Word: The next story comprises spoilers from “Good Minds” Season 2, Episode 1.
“Good Minds” plunges viewers into what we are able to solely think about is Dr. Oliver Wolf’s worst nightmare within the Season 2 premiere, when he could be seen desperately attempting to flee a psychological establishment and this time, Zachary Quinto’s Wolf is the affected person not the physician.
Slightly than a nightmare, viewers rapidly be taught these flash-forwards occur six months sooner or later. The story of how Wolf ended up within the establishment, named Hudson Oaks, shall be sprinkled throughout the NBC medical drama’s second season, in keeping with showrunner Michael Grassi.
“Loads of final season was about understanding Oliver’s previous and his relationship together with his father and his mother, and the way sophisticated that was, and the way plenty of that made him the physician he’s at this time,” Grassi advised TheWrap. “This season is about persevering with that story, however in a model new method, with this propulsive, new system of those flash forwards and discovering Oliver on this very particular scenario the place he’s preventing for his life … What’s going to be the factor that breaks Oliver and sends him to Hudson Oaks?
Given “Good Minds’” give attention to neurology, psychiatry and psychological well being, Grassi hopes the brand new storyline will shine a light-weight on these newer kinds of psychological well being establishments which can be accessible to extra than simply the uber wealthy and aren’t the “asylums of the previous.” “We’re digging into what these amenities in America seem like at this time, and the way sufferers can actually profit from them and … how it may be laborious to just accept assist from them,” Grassi mentioned.
A breadcrumb as to what led Wolf to a supposed psychological well being disaster is left on the finish of the Season 2 premiere, when Wolf returns dwelling to see that his dad, Noah (Mandy Patinkin), left him once more, simply shy of a month after Oliver agreed to let Noah dwell with him as he investigated Noah’s mind situation.
“Wolf is in a very unusual scenario, as a result of he spent his complete life and plenty of Season 1, coping with that and processing that, and he’s, in so some ways, grieved his father,” Grassi mentioned, noting that Wolf’s grief of shedding his father once more and the way he offers with that grief is an enormous a part of Season 2. Grassi, nevertheless, remained tight-lipped about whether or not Season 2 would see Patinkin return as Noah.
Beneath, Grassi unpacks the expansion in Oliver’s relationship together with his mom and his ongoing pressure with Josh and teases what that new resident has in retailer.
TheWrap: Oliver can also be coming to phrases with the truth that his mother lied to him abut his dad, however she’s additionally there when he leaves once more. The place do they stand proper now?
Grassi: Loads of final season, we spent plenty of time with Wolf placing a few of his emotions onto mother and displaying the strains of their relationships, and when his dad re-emerged, I feel his thoughts instantly clicked into, “My mother orchestrated this,” however plenty of that episode was studying that it truly wasn’t her, it’s what his father wished. That was an enormous step in therapeutic and seeing that it wasn’t at all times his mother who was manipulating conditions — typically it was his dad as effectively, and she or he actually does apologize to him on the finish of 113, so after we catch as much as them within the new season, there are nonetheless huge emotions, and there’s rather a lot boiling underneath the floor, however I feel they’re in a brand new place collectively and a model new dynamic, and it’s actually enjoyable to see their scene work and the place they go. Seeing Muriel be fearful about Oliver so attention-grabbing and thrilling. It’s by no means extra thrilling to me than when Donna [Murphy] and Zach are in scenes collectively.
Oliver additionally burned the bridge with Josh however they nonetheless clearly have some pressure. What are you able to tease about their relationship this season?
Pay attention, they’re each sophisticated guys, and that’s what makes their scenes so good. Wolf was coping with rather a lot final season — whether or not standing up Nichols was proper or incorrect, it’s what he wanted to do in that second, and I feel that was hurtful to Nichols for quite a lot of causes, however Josh has had some bizarre issues with Wolf like, “Do you respect what I do?” in order that they’ve had some attention-grabbing work pressure as effectively … which may be very actual to what neurologists and neurosurgeons take care of in actual life. There’s at all times just a little little bit of pressure between these two medical doctors … they’re nonetheless working by way of what they imply to one another and what their relationship means, however it’s about to get far more sophisticated than it’s simpler. What’s good is they are going to at all times be in one another’s orbit, and these are two individuals who care deeply about one another. It’s a little bit of a curler coaster with Josh and Wolf this season, however what I’ll say is that there’s plenty of respect there.
We additionally see Carol having fun with the luxuries of personal medication however it’s not sufficient for her and she or he finally asks for her job again. The place is she at by way of how she feels about what occurred?
The identical method she fights for her sufferers, the identical method Wolf fights for his sufferers, I feel she desires to battle for her job again. Loads of the following episode goes to be seeing her navigate what meaning and the way that appears for her, and the way she’s going to go about that. What she’s coping with is de facto nuanced and complicated, and sure, she made a mistake, however she additionally saved somebody’s life, and that’s sophisticated, and we’re going to see her work by way of that.
We additionally meet a brand new resident Charlie, whose intentions don’t fairly appear pure. What are you able to inform us about him and the way he shakes up dynamics with the interns?
I like all of our interns a lot, and we had them be this surrogate household final yr, the place they actually leaned on one another, they usually had been group hugging, they usually had been studying laborious classes with Wolf. Charlie is available in and he sees them, and he’s like, “What is that this?” This isn’t what he’s used to in skilled settings. He’s simply seeking to poke at this and perhaps upend just a little little bit of what we’ve established final season, however in a method that feels actual to medication and his perspective on medication, which we’ll proceed to be taught extra about all through the season. Charlie pursued this job, he pursued this place, to work with Wolf, the massive query is, why?
You might have so many enjoyable visitor stars this season, from Jane Krakowski to Porsha Williams. How did Porsha’s casting come collectively and what was it like working w her?
She is simply such a star and she or he’s so beloved within the “Actual Housewives” franchise, and having her come to set was so enjoyable for us. I used to be flying to Toronto, and my telephone rings within the airport, and it’s Porsha, and she or he simply known as me to say that she had the most effective time on the present, and she or he liked working with Tamberla [Perry] and she or he was like, “Bitsy, wants to return again.”
Similar with somebody like Jane Krakowski, she was at all times my primary. And after we cooked up, this can be a story that we’ve at all times form of wished to inform a couple of lady underneath in a conservatorship, and after we had been brainstorming, the primary individual we considered was Jane Krakowski — she can be so good with this, as a result of she will deal with a few of the extra comedic parts story, however on the identical time additionally the emotional and extra nuanced a part of the storytelling that we do on “Good Minds.”
This interview has been edited for size and readability.
“Good Minds” premieres Mondays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
