is one of the strongest characters who changes the narrative of the division and hatred that encompass the United States and the world.

It’s sad that even within the confines of the fictional FBI on TV, OA sometimes has to prove that he’s equally loyal to his country or equally capable of being objective when the targets of investigations are Muslim extremists.

Still, he defies stereotypes simply by continuing to exist and offers some much-needed representation.

Watch FBI Online

Heartstopper’s Elle Argent Is One Of The Characters Changing The Narrative About Transgender Women Of Color

LGBTQ+ representation on TV is in decline precisely when we need it not to be, and that’s doubly true for the transgender community.

It’s especially important to showcase Black transgender women and other transgender women of color who experience the intersections of transphobia, racism, and misogyny.

I’d like there to be more American transgender people of all races and gender identities on TV, but in the meantime, the UK series Heartstopper‘s Elle is my favorite example of how transgender characters are changing the narrative about who they are.

Elle is a transgender teenager who is mostly accepted as the woman she is.

Throughout Heartstopper’s three seasons, she has grown from a shy loner who was afraid cis girls in her new school wouldn’t accept her to an out and proud transgender artist who has friends both in and outside of the transgender community.

Sometimes, Heartstopper gets criticized for showing LGBTQ+ kids being happy and mostly free of hate-fueled drama, but we need stories like these.

We need characters like Elle who are supported by their parents and friends and who want to be seen as more than a statistic or a label.

Elle sends the message that you CAN be happy if you’re transgender despite all the hate in the world.

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Transgender kids have an unacceptably high suicide rate. They NEED hope. Elle gives it.

Yes, she was upset during Heartstopper Season 3 when a podcast host asked her for an interview about her art and then bombarded her with questions about whether trans girls should be allowed to use the women’s restroom and other transphobic nonsense.

She struggled with that a bit and needed her friends’ help to overcome the depression and keep moving on. But even that was a positive message, showing that in reality, it doesn’t HAVE to be over because of setbacks like this.

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Good Trouble’s Davia Moss Explored How Fatphobia Affects Plus-Sized People (And Formerly Plus-Sized People)

Good Trouble is no longer on, but it deserves an honorable mention anyway.

This show did so much good in terms of characters changing the narrative around all sorts of identities. I could fill this list with almost everybody on it.

I chose Davia because there is not enough discussion of plus-sized women and the prejudices they face on TV.

The body-size movement began when Camryn Manheim first came onto the scene as a proudly plus-sized actress who did not intend to lose weight to get roles, but Davia is the most modern example I can think of.

Davia experienced body shaming both as a plus-size person and later when she lost weight.

When formerly plus-sized people become not-so-plus-sized, they experience a different flavor of prejudice, with people constantly telling them how good they look and commenting on their weight loss without knowing the details.

It’s annoying and, in some cases, upsetting if the person loses weight because they have a serious illness that they don’t want to broadcast to the world.

People should not be commenting on others’ body size, period, especially strangers, and Davia demonstrated why that is hurtful whether or not you’re a plus-sized person.

Additionally, she demonstrated that there is a lot more to a person than how big they are or aren’t. She was one of the most well-rounded characters on Good Trouble, with a lot of flaws but a big heart and the intention to help others.

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The Irrational’s Alec Mercer Is A Black Role Model And Trauma Survivor

The Irrational is busy offering characters changing the narrative all over the place. It was a hard choice between Alec and his sister, Kylie, who is a strong representative of Black queerness.

Alec is one of my favorite characters in television history for many reasons. I find his commitment to rationality over emotion inspiring and his determination to live his life to the fullest despite the trauma he’s suffered even more so.

I’m also stoked about Alec because he is a Black college professor and consultant to the FBI.

The consultant part has been done before, but we all know that Black men are underrepresented in teaching across the board, on TV, and in reality.

Alec is a successful Black man who teaches and inspires others.

His college classroom is always full, and he uses interesting and creative experiments to make points about neuroscience, which isn’t always the easiest topic to understand.

Alec is also a trauma survivor and is changing the narrative on that, too.

Like many survivors, he is very strong in some areas of his life and not very functional in others.

It’s doubly powerful to have him as a representative of trauma survivorship because he knows the human brain inside and out and understands the ways that he sometimes fails him, yet he is powerless to do anything about it when flashbacks or other aspects of trauma hit him.

Watch The Irrational Online

Found’s Bella Dismantles Stereotypes Around Nonverbal People

Trauma can cause people to become selectively mute. That means that they are unable to speak in some or all situations.

That’s not usually what trauma looks like on TV, but Found is different.

This season contains flashbacks of Bella (who chose the name Lacey as an adult) struggling as a seven-year-old child who had recently escaped Sir’s clutches.

Among other things, Bella does not speak.

I love this story because I am passionate about confronting and eliminating the ableist belief that verbal ability has ANYTHING to do with intelligence or competence.

Bella communicates non-verbally very well.

Her facial expressions and other body language are so perfect that an autistic person like me, who struggles with interpreting body language, knows exactly what she is feeling at any given moment.

She can still read, write, draw, and think. She simply cannot speak.

Bella grows up to be a woman who has reclaimed her voice and refused to lose it again, but that doesn’t change the fact that she is one of a very small number of characters changing the narrative around nonverbal children, if not the only one.

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Brilliant Minds’ Oliver Wolf Is The Best Of Several Characters Changing The Narrative Around Neurodivergence

There are many more autistic and other neurodivergent characters in TV Land than there used to be, but that doesn’t mean there’s a hell of a lot of accurate representation.

Brilliant Minds‘ Oliver Wolf is the best neurodivergent representative. He is a doctor who is respected by some and seen as a nuisance by others.

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He has face blindness, which is a neurodivergent condition in which a person cannot recognize people by looking at their faces.

This is far different from the usual neurodivergent character. There is a lot more to neurodivergence than autism and ADHD, not that those conditions are generally portrayed properly, either.

Wolf’s neurodivergent traits are carefully interwoven with his past trauma and his fear of intimacy because of that trauma.

That’s also an important distinction because far too many shows are interested in the question of “Will this person succeed even though they are neurodivergent?” rather than showing the character as being more than a diagnosis.

Wolf does double-duty representation-wise because he is also gay.

Neither of these identities is centered to the degree that we lose sight of him as a unique, fascinating individual who has compensated for his difficulties as best as he can to create enormous professional success.

I also appreciate how his sexual orientation and neurodivergence likely contributed to his trauma.

No one could predict his dad’s mental illness and subsequent death, but Wolf would have experienced some trauma even if those things hadn’t happened because of who he is and how he sees the world.

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Blue Bloods’ Jamie Reagan Demonstrates That Men Can Be Empathetic and Sensitive

At first glance, it might seem strange to choose a Blue Bloods character as an example of changing the narrative.

Blue Bloods skews more conservative on the political spectrum than most shows, so an argument can be made that it changes the narrative around conservatives all being evil and selfish, which is also important in these divided times.

Jamie has always been my favorite, with Henry as a close second. He not only went into police work for the right reasons but is especially good at building rapport with witnesses and suspects.

In the early seasons, Jamie demonstrated more than once that he had a gift for helping talk down people who were having a mental health crisis.

One moment that sticks in my mind is when an autistic man began causing trouble at a store, throwing things around and generally being belligerent, and Jamie was able to peacefully subdue him by using his understanding of the man’s thought processes.

This was a man with limited verbal skills who respected Jamie and wanted to be like him, so Jamie got him to put his hands behind his head by modeling it, and the man cooperated.

He was arrested without the use of force, which would not have happened had Jamie not been there.

Jamie uses this type of sensitivity and empathy on the job all the time, though, in later seasons, he is in a higher position and doesn’t work with the public as much.

His empathy changes the narrative about what it means to be masculine and demonstrates that cops don’t HAVE to be modern-day cowboys.

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Law & Order: Organized Crime’s Jet Slootmaekers Shoots Down Stereotypes About Female Coders

Jet has been my favorite on Law & Order: Organized Crime since it began.

Jet is a computer expert, but she is far from a nerd.

She’s smart, sardonic, and seemingly fearless. She’s a cop and a computer expert, and she knows how to use a gun better than almost anybody.

In short, Jet would fit in on any modern Western… except she also knows computers.

Jet’s one weakness, if you can call it that, is that she struggles in relationships.

That’s understandable. Women who are as bright and assertive as her often have a hard time finding love, and in her case, she’s too afraid of commitment for it to work.

That’s worse in the later seasons because Jet falls hard for two men who die. That’ll screw anyone up.

Still, few female characters change the narrative of what women in traditionally masculine careers are like as much as Jet does.

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Homicide: Life On The Street’s Tim Bayliss Is Still One of The Best Representatives of Bisexual Men 30 Years Later

Look, this might be an old show, but Homicide: Life on The Street is on Peacock, so you can still watch it.

It also has the first bisexual male character on TV. Starting with Homicide: Life On The Street Season 6, Bayliss explored his sexuality after realizing he was attracted to a male suspect.

Bayliss tried dating both men and women, struggled with the question of whether he was straight or gay, and ultimately concluded he was neither.

That was radical then and equally radical today when we still have people insisting that bi characters are really in-the-closet gay characters.

Homicide’s final season wasn’t worth watching in most respects, but Bayliss’s determination to be openly bisexual, even though the police department thought that was “unprofessional,” made up for a lot of other non-interesting stories.

Watch Homicide: Life On The Street Online

Chicago Med’s Hannah Asher Changes The Narrative On Drug Addiction

Drug addiction stories are a dime a dozen on TV.

Far too often, though, it’s treated in a stereotypical manner. Whether someone is addicted to alcohol or hard drugs, the most popular storyline for them is the relapse story, followed by the overzealous AA meeting attendee story.

Addiction is a far more complicated issue than that, but you wouldn’t know it from most TV shows.

Chicago Med‘s Hannah Asher is different.

Hannah recently went through something that could have easily triggered a relapse.

She lost a patient soon after the baby was delivered and blamed herself. Guilt, shame, and pain are powerful emotions that often drive people back toward addictive behavior.

Add in the fact that Hannah’s relationship with her new boyfriend was falling apart, and there was a chance she could lose her job because Lenox thought that it was unnecessary to employ a full-time OBGYN, and you have a recipe for spiraling out of control.

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However, Hannah didn’t relapse. There aren’t any better examples of characters changing the narrative around addiction than that!

Hannah’s addiction is part of who she is but doesn’t define her, and unlike most of the people with addiction issues on TV, she is self-aware enough to realize when she’s at risk and take action to protect herself.

That makes her a role model and dismantles the stereotype that relapses “just happen” and nobody can do anything to prevent them.

Watch Chicago Med Online

Georgie And Mandy’s First Marriage’s Georgie Cooper Dismantles Stereotypes About Country Boys In An Interesting Way

Throughout Young Sheldon, Georgie was depicted as the “stupid” (or at least ignorant) brother.

However, there is a lot more to Georgie than that, and now that he’s gotten his own show (Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage), it’s easier to see.

Georgie was never book-smart. School wasn’t his thing.

But he has a head for business and is gifted mechanically, skills that were never emphasized when he was growing up in the shadow of his younger brother.

We need characters to change the narrative of what intelligence is.

There are many kids who fall through the cracks because they would shine in trade schools or in the arts but are not academically minded.

This doesn’t mean that people don’t need to learn the basics, but not everyone needs advanced degrees, and that should be okay.

As a bonus, Georgie’s intelligence in areas other than academics also dismantles the idea that Southerners, particularly Southern men, are all idiots, which can only be a good thing in this overly divided country.

Watch Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage Online

Over to you, TV fanatics!

Who are some of your favorite characters who are changing the narrative about various groups of people?

Hit the comments with your thoughts!

The post How TV Is Breaking Stereotypes: 11 Characters Changing the Narrative appeared first on TV Fanatic.

However, most of the doctors and interns grew close to him and began examining their own lives, dreams, and regrets.

That included the moment many fans had been waiting for — Wolf and Nichols taking the next step in their relationship.

TV Fanatic chatted with Teddy Sears about how working with Roman changed things for Nichols and Wolf. He also teased what’s next for the couple.

In addition, he shared many fun stories about working with Zachary Quinto and his favorite Brilliant Minds cases so far.

Check out the interview below.

So, what do you think it was about Roman’s case that affected everyone so much?

Roman had the unique ability to be in the hospital that long and observe everyone in their professional natural habitat.

Roman had a unique ability to see everyone’s personality and vulnerabilities. He could see us as doctors clearly and observe things that we might be ignoring.

 I think Roman has a one-on-one conversation with almost every doctor or intern. I don’t believe I had a one-on-one with him, but that, coupled with Roman’s decision to end his life, was not the outcome I thought was going to happen.

I thought we would see this patient have an awakening to the movie-style arc on the show. I thought we were going to see that type of rehabilitation and have him decide not to go that course and instead end his life, which affected everyone’s vulnerabilities.

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It caused everyone to self-reflect and ask themselves, What kind of life am I holding myself back from having?

So, after being seen so clearly and everyone feeling so tender and vulnerable after Roman passed to me, it was the perfect time for self-examination and taking a bold step in the direction we felt like taking.

Wolf took the first step because Josh is cerebral, ordered, structured, and successful.

Even though he felt what everyone else was feeling and was very moved by observing Wolf’s tenderness and unlimited compassion, Josh would have spent much time thinking about his next move.

 Wolf just listened to his feelings and took the step, culminating in this kiss, which I’m so excited to see. That is why we find ourselves at the end of Brilliant Minds Season 1 Episode 7. It’s a very long answer. I hope it answers it.

Our readers love Nichols and Wolf. So, do you think the Roman case pushed them to take the necessary steps?

Oh my gosh. The shorter answer is that Roman’s decision made these two take this next step. It’s what made Wolff take the next step.

It turned something inside of Josh watching Wolf interact with Roman, knowing how much they fought for him to be able to free himself from his locked-in state, only to have him choose a different result.

There’s heartbreak and agony, confusion, vulnerability, and self-reflection.

Roman’s decision cracked everyone wide open and had an incredible ripple effect that suddenly propels Josh and Wolf to new heights. We begin exploring this in episode eight, which is exciting.

You two have worked together before. So, how is it working together in a different dynamic?

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Oh, it was great. For those who don’t know, Zach Quinto and I worked together on the first season of American Horror Story in 2011, in that seminal murder House season. Zach became a friend.

My wife and I would run into him probably once a year, or I’d reach out to him. She and I flew to New York to see him in Glass Menagerie on Broadway.

We just had this relationship where I would bump into him and check in on him repeatedly. I am very familiar with it. First of all, I have great respect for him. He’s not only done Broadway, like I mentioned, but West End in London.

To me, he’s an actor of a specific caliber that is in a bit more rarefied air than, honestly, I would put myself in. So, I look up to him professionally. I like him personally.

 I remember these flashbacks to these six-hour marathon scenes in the first season of American Horror Story.

Zach said something in a certain way and delivered a line in a specific way that took me back. There’s a comfort in working with someone; years later, we’re older and in different places.

It’s fun for me. We did four episodes together on that, and now our storylines are so profoundly intertwined on this show that I’m excited to see where it will go because we get to experience a greater depth in our scenes than we ever did on Horror Story.

I’m thrilled they are writing for us because I’m such a fan of his. I play in the sandbox with him every day, and it’s just incredible.

As I said, our readers are also very excited. Can you tease whether we will see more of Nichols and Wells together?

We will see more of these two together as they work to figure out what is happening in Brilliant Minds Episode Season 1 Episode 8. What’s this spark? Is it something worth discussing?

Is it something worth pursuing? We find a tidy resolution at the end of episode eight, but it’s not a straight line. It’s not linear.

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This episode features many ups and downs between these two. These two characters have a deep respect for each other, even though they may have different approaches to patient care.

There is attraction, attention, and deep respect, a firm foundation for something substantial, not just fleeting. We’re going to explore that going forward.

Well, I can’t wait. Finally, what has been your favorite case so far? And do you have any upcoming cases that will provide more insight into your character?

Good question. What’s my favorite case so far?

I still think about the scene with Zach and Steve Howey in the car with the spinal needle while driving, the rapid-fire nature of us speaking to each other, the pattern that Zach and I had, and the coordination of the surgical needle.

Dustin from Equinox came in at the wrong time.

That was an excellent case for me because it was the first time we got a sense of Nichols, how he talks to patients, delivers news, and has a bedside manner. Figuring that out was really fun for me as an actor.

These are questions I didn’t know. How do I talk to patients? How businesslike am I?

 These were fun things to figure out on set when shooting it.

Without spoiling anything, we will find ourselves in some pretty harrowing situations in the future. I’m excited to see how those scenes cut together because there’s a critical time element.

It’s Wolf and Nichols working together to try to bring resolution to a very ailing patient.

So, it’s vague, deliberately so. But towards the latter part of the season, the tension gets ratcheted up. And it’s high-octane stuff, and I hope the viewers like it.

Brilliant Minds airs on NBC on Mondays at 10/9c.

Watch Brilliant Minds Online

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The post Teddy Sears Talks Nichols and Wolf Relationship, Working with Zachary Quinto on Brilliant Minds appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Brilliant Minds Season 1 Episode 7 was a beautifully crafted episode that explored Roman’s backstory and why he needed to be heard.

Almost every doctor and intern was impacted by spending time with Roman and witnessed what a remarkable man he was.

That’s why many of them struggled with granting one of the first things Roman asked for.

“The Man From Gronzy” showcased finding your voice, believing in love, and fighting for what you want before it’s too late.

Giving Roman His Identity and Voice Back Was Essential

Giving Roman back his identity and his voice was critical. Since he had been injured, he’d been passed around from hospital and long-term care facility with wrong diagnoses.

This was the first time we’d seen Wolf in the operating room since he wanted to watch Nichols operate on Roman.

Everyone worked hard to create a device where Roman would speak, and it would translate from Russian to English.

It was heartbreaking that Simon and Wolf’s mom cared more about hospital investments and politics than Roman’s personal health.

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It took some time, but the flashbacks showed that Roman worked in America illegally, so when he became injured, he couldn’t go to the doctor because he didn’t have his asylum papers yet.

That caused his injuries to worsen and caused a stroke. No one paid much attention to him since no one cared until now.

Why Roman Came to America

Wolf thought finding Roman’s family would help him adapt better, but Roman avoided talking about why he came to America.

Dana finally got him to open up. That’s her gift. She makes others comfortable. She learned he came here for love and made it her mission to locate that person.

As Roman reunited with Alex, Nichols realized why Roman came to America. It was illegal to be gay in Chechnya.

Nichols looked so tortured when Dana confirmed that some of her cousins were persecuted there. He didn’t want to be right or for people to suffer for their choices.

You could tell his feelings for Wolf were intensifying by the looks he gave him before running out.

Alex wanted a second chance now that he had found Roman, but Roman thought Alex deserved a better life than caring for an invalid.

This was heartbreaking to watch because they loved each other so much.

Roman’s Request Affected Everyone, Especially Wolf

No one expected Roman to want to die right after they helped him regain his voice. But Roman thought the doctors and interns at Bronx General were special.

He felt they treated him as a human being. Wolf saw him when no one else did. Jacob groomed him and shaved his beard. They all cared about him, so he suspected they would help him.

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Sometimes, it was difficult to forget he wasn’t better when communicating with everyone since they showed him out of bed talking with them.

It was probably better that way than reading the computer constantly, but he looked fine one minute and then was back in his hospital bed the next.

Jacob and Wolf had the most difficulty accepting that Roman wanted to give up after everything they did. However, Roman didn’t want to live in a hospital bed forever because of his stroke.

Now that he had a voice back, he wanted to die with dignity.

Wolf became a doctor to save people partly because he couldn’t save his father. He didn’t want to fail somebody else, but Carol reminded him that not everyone wanted to be saved.

It was harsh but true, and Roman seemed at peace with his choice.

No one could reason with Wolf but Nichols, who reminded him that his strength was allowing his patients to view the world as they wanted.

Nichols: The decision he made was hard. If we’re good doctors, we honor it.

It was pivotal for these two as Nichols comforted and encouraged him. They’ve come so far to understanding each other.

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Roman’s Decision Prompted Wolf and Nichols to Re-Examine Their Lives

We finally got the Wolf and Nichols content we had requested as they re-evaluated their life goals.

I’ve always had an affinity for couples who come together in times of tragedy, often forcing them to question their life purposes.

Roman saw many instances of how Nichols gazed at Wolf and the deep respect they shared. When he first commented that the two made a good team, Wolf initially brushed it off, but seeing Nichols touching his shoulder and encouraging him made him think.

There were many parallels between Roman and Alex and Wolf and Nichols. They both felt like forbidden lovers, and Wolf commented on the star-crossed lovers who were forbidden lovers who were still connected in their hearts.

There was something special about letting Roman die at Wolf’s house instead of the hospital and having everyone gathered around him. It highlighted Wolf’s compassion and allowed everyone to grieve together.

Even though Wolf was afraid, he kept hearing Roman’s voice telling him to take the jump.

He fulfilled Roman’s dream, and instead of Roman running up to Alex on the street, Wolf took the leap and ran up to Nichols.

That kiss was hot, even if it took them by surprise. We can’t wait to see where it takes them.

Over to you, Brilliant Minds Fanatics. Were you surprised by Roman’s decision? Are you excited that Wolf and Nichols took the next step?

Let us know in the comments.

Check back tomorrow for our exclusive interview with Teddy Sears. He’ll discuss this episode, including the long-awaited kiss.

Brilliant Minds airs at 10/9c on Mondays on NBC and airs the next on Peacock.

Watch Brilliant Minds Online

The post Brilliant Minds Season 1 Episode 7 Review: The Man From Gronzy appeared first on TV Fanatic.

The series also appeals to viewers because the interns have grown so much since the series premiere. They have learned to deal with their conditions and lean on each other as friends.

Van, Ericka, Jacob, and Dana have become a family in many ways.

TV Fanatic chatted with Alex MacNicoll (Van), Spence Moore II (Jacob), Ashleigh La Throp (Ericka), and Aury Krebs (Dana) during a recent virtual press day.

They talked about their relationships with each other on and off-screen, their character’s conditions, the infamous love triangle, and their favorite cases on Brilliant Minds so far.

Check out the interview below.

The interns have come a long way since the series began. How do you think the relationships progressed naturally, and are you all friends off-screen?

Alex: On-screen, it’s exciting because there’s some rivalry and competition, but there’s also a lot of support and love. Those bonds deepen the closer we all get and the closer the interns get.

Off-screen, we all hit it off from the get-go. It was one of those enjoyable environments. We had so much love for each other. When we were on screen, we often tried to create that dynamic of rivalry, competition, or hatred. In reality, off-screen, it was all nothing but love and admiration.

Spence: The off-screen dynamic is at an all-time high. As for on-screen dynamics, we’re starting to find our footing. We’re all starting to become more confident as interns. Jacob’s been checked several times this season to be a better doctor.

I feel like he’s answered the call every single time. As an athlete would do, he’s only continued to make sure he can be the best doctor. So, the dynamics are incredible.

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I hope Jacob will lean into that a little more, get that support, and rely on his fellow interns and Doctor Wolf.

Ashleigh: What’s interesting is that they progressed with us as a cast. We started not knowing each other. I knew Tamberla Perry before but didn’t know anyone else, and we quickly became friends. Week after week, we rehearsed and shot this show, and we bonded.

The writers did a great job of building that relationship. The cast also grew closer week after week, which made it easy to play.

Aury: As you said, our characters start from very little. You don’t learn much about the interns in the first few episodes. Maybe viewers think they have a good idea of who these people are.

But I think what’s lovely about each character is that everybody has something underneath that fuels their purpose of becoming a doctor, and finding out why each person became a doctor is an exciting arc.

I’m looking forward to a friendship between two of the interns that you may or may not get to enjoy and that you don’t get to see work together a lot in the very beginning.

Towards the end, their relationship develops, grows, and blossoms, adding a lovely dimension to their dynamic. But I don’t think I can say too much about that.

Ashleigh: I agree with Aury’s statement 100%. It’ll be interesting to watch these relationships evolve even more as we go on. As the episodes progress, we delve deeper into the interns’ interpersonal skills and lives outside the hospital.

Speaking of that, we’ve only begun to scratch the surface of Jacob’s backstory. When will we learn more about him and whether his concussion will have any lasting effects?

Spence: Oh, Laura, you’re asking the juicy stuff now, aren’t you? Well, we are getting into the second half of this season, so I’m going to be very vague here, but maybe in the second half, we’ll find out if Jacob has some problems he needs to pay more attention to.

Alex, in the last episode, Van used his mirror-touch synesthesia and delivered his first baby.

Alex: We’re at a point where the interns are getting more comfortable with each other. They’re forming those teamwork dynamics and everything. As you said, they’re using their conditions as tools rather than being used or negatively affected by them.

As these episodes continue, we learn more about each intern, their conditions, and their backstories. We also dive into their personal lives outside of the hospital.

Would he switch to obstetrics or keep neurology as his specialty?

Alex: I hope Van sticks to it because if we get a second season, it’s like, oh, I’m quitting the hospital, I’m leaving. Then I’m gone, which I want to be around for.

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There’s an opportunity for tremendous growth because his condition was limiting and stunting him in many ways. It can help him grow, accelerate his progress, and become a great neurologist.

Aury, in the last episode, we saw why Dana’s anxiety originated. How difficult was that episode for you to film?

Aury: That was pretty difficult. I researched a lot to understand how to portray panic attacks because I never experienced them. It’s a universal and unifying thing, however, because you don’t have to have panic disorder to experience a panic attack.

Anybody can experience a panic attack, which looks different for everyone.

It’s an exciting opportunity to explore my character, what her panic attacks look like based on the source, and how she has dealt with them over time. It involved talking to many people in my life who experienced panic attacks.

My partner experienced panic attacks. I haven’t seen her in a full one, but I’ve seen the moments that lead up to that.

I’ve also learned a lot about how to help people navigate panic attacks because many people are talking about it, and it works differently for everyone. But I wanted to represent this fundamental issue that many people in the world experience, so it was a challenge.

I built upon all the people who experienced that loss, not only Dana’s, and what angered me a lot was thinking about how Dana’s parents had to navigate losing a child and also trying to continue to parent another child.

That was a lot of the world that I built for myself to access that emotional life for Dana and the triggers and what her panic attacks look like. But, it was challenging.

When you have to do a scene like that, several different camera setups exist. You start in a wide, shoot the scene, take a break, come back, and do it again. That was a huge learning opportunity for me, as well as how to hang on to that, let it go, and invite it back.

Yes, we enjoyed that. Ashleigh, we’ve learned a lot about Van and Dana’s character histories. When will we learn more about Ericka’s?

Ashleigh: Going forward, Ericka has some interesting storylines where we learn more about her as a person, maybe romantically, and more about how she deals with not necessarily having control. Stay tuned, and you’ll learn more about it.

Yes. Ericka’s love life has been a hot topic. What can you tease about the love triangle with Van and Jacob?

Ashleigh: Choices are made for better or for worse. But some decisions are made. And some lovely things come, and maybe some repercussions from the choices made.

Are you having fun working with both of those hot men?

Ashleigh: They’re’ so lovely. I adore both of them. They’re lovely. These intimate scenes have been fun because they’re both kind and respectful; teasing and getting close is fun. The push-pull aspect of it has been entertaining.

Van and Jacob seem to feel for Erica in this love triangle, which is a lot of fun and a hot topic. So, what can you both tell me about what’s coming up?

Spence: Jacob will be victorious.

Of course, you would say that.

Spence:  The Jacob, Erica, and Van love triangle will surprise you. You’re in for a treat. It will be a roller coaster, but, as you know, Jacob is a competitor, as you have found out throughout this season thus far.

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Although we’re not playing a game for a young lady’s heart and affection, Jacob doesn’t like to come in second place and will do anything to ensure he comes out on top.

Alex:  It creates this entertaining thing for the audience. For example, you know, are you Team Jacob or Van? But at the same time, they are all coworkers. It’s one of those forbidden things where do you have a relationship with somebody you work with, and how does that go?

 Is it a ticking time bomb, or is this a lasting, excellent, beautiful relationship? I think it’s fascinating. I’m Team Vanicka, but Erivan.

Spence:  Can you calm down a bit? I’m Team Jaricka, and if it goes down that route.

You guys are hilarious. I can see why this is so much fun.

Alex:  I think I have something to offer. But maybe Erica doesn’t even want to be with either of them.

That may be true, but she is having fun with both of you, so I can’t wait to see how this plays out. So this question is for both of you. What has been your favorite case so far, and what has been your favorite thing you’ve learned from Doctor Wolf?

Spence: My favorite case is Brilliant Minds Season 1 Episode 2. I loved the episode with Coach Jessie. Until that point, you knew Jacob at a very surface level. But in that case, you got to see his passion and heart and that he cares about what he’s doing.

He doesn’t have the proper access to all the right tools and stuff. He’s still learning. He’s an intern. Jacob’s most significant lesson from Doctor Wolf is returning to Episode Two and revisiting our conversation in our lockers.

You may not always feel the best, but you can’t let that show. You have to always show up for your patient. Jacob has taken that lesson with him. I think he will continue to incorporate that and apply it for the second half of the season.

Alex: My favorite case is coming up. As for one we’ve already done, it’s rolling out currently, and the next episode will be a big part of it.

Oh, the one about John Doe.

Alex: That one’s interesting and exciting, and I’m excited for everybody to see it and learn about John Doe’s backstory and what he has going on. John Doe will have some big moments coming up.

As far as the stuff that Dr. Wolf has taught, I am just going above and beyond as a doctor. It’s one of those professions where there are doctors who care and want to help their patients, and then there are doctors who just want to help people, but they’re also just clocking in and out.

They’ve learned what they’ve learned in the textbooks, and that’s the scope of their daily work. They just show up, and it’s a regular day-to-day job for them.

But then, some doctors are above and beyond and deserve all the love, respect, and support because there’s nothing better than having someone who cares and wants to figure out what’s going on, sometimes even more so than the patient.

Sometimes, he cares about these patients more than they care about themselves.

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Aury: My favorite case is the John Doe case, which I know we Haven’t learned much about, but it’s coming down the mountain.

What is so unique about that case is that we all had a chance to build a point of view and a relationship with that character in a one-sided and imaginary way because we couldn’t communicate with him.

 I think that character brings something out of each of our doctors in a way that nobody else has so far. Alex Ozerov, the actor who plays our John Doe, is fantastic.

There’s something special about him, and it’s great to learn more about his character and see his work beyond what he does in the episodes leading up.

It had a huge impact on me. Each of our doctors is different from getting to spend time with them.

Ashleigh:  I think John Doe as well. That storyline is so beautiful, and the way that it builds and the way that it resolves is wonderful. It changes everyone in a way that leads going forward.

I loved reading that, filming it, and watching it. I think audiences will resonate with that storyline.

As for my favorite thing we learned from Doctor Wolf, that man is a hot mess, but learning to think outside the box—I don’t know that there’s a particular instance of something to learn.

However, Ericka has learned the most from his entire approach to medicine and his willingness to think outside the box to do what’s best for the patient.

Thank you. For the final question, are there any cases you would like showcased on Brilliant Minds?

Spence: A case that I would love to see, mainly because we are neurologists, is someone who is experiencing a manic episode and maybe dealing with bipolar disorder.

That could be an exciting episode and challenge for Doctor Wolf and his interns to navigate.

Alex:  I was thinking something similar, like a personality disorder or something with Alzheimer’s or dementia. That affects many people; at least everybody knows somebody affected by it. That’d be an exciting thing to explore as well.

Brilliant Minds airs on Mondays at 10/9c on NBC and streams the next day on Peacock.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Watch Brilliant Minds Online

The post The Brilliant Minds Interns Dish About Their Connection, Their Favorite Cases, and the Van, Ericka, and Jacob Love Triangle appeared first on TV Fanatic.

As an autistic person, I’m hyper-aware of the stereotypes and negative tropes that plague most characters who have any type of neurodivergence.

Even The Good Doctor, despite making huge strides in this area, created more problems than it solved., though Brilliant Minds owes it a debt of gratitude.

Wolf’s Neurodivergence Is Only Part Of His Story On Brilliant Minds

One of the most important ways that Brilliant Minds is different is that it’s about a doctor who is neurodivergent rather than focusing solely on his neurodivergence as a source of conflict.

Sure, Brilliant Minds Season 1 Episode 1 began with Wolf getting fired because he took a patient with dementia out of the hospital without permission, but that was about his unorthodox methods, not his face-blindness or other neurodivergent traits.

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Of course, neurodivergent people are more likely to break the rules in this manner. We’re often loath to follow guidelines that seem to impede progress more than they help it.

Still, that story sets Wolf up as someone who gets in trouble because he approaches medicine differently than others, rather than someone that everyone doubts because of his neurodivergence.

It’s a subtle but important difference between Brilliant Minds and The Good Doctor.

More often than not, The Good Doctor was about the ways Shaun’s autism interfered with his success.

Either his rigidity and need for sameness threw him totally off when something disrupted his routine, his bluntness offended someone, or some doctor decided he shouldn’t be a surgeon because he is autistic.

The Good Doctor’s portrayal of autistic characters was meant to be inspiring, but its insistence on making Shaun’s autism a source of conflict inadvertently reinforced stereotypes about autistic people, especially the idea that it’s nearly impossible for them to succeed in traditional careers.

So far, Brilliant Minds has avoided that trap. Wolf is neither a savant nor someone whose neurodivergent-related challenges are treated as a serious obstacle to success.

Instead, his neurodivergence is one part of him, and he has long ago learned to compensate for his difficulties so he can succeed.

The closest his face-blindness comes to being a serious obstacle is when Nichols complains that Wolf ignores him in the hallways, which Wolf quickly clears up by explaining how his condition makes it so that he literally doesn’t see Nichols when he walks past him

The Intersection of Wolf’s Neurodivergence and Past Trauma Is Clearer

Brilliant Minds does something similar to what The Good Doctor Season 1 did: it utilizes flashbacks of Wolf’s childhood to explore the trauma that made him the man he is today.

However, the focus is different. While Shaun’s brother, Steve’s, death on The Good Doctor was inarguably traumatic, its effect on him was mostly limited to the plot point of Glassman taking him in afterward.

It wasn’t until he began thinking about having children of his own that Steve’s death was mentioned in any other context.

Conversely, Wolf’s trauma on Brilliant Minds is… trauma.

His father’s mental illness and subsequent death affected him deeply as a teenager and are intertwined with his neurodivergence.

Wolf has grown up to be someone who works hard as a doctor to help others and is passionate about caring for patients, particularly ones that the world wants him to give up on, yet is closed off to most relationships.

He didn’t even want to teach interns when he first returned to Bronx General.

That isn’t treated simply as “neurodivergent man has poor social skills.” Sure, that’s part of it, but he also is afraid to let anyone get too close because of that early loss.

Wolf is also an openly gay man who grew up in a time when it wasn’t safe for him to be out.

That’s important on several levels.

At a time when LGBTQ+ representation on TV is declining, we need more characters like Wolf.

I especially like that Wolf’s relationship with his sexual orientation, and with relationships in general, is complicated.

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He embraces who he is yet doesn’t want to let anyone be too close to him for various reasons. His trauma around relationships leads him into a difficult situation with Nichols, his one-time enemy who will undoubtedly be his love interest someday.

He’s a gay protagonist, not a gay secondary character, and I’m willing to bet he won’t suddenly die in a gay-bashing incident to prove the point that homophobia is on the rise as The Good Doctor did to Asher on The Good Doctor Season 7 Episode 5.

(Yes, I’m still bitter about that and always will be. The needless death of a gay character is not okay just because a gay writer approved of the story.)

It’s unheard of to have neurodivergent LGBTQ+ characters on TV, even though there’s significant overlap between the two communities, especially the trans and autistic communities.

Wolf Demonstrates That Neurodivergence Looks Different On Each Person

Wolf is not autistic; he’s got a different neurodivergent condition called prosopagnosia, which means he doesn’t recognize faces and has to memorize specific details about each person’s appearance so that he can remember who they are.

This is a different condition than we’ve ever had on TV before, with the exception of an episode of Picket Fences in 1992 in which a man used that condition as his defense for murdering his brother.

It’s done honestly and demonstrates the ways it is similar to and different from autism. It’s also not the only neurodivergent condition on Brilliant Minds.

Van has Mirror Touch Synthesia, a rare condition in which he feels the pain and other symptoms of his patients, and Dana has an anxiety disorder that comes from the trauma of her sister’s death.

(And yes, these are types of neurodivergence even though they aren’t the splashy ones that tend to be misrepresented on TV.

There are many more examples of brains being wired differently than autism and ADHD, though proper representation of these is also important.)

Featuring all of these different characters helps prevent the major problem with The Good Doctor, which was that Shaun was an anamoly who no one understood or was at all like.

Until the final season, he was the only autistic person, doctor or not, on the entire series, which reinforced the idea that autism was unusual and difficult to deal with.

There Would Be No Brilliant Minds Without The Good Doctor

None of this means that The Good Doctor was a terrible series.

It was an important show that broke some important barriers. Despite its missteps, it took the idea of autistic people being human seriously.

It did not focus on how hard autism was for other people. It wasn’t about how “tragic” it is for parents to have an autistic child or any of that crap.

That’s why I don’t think Brilliant Minds could exist without The Good Doctor.

Before this series, it was unheard of to have a show about an autistic doctor, never mind any other neurodivergent condition.

Sure, the producers could have pitched it.

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But would NBC, or any other network, have bought it when there was no evidence that audiences had an appetite for neurodivergent characters, never mind one as well-rounded as Oliver Wolf?

Of course, there’s no way to know, but I think it would have been a much harder sell.

I don’t think it’s that Brilliant Minds is superior to The Good Doctor as much as it is that it built on what The Good Doctor started and made something even better, even more representative of autistic people.

Over to you, Brilliant Minds fanatics!

What do you think? Is Brilliant Minds building on The Good Doctor’s legacy, or would it always have come into the TV world the way it did?

Hit the comments and let us know your thoughts!

Brilliant Minds airs on NBC on Mondays at 10/9c and on Peacock on Tuesdays.

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The post Brilliant Minds Offers An Understanding of Neurodivergence Far Beyond What The Good Doctor Achieved appeared first on TV Fanatic.

A group of teen girls experienced a mass psychogenic illness, and one of them experienced pseudocyesis, a false pregnancy, in Brilliant Minds Season 1 Episode 6.

Dr. Wolf and his team returned to high school to find the root of this issue and bond with these girls.

While this was a serious issue, it was also one of the season’s heartwarming and entertaining installments.

It showcased the strength of female friendship during those difficult high school years. The viewers also learned why Dana hated high school and why her anxiety started.

Elsewhere, both Wolf and Carol experimented with flirting with new colleagues. Did they get their groove back?

Returning to High School to Solve the Latest Mystery Case

Brilliant Minds keeps surprising us with medical cases we have never heard of.

While I have heard of pseudocyesis or false pregnancy, adding multiple teens experiencing mass hysteria was an exciting twist.

Typically, women who can’t have babies experience pseudocyesis as part of their grief. Most teenagers wouldn’t want to get pregnant.

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The only thing weirder if they’re all pregnant is if they’re all not.

— Dr. Wolf

With that in mind, Dr. Wolf and his team returned to high school to decipher if Sarah Lim and her friends experienced any group trauma that would have triggered this.

Even though Dr. Wolf hated high school as much as Dana did, he looked like he belonged as the group strutted in.

He looked relaxed and confident in his leather jacket as he and Principal Owens tried to soothe the parents and find answers.

He’s so versed in making patients feel comfortable, even if he isn’t comfortable in interpersonal relationships. Dr. Wolf understood wanting to find your life’s purpose as a teenager, even if it was misguided by becoming a teen parent.

He experienced so much trauma as a teen, and he still wasn’t sure he had a purpose besides medicine, so in some way, he envied that these girls had exact goals.

A Pregnancy Pact With A Magical Twist

While pacts don’t happen as much in high school, pregnancy pacts still occur. It’s partly a way for best friends to do something together.

Sarah Lim, Lily Jones, and their friends had such a strong bond that it was difficult for the doctors to crack it and understand it.

Seeing them join their group and get their tarot cards read was hilarious. Those were classic high school activities that helped integrate them with the girls.

Thankfully, Dana learned this pregnancy pact was different. The girls cast a spell to become pregnant and thought they were a month later.

Group singing was essential to their bond as it released the hormone oxytocin and opened up neuro passages, allowing mass hysteria to spread. Whoever thought that a wonderful thing like longing to belong could do that?

Finding the index patient became more imperative.

Van’s Mirror Touch Synesthesia Saved the Day

Van still hated being different and felt his mirror-touch synesthesia was more like a science experiment for his friends.

He still had difficulty taking bloodwork for fear of needles. However, his ability to feel pain saved the day.

When Samantha Lee arrived at the hospital, everyone assumed she had mass hysteria like the others, so she went into false labor.

But Van nearly doubled over in pain and knew those were real labor pains and that the baby was coming immediately.

Seeing the parallels between Van’s surprise over Samantha Lee and Dr. Wolf and Principal Owens discussing how Samantha’s withdrawal from school affected the girls played well.

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That was the calmest Van had ever been as he took charge, leading the girls to help their friend and asking Ericka to assist him. I wish we had seen even more of the birth as Van would shine as an OB-gyn.

I loved how he admitted later that he focused on Ericka to keep him calm during the procedure. These two shared little moments in this episode that built them up as a potential couple. The series shines at teasing viewers just a bit.

Dana’s Panic Attack Explained Many Issues

Hearing more about Dana’s past explained why she hated school and had that panic attack in the library. It also explained why she bonded with Lily.

While sometimes there is a chemical imbalance causing depression and anxiety, it’s often triggered by trauma. They’ve been hinting at something with Dana for weeks.

I never would have guessed that Dana had a younger sister or that she had died, but this information explained why she bonded so quickly with Lily. Lily was fierce, funny, and ready to take on the world like Dana’s younger sister had been.

Dana was also envious of Lily, Sarah, and the other girls’ bond. She wished she had a strong friendship like that in high school and might have coped better.

I love how far the interns have grown. They hang out outside work to celebrate wins and be there for each other, and they all reassure Dana that they are there for her.

Ericka: You have us now. We’re your coven.

Dana: You get one group hug. That’s it.

Carol and Wolf Got Their Groove Back

Neither Wolf nor Carol had dated anyone in forever. Carol had forgotten what it was like to be single, so watching her approach an old colleague about an experimental trial for John Doe was entertaining.

She knew Simon from college, and he was still attracted to her. While Simon didn’t want to work with Wolf on this trial, he would put up with him if he saw more of Carol.

Maybe Carol would benefit from having a fun fling. She’s also right that Wolf needs to let more people see him besides his plants and the patients.

He almost did with Principal Owens. The chemistry was electric, and they cared about helping those teenage girls.

Mark Owens even pursued him by asking Wolf out. Should we hope he considers himself unavailable because Wolf and Nichols will become a thing soon?

High school can be one of the hardest times.

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This episode showcased how you need a tribe of friends to help you survive, and when something changes among them, it causes chaos for teenagers.

It spoke to Dr. Wolf and Dana the most, but this case will also affect many viewers.

What did you think of this week’s Brilliant Minds, TV Fanatics?

Were you surprised by the magical pregnancy pact?

Did you enjoy learning more about Dana?

Are you glad Wolf and Carol have a social life?

Let us know in the comments.

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The post Brilliant Minds Season 1 Episode 6 Review: The Girl Who Cried Pregnant appeared first on TV Fanatic.

While he typically considered it a curse, he connected with John Doe in Brilliant Minds Season 1 Episode 5, and he, Dana, and Dr. Wolf were able to experiment and find a way to communicate with their patient.

We could also see the burden lifted from Van once Dana and the other interns learned about his condition.

TV Fanatic enjoyed chatting with Alex MacNicoll about Van’s Mirror Touch Synthesis, the love triangle between Van, Ericka, and Jacob, and what he’s learned from working at Brilliant Minds.

Check out the interview below.

Were you familiar with Mirror Touch Synthesisia before, and how did you prepare to play someone who battles it?

I wasn’t entirely familiar with Mirror Touch Synthesisia. Fortunately, since it’s so rare, there’s not much out there. But fortunately for us, there is one particular doctor who has it, and he’s been very open and sharing his experience.

He’s given many talks and written papers, so I gathered research about his experience and applied it to my own.

Since medicine is about saving lives, why does Van see this condition as a curse?

I think Van considers it a curse because it hinders him initially, especially before he’s aware of his condition. He’s not able to perform straightforward procedures or things when someone is in pain right in front of him and struggling.

It’s one of those things where it’s like, if somebody faints when they see blood, they probably shouldn’t be a surgeon kind of thing, you know? It’s challenging for him, and he is unaware of it.

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That makes sense. Why do you think Van connected so much with John Doe and figured out a way to communicate with him?

Since John Doe can’t communicate verbally, he questions how they will communicate with this person. Van can tune in to feelings and pain that are going on that are not necessarily talked about or verbalized.

 I think that’s how he could tap into that and trust his intuition when, in the past, he’s felt something come up that just causes him to break down, shy away, or try to run away from the problem.

He leaned into it this time, trusted his gut feeling that something was happening, and experimented.

It’s enjoyable because he, Dana, and Doctor Wolf experience trial and error with this patient, who can verbalize what they’re going through.

Yes, I liked that. Why did Van confide in Dana first over the other interns?

Good question. Ericka would be challenging because there’s a bit of a crush there. He’s a little shy about approaching Ericka with any of that.

Then, he and Jacob have a slight rivalry there. So, he won’t go to this faux enemy.

 Dana was just neutral, like Switzerland. I think he thought if he was going to talk to anybody about it, maybe he could tell Dana, and she wouldn’t use it against me or alter our future relationship badly.

Are you enjoying the vibe between the interns?

 Yeah, absolutely. It’s a lot of fun. I hope it translates on screen because we had a blast.

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You mentioned Van having a crush on Ericka. In this episode, Van says he doesn’t have time to date. Are we going to see anything transform between him and Ericka?

I think there’s a possibility there. It’s one of those things that lurks, and I hope it turns into something.

Lately, Jacob and Erica also seemed like a little love triangle.

Yeah, for sure. It creates this exciting drama with this love triangle and adds some spices to the pot.

So, do you know how soon we may see something turn the tide?

Their relationship starts blossoming and growing in different directions without spoiling or giving away anything. But I’m pretty sure it will happen pretty soon. I can’t fully recall. But things begin to take off if we’re on episode five this week.

Well, I hope so. It’s been a lot of fun. What has been the most rewarding or challenging aspect of playing Van in the series so far?

The most rewarding aspects have been things in my personal life. This opened my mind to people I know or don’t know who suffer in silence and look like they’re completely fine.

I’m trying to bring that into my personal life and be aware that even though somebody looks like they’re completely fine, they might be going through something.

 I could look back at people I’ve known in the past who had conditions that I was aware of, but I didn’t know what they entailed.

I used to think they were fine since they seemed normal and were running around town or exercising. They seemed healthy.

 But they weren’t healthy, and they were struggling with mental illness and struggling with certain things.

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The most rewarding aspect has been that it’s shifted my perspective and given me more compassion and patience with people in general.

And the challenge?

The most challenging experience is being compassionate and vulnerable. So, even as an actor, there were many complex scenes, and I tried to do them well and portray them in a very grounded and authentic way.

The other challenging part about being Van was the medical vocabulary. I had to learn many of those words and make them believable because I’m not a doctor.

Yes, I understand. Sometimes, it’s tough to make out the medical terms when writing about the show. I often have to Google them.

I googled words, and luckily, we had a couple of medical consultants on set. So luckily, we had these super tutors with us at all times.

Watch Brilliant Minds Online

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The post Brilliant Minds Post Mortem: Alex MacNicoll Talks Van’s Mirror Touch Synthesisia, Love Triangle with Ericka & Jacob appeared first on TV Fanatic.

In Brilliant Minds Season 1 Episode 5, several characters dealt with different kinds of ghosts, beginning with Steve Hill, a marine veteran, who a fellow marine buddy haunted.

Elsewhere, Dr. Wolf relived more of childhood trauma as he and his interns tried to communicate with John Doe, and Van revealed his secret to one of his friends.

Meanwhile, several personal relationships blossomed. Brilliant Minds has taken the time to craft these relationships naturally so that audiences invest in them.

Haunted by the Past and Thought the Military Was Responsible

So many military veterans are haunted by ghosts that Carol and the interns guessed Steve suffered from PTSD initially. It was a good guess, but it didn’t explain the recent hallucinations of his buddy, Aiden.

It felt like we stepped into a sci-fi series or Days of Our Lives when Steve thought the military implanted a chip into his brain to control him.

He wasn’t the only Marine who began acting strange after returning from his last trip overseas, so Dr. Wolf wanted to proceed carefully.

As we saw through flashbacks with his father, dealing with someone with paranoid delusions was dangerous.

It made sense why Steve Hill, Aiden Miller, and probably many other Marines thought the military controlled them. They needed help, not discipline.

Finding a Hopeful Solution Where No One Is Left Behind

This was a rare case where all three doctors worked together to help Steve. No one expected the culprit to be CTE since Steve never played sports, but Nichols’ military experience and experiments showed how that occurred.

You had to sympathize with Aiden’s parents. They had just buried their son, and now these doctors wanted to exhume the body for scientific reasons.

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There wasn’t anything Dr. Wolf or Dr. Pierce could say to ease their pain, except they were trying to prevent another family from going through this tragedy and hoped they could give them definitive answers.

It was equally as difficult convincing Steve it wasn’t a chip in his head.

He had lived with that delusion for so long he started to believe it. He felt he had failed his family with his dishonorable discharge since he could no longer provide for them.

That made Wolf more determined to fight for Steve and other veterans. Usually, when Wolf pleads his case against a board, he loses. But this time, he had the support of his staff, which showed the military how serious they were.

Wolf and Nichols Form a Connection

Until this episode, I hadn’t seen a romantic connection between these two. I had seen them form an uneasy truce and a grudging respect.

Since Brilliant Minds Season 1 Episode 3, they have slowly become friends and acknowledged each other’s differences.

However, when Nichols took Wolf to the gun range, something shifted. First, he confided in Wolf that being in the military had changed him. He was close to one of the men on his team, yet they made their relationship work.

He and Wolf shared a close moment as he guided Wolf’s fingers and showed him how to shoot.

I love how this episode showed that these two worked better as a team than rivalries. I’m a sucker for an enemies-to-lovers trope, but I initially thought they were enemies-to-best friends trope.

Nothing was better than Nichols’s supportive nod as Wolf confronted the board or when Wolf came to Nichols with his experimental plan to save John Doe. These two make an entertaining duo!

Van’s Secret Is Revealed, and He and Dana Help John Doe

Van has always considered his Mirror Touch Synesthesia to be a curse since he broke down in front of patients previously. He hated being seen as different, yet he wanted to help others.

This was Van’s (Alex MacNicoll’s) episode to shine. You would think Dr. Wolf would understand how to be discreet about conditions, considering his face blindness, and not ask Van pointed questions in front of the other interns.

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As much as I would have loved it if Van had revealed his secret to Ericka, it made sense why he told Dana.

She’s the most observant and has the most sibling vibe with him. She would never judge him for being different.

Dana and Van made a winning team because they thought of using John Doe’s eye movements to communicate with a colorful yes-and-no sign.

Mixing up the different intern friendship dynamics and watching how they evolve is entertaining.

While we don’t actively see it, it’s implied that Van sensed that John Doe grew anxious from these mental exercises and almost gave up.

While initially, Mrs. Petrov seemed like an interfering busybody, she cracked the code on what John Doe needed. She spoke his language and realized he was lonely and that everyone else had given up on him.

That triggered something for Dr. Wolf, who was more determined to correct a previous mistake.

Dr. Wolf Remembers His Father’s Ghosts

Oliver’s father had more problems than he initially remembered, and he would still prefer to have that version around than no father at all.

He remembered his family’s secrets while treating Steve Hill and John Doe. It appeared his father suffered from similar hallucinations and thought they were running from ghostly, dangerous hikers when Oliver and his dad went camping.

It made more sense why Oliver’s mom worried about him being alone with his father. His dad sounded like he needed help when he announced Oliver was brilliant and the Messiah.

He wanted to protect his son, but while they were in the forest, no one could defend Oliver from his father if his condition worsened.

What a predicament for a young boy, and it makes even more sense why he studied neurology.

These flashbacks provided more depth into his family life and made his mother’s point of view more understandable. She loved her son and wanted to protect him.

It makes me wonder if Oliver grew afraid of his father, and that’s what he can’t forgive himself for. Did he end up taking sides in the divorce and choose his mother?

The Love Triangle Heats Up

The love triangle between Van, Ericka, and Jacob took a different direction.

No one expected Van to swear off dating, and it’s possible he did that only to convince Mrs. Petrov he wasn’t interested in her granddaughter. That scene was priceless!

While he and Dana helped Dr. Wolf with John Doe, Ericka and Jacob were paired up again. This was the first time Jacob demonstrated real fear because of his old concussion.

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Typically, he acted like hot stuff, but he let his guard down around Ericka and shared how afraid he was. They shared another close moment where they almost kissed again.

It’s very telling, though, that they both selected each other as the one they would want to operate on them if something ever went wrong.

Yet Ericka was the first to defend Van when Dana leaked his secret, so her love life is about to become more complicated.

So, which ship do you prefer, Brilliant Minds Fanatics? Are you enjoying these character-rich storylines?

Drop your thoughts in the comments below.

Don’t miss our exclusive post-mortem interview with Alex MacNicoll on Tuesday morning.

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The post Brilliant Minds Season 1 Episode 5 Review: The Haunted Marine appeared first on TV Fanatic.

The medical drama feels right at home on NBC, a tremendous following act to the late, great This Is Us and the formerly great New Amsterdam.

Zachary Quinto is a spectacular lead as Dr. Oliver Wolf, and the series’ premise is unique in that, unlike many medical dramas, it focuses exclusively on cases involving the brain.

Quinto Brings Wolf to Life, Making Brilliant Minds One of the Best New Offerings of the Fall

Wolf, while seemingly a curmudgeon on the surface, is a bearable bleeding heart who dedicates his career to “treating the patient, not the symptoms. ”

This has resulted in genuinely unique approaches to treating patients with empathy, compassion, and kindness.

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Yes, there are so many things to enjoy about this series, from the fascinating cases to the compelling characters; the character dives into the series lead with flashbacks, rare conditions, and a generally unique approach to the job.

But one thing that this hit new series is already perfecting well is the lost art of a quality slow-burn.

Slow-burn relationships are rare these days.

Between an increase in short attention spans, the desire for instant gratification, and the constant fear of cancelation and incomplete plots looming over the average series, not too many shows opt to partake in this beloved genre or execute it well.

Like almost everything else, it’s safe to say that Brilliant Minds is getting this right.

And they’re pulling it off in two different formats with potential pairings.

Brilliant Minds’ Queer Representation is Vital at a Time Where Representation is on the Decline

Another thing that separates Brilliant Minds from many other medical dramas is that there is an openly queer lead character.

While this shouldn’t be groundbreaking today, with what has become a troubling decline in LGBTQ Representation on television, it’s no exaggeration to say that every bit of it counts and is meaningful.

Brilliant Minds is neither self-aggrandizing nor tokenizing its representation here, not just from the queer angle but with its characters of color as well.

The series’ characters already have defining, unique personalities that mesh well together and make the various dynamics forming as intriguing as each individual character.

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Perhaps knowing that Brilliant Minds is a series that puts individual characters ahead of whatever dynamics they can form every day, it is as much as Wolf puts patients ahead of symptoms that one can appreciate what they are doing with some of the show’s dynamics.

Two strong contenders for a future love component in this series are handled in fantastic ways.

Wolf & Nichols is The Rivals-to-Lovers Ship to Watch For

At the forefront, we have Wolf and Nichols.

What’s great about the series and how it continues to approach this possible pairing is that with each passing installment, we still get to learn more about both characters on their own and not just in some orbit around one another.

These two will likely become something, as the series nonchalantly confirmed that both men are queer but also feeding us bits of their chemistry in nearly every episode.

Anyone who loves a good rivals-to-lovers trope could see the writing on the wall for these two from the second they lay eyes on one another.

A lack of understanding and what initially seemed like fundamental differences in how they approached practicing medicine appeared to leave them in opposition to one another.

But the more we learn about both characters as individuals, the more aligned Wolf and Nichols are.

They come from similar places, with passion and devotion to their patients and a desire to make a real difference.

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With every episode, we learn little bits that confirm that they’re more alike than different, and the series does a great job of showing how these little realizations about one another impact each other.

It’s not long before Wolf and Nichols realize that they’re prejudging one another, and they actively work to avoid doing that.

Brilliant Minds Expertly Builds Up Wolf & Nichols’ Dynamic

But they still rub each other the wrong way, and that’s primarily because of this unspoken sexual tension that continues to simmer beneath the surface every time they’re in the same scene or even mention the other person.

And that’s where Brilliant Minds fully comprehends the art of a proper slow burn and applies it perfectly to the series at the proper pace.

Because proper pacing is essential to all of this.

There has to be just enough there to tip us off that something is brewing, that there’s a layer to this dynamic that’s worth exploring deeply, but it can’t be so overt that it distracts from everything else that is happening.

Brilliant Minds nails that in large part due to the phenomenal chemistry between Zachary Quinto and Teddy Sears—a chemistry that they honed after their previous work together in American Horror Story as a couple.

Quinto and Sears’ Natural Chemistry Elevates an Already Fan-favorite Ship

Both actors are already so in tune with one another, which has undoubtedly helped with the burgeoning Wolf/Nichols dynamic and ship.

That may be critical in explaining why many viewers have gravitated to this particular dynamic so much.

Through the episodes, we follow the interactions between these two characters and see how they can blossom into something spectacular.

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The flirty interactions amid their constant prodding and jibes at one another create a fascinating balance that makes their every interaction more alluring than the last.

What’s also compelling and clever about Brilliant Minds’ approach is how they continuously use the characters’ conditions as anything other than a hindrance.

Wolf’s Facial Blindness can come with a host of issues, but when it comes to Nichols, it provides this amusing and sexy way of keying in on what about this man he may find attractive that he fixates on to recognize him.

Brilliant Minds Takes its Time Building the Dynamic While Still Providing Teases

And the series delivers that to us within the first two installments.

Even when they’re at one another’s throats about something, the undercurrent of that tension results in these sparks that make you relish their interactions and crave the next time they cross paths.

The most turning moment for this pairing was in Brilliant Minds Season 1 Episode 3.

At this point, via a hilarious blue tooth situation, we get confirmation that Nichols is also a queer doctor at the hospital and quite the hot commodity, too (I mean, it is Teddy Sears).

But more importantly, we see where Nichols is starting to have some fundamental understanding of how Wolf works enough to track him down and be of service when it’s time to cart the patient back to the hospital.

And he also expertly talks Wolf through a medical procedure in the backseat of the car.

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Both characters’ mutual respect is only growing, and they’re finding ways to manage each other’s conflicting ways of handling things while recognizing that they’re better together (professionally, that is).

Wolf and Nichols learning how to work as extensions to each other in a professional context only makes the possibility of what’s next for them on a personal front all the more captivating.

And with each installment building on this dynamic, inarguably one of Wolf’s most compelling ones in a series where he has a best friend and estranged mother under whom he now works at the forefront too, there’s a real sense that we’ll get some progress romantically before the season let’s up.

And we don’t even mind waiting for whenever that inevitably happens because the teasing along the way is satisfying in its own right.

Brilliant Minds Takes a Similar Yet Unique Approach with Ericka & Van

Meanwhile, there’s a similar component with the interns, but it’s starting to veer toward a more traditional love triangle.

Van and Ericka are also a possible pairing that has caught our attention, and the prospect of this pairing and how adorable they’d be together hits you almost instantaneously.

Of all the interns, Van is the one who gives off the Golden Retriever energy.

He is genuinely endearing, positive, and sweet as a character, which makes you instantly root for him from the start.

Meanwhile, Ericka is a confident, headstrong, unapologetic, and bright young doctor who easily adapts to Wolf’s methodologies.

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This is largely because, at her core, she’s motivated to treat the whole patient rather than just the symptoms.

As the self-professed real quarterback of the interns, she’s a powerhouse, and it’s exciting to see her become a doctor with each case.

Van & Ericka Have a Nice Balance that Makes them an Endearing Pair Worth Rooting For

And no one appreciates that and sees her brilliance and light without averting his eyes or finding it intimidating like Van Marcus.

The seemingly bashful doctor is truly enamored by this woman. He tracks nearly everything she does and is a quiet cheerleader and avid supporter of Ericka.

They also work incredibly well together.

So far, they’re a dynamic duo working together on cases and do incredibly well at adapting to Wolf’s personal brand of practicing medicine.

If anyone has adapted to it most, Ericka is often the most fiercely outspoken about Wolf and standing in his corner.

And it’s her ferocity that seems to endear Van most, along with her compassion and strong empathy.

Out of all the other characters, Ericka takes a softer approach with Van, ensuring that he never feels excluded, speaking up for and out on his behalf, and being a strong support system for him in nearly every professional situation.

Van does the same, so their special moments spark something for those who enjoy a great pining story arc.

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Van looks at Ericka as if she were hanging the moon, and Ericka, in turn, sees the best in Van and continuously uplifts him.

With a foundation of strong support and affection, this possible pairing attracts many, and the series plays it well with meaningful looks, smiles, and soft and fond moments that lay down the tracks for something spectacular.

Van’s Empathy and Neurological Disorder Could Coincide with His Affection for Ericka

Of course, Brilliant Minds Season 1 Episode 4 has also boldly introduced the possibility of a long triangle.

We know that Van appears head over heels for Ericka, but she and Jacob have formed a connection, not unlike what we’ve seen with Nichols and Wolf, where a professional rivalry has softened to something akin to mutual respect and friendship.

The hour seemingly tested the groundwork for a possible Ericka and Jacob pairing, and they may even pull the trigger on that, but that’s more of a reason why the soft launching of Ericka and Van feels so much like a classic slow burn that takes us on an emotional rollercoaster.

We know how much primetime dramas love love triangles, and this has the potential to be a great one.

There’s no doubt that from what we’ve seen, Ericka seems to bring the best out of Jacob, from challenging him to pushing him to reveal sides of himself that are beyond the bluster.

It has the potential to work, and Jacob is more upfront about his intentions, which Ericka can easily respond to.

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But even knowing that and the possibility that something could arise between the pairing, Van and Ericka’s possible slow burn is more intriguing.

It’s a great build-up that, in some ways, mirrors what we have with Wolf and Nichols while still being unique in that it does not copy the rivals-to-lovers pathway (like Ericka and Jacob openly do).

The Intern Love Triangle Poses a Potentially Interesting Wrinkle in the Slow Burn

There’s also the matter of how Van’s neurological condition factors into the perception of his connection to Ericka.

As a result of Van’s Mirror Touch Synesthesia, his level of empathy extends to being able to feel and experience what some of his patients are feeling.

We’ve seen various instances where, to the outsider, it seems like he’s too “soft and sensitive” to handle some of the basic procedures of medical care when, in actuality, he’s struggling with showing and feeling physical manifestations of what the patients are experiencing.

Brilliant Minds treats what the average person may view as some form of “curse” with their medical conditions as something that one learns to manage and even serves as an asset.

It’s a disability-friendly take that’s genuinely refreshing to see on the air.

With Van’s Mirror Synthesis, it’s evident that he takes some measures, like getting lost in the music, to drown out other people’s suffering because of his unique sensitivity to it.

It’s one of the few ways he can get through his day.

However, a large part of managing is also learning to manage who one is around, which extends to his deep connection and fondness for Ericka.

She genuinely makes him feel good.

Ericka Seems to Provide a Safe Space for Van, and He’s Her Most Avid Supporter

Simply being around Ericka seems to pull out the best traits in Van himself because he gets to, in some way, mirror this confident, brilliant woman who makes him feel good.

You can tell that some aspect of Ericka serves as a safe space for Van, which is a big factor in why he’s drawn to her. The possible pairing is appealing right off the bat.

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Van’s heightened sense of empathy pairs well with an empathetic and passionate person like Ericka.

Combining his own experience with Mirror Touch Synthesis and whatever else may coexist along with that for him, it’s understandable how Ericka and Van’s feelings for her may play some role in what he endures as someone with this condition.

It’s fascinating to see Van navigate that, even if we just get glimpses of it so far.

And that’s not to romanticize the condition, per se, but it adds an extra layer to that particular dynamic, which is why it’s so intriguing for these characters.

We can understand why Ericka makes someone like Van feel so good.

In turn, for a smart, confident woman like Ericka, it’s deeply reassuring to be around a guy who actually appreciates her talent and intellect and doesn’t seem remotely intimidated by them.

Van and Ericka never compete with one another, unlike in other instances where the interns may feel competitive about something.

Brilliant Minds Uses Possible Ships to Enhance Characters Whether Than Detract From Them

Instead, they work well together and partner well, and if we already see that in a professional context and even as budding friends, then naturally, we can appreciate what the series could do by pairing these two romantically as well.

Even if Ericka and Jacob happen first, what makes Ericka and Van such a strong, slow burn this early on is that a relationship with Jacob could just be the type of conflict that makes the possible inevitability of Ericka and Van angsty and intriguing.

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Brilliant Minds has a way of taking some of the most common tropes for a genre or any series and still bringing out the best in them, making them interesting to watch despite their familiarity and frequency.

It’s no surprise that even when it comes to burgeoning romances, they’ve mastered this as well.

Providing the possibility of them without detracting from the development of any of the characters involved for the sake of these dynamics, in fact, mostly using them to enhance character development.

The appeal of these possible relationships does not overshadow the series’ strong work with all of its other elements, either.

Over to you, Brilliant Minds Fanatics.

What do you think about the series’ ships?

The post Crafting Chemistry: How Brilliant Minds Is Mastering the Art of the Slow Burn appeared first on TV Fanatic.