Welcome to our World! Where we serve you cookies to ensure you get the best viewing experience on our site.

Did you know that you can remove censorship board-wide, use our advanced search functions, be notified when new content is posted, join our memberships, set episodes to show in any order you want & more if you are logged into your account?

Register or sign in here: ucp.php?mode=register

02x04 - Lady Liberty

Episode transcripts for the TV show, "Brilliant Minds". Aired: September 23, 2024 – present.*
Watch/Buy Amazon


American medical drama television series inspired by the Oliver Sacks books The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and An Anthropologist on Mars.

02x04 - Lady Liberty

Post by bunniefuu »

[UPBEAT CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING]

[MUSIC CONTINUES OVER SPEAKER]

♪♪

♪♪

Um...

gentlemen...

...I'm all in.

You think he's been slow playing us?

Gaslighting is not really my style,

- Otto.
- [CLEARS THROAT]

You know how I feel
about therapy speak, Wolf.

I'm sorry. I didn't mean
to trigger you in any way.

Oh! Oops. I did it again.

Alright. I call.

♪♪

- [LOUD THUD]
- Oh.

I knew you were a snake!

Okay, Otto, you're at a 10.

I need you to bring it down to a five.

- Okay?
- I'm not at a 10, okay?

I'm at a seven.

If you want to see a 10,
I will show you a 10!

Okay? There you go!

- Otto!
- You better sit down, Otto!

You want to see me at 10, don't you?!

- I can take me up to 11!
- [INDISTINCT SHOUTING]

[RINGING]

Hello?

Wolf?

- Hello? You still with us?
- Uh, yes.

You were saying that the hospital is

in a financial slump.

Not a slump. A crisis.

We're in the red across the board.

- As chief...
- Interim chief.

...it's my responsibility
to keep us afloat.

To that end, I need every department

to start spending hospital money
like it's your own.

All due respect, Nichols,

you can keep tap dancing
around the real issue,

or you can be straight with us...

Wolf is the problem here.

- Neuro does have the most bloat.
- Like I said.

I always liked your
mother, but she made

a mistake recruiting you to work here.

- Carol recruited me.
- I had my reasons.

Though they are escaping me
at the moment.

I am feeling very ganged up on here.

You reap what you sow, brother.

You're bleeding the hospital dry.

Money, resources, time.

- There is a nuance to what I do.
- So when I page Neuro

and I'm told you and your
entire team are at church,

- that's just nuance?
- Pastor Thomas has glioblastoma.

She mistook her husband for a hat.

Wolf, please. Take it on the chin.

No, I am not the problem here.

Public trust in physicians
is the lowest it's ever been.

Why? Insufficient communication
and rushed appointments.

Just out of curiosity, Chief Nichols,

what are my
patient satisfaction scores?

Wow. That high?

Look, we live in a world
where people would rather

tell a chatbot their symptoms
than see a doctor.

Some would rather die
than step foot in a hospital.

Yes, I invest time.

I get to know my patients.
Every single one.

But if they leave Bronx General
with more trust in the system,

then I am helping keep
this hospital afloat.

It just came back to me.

That’s why I recruited him.

♪♪

♪♪

Do you always have
to be so contrarian?

I'm contrarian? You're contrarian.

It is impossible to have
a conversation with you, Wolf.

I spent the bulk of my
career at this hospital.

It means everything to me.

Your dad practiced here.
Your mom ran the place.

I know what it means to you, too.

Do you really want to see it get
bought out by some corporation

just because you have
a stubborn streak?

I am not stubborn. I'm strong-willed.

- Okay.
- Okay, fine. What do you need me to do?

I need you to button up.

That means no more
unnecessary procedures

or highfalutin experiments
or group field trips,

and keep a healthy emotional
distance from your patients.

Same for your interns.

Oh. That's cute, I like that.

Does that mean I can
trust you with a case

involving the Burnett family?

Am I supposed to know who they are?

Yes. They're one of the
hospital's biggest donors.

Their name is literally
on the outside of the building.

