Where ‘Brilliant Minds’ Left Off & What We Know About Its Future
After an extended hiatus, NBC’s brilliant medical drama returns with the rest of its second season next week.
Brilliant Minds has been off since February 2, but it returns with the final six episodes of Season 2 on Wednesday, May 27, on a new night and at a new time. The series follows Zachary Quinto‘s Dr. Oliver Wolf and his team at Bronx General as they tackle medical mysteries of the mind. It is inspired by world-famous author and neurologist Oliver Sacks. But sadly, these upcoming episodes will be the show’s last.
Read on for everything we know about Brilliant Minds‘ return and whether it could be saved.
When does Brilliant Minds return?
Brilliant Minds previously aired Mondays at 10/9c. When it returns, it will do so on a new night and at a new time, Wednesdays, at 8/7c, beginning on May 27.
In the first of the remaining six episodes, titled “The Missing Person,” NBC teases, “A Party Girl, who’s on the run, is rushed into the hospital and our doctors have to figure out what exactly she’s running from. When Wolf doesn’t show up for his shift at the hospital, Carol [Tamberla Perry] — worried about his mental health — goes on a mission to find him.”
Pief Weyman/NBC
What happened in Brilliant Minds Season 2?
The last Brilliant Minds to air was Season 2 Episode 14, titled “The Invisible Man.” The hospital dealt with a carbon monoxide leak that resulted in Carol realizing that Sofia (Sarah Steele), supposedly Wolf’s father’s neighbor, isn’t real. Wolf told her he’d left her in the sleep study room during the emergency, and when she played back the recording, she saw he was alone.
Meanwhile, Josh (Teddy Sears) was among those affected, and while his boyfriend Beau (Marco Pigossi) was by his side, it was his ex-boyfriend Wolf’s name he said while being treated in the hyperbaric chamber.
Is Brilliant Minds canceled?
Unfortunately, yes, Brilliant Minds has been canceled. The news came on May 1.
Why was Brilliant Minds canceled?
The NBC medical drama’s ratings were low, last among the network’s scripted shows in the key 18-49 demo and 11th of 13 in average total viewers. Scheduling also played a factor, according to Deadline.
“Honestly, we have a very, very tight schedule. Because we have a lot of sports, for our entertainment time periods, we had to actually give up on some shows that we really love to make room to launch our future potential hits,” Jeff Bader, NBCUniversal’s President of Program Planning Strategy, said.
How will Brilliant Minds end?
There are still six episodes left to air, and it sounds like they’re ones that fans won’t want to miss, especially to see how the story ends for Wolf and the rest of the characters.
“Creatively we love the show, and are really proud of the show, and think that the fans deserve to see how the story ends. It has a great, very satisfying ending,” Lisa Katz, President of Scripted Content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, noted to Deadline. “So we’d like to have the opportunity for the fans of the show, of which there are still many, to be able to see it and finish the story with the characters.”
That presumably means seeing all about Wolf’s time at Hudson Oaks, the psychiatric facility run by Amelia Frederick (Bellamy Young), as seen in the flashforwards, and perhaps some sort of development with Wolf and Josh. Will they find their way back to each other, or will there at least be hope for that by series end?
Could Brilliant Minds be saved?
We’ll have to wait and see. So far, there’s no indication that will happen — it is rare that it does — but bookmark this page for updates.
Conversation32 Comments
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Y
What is NBC thinking? Brilliant Minds was our favorite show. I hope they come to their senses and change their mind.
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A
This is SUCH disappointing news We, who don't watch sports would like some recognition! We are important too! Stop taking off BRILLIANT Television for sports, you know there are ENTIRE channels for that right!?! This show deserves better treatment and so do its viewers What a Joke, I'm MAD
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L
This really stinks - why get rid of the really good creatively written series?? this is why i dont subscribe to nbc
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J
Not everyone is in to all these sports on nbc will miss all the shows cancelled
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J
That's for sure. I cancelled Peacock Plus when it went off. I'm going to pay for it again, and then quit for good when it ends.
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L
“I’m so disappointed that Brilliant Minds wasn’t renewed. It was one of the few genuinely thoughtful and inspiring shows on TV. Great programs keep getting canceled because of ratings, while many less meaningful ones stay on the air. Please reconsider and bring it back!
