Critic’s Rating: 4.6 / 5.0
4.6
Teen pregnancies and witchcraft. What a perfect combination heading into Halloween.
A group of teen girls experienced a mass psychogenic illness, and one of them experienced pseudocyesis, a false pregnancy, in Brilliant Minds Season 1 Episode 6.
Dr. Wolf and his team returned to high school to find the root of this issue and bond with these girls.
While this was a serious issue, it was also one of the season’s heartwarming and entertaining installments.
It showcased the strength of female friendship during those difficult high school years. The viewers also learned why Dana hated high school and why her anxiety started.
Elsewhere, both Wolf and Carol experimented with flirting with new colleagues. Did they get their groove back?
Returning to High School to Solve the Latest Mystery Case
Brilliant Minds keeps surprising us with medical cases we have never heard of.
While I have heard of pseudocyesis or false pregnancy, adding multiple teens experiencing mass hysteria was an exciting twist.
Typically, women who can’t have babies experience pseudocyesis as part of their grief. Most teenagers wouldn’t want to get pregnant.
The only thing weirder if they’re all pregnant is if they’re all not.
— Dr. Wolf
With that in mind, Dr. Wolf and his team returned to high school to decipher if Sarah Lim and her friends experienced any group trauma that would have triggered this.
Even though Dr. Wolf hated high school as much as Dana did, he looked like he belonged as the group strutted in.
He looked relaxed and confident in his leather jacket as he and Principal Owens tried to soothe the parents and find answers.
He’s so versed in making patients feel comfortable, even if he isn’t comfortable in interpersonal relationships. Dr. Wolf understood wanting to find your life’s purpose as a teenager, even if it was misguided by becoming a teen parent.
He experienced so much trauma as a teen, and he still wasn’t sure he had a purpose besides medicine, so in some way, he envied that these girls had exact goals.
A Pregnancy Pact With A Magical Twist
While pacts don’t happen as much in high school, pregnancy pacts still occur. It’s partly a way for best friends to do something together.
Sarah Lim, Lily Jones, and their friends had such a strong bond that it was difficult for the doctors to crack it and understand it.
Seeing them join their group and get their tarot cards read was hilarious. Those were classic high school activities that helped integrate them with the girls.
Thankfully, Dana learned this pregnancy pact was different. The girls cast a spell to become pregnant and thought they were a month later.
Group singing was essential to their bond as it released the hormone oxytocin and opened up neuro passages, allowing mass hysteria to spread. Whoever thought that a wonderful thing like longing to belong could do that?
Finding the index patient became more imperative.
Van’s Mirror Touch Synesthesia Saved the Day
Van still hated being different and felt his mirror-touch synesthesia was more like a science experiment for his friends.
He still had difficulty taking bloodwork for fear of needles. However, his ability to feel pain saved the day.
When Samantha Lee arrived at the hospital, everyone assumed she had mass hysteria like the others, so she went into false labor.
But Van nearly doubled over in pain and knew those were real labor pains and that the baby was coming immediately.
Seeing the parallels between Van’s surprise over Samantha Lee and Dr. Wolf and Principal Owens discussing how Samantha’s withdrawal from school affected the girls played well.
That was the calmest Van had ever been as he took charge, leading the girls to help their friend and asking Ericka to assist him. I wish we had seen even more of the birth as Van would shine as an OB-gyn.
I loved how he admitted later that he focused on Ericka to keep him calm during the procedure. These two shared little moments in this episode that built them up as a potential couple. The series shines at teasing viewers just a bit.
Dana’s Panic Attack Explained Many Issues
Hearing more about Dana’s past explained why she hated school and had that panic attack in the library. It also explained why she bonded with Lily.
While sometimes there is a chemical imbalance causing depression and anxiety, it’s often triggered by trauma. They’ve been hinting at something with Dana for weeks.
I never would have guessed that Dana had a younger sister or that she had died, but this information explained why she bonded so quickly with Lily. Lily was fierce, funny, and ready to take on the world like Dana’s younger sister had been.
Dana was also envious of Lily, Sarah, and the other girls’ bond. She wished she had a strong friendship like that in high school and might have coped better.
I love how far the interns have grown. They hang out outside work to celebrate wins and be there for each other, and they all reassure Dana that they are there for her.
Ericka: You have us now. We’re your coven.
Dana: You get one group hug. That’s it.
Carol and Wolf Got Their Groove Back
Neither Wolf nor Carol had dated anyone in forever. Carol had forgotten what it was like to be single, so watching her approach an old colleague about an experimental trial for John Doe was entertaining.
She knew Simon from college, and he was still attracted to her. While Simon didn’t want to work with Wolf on this trial, he would put up with him if he saw more of Carol.
Maybe Carol would benefit from having a fun fling. She’s also right that Wolf needs to let more people see him besides his plants and the patients.
He almost did with Principal Owens. The chemistry was electric, and they cared about helping those teenage girls.
Mark Owens even pursued him by asking Wolf out. Should we hope he considers himself unavailable because Wolf and Nichols will become a thing soon?
High school can be one of the hardest times.
This episode showcased how you need a tribe of friends to help you survive, and when something changes among them, it causes chaos for teenagers.
It spoke to Dr. Wolf and Dana the most, but this case will also affect many viewers.
What did you think of this week’s Brilliant Minds, TV Fanatics?
Were you surprised by the magical pregnancy pact?
Did you enjoy learning more about Dana?
Are you glad Wolf and Carol have a social life?
Let us know in the comments.
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