You've never...? You don't...? Okay.

The matriarch, Arianna Burnett,
is a retired entrepreneur

known for her eccentric
business practices.

- Oh, I like her already.
- She suffered a bad fall

down a flight of stairs this morning.

Possible head trauma.

She was diagnosed with early
onset dementia two years ago,

and she's petrified of leaving
her home in Fieldston.

So you and Carol need to make
an urgent house call.

Uh, that sounds like a field trip.

I am told those are
strictly forbidden.

Stop being...

contrarian,

and please...

don't screw this up.

♪♪

- [CABLE SNAPS]
- [SCREAMING]

No!

Ready, roomie?

Uh, actually, I'm gonna run to work.

You're gonna run for, like, fun?

Is this because you're mad at me
for reporting Carol?

Something you want to
get off your chest?

I'm good. Just need to clear
my head before our shift.

That okay with you?

Sure, I guess.

♪ Let's go ♪

♪ Put it in motion ♪

♪ Baby, we're going ♪

♪ Faster, faster, faster, faster ♪

♪ Seizing that moment,
baby, keep going ♪

♪ Faster, faster, faster, faster ♪

Are you actually finishing
patient charts?

Maybe you should get an MRI.

Just, you know,
out of an abundance of caution.

An abundance of caution is no
longer a reason to order scans.

In fact, think of Bronx General
as the opposite of abundant.

I've literally thought of it that
way since my first day here.

Is this because we're living
in the era of Chief Nichols?

Interim chief, temporary era, but yes.

This new position
has really brought out

his God complex.
That's why I called you in.

As your boss, I strongly advise you to

play by the rules
until further notice.

Under these new mandates, ask
yourself, "What would Wolf do?"

And then do exactly the opposite.

Don't worry about us, Dr. Wolf.
I run a very tight ship.

Team, shall we?

♪♪

[DOOR CLOSES]

If I had put money on it,

I'd say Wolf doesn't last
till Halloween.

Ready to round, doctors?

- I can run alone.
- I can run alone.

Okay. More efficient for me.

Although, let me remind you
that your conduct

is a direct reflection
of my leadership.

Speaking of which,

I want you to start following
the correct chain of command.

You report to me. I report
to Wolf. Understood?

- Yeah. Whatever.
- Yeah. Sounds good.

Love the enthusiasm.

Make sure to tell
your buddies Van and Jacob.

- And ruin their day off?
- Careful, Dr. Kinney.

I could write you up
for insubordination.

[INDISTINCT ANNOUNCEMENT
OVER PA SYSTEM]

[DOORBELL RINGS]

Thanks for coming.

She just... tumbled
all the way down the stairs.

Poor thing.

It's a miracle she
didn't break her neck.

Is your wife prone to falls,
Mr. Burnett?

Oh, David, please.

And, yes, Arianna can be clumsy.

These last few months,
she's been getting more... aloof.

In what ways?

Well, you'll see for yourselves.

I gave her some pain
medication after the fall,

kept her awake.

Oh. The cranes help keep her calm.

♪♪

Arianna, hi.

We're your doctors.

We're here to assess you.

Is that okay?

This could take a little time.

Of course. I've got some tea on.

♪♪

Arianna...

can you tell us where you are?

What happened?

♪♪

Arianna... can you look at my penlight?

Follow it with your eyes.

♪♪

Look at my birds.

If only they could fly.

♪♪

♪♪

Dr. Pierce.

- Carol.
- Hmm?

Do you see what I see?

- See what?
- Oh, just... her bruises.

You know, a home visit
isn't the best setting

for a comprehensive review.

It would be good if we could
bring her to Bronx General,

do a full workup.

Arianna doesn't like hospitals.

Um, head injuries
can present as minor,

only to result in
something much more serious.

We'd really like to take her in,

out of an abundance of caution.

Of course.

In that case, we'd be happy to go,

wouldn't we... honey?

♪♪

Mm.

We've got a new patient.

Arianna Burnett, 52, head trauma,

previously diagnosed with dementia,

and her husband just informed us
she's in a guardianship.

