We’re back! After a much longer hiatus than planned, Brilliant Minds Season 2 Episode 15 ‘The Missing Person,’ kicks off the show’s final episodes. It’s an episode where most things work, although some don’t, and above all, it lays a solid foundation for this final stretch. Ready?
Here we go!
Oliver’s Disappearance Finally Pushes Carol to Her Limit
It’s clear that Brilliant Minds Season 2 Episode 15 ‘The Missing Person,’ wasn’t meant to be the first episode after such a long hiatus. The episode focuses almost entirely on trying to find Oliver. The plot is intended to make us feel anguish and concern for him. But it doesn’t quite succeed. There’s some anguish, yes, but mainly curiosity.
So it all feels anticlimactic. There’s a version of this episode where Oliver’s storyline completely works. This just isn’t quite it. We spend so little time with him that other plots end up pulling focus without even trying to.
Nevertheless, we loved that the episode showed how much Carol—and Josh—cares for Oliver and how much she loves him. She was ready to jump at the chance to find him and know he’s okay. And she makes sure of it as soon as she finds him.
She does what she believes is best for Oliver to be okay. Carol has many doubts about Sophia and her existence—just like we do—but in that moment, only Oliver matters. That’s why the friendship between these two is one of the reasons we watch this show.
Also, Carol finally confronted Thorne about his hypocrisy in flirting with her and giving her false hope while he has a girlfriend. It’s not fair to her or his girlfriend. So Carol is a queen!
MORE: Where Did Brilliant Minds Season 2 Leave Off Before the Hiatus?
Charlie Makes a Decision That Could Destroy Everything
That said, we found Charlie’s reaction to what’s happening with Oliver in Brilliant Minds Season 2 Episode 15 ‘The Missing Person,’ very interesting. He joined that team to destroy Oliver. And he ended up succeeding. Or, at least, he managed to be a big part of the reason Oliver fell down the rabbit hole. But he doesn’t feel as good as he thought he would. On the contrary, he feels…guilty.
Perhaps Charlie will never be able to forgive Oliver or appreciate him like the rest do, but he also didn’t want all this to happen. And when he has Oliver in front of him and sees how bad things are…he sees his handiwork and feels even worse. So, he knows that the right thing to do is to confess that he located Oliver’s father. But Charlie fears that if he does, he’ll lose his job and the people who ended up becoming his support system.
As we mentioned, Charlie arrived at the hospital to destroy Oliver, but he didn’t expect to find a job he loves and people who ended up becoming his friends. And in Brilliant MindsSeason 2 Episode 15 ‘The Missing Person,’ Charlie takes a risk if he confesses the truth. So he faces this dilemma of doing the easy way out…or the right thing.
Luckily, he chooses the right option and tells Carol the truth. Therefore, perhaps Charlie isn’t as bad as we initially thought. However, we can’t forget that Josh offers him Wolf’s position…and he accepts it. Does he do it with malicious intent, or just because someone has to lead the team while Oliver is away? We can’t wait to find out!
MORE: Brilliant Minds Season 2, Episode 14 Review: ‘The Invisible Man’
Katie and Dana’s Relationship Is Full of Red Flags
We couldn’t stand Katie in Brilliant Minds Season 2 Episode 15 ‘The Missing Person.’ We didn’t like that she invited herself to Dana’s house. But we understand that it was her way of telling her she wanted to take their relationship to the next level.
But talking to Erika like that? She had no right to! Katie is practically forcing Erika to move out of a house that isn’t hers. Besides, what if Erika isn’t ready to move back in? What if it caused her to relapse? Katie was insensitive and selfish.
Deciding whether and how to talk to Erika was Dana’s business. And yes, she tries to avoid confrontation and difficult conversations, but that doesn’t mean Katie should take away her ability to make that decision. And we don’t buy that Katie only wanted to help Dana and had good intentions. Katie made the decision for Dana and hurt her best friend’s feelings. In short, she manipulated Dana.
And all because of stupid jealousy that has no basis and doesn’t justify what she did. Dana never chose Erika over her. She only acted like a good friend. The way Katie reacts to all of this is hard to ignore, especially because the episode clearly wants us to notice how defensive she gets. Instead of dragging the tension out, ‘The Missing Person’ actually makes Dana confront it head-on, and the story is better for it.
What Katie did wasn’t right, and the way Katie treats her sometimes… makes her feel insecure. She makes these comments that seem like no big deal, but they are. Passive-aggressive comments are the worst kind because you’re left feeling bad and, at the same time, you feel stupid for feeling that way. And you don’t even know if that comment was a cruel joke or if it was serious.
Katie uses this tactic a lot with Dana—another very clear red flag—and, in the end, Dana doesn’t know if Katie actually likes her or not. And fueling this insecurity is another form of manipulation. So we need Dana to end her relationship with Katie. As much as she apologized in Brilliant Minds Season 2 Episode 15 ‘The Missing Person,’ we don’t think anything will change, considering everything. We hope we’re wrong.
MORE: Brilliant Minds Season 2, Episode 13 Review: ‘The Rabbit Hole’
Brilliant Minds Season 2 Episode 15 Understands the Reality of Caregiving
On another note, Brilliant Minds Season 2 Episode 15 ‘The Missing Person,’ hit the nail on the head regarding caregivers. When a loved one gets sick, it’s usually women who take care of them. And that’s a pressure that’s neither fair nor easy to bear.
It’s like you’re giving up everything and, at the same time, you feel like no matter what you do, you’re failing. And you’re silently screaming while feeling bad about it, feeling the need to escape. You feel selfish for wanting your life back. And it’s just too much.
What really lands in ‘The Missing Person’ is the idea that caring about someone and actually being able to help them are two very different things. The episode never turns that into some big speech, either. It just lets the characters sit with how awful and unfair that reality feels. It lets the guilt sit there, unresolved and messy, which honestly makes the whole story hit harder.
PS: Seeing Josh jealous was THE BEST!
Brilliant Minds Season 2 airs on Wednesdays at 8 pm ET on NBC.
