‘Brilliant Minds’ Recap: ‘The Man from Grozny’

11/12/2024

Written by John Edward Betancourt

BRILLIANT MINDS -- "The Man from Grozny" Episode 107 -- Pictured: (l-r) Zachary Quinto as Dr. Oliver Wolf, Alex Ozerov-Meyer as Roman (John Doe), Mishka Yarovoy as Alex -- (Photo by: Rafy/NBC)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Seven of ‘Brilliant Minds’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.

There is in our modern world, a great debate that has raged for decades on end, revolving around the rights of people that are legally brain dead, suffering from a terminal illness or are facing a devastating change to their quality-of-life standards because of an injury. In that, no one can decide if these people should be allowed to voluntarily expire, and it makes sense why there is a debate. After all, life is precious and if there is any chance that a person can live and have a fighting chance at a better tomorrow through discoveries that could help them down the line, they should get their chance. But at the same time… if a cure is years off, they are going to suffer and that’s really the key there, the suffering they face, and the indignity that can accompany that, and well… this debate shows no signs of ending anytime soon.

But it does beg some big questions. Such as what are the rights of a patient in this situation? And should we in fact, just drop the debate and let a person choose their respective fate when they’re staring down a horrifying diagnosis or watching their loved one breathe with the help of a machine? Well, it just so happens that the next episode of Brilliant Minds on NBC dives into this debate in a powerful manner, and offers an answer to those questions, after it of course, offered up a medical miracle in ‘The Man from Grozny’. For in this tale, John Doe, who we learned is named Roman, underwent that epic procedure to have a communication device implanted in his brain and well, the thing worked, and just like that… Dr. Wolf and his team could communicate with him, and they learned his story.

In that, Roman was a refugee from Chechnya, who came to America to be free and live an authentic life, where he could be with his boyfriend and enjoy the American Dream. For being a homosexual in Chechnya was in fact, a crime. But alas, while he found joy and wonder here, an accident led to his stroke and that in turn led to his current condition, and his story, and his resilience genuinely touched the team at the hospital and truly, they were in awe that he was still alive and still fighting after everything and of course, now that they could communicate they were eager to help Roman enjoy a better life. So, they tracked down his significant other, Alex, and began to make plans for what his future would look like. One where he could be with Alex and speak with him and connect with others despite needing those machines to live, and that’s where those questions came into play.

Simply because, while Roman was thrilled to communicate and grateful for the chance to be reunited with his love and shown kindness by the staff, he had some concerns about his future. About how he would forever be stuck in this bed, and unable to do anything else but chat now and again, so he asked to be removed from the ventilator… so he could die. For he felt there was now closure to his journey, and he could find peace rather than live in this manner. Which brought forth the debate in question and fury from the company that installed the communication chip in his brain. Because they wanted more data and others were worried that it was cruel to not give him a fighting chance or that perhaps he was mentally stunned by being able to talk. But a psych eval and some hