‘Brilliant Minds’ Season 2 Episode 11 Recap: “The Boy Who Feels Everything”

By
Rebecca Murray
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Brilliant Minds Season 2 Episode 11 Recap
Tamberla Perry, Zachary Quinto, Allison Hossack, Alex MacNicoll, and Henry Falk in ‘Brilliant Minds’ season 2 episode 11 (Photo by: Pief Weyman/NBC)

NBC’s Brilliant Minds season two, episode 11 picks up seconds after the winter finale. After receiving the shocking news about his connection to Charlie’s mother, Oliver (Zachary Quinto) heads to the address Charlie provided and breaks into where his dad is supposedly staying.

(The following is a recap of season two episode 11 and contains spoilers.)

Episode 10 also left off with Van’s ex-wife, Michelle, unconscious following a car accident on her way to the hospital gala. EMTs report that she’s been unresponsive, her pulse is thready, and they haven’t located her ID. Michelle’s lung is damaged and only paramedic Katie Rodriguez’s quick action saves her.

Dr. Anthony Thorne (John Clarence Stewart) takes over in the ER and discovers Michelle has blood around her heart. Ericka (Ashleigh LaThrop) and Jacob (Spence Moore II) arrive to assist and immediately recognize Michelle.  Ericka alerts Oliver while Jacob calls Van (Alex MacNicoll) and Dana (Aury Krebs) while they’re out getting pizza. They rush back to the hospital as Michelle’s receiving a thoracotomy.

Oliver also returns to the hospital, but since Michelle’s already in surgery, Carol (Tamberla Perry) asks him to join her consultation with Nic (Jack Cain), the driver of the other vehicle. He’s laughing uncontrollably and needs further evaluation.

A short while later, Oliver, the team, and Van observe Michelle’s surgery. Van hasn’t called Michelle’s family and Oliver gently tells him they need to know—the sooner the better.

Michelle’s mom, Shauna (Allison Hossack), arrives with Van and Michelle’s son, and Oliver explains they’ll know more once she’s out of surgery. It’s obvious she’s angry at Van; Van can feel her resentment.

Nic’s tox screens come back negative and he wants to leave, but Carol believes they need more tests. His uncontrollable laughing might have been from shock, but it could have been something else they need to address. When he’s told Michelle’s in surgery, he laughs again. Nic continues laughing as he admits it’s his fault.

Nic laughs as he apologizes to Van. Ericka rushes Van away as Nic continues to chuckle.

Oliver’s received a referral from a Dallas residency program and asks Jacob if he’s really planning to leave. Jacob confesses he misses the “rush of being in the field.” Oliver compliments Jacob as having the best bedside manners of anyone on his team. He doesn’t want to lose him.

Michelle’s results are back and the team, plus Dr. Josh Nichols (Teddy Sears), learn she has a massive subdural and her pupils are already fixed and dilated. Her injuries are not survivable, but Van believes if anyone can save her, it’s this team. He needs them to fight for his wife.

Ericka, Jacob, Dana, and Oliver discuss the situation, and Oliver reminds them that the scans were catastrophic. He would rather not hold out false hope. Oliver’s going to perform a brain death exam after informing Michelle’s family. Brain death rather than cardiac death allows Michelle’s organs to be donated.

Oliver believes when he does the test Van, will come to terms with her death. He asks for a volunteer to assist with the exam and Ericka immediately speaks up. Van joins them, angry he wasn’t in the meeting from the start. He demands to be present during the exam.

Oliver discusses Van’s request with Carol and Josh, and they think it will help Van process the loss. The talk turns to the other driver and Carol thinks his symptoms might be neurological. Josh wonders if the accident caused the laughing, and Oliver confirms it’s possible. Since Nic plays hockey, Oliver suggests bringing Jacob in on the case. Carol reveals she knows Jacob got a job offer and thinks Oliver wants him involved to keep him here.

“Sometimes we’ve got to let our fledglings fly,” notes Carol.

Oliver begins the exam to determine if Michelle is brain-dead. Van watches closely as Oliver goes through the steps, each returning negative results. Van doesn’t feel any pain when Oliver does the pain test, meaning Michelle’s not feeling any either. He begs for more time and for a second test, unwilling to let Michelle go just yet. Oliver reluctantly agrees.

Brilliant Minds Season 2 Episode 11 Recap
Jack Cain, Tamberla Perry, and Zachary Quinto in ‘Brilliant Minds’ season 2 episode 11 (Photo by: Pief Weyman/NBC)

Oliver and Van speak with Michelle’s mother, Shauna, and she informs them Michelle was very clear that she wanted to be an organ donor.

Van knows he’s grasping at straws when Ericka finds him performing an EEG. He just wants to be able to tell their son, Liam, that he did everything possible to save Michelle. Charlie walks by Michelle’s room and then speaks with Oliver about Van doing an EEG on a dead woman. Oliver tells Charlie that if Van needs to perform the EEG, they should let him. Van walks in and overhears the conversation and reacts by punching Charlie when Charlie brings up his mirror touch.

Oliver and Carol introduce Jacob to Nic, and it turns out Nic’s family are fans of Nash the Smash. Jacob was happy to get rid of that nickname and Nic reveals his hockey nickname is The Joker. (A reference that goes over Oliver’s head.)  Nic cries when he wants to laugh about the nickname and then laughs when Carol asks him about the car crash.

Jacob tells Carol he thinks Nic has Pseudobulbar Affect (PBA), just like The Joker. And since he already had that nickname, the accident didn’t cause PBA. It’s possible ALS, MS, too many concussions, or a traumatic brain injury did. Hockey could be responsible for Nic’s PBA, and Carol compliments Jacob for catching it.

Oliver finally has a quiet moment with Carol and confesses that Charlie’s gala speech about his mother’s death was about him. He’s the doctor who held out false hope and caused Charlie’s dad to drink himself to death. Oliver also reveals Charlie came here because he blames him for ruining his life. Charlie’s here to return the favor.

Carol wants him to keep trying to connect with Charlie. She also suggests he speak with her therapist friend instead of burying his traumas.

Michelle’s family’s rabbi gives Van the idea to take Michelle to New Jersey where there’s a religious exemption for brain death. He asks Dana, Ericka, and Jacob for their help to move her. Van lets slip that Jacob’s leaving, which shocks Ericka since they’re in the beginning stages of a relationship.

Dana asks Katie if they can borrow her ambulance, and Katie gets the full story out of her. Dana’s obviously conflicted about the move but realizes Van needs to know they’re here to support him. Katie says she can’t allow it but leaves her ambulance keys behind when she walks away.

Carol and Oliver meet with Nic and his parents to explain PBA. His parents just thought he had a weird sense of humor when he laughed inappropriately. There’s therapy available that will allow him to regain control. Oliver also delivers the news that his tox screens were clear and the accident was deemed no-fault.

Nic asks Oliver to give Michelle’s family a letter since he didn’t want to laugh while speaking with them in person. He was going to give it to them himself, but the doctors took Michelle away in an ambulance before he could do it. Oliver and Carol are shocked at the mention of an ambulance.

Ericka asks Jacob about his new job opportunity while on the drive to New Jersey. When he mentions a sports clinic in Dallas, Ericka confesses she knows that’s his dream job. She thinks he should take it, and neither she nor Oliver should ask him to stay.

Van talks to Michelle in the back of the ambulance, recalling how he shared her pain when Liam was born. She told him she wished she could live forever so she could see his whole life. Van begs Michelle not to leave them and suddenly her fingers move. Dana, who’s also riding in the back, is stunned as Michelle’s eyes open. Van screams for Jacob to turn the ambulance around.

Van kisses her forehead.

She’s not even using the breathing tube when she arrives back at the hospital. The entire team is there to greet her, and Oliver’s happy for Van that he never gave up. Liam rushes in and Michelle hugs him and smiles, claiming she’s okay now.

Van and Michelle remarry as everyone applauds.

Of course, none of this actually happens. Michelle didn’t move or open her eyes. Hope didn’t bring her back. Van asks Dana to have Jacob turn the ambulance around.

Brilliant Minds Season 2 Episode 11 Recap
Brian Altemus and Alex MacNicoll in ‘Brilliant Minds’ season 2 episode 11 (Photo by: Pief Weyman/NBC)

Back at the hospital, Oliver and Van perform the apnea test to determine if Michelle is brain-dead. The results are negative and as the team gathers outside the door, Van announces Michelle’s time of death. He kisses her gently and whispers that he loves her before leaving the room.

The team holds him tight in an embrace outside Michelle’s room.

Charlie knows Van doesn’t want to talk to him, but he has important advice to share. Charlie was just like Liam, losing a mother at a young age. He recalls how people showered him with gifts, but it was all so confusing. Charlie suggests that Van shouldn’t give up because Liam needs him. Van shouldn’t let Liam lose both his mom and his dad.

Van picks up his young son and holds him tight. Shauna believes Michelle would want Van to know that she always said he was an amazing dad. She’s glad her daughter had Van and that Liam has Van in his life.

Van explains to Liam that they’re about to do an Honor Walk for Michelle because she wanted to help people if she died. As Michelle’s gurney passes by, the staff lines the hallway, recognizing her gift of organs that will save others. Oliver pushes the gurney and many hands reach out to say farewell and thank Michelle.

Later, Van and Jacob meet with Oliver and learn the ambulance wasn’t reported stolen so they’re not in trouble. Van announces he’s leaving the department and Oliver tells him to take as much time as he needs. Unfortunately, Van doesn’t think he’ll be coming back anytime soon; he needs to be there for his son. Oliver acknowledges Van’s worth to the hospital and suggests that sometimes working helps you make it through grief. But Van needs time.

Jacob’s also leaving, acknowledging he’s learned from Oliver that someone needs to always be there to give the patients the time and care they need. No one did that for him when he was injured, and now he wants to be there for other athletes who are injured.

Oliver gets a little choked up when he says, “Bronx General will miss you. I’ll miss you. My door is always open.” Jacob’s going to stay in town for a few months to help Van and Liam before heading to Texas.

They bump fists and confirm they’re part of the Wolf Pack forever.

Episode 11 ends back where it began in Oliver’s dad’s apartment. There are framed photos of Oliver around and when a woman walks in, she immediately recognizes him. Her name’s Sofia and she says, “You look just like him, Oliver.”

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