Brilliant Minds Season 1 Episode 8 Review: The Lovesick Widow

Critic’s Rating: 4.7 / 5.0

4.7

Brilliant Minds has excelled at exploring living life on a patient’s terms when they need to adapt to new circumstances.

In Brilliant Minds Season 1 Episode 8, Dr. Wolf appealed to June Sullivan’s family to get them to adapt and accept that their mother had changed.

June Sullivan had spunk and energy at 80 years old. It’s a shame it was a side effect of the neurosyphilis. I’d love to be like at that age, too.

She was full of wisdom and counseled both Wolf and Ericka about their love lives. We saw many more flashbacks of an 18-year-old Oliver Wolf and his first crush, which explained his fear of relationships and the cold war with his mom.

Dr. Pierce had a patient who had a mysterious reason for seeing her.

June Sullivan is the Ideal Elderly Role Model

Dr. Wolf’s open quote about needing love, desire, and sex to keep going fit June to a tee. I’ve met some elderly ladies, but none were as feisty or endearing as she was.

She was removed from an assisted living center because she had sex with multiple residents. Watching Dr. Wolf and his interns debate if hypersexuality could be a symptom or if she was having some needed fun was hilarious.

I preferred Dana’s theory that June might be rediscovering herself, but they should test for STI’s, just in case. Always the realist.

Things got more complicated when June had a mini stroke, and Wolf discovered she had neurosyphilis.

The hypersexuality was a symptom of that, and if Dr. Wof treated the neurosyphilis with antibiotics, he’d save her life but the sex drive would disappear.

While many elderly people wouldn’t care, June has been celibate for years since her husband cheated on her, and had only started coming alive again once he passed.

While her sons were appalled, she wasn’t ready to let that go.

While usually Dr. Wolf taught his patient to adapt to their condition, this time he counseled June’s sons to accept their mom as she was, otherwise she’d lose her lively energy.

June Encourages Ericka to Find the Right Partner

It’s difficult to imagine an 80-year-old woman giving sex advice, but her wise words to Ericka paid off.

She didn’t want Ericka to be celibate like she had been for years when love and desire was important. I love how she encouraged her to find the right partner with a soulful connection and jump right in.

After Ericka told Van in Brilliant Minds Season 1 Episode 7 about her big feelings for Jacob, we thought the love triangle had shifted. Those two often share flirty banter and work together.

Ericka prepared a romantic night with wine and candles, so we were as surprised as Van was when he showed up with take-out.

He’s a smart man with a huge crush and rolled with it when she kissed him. Perhaps Ericka meant she had big feelings for Van and not to tell Jacob. We’ll never know, but that kiss was smoking hot!

Dr. Pierce Learns an Awful Truth About Her Patient

Initially, seeing Dr. Carol Pierce counsel a patient about boundaries and an old relationship was refreshing. I’s a topic she knew well.

But a red flag went up when her new patient Allison knew too much about her like her maiden name and her marital status. Then Allison missed a session.

Carol recruited Dana and her research skills to learn more about Allison, but she wasn’t prepared for the truth.

Allison was her husband’s old mistress. It felt like a bad soap opera plot as Alison stalked Carol to pretend she needed help and win Morris back.

Carol tried to refer Allison elsewhere, but Alison sounded so desperate, she couldn’t do it. It’s nice to see Carol in her own story and allow Tamberla Perry time to shine.

Flashbacks Reveal Why Wolf is Afraid of Relationships

Brilliant Minds has excelled at incorporating flashbacks of Wolf’s younger years to explain his family drama or his personality.

This time, the series introduced teen Oliver (Ted Sutherland) and his first relationship with a medical student, Tom, who stayed with them for the summer.

It was the first time Oliver spoke about his dad’s death since his mom couldn’t handle it. He finally looked like a happier young man blossoming in love.

But when his mom caught them kissing, she sent Tom away, and that moment defined their relationship. Oliver thought his mom was ashamed of him because they never discussed it, so he thought he did something wrong.

It’s heartbreaking he carried that feeling for so long, but he came out in the 1990s when things were different and she feared for his safety.

Perhaps now that they’ve talked, he’ll forgive her for sending away his first love, and they can repair their relationship. They must learn to communicate sometime. They won’t always have someone to intervene.

Wolf and Nichols Define Their Relationship

Teddy Sears was right. This episode defined Nichols and Wolf’s relationship. Initially, it seemed they were just hot and heavy, sneaking passionate kisses inside Wolf’s office whenever possible.

Their cute lunch dates, witty banter, and smoldering looks make them a root for couple. I love that Nichols knew he can be intimidating when he offered to talk to June’s family, which made Wolf go weak.

There is nothing sexier than an elevator kiss. But they should have stopped and locked it, which would have prevented Wolf’s mom from witnessing another kiss.

She tried to stay out of it, but she said enough to scare Nichols, who backed away, claiming he and Wolf only got together because they both missed Roman.

While Wolf agreed initially, he was hurt and blamed his mom for ruining another relationship. Then he fought for his man.

He learned so much from his last two patients, and that sometimes they have to jump right in. Wolf knew better than anyone if things implode, they could adapt, but he wanted to try.

I love how Nichols joked about their odds and he knew Wolf had proven him wrong many times. I can’t wait to see where these two go.

Over to you, Brilliant Minds Fanatics. Are you excited about Wolf and Nichols’s relationship status?

Did you expect the love triangle to change like that? What did you think of June?

Let us know in the comments.

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