Brilliant Minds’ Showrunner Michael Grassi Talks That Cliffhanger & Season 2

Brilliant Minds Season 1 has come to an end, and what a rollercoaster it was. From the show’s mental health storyline to Oliver Wolf’s journey of letting people in, without forgetting that shocking twist in the finale—a lot was going on in Season 1. And, there was the promise of more to come from showrunner Michael Grassi if the show returns for a Season 2.

We caught up with Grassi to discuss Season 1, where it leaves the characters, and what that means for a possible (probable) second season.

For Grassi, bringing back Oliver Wolf’s father, played by Mandy Patinkin in the present timeline and Gray Powell in flashbacks, was always the plan.

“To distill it to the simplest form, we were telling a story of what is it like to grow up with a father who is suffering from mental illness,” Grassi shared.

“And we sort of get to see all facets of that, right? We get to see Noah being a great dad. In some episodes, we get to see moments where he’s maybe having a depressive episode, and he won’t get up off the sofa. We get to see moments where he’s having moments of mania. For instance, when he’s in the woods, and he leaves Oliver alone, putting his life in danger. So, we get to sort of see what that looks like in sort of our storytelling.”

That’s been the story Michael Grassi and the show have been telling all season, Oliver’s story of growing up with a father with mental illness. The story in the last two episodes of the season, titled, “The Doctor Whose Whole World Collapsed,” and “The Man Who Can’t See Faces,” is different, though it isn’t. It’s the same story from a different point of view, and we already know point of view can significantly shift a story.

“When we get to our last two episodes, we sort of flip that question,” and “we get to see Muriel and Noah’s point of view.” As a viewer, this isn’t something we’ve thought of, and it’s, of course, a point of view Oliver himself doesn’t have.

“And we ask the question, what is it like to be a parent when you’re struggling with your mental health?”

“Obviously, this is an extreme sort of big version of it. And they made this big decision as physicians. They really did believe as doctors that the death of a parent would be easier for our little Wolf to process than abandonment. And they really had big aspirations for him and who he was going to be. And they believed that they were making the right decision at the time, which seems wild, but we’re going to see them sort of continue to unpack that, hopefully, in future seasons.”

The big conversation about mental health doesn’t stop with Noah Wolf, it carries over to the interns in this episode. Ericka and Dana having a big conversation that Grassi shared was one of his favorite scenes in the finale. It all revolves around whether taking medication for mental health issues is good or not. “It’s such an important conversation. One of the big things we wanted to do with this show was tell stories about mental health that helped to destigmatize it. To have conversations that real people are having.”

In many ways, that’s the impetus for the conversation between Ericka and Dana, who have generally seen eye-to-eye this season. “I think having the conversation between Dana and Erica—and I love how both of those actors play that scene— is a conversation that I think many of us have with each other, or have with ourselves. And I’m so proud of that scene. And so proud that we’re putting that out on broadcast television. Because I do think that a lot of us have Dana’s perspective. And a lot of us have Ericka’s perspective.”

The important thing, for Michael Grassi, for the show, is awareness. “What’s really important is that we’re talking about it. And we are de-stigmatizing it. I think Oliver Sacks, the real doctor this is inspired by, dedicated his life to de-stigmatizing mental health.”

“…And by having these conversations on television, hopefully, we are continuing to carry that forward and sort of honoring Oliver Sacks in that way.”

As all of these big things are happening to Oliver Wolf in the Brilliant Minds finale, there’s a man in the background. One who would be there for him. One who very recently admitted he’s falling for Wolf. A man, you would think, Wolf would confide in. And somehow, in this episode, Josh Nichols becomes the man Oliver Wolf doesn’t lean on. In a way, though, the narrative makes the why obvious. Too much is at stake. Grassi offered his perspective on what this means for the two and what the plan is.

“I think that when Oliver finds out that he’s been lied to for most of his life, what’s happening in that moment is he’s starting to question everything. It’s like, what else is a lie? I think that the floor sort of dropped from under him. And the thing that sort of has defined him as a person and as a doctor is different. It’s not what he thought it was. So, I think he’s really grappling with that.” That’s just a lot to deal with in the moment, especially when Nichols just doesn’t know.

“I think part of him is doing this mental math of like, my mom brought me to Bronx General. There’s this surgeon here who is handsome and too good to be true. And it’s like, is that fabricated too?

“Like, what else am I being lied to about? I think is part of what’s going on psychologically, whether that’s true or not. It’s part of the stories we tell ourselves.”

But that doesn’t mean this is the end of the two of them, not by a long shot. “I do think that him pushing Josh away is a very natural, very Wolf reaction to what’s going on. He needs to get his house in order before he can let someone in. “I think he needs to work on some stuff on the inside before he can have the healthy relationship we are all rooting for.”

Romantically, at least, because he seems to find it easier to bond with the interns. By the end of the episode the group has reaffirmed that whatever’s coming, they’ve got Wolf’s back. They’re his pack. “It’s been really nice for him to sort of have that journey with the interns,” Grassi said. “If he started as a lone wolf, I think we get to see him find his pack and start to let people in.

…The thing I love most about it is, I think we all expect the interns to be learning from Wolf, right? And I think by our season finale, we see that Wolf has learned from them as much as they’ve learned from him.”

That all ties back to the cliffhanger, and what Dana tells him in the church. It’s a hard thing to hear. But it’s something that, according to Grassi, “gives him perspective on getting a second chance with somebody.” This is partly why Wolf goes to his father at the end of the episode to attempt a reconciliation.

But of course, the show and showrunner Michael Grassi have one final twist for us: still, when we learn the real reason Noah Wolf has returned. He’s sick and he needs his son’s help. But did he only come back because of that? Or did he always want to come back and was this the excuse?

“That’s what we’ll be unpacking in Season 2. I think Wolf is going to be challenged with his greatest medical mystery yet. And possibly his most challenging patient yet, his own father. And we’re also going to see them sort of work through that at the same time. Because Noah Wolf is also a doctor. And it would be great to see him hopefully working as a GP at our very own Bronx General. That would be fun.”

Or confusing, nerve-wracking, and kind of interesting. Sort of the Brilliant Minds way. Bring on Season 2. And give us more chances to talk to Michael Grassi about what’s going on.

Are you excited about a possible Season 2? What else would you have asked Michael Grassi? Share with us in the comments below!

The first season of Brilliant Minds is now available to stream on Peacock.