Brilliant Minds Season 2 has been all about the future. The hints of Wolf's eventual incarceration in Hudson Oaks, undoubtedly thanks to Porter's Machiavellian scheming, have been consistent throughout, and have been fascinating to follow, especially in episodes that offer key clues about what's really going on. Episode 8, "The Upside Down," is just that, and it's quite explicit. There's a significant focus on Porter and his burgeoning clash with Wolf, as well as on Hudson Oaks itself, which is nice since the previous episode barely mentioned it.
Porter works as a character because he's right – technically. We've seen this a few times throughout the season, instances where he does or says the right thing in a way that sometimes feels at odds with his otherwise deeply smug personality. Remember, Wolf isn't exactly even-keeled at the best of times, and his tendency to get overly attached to his patients is a double-edged sword. Framing this in relation to Jorge's coma makes sense, since that plot has been going on for a while and is meaningful to multiple characters.
However, because Porter has been depicted as flagrantly sinister from the beginning, it's basically impossible to see him speaking to Ana without Wolf's consent as anything other than an effort to undermine Wolf. And Wolf's counterargument is also correct – mixed messaging from Jorge's doctors undermines the trust that Ana has in his care. A part of me thinks this would work better if there were a little more credibility given to Porter's argument – sure, he has a point, but there's absolutely no ambiguity around who the show is siding with here – but there's just enough validity for it to work.
I also suspect that Porter refusing to take constructive criticism and taking open jabs at Wolf's approach isn't just him being arrogant; I think he's letting some of his ulterior motives, his lingering resentment towards Wolf, slip out here. He mentions to Ana that he has some experience with Jorge's situation, which connects to my theory that his mother was Wolf's brain tumor patient, whom he fought so hard to save that he ended up sacrificing her quality of life in her final days.
Porter is able to get one-on-one with Ana because "The Upside Down" is set against the backdrop of a plane crash that causes a mass panic in the ED, taking Wolf out of the picture to work with Thorne – a compelling character who needs something more personally tailored to do – on the pilot who managed to land the plane safely despite her vision having become mysteriously inverted. This A-plot isn't especially interesting – she literally has a migraine, it turns out – but it does occupy focus while things happen elsewhere.
This brings us to the story of Ericka, who has taken a courageous step by confessing her Benzo addiction to Dana. However, a random drug test coupled with the panic surrounding the plane crash has thrown her into disarray. Frightened of losing her dream career, she contemplates trying to game the system, but ultimately ends up re-revealing her predicament to Jacob and then for the first time to Van. Van recommends that she reveal it to Nurse Silva. This all feels a bit too simplistic, as if everyone trusts a self-confessed drug addict to handle the problem alone. However, either way, it leads to a positive conclusion. Silva takes the news well and tells Ericka to come back for the test in two weeks, when she'll hopefully be clean enough to pass it. But she gets the memo and goes to Carol, finally confessing that she needs real help. There's a therapist in her future, and hopefully, some resolution now that the cat is firmly out of the bag.
In Brilliant Minds Season 2, Episode 8, Amelia is also portrayed as a proper villain. We have to wonder if she's connected to Porter in some meaningful way, as the pieces are starting to slot together a bit too neatly. Amelia is essentially using Hudson Oaks to keep patients against their will, and this is clearly the fate that Oliver's heading towards. But given that Carol clearly sees through Amelia's smiley deception, I do wonder how Wolf is going to end up there without her intervention. Whatever Porter is planning to entrap him, it's going to have to be pretty sophisticated.
Now that Ericka's addiction is out in the open, Jorge is awake, and there are clear villains with fairly obvious schemes to focus on, it feels like Brilliant Minds may well be shifting gears to enter a new phase of the season.
