Warning: this article contains spoilers forBrilliant Mindsseason 1, episode 10.Brilliant Mindsis hindering Ericka, its best intern, by caging her in a cliché love triangle storyline. TheNBC hit led by Zachary Quintohas gotten a lot right across its first ten episodes, but the direction the show is taking for the interns’ relationship dynamics is anything but original. Instead of focusing on the interns as individuals,the wonderful cast of characters inBrilliant Mindshas been divided into potential couples. Since the pilot, interesting characters like Ericka Kinney (Ashleigh LaThrop), Van Markus (Alex MacNicoll), and Jacob Nash (Spence Moore II) have been reduced to a derivative love triangle.
AlthoughBrilliant Mindsseason 2has yet to be confirmed, what the show is doing to Ericka’s character will have dire consequences for future storylines if the unique medical drama is renewed. Theself-proclaimed“real quarterback”of Dr. Wolf’s interns, Ericka is a bright, driven, and incredibly observant doctor. She is creative enough to recognize niche potential diagnoses while remaining logical enough to separate personal feelings from work. When John Doe insists he’s done with experimental measures in episode 7 (“The Man From Grozny”), Ericka defends his autonomy and even has to urge Wolf to respect his wishes.
Throwing Ericka Into A Love Triangle Cheapens Her Character in Brilliant Minds
Ericka Is Too Smart To Mix Business With Pleasure
For such an intelligent, mature character who maintains professionalism better than her superiors, it makes no sense forBrilliant Mindsto thrust Ericka into a contrived love trianglewith two out of three of her coworkers. While they each have their own quirks (Jacob’s insecurity, Van’s mirror-touch synesthesia, etc.), all threeBrilliant Mindscharacters are still a far cry from the lusty,rule-breaking interns ofGrey’s Anatomy. Van’s feelings for Ericka have been obvious since their first scene together (“Pilot”), but Ericka is suspiciously oblivious even as she initiates a sexual relationship with him while also having“feelings”for Jacob.
Brilliant Mindsseason 1 is set to have 13 episodes.
Ericka’s crush on Jacob appears seemingly overnight with no actual chemistry to back it up, and her fling with Van only begins at the suggestion of a patient with nymphomania in episode 8 (“The Lovesick Widow”). Ericka cherishes her job far too much to let a romance jeopardize anything, but the same can’t be guaranteed for Jacob or Van. In fact, both men have been shown to let their emotions get the best of them already. While some add intrigue to the plot,Brilliant Minds’ attempt at aTV love trianglefeels out-of-character at best.
Ericka & Van’s Casual Relationship Will Inevitably End In Heartbreak
They’re Not On The Same Page; They’re Not Even In The Same Book
Ericka makes her move on Van at the end ofBrilliant Mindsepisode 8, only one episode after Wolf kisses Dr. Josh Nichols (Teddy Sears) in a grand gesture. When talking toScreen Rant, Sears recounts learning about the episode 7 ending:“The first thought I had was, ‘Is this coming too early?’”The same sort of skepticism should have run through both Ericka and Van’s minds before engaging in a fundamentally imbalanced relationship. While the tension-snapping kiss scene is exciting, it quickly becomes clear thatEricka and Van want different thingsfrom this connection.
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Brilliant Minds episode 9 is based on the real-life Oliver Sacks case study of a colorblind painter, but the show takes a few creative liberties.
While Van has looked at Ericka like a lovesick puppy since the first episode ofBrilliant Minds, Ericka is looking for no-strings-attached fun. However, there should have been an understanding about their differing priorities. In episode 9 (“The Colorblind Painter”),Van admits to Jacob that he has a young sonhe likes to keep private. The very next episode (“The First Responder”) has Ericka offhandedly mentioning to Van how she has never wanted children. Theunderrated medical dramaseems to be setting both up for disappointment.
Can Brilliant Minds Still Make Ericka & Van’s Relationship Work?
Both Will Need To Sacrifice And Compromise
Even though they’re on different wavelengths,Ericka and Van are still incredibly compatibleinBrilliant Minds. Jacob and Ericka have sibling-adjacent banter and random indications of romantic feelings, but Van continues to show Ericka more care in a single scene than Jacob has all season. Though at first glance Ericka and Van may seem too different to date, eventhe best opposites attract TV couplesaren’t always pure opposites; they’re complementary. If Ericka and Van decide to give a serious relationship a try inBrilliant Minds, the two could help each other grow and realize new aspects of themselves.
Brilliant Mindsairs Mondays at 10 ET on NBC, but episodes can be streamed the next day on Peacock.
If Ericka and Van have any chance at a happy future together inBrilliant Minds, they need to start communicating. Ericka needs to realize that her“crush”on Jacob is fleeting infatuation, andVan needs to be honest with Ericka. The first season will almost certainly have Ericka break up with Van and pursue Jacob, but additional seasons could expand on their characters and lead them back to each other in due time. Though it would replace one cliché with another, Van and Ericka could be the nextwill they/won’t they TV coupleto keep audiences on their toes.
Brilliant Mindscontinues December 9 on NBC.
Brilliant Minds
Brilliant Minds is a 2024 series about an eccentric neurologist with face blindness, offering a unique perspective on patient care. The story follows him and his team of young interns as they tackle complex psychological cases, all while managing intricate personal and professional relationships.