As in conservatorship?

As in hashtag Free Britney?

- Britney...?
- Spears.

- "Baby One More Time."
- "Oops!...I Did It Again."

If this is a pop culture reference,

I'm gonna need you to give me more.

Dr. Wolf... are you trolling us?

Arianna secretly asked for our help.

It is our job to determine
what that means exactly.

It could mean that she's paranoid...

common symptom among
dementia patients.

Yes, but we still need to do our due
diligence and proceed with caution.

According to Nichols, the Burnetts
are huge donors to the hospital.

Hence, the all hands on deck.

Guardianships are extremely rare.

Do we know how this happened?

History of "destructive behavior."

"Gambled her fortune away."
"Self-endangerment."

So it's in place to protect her.

Or control her and her money.

Precisely that.

Not only does
a guardianship render its ward

and unable to control their finances,

it can also mean
that basic decisions like

where she lives, when she uses
her phone, aren't hers to make.

- It's no autonomy.
- Okay, so what are we supposed to do?

I mean, it's not our job
to get her guardianship removed.

We convinced her family to admit her

for an extensive neuro evaluation.

That means she's in our care
for a short window.

I will evaluate Arianna.

For once, I'd like us to work fast.

I'd like to give
you five words to remember...

shoebox, Apollo,

computer, pineapple, ersatz.

Now, can you repeat them to me?

Shoebox...

Apollo...

computer...

- pineapple, ersatz.
- Good.

I'll ask you to repeat them in a bit.

Now, can you tell me
why you signaled for help?

The last time I opened up
to a psychiatrist,

they testified against me in court.

I'm not against you.
I'm here to help you.

But I cannot do that
until you tell me what's wrong.

My memory gets worse
every day I'm in that house.

I am losing who I am, who I was.

Can you elaborate for me?

They don't want me to be free.

They're making me sick.

[WHISPERING] They're poisoning me.

- Who is?
- My husband, David...

...and my daughter, Jill.

Why would they want to hurt you?

To control me.

To take everything away from me.

You don't believe me?

I'm here for you, Arianna.

This is a serious accusation,

and if someone is poisoning you,

we will get to the bottom of it.

Now, could you tell me if
you remember those five words?

♪♪

Shoelace.

♪♪

Shoe store.

Shoo fly?

[LAUGHING]

♪♪

[STOPS LAUGHING]

♪♪

I want to be sensitive
to your situation.

It would be helpful to understand

the reasons for the guardianship.

I don't see why that's relevant.

Well, it's patient history.
It's always relevant.

The court agreed to
the arrangement two years ago.

After Arianna sold off her businesses,

we saw a dramatic cognitive
decline and erratic behavior.

She'd just disappear on us
all night, sometimes days.

And... she didn't always remember
where she was or what she did.

The dementia diagnosis
finally gave us some clarity.

The guardianship ensures her safety.

We don't think
she'd be alive without it.

♪♪

Should I be worried
that Arianna Burnett went

from a house call to an inpatient?

If this is Wolf, you have to
put a stop to...

I'm not doing this with you, Josh.

- Doing what?
- Spying on Wolf.

I did this song and dance with Muriel.

I am not Wolf's keeper.

We brought Arianna in
for a proper assessment.

We are doing right
by her and her family.

Good, because she's a prominent donor.

And I don't want to be
a stick in the mud,

but I gotta make
a million decisions now

and still be a doctor.

Speaking of, my friend Harrison
asked about you again.

- Josh.
- Remember him? The, uh...

- That geriatrician.
- You know,

- I got a picture here somewhere.
- Thanks, but I'm not ready.

The last first date I went on,
flip phones were all the rage,

Destiny's Child had four members,

and bucket hats were still in style.

Bucket hats are back.

And so am I.

One drink.

♪♪

[BREATHING HEAVILY]

♪♪

♪♪

Hey.

Are you hungry?

- Do I know you?
- You're Sam, right?

I'm Dr. Kinney.
I work over at Bronx General.

You know, there's a great
gyro cart around the corner.

My treat.

♪♪

[CAR HORN HONKS, DOG BARKING
IN DISTANCE]

So where are you from?

Around.

Oh.

- Does your family know...
- They know.

If I stay at home, they make me
go to therapy and take meds.

I'd rather sleep out here.

My parents are the opposite.

Paying a stranger
to listen to our problems?

- That would never fly.
- They'd pay,

if some doctor wrote
schizophrenia in your chart

and...

♪♪

♪♪

Sam, have you ever had a brain scan?

Sometimes people
who we think have schizophrenia

don't have schizophrenia at all,

and they get better
with different treatment.

I could set one up for you.

Why would you do that?

Sam, I'm a doctor.

It's my job to help you.

♪♪

[SLURPING]

Presenting a kindly gentleman,



who suffered a fall
after a mishap with,

wait for it...

a p*nis pump.

[CHUCKLES] I was like,
"That's not the head

I thought I'd be dealing with
in Neuro," am I right?

You know, you could be
a really great doctor

if it weren't for your personality.

[SCOFFS] I'm both
complimented and insulted?

The sippy cup,
the doodle notes, the jokes.

You are a human Mad Lib.

This is a patient case presentation,

not your "SNL" audition.

Next time, come back like an adult.

♪♪

♪♪

Arianna suspects her family
is actively poisoning her

to lock her into the guardianship.

She thinks they're after her money.

[EXHALES SHARPLY] Carol,
I'm supposed to be buttoned up.

Josh will k*ll me if we accuse

one of our biggest donors
of poisoning his wife.

But on the flip side,
her MoCa score is concerning,

and dementia can make
patients feel paranoid.

Yeah, but real paranoia can
also be confused for dementia.

Sure, but I also observed

- other erratic behaviors during our session.
- Yeah.

According to her family, that's why
they put her under a guardianship.

Two things can be true.

Arianna could have dementia

and her family could be poisoning her.

I'll need to get blood for tox
labs to find out if she's right.

♪♪

Did the patient leave?

No. Nobody in or out.

Well, how...

Carol.

♪♪

We've got a patient in the vents!

It's alright. We got you.
Nice and easy.

There you go. Take it slow.

Okay, everybody, Showtime is over.

We all have jobs to do.
Let's get back to them.

Oh, my God.

- Mom.
- Honey, are you okay?

Yeah, I'm fine. It's not a big deal.

I just wanted to stretch my legs.

Yeah, she actually got kind of far.

Mom, you were in the vents.

You're lucky you
didn't get seriously hurt.

This is why we didn't want her
at the hospital.

We understand,
but crawling through the vents

shows a certain level of desperation.

Hey, Dr. Pierce, get a load of this...

shoebox...

Apollo...

computer...

pineapple, ersatz.

What is she talking about?

Those were the five words I
gave her to remember hours ago.

And given her prognosis,

her ability to repeat them
is surprising.

What does this mean?

I assumed she'd be worse
weaning off the medication.

At this point, we have more
questions than we have answers,

but that is why we're here.

By the way,
you have rats in your vents.

Where is all of our money going?

I want to see a
budget with line items.

Surely we donate enough to
keep this hospital rodent free.

♪♪

- Does she really need an fMRI?
- Yes.

The structural information
from an MRI isn't sufficient.

A functional MRI would allow us
to view her brain's activity.

You know, it's generally used
for research purposes,

not direct patient care
application, right?

I do, but I'm trying
to assess early dementia,

which is a diagnosis of exclusion.

Since there's no test to prove it,

it's on us to rule
out any other cause.

I hear you, Wolf.

I just... I don't want
you giving them hope,

only to then have to deliver
the same devastating diagnosis

they've already been dealing with.

We owe them the
very best work up we have.

Fine. Run the scan.
But I want to see the results.

The money the Burnetts provide
this hospital keep the lights on,

the machines beeping,
and our patients breathing.

The money didn't keep
the rats out of the vents.

You might want to look into that.

♪♪

Could I get a sign off
on a treatment plan?

Standard neuro exam and imaging order.

Mid 20s. Diagnosed schizoaffective.

Never given a proper workup
with scans.

Sounds excessive.
What's the urgency now?

I'm going on a gut reaction.

A while ago, I assumed a patient was

having a drug-induced psychotic break.

Turned out to be a brain tumor
that was causing hallucinations.

I don't want to make
the same mistake twice.

Has there been an acute change

in your patient's condition?

No, but he could change...

Then they should schedule an
appointment like everyone else.

Dr. Ramirez, you're needed in the ER.

Dr. Ramirez to the ER stat, please.

♪♪

Arianna's amygdala, it's inactive...

scant response to stimuli
and emotion, threats,

consistent
with her dementia diagnosis.

Carol, when she first met with you,

how was her MoCa test?

She couldn't remember a thing.

And after
the Great Vent event of 2025,

her mental status improved.

Her toxicology is clean.

No heavy metals, no sedatives,
no benzos, no barbs.

- Her family isn't poisoning her.
- Wait, you...

you actually thought
her family was poisoning her?

She made a very convincing argument.

- Sometimes paranoia is justified.
- And we saw a personality shift

after she came out of those vents.

A light was back in her eyes.

It's not how I would expect
a dementia patient

flooded with adrenaline to react.

I agree. We need to run more tests.

Burn the midnight oil.

Well, not you.

You have a date tonight.

A date?

And you didn't tell me?
Carol, I'm hurt.

What's his name? Where did
you meet him? How tall is he?

- I'm not...
- His name is Harrison.

Uh, it's a blind date. I set him up.

And he is, uh, well over six feet.

[EXHALES SHARPLY] O...
Are you two done?

- No. Do you have any pictures?
- I got a picture.

Okay, well, you'll have to go.

- [CHUCKLES]
- I'll hold down the fort.

What does that entail, exactly?

A few tests, just the right amount,

and then debrief with my interns.

Teach. Nurture. Rinse, repeat.

♪♪

♪♪

[INDISTINCT ANNOUNCEMENT
OVER PA SYSTEM]

♪♪

Arianna?

Are you up for another test?

How about we break you
out of your cage,

let you spread your wings?

♪♪

♪ If you do it,
then you gotta do it big ♪

Round three? I thought we were
going to make our money last.

Doctors don't make nearly
as much as you think these days.

Oh, you should have gone into finance.

Thousand dollars all in.

It's a 1.41% house advantage
on the pass line,

zero on the odds.

At this table limit,
this is our best move.

- Is that a good bet or a risk?
- Well,

you're gonna have to wait and see.

[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]

Come on, come on, come on, come on!

- 11. 11. Pay the line.
- [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

[LAUGHS]

[SIGHS]

And you need to know when to leave.

- Oh, are you thirsty?
- Uh, sure.

Right. Thank you.

Mm!

[LAUGHS]

♪ Oh, yeah ♪

- Wow.
- Don't.

I'm not. Where you going?

I'm not answering any questions.

Wait. Just...

♪♪

Now you're good.

Don't do anything I would do.

♪♪

[INDISTINCT ANNOUNCEMENT
OVER PA SYSTEM]

♪♪

Sam, this is only
going to take a minute. Okay?

[MACHINE WHIRRING]

♪♪

♪♪

Get me the hell out!
This is a mind control factory!

- Get me out! Get me out!
- It's okay. It's okay, Sam.

Sam, wait, wait, wait, wait.

Wait, wait, wait! Sam!

- Sam! Sam!
- Code Gray to the CT room.

I repeat, Code Gray.

Sam, it's okay. It's okay.
I'm trying to help you.

Get away! You want them to take me!

I don't want anyone to take you.

- Sam, you don't have to...
- Stand back, stand back.

- No!
- Hey. Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!

Listen to me, listen to me,
listen to me. Alright?

You have exactly two options here.

One, you can try to calm down.

Two, you can be sedated
and restrained.

What do you want to do, buddy?

What do you want to do?

♪♪

There you go.

- You're okay.
- Hey.

That's it. [STAND CLATTERS]

Alright.

Alright. Alright.

- It's okay.
- [EXHALES SHARPLY]

It's okay. It's okay, Sam. It's okay.

- Are you okay?
- Mm-hmm.

Good. Because my next question is what
the hell was Sam doing in the scanner?

- Did Wolf put you up to this?
- No, no, no, no. This was me.

Sam agreed to a workup for once.

I was just trying to help him.

I respect your... intention,

but do you think that those
security guards are equipped

to deal with the patients with
complex mental health needs?

They were about to tackle him

in a sad tribute to
their JV football days.

You're right.

A patient with schizophrenia
was more than I could handle.

That's not my point.

Your approach to schizophrenia

might be more than anyone
can, or should, handle.

I wonder where
you picked that up from.

♪♪

[SOBS SOFTLY]

♪♪

We were called to consult on
a 63-year-old right-handed man.

What's your impression?

Metabolic encephalopathy.
This isn't Neuro.

We can sign off.
Which is what I'm doing too.

These consults
can be soul-crushing enough.

I don't need to dim my light
just to suit you.

Better.

I don't want to dim any lights.

You're funny. I like that about you.

But you have to understand
when to shine and where.

Are you going somewhere with this?

Medicine is about showmanship.

It's about acting like people's
expectations of a doctor.

Might not be fair,
but it's how you gain trust.

That's how you advance.

That's what I want you to understand.

♪♪

♪♪

Mm.

Don't spend it all in one place.

Oh, I miss that! You know,
spending it all in one place.

Arianna, uh, your blood work
came back negative.

Your family is not poisoning you.

Well, I suppose that's good news.

I think they're so angry with me.

I put them through a lot.

I've been with my husband 30 years,

and he looks at me
like I'm a stranger.

Can you imagine
looking at someone you love

and not recognizing them?

I can, actually. It's very painful.

Well, that's my future.

Not remembering anything.
Losing everyone.

Based on your test results
and what I've observed tonight,

I don't think that you have dementia.

Okay, don't mess with my head,
Dr. Wolf.

You have built your
whole life around taking risks

since you were a kid, right?

Always climbed the biggest trees.

Always took the biggest falls.

Not unlike when I threw
myself down the stairs

to get you to come over
for a house call.

A bold move, but a calculated risk.

I don't think it's ever been
about the money

or the businesses for you.

It's about the thrill, the chase.

You are hardwired to seek it out.

They are confusing your innate
thrill seeking for a disease.

So I'm not going to get worse?

I'm not going to wake up
one day forgetting everything

that matters to me?

- [CELLPHONE VIBRATING]
- Um...

I'm so sorry.
I think it's the hospital.

I'll be right back. Hello?

He won't stop talking
about his ex-wife.

- Who?
- Harrison...

the guy Josh set me up with.

Told him I went to the bathroom
seven minutes ago.

Wolf, I think I gotta
make a run for it.

Okay, well, that seems
like appropriate behavior

for a woman of your age and stature.

- [CHEERING IN DISTANCE]
- Where are you?

I'm with Arianna.

You sort of interrupted
our breakthrough.

♪♪

Uh, hold on, Carol.

Hello?

[MOTORCYCLE REVVING]

♪♪

Arianna! Wait!

♪♪

Arianna!

♪♪

You took her out gambling,
and now she's gone?

I took her out to test a theory.

Do you see this spot here?

It's the amygdala, commonly
known as the fear center.

Arianna's scan showed
this area as inactive,

often an indication of early dementia.

Which is why we felt
the guardianship was

- the right option.
- Of course.

You did what you thought was best

with the information you had.

But this scan isn't your wife's brain.

It's Alex Honnold's.

The... guy who climbed
El Capitan without a harness?

- He has dementia?
- No, but he does

naturally possess
an abnormal amygdala.

Arianna's brain is exactly the same.

So it's natural to steal
motorcycles, climb into vents?

Okay, if... if I may, um...

Winston Churchill gambled
the world's fate

while drunk every night.

Nikola Tesla fell in love with a pigeon

while squatting in hotels.

Men who take enormous risks
while acting irrationally

are considered geniuses.

But women? We call them crazy,
and we try to control them.

Before your mother retired,
work was her outlet.

Her investments were
an acceptable risk.

You have been reacting
to the unacceptable ones.

Every time she'd disappear...
I used to watch the news

worried that that's
how I'd learn that she died.

Do you know what that feels like?

I do, Jill.

I do know what it feels like

to worry so deeply
about someone you love,

to come home one day and realize

you've already seen them
for the last time.

The thing is,
I've been frequently told

that I'm the cause of chaos myself.

But luckily the people I love
accept me for my eccentricities.

♪♪

We are going to call the police,

issue a Silver Alert and get her home.

♪♪

Saw your consults. Strong work.

You should go have a night
with your little intern friends.

Uh, it's all good. I'm used to
a 20-consult day around here.

I thought you and Kinney
liked to celebrate a tough day.

Trouble in paradise?

She must be jealous of your mastery

of metabolic encephalopathy.

You saved a life with that
solve. And a p*nis pump.

Porter...

was that an attempt at humor?

Ericka is not the jealous type.

That's not what this is about.

What is it about, then?

♪♪

I don't know why I'm
telling you this, but here goes.

Dr. Pierce just came back
from administrative leave

because someone reported her
for treating a patient,

despite a major conflict of interest.

I've heard all about it.

What you haven't heard is that...

...I'm the one who reported her.

Ericka's upset with me.

I did it because
I do take this job seriously.

Contrary to popular belief.

If it makes you feel
any better, no judgment.

I would have done
the same thing for you.

We're gonna play it for you
right after this break.

You won't want to miss it. She has...

Uh, can... someone turn that up?

♪♪

[INDISTINCT ANNOUNCEMENT
OVER PA SYSTEM]

[EXHALES SHARPLY, SCOFFS]

I can't say I loved hearing
about your circus in the CT

from Dr. Thorne.

It won't happen again, I swear.

For the record, I understand
what you were trying to do,

because it is exactly what I would do.

But for each of my good habits,
I have just as many bad ones,

and they're the ones
I'm trying to spare you.

And at the risk
of sounding like my mother...

I don't think I need to remind you,

but Sam is not your patient.

You went above and beyond
for Arianna Burnett

the last couple of days.

Why? Because she has money?

Because she asked for help.

Sam did not.

♪♪

Ericka, I need you to know
that just because

you couldn't save
that young woman in the elevator

does not mean
you have to save everyone else.

But why not?

What are we doing here
if not trying to save people?

♪♪

Just... work on it, Kinney.

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

Dr. Wolf, you're
gonna want to see this.

I am Arianna Burnett,

former CEO
of Burnett Family Investments.

I am a mom and a wife
and an entrepreneur.

But today I am speaking to you
as a prisoner.

Against my will, my family has
trapped me in a guardianship

and has taken everything away from me.

But no more. I am taking my life back,

and I will do whatever I have
to do to fight for my freedoms.

I assure you, I am stronger
than yesterday.

My life, my choice.

That was Ms. Burnett
just moments ago...

[ALARM BLARING ON CELLPHONES]

I'm pretty sure we found her.

♪♪

Thank you for coming today.

I know there's a lot of distrust
in the family right now,

and maybe even with the hospital,

but I am confident

that this demonstration
will help you understand

- each other better.
- Understand each other?

I think it's pretty clear
who's being misunderstood.

And we're sorry, honey. We really are.

But can we please just give
Dr. Wolf a chance?

Okay. Let's just get on with this.

You both agreed
to be hooked up to EEGs.

We're going to show you some images,

and then these monitors will indicate

how your brains respond.

Okay, um, let's try base jumping.

[MAN LAUGHING, SHOUTING]

♪♪

And mountain biking.

♪♪

Arianna's not reacting.

And Jill and Arianna's brains
are 99.99% genetically similar.

Yet even still, there is
a significant difference

in their response to stimuli.

Honey, you weren't
afraid of any of that?

That makes so much sense.

Risk and danger
make your mother thrive.

The guardianship prevented her

from being able to stimulate
her amygdala,

which caused severe depression
and memory loss...

and that all can be
confused for dementia.

Sometimes we have to let
people live their lives,

even if it scares us.

And sometimes, if our actions
scare the people we love,

we have to take that
into consideration.

So where do we go from here?

Do we just accept
a... a lifetime of anxiety?

Or captivity?
What am I supposed to do?

How do I get better from here?

The treatment plan to start
is simple...

at least three activities a week
that activate your risk center.

Rock climbing, amateur mic
night, open-water swimming.

As long as it's not in the Hudson.

To help rebuild your family's bond,

I would recommend
you all participate together.

Without a court order.

We'll get our lawyers on the phone.

This could be a new beginning.

♪♪

You're looking at me like...
you recognize me.

♪♪

Sometimes we treat
the people we care about

as representations of ourselves.

♪♪

We want to mold them
into what we need them to be

so that our lives can be
more comfortable.

♪ Oh, whoa, oh ♪

- Sam?
- ♪ You are home ♪

Dana? Katie?

Anybody home?

♪ No, nothing tastes like sweet ♪

♪ Sweet home ♪

♪♪

We try to change the people
to manage our own anxieties,

when instead it would be
so much easier

to just accept them for who they are.

I can't believe you haven't come

- to tell me all about your date.
- [SCOFFS]

Who said anything about a date?

Oh, come on now.

I just want to know if anyone else

got his hands on that zipper
last night.

[CHUCKLES] Oh, God.

Unfortunately, your ER-encrusted
digits were the only ones.

- Oh. Alright.
- Apparently,

the dating skills part
of my brain has atrophied

- during the last 20 years of my marriage.
- Oof.

The first date
I went on after the divorce,

- I fell asleep at dinner.
- [LAUGHS]

Just came off a double shift,

and there was
no zipper action that night.

[LAUGHTER]

So what? Are we just hopeless?

You will have no trouble
getting your groove back,

Dr. Pierce.

I have no doubts.

[CELLPHONE VIBRATING]

Oh. Gotta run.

These digits are needed elsewhere.

- Somewhere they're appreciated.
- Oh. Okay.

- Mm-hmm.
- [CHUCKLES]

♪♪

[KNOCKING]

I am pleased to report
the Burnett family

will enthusiastically continue
to be donors to Bronx General,

and I will give credit
where credit is due.

That's thanks to you, Wolf.

These are the billable charts
you requested.

All sorted, all signed.

See? Not so hard.

I will continue to write
my reports, to bill on time,

- to delegate to my interns...
- That's great,

but we could've gotten here with
a lot less grief and turmoil.

I understand you have
your way of doing things,

but do you ever stop and...
think about what it costs you?

I can't stop being the doctor I am.

If you want a neurologist
who checks all your boxes,

feel free to find one.

I do what I do, how I do it,
because it's what I believe in,

because my patients deserve it,
and that will never change.

I can... learn to play by the rules,

but...

I will not be controlled.

♪♪

No relationship can survive

once we start compromising ourselves.

Once we lose who we are,
we lose everything.

You wanna see me at 10?!
I'll show you a 10!

- I can take me up to 11!
- [INDISTINCT SHOUTING]

[RINGING]

- Hello?
- Josh. I'm in Hudson Oaks.

They took away the phone you gave
me. Listen, we don't have much time.

They won't let me
leave. I need your help.

Slow down, slow down.

- Who said you can't leave?
- This place is awful.

I have no control over anything.
No autonomy.

Just give me a minute, please.

Put down the phone. Now!

[LINE DISCONNECTS]

Hello?

You still there?

Was that Dr. Wolf?

It's so sad what's happened to Oliver.

But don't worry. Things are
running smoother than ever.

I want you to know that

this Neuro Department
is in good hands.

♪♪

[EXHALES SHARPLY]

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