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F
So you give up a great show for sports?
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M
I think is really sad to see a awesome show get canceled for sports the show made so much sense . and mind opening. NBC you always cancel great shows.☹️☹️☹️
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L
Less sports. There are sports channels for this. You take away Brilliant Minds but keep St Denis. And The Hunting Party may be on the chopping block too. Ugh!
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A
Every single time that there's a NEW drama series that gives us something different, it gets cancelled. What I notice from NBC is this. When they want to cancel a show, they will move it to a different night and time... Sometimes they do that twice. So how can fans keep track?
There have been great shows that were cancelled after the writer's strike without giving those series a fair run
Brilliant Minds is something different that we haven't really seen before. It does not show bloody surgeries and all but the stories of the patients and staff is different. I wish this show could be brought back like Jericho.
JMHO
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G
I’m really going to miss the show. The cast was really good and I think Quinto rocked!! Not everyone is a sports fanatic and I’m disappointed that NBC is scheduling so much time for it .
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C
I love this show. Zachary Quinto is fantastic in the role and the episodes get better & better. I'm so disappointed they cancelled it
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F
I watch/watched both Brilliant Minds and Stumble. I was hopeful about Stumble but didn't really plan on it being renewed. In fact, especially with NBC, I won't start watching one of their shows until they make it two seasons usually. But Brilliant Minds was just too intriguing to wait, and I really thought after watching the pilot that THIS one would make it. The only show that I lobbied along with a bunch of other people that actually worked was Lucifer.
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B
I absolutely LOVE this show. I cannot believe such a quality show didn't get better press and a bigger push. A+ rating from me. Damn shame theyre pulling the plug.
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T
Noooooooooo please reconsider bringing Brilliant Minds back!!!! I found it educational. Ouinto is a great actor! SAD😒😒😒😒😒
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T
I absolutely love this show .. it is super sad it is being cancelled and I would love to see it come back .. you finally have a show that addresses mental health and it’s being cancelled !
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C
I LOVE BRILLIANT MINDS. So well written.....Dr, Wolf is a favorite! Somebody....give it another chance...
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M
Please reconsider! Brilliant Minds is a phenomenal show.
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S
Brilliant Minds was one of our top DVR shows. Hope it comes back.
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S
I really enjoy this show and am bummed it's cancelled. Any chance another network would pick it up?
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J
REALLY upset NBC canceled an interesting, well-written show that was medically intriguing. Characters were well developd, likable & it was 1 of the few shows I watchd on NBC! Jeff Bader, this was a BAD decision! BRING IT BACK!!!!!
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R
Sports are boring!
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O
We really enjoy the show. It was also somewhat educational and a tribute to a real doctor that was fascinating. I wish NBC would bring it back, or maybe another network would be smart enough to pick it up.
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C
Sports, then "reality" sholle schlock. Then never really did promos when she was returning, on a different day (and timeslot?). Also those of us NOT in 18-49 enjoy good content too. Good programs are rare. Especially on network TV. We need more excellently programming, like Brilliant Minds.
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P
I sometimes wonder why I watch any new show because more than likely it will be cancelled. Brilliant Minds was a fantastic show and I wish there were another season. You do end with a cliffhanger
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S
This is so disappointing!!!! I absolutely love this so.
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A
I love this show! Honestly it's the best series on TV, certainly the best thing on network TV. I'm guessing the show was simply too smart for the average viewer!
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S
Best show on tv
Stupid shows get to go on but something so informative on mental illness gets canceled
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C
I really enjoyed the show. But did we really need to see a gay Spock? They should have stuck with the brilliant mind and left his lower extremities out of the story.
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W
I'm upset that brilliant minds is being canceled. Awesome story lines and Wonderful Actors will be missed . Of course putting sports shows on so much we lose so many watchers. 🙄 unfortunately not everything was finished in the storyline. I would have liked to seen the Investigation of the psychological doctor where Wolf was kicked to the curb and jailed for what she is doing.
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M
Do you really think that just because they are sports channels that other channels don't want sports money?? That sounds pretty naive to me.🤑🤦
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M
Sports brings in the money, the money is spent on entertainment shows. Do you see it now?? 🤔
Also, if not enough people in the right demographic watch the show, It gets axed. Then the sports money goes to other shows and (God forbid) new shows!
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