I regret having to say "I told you so," but the truth must be told. To be fair, Brilliant Minds Season 2 has not been secretive about Charlie Porter's sinister intentions, and the Halloween special dropped a significant clue about his true motivations. Episode 10, "The Resident," confirms my theory about Porter's true identity, while also providing a satisfying, in-brand breakthrough in Sam's case and leaving things on a major cliffhanger, as all good fall finales should.
Let's get to the obvious point. Yes, Charlie is the son of Wolf's former patient, the woman dying from a malignant brain tumor whom he continued to try and "save" despite her terminal prognosis. This was also, as we now know, alluded to in Episode 8 when Porter and Wolf clashed over the former's conversation with Ana. The writing was truly on the wall.
But "The Resident" creates a grandiose setting for all this – a swanky fundraising gala hosted by Hudson Oaks. Porter takes to the stage at Muriel's invitation to share his heartwarming story of how he became a doctor, and that's when the pieces slot into place for Wolf. It's a brutal moment for him, and it handily recontextualizes all of Porter's prior behavior for us. Now we know why he couldn't stand to see Wolf give his patients what he considered to be false hope (even though he was wrong about Jorge); why he couldn't tolerate being scolded by Wolf over a mistake, even if it might have resulted in a patient dying. After all, hasn't Wolf himself made mistakes that cost the lives of his patients?
It's still not entirely clear what Porter's motive in joining Wolf's team is, and we still don't know how Wolf ends up in Hudson Oaks himself. We do know that Porter had the location of Wolf's father, though whether that's a trap – which I suspect it might be – or not will have to wait. But we know something bad is coming between these two, and knowing this show, Wolf is going to have so much self-loathing about being reminded of his lowest ebb that he'll walk right into it.
Now for the good news – Sam is saved! Well, we think so. If nothing else, he's able to get the new liver he needed, and the surgery went well. He will presumably be on the road to recovery now, at least physically, but his mental health issues aren't going anywhere, so he'll need support along the way. But props to Brilliant Minds Season 2, Episode 10, for bringing this turnabout in the most Brilliant Minds way possible. At the gala, after Ericka tried and failed to schmooze the head of the hospital's transplant department into adding Sam to the list, Wolf took to the stage to very publicly thank him for his altruism in agreeing to help Sam, forcing him into a position where he had no choice but to help him. How very Oliver Wolf.
After their triumphant moment, Ericka and Wolf share a heartwarming cuddle that, surprisingly, I found quite touching. Wolf isn't exactly one for public displays of affection, but there's something in the air in "The Resident" that's making everyone more open. Ericka's excitement about Sam – and let's not forget her Benzo addiction that we haven't mentioned for a while – has reignited her connection with Jacob. This could be the perfect timing, considering he was considering moving back to Texas for his dream job.
Van, however, is facing a different challenge. His relationship with Michelle seems to be back on track, but she's becoming increasingly resistant to making things official. She's wary of putting their child through another breakup and dealing with one herself, which is completely understandable. But a bit of honesty from Van seems to turn the tide. Michelle agrees to meet him at the gala, but... stands him up... until the closing scene of the episode reveals that she's been involved in a nasty-looking car crash. Oh, no!
There are plenty of threads for the next episode to pick up on, including all of this and the fallout from the revelation that Thorne isn't as single as he's been leading Carol to believe. With half a season still to go, I wonder how much more drama we can expect!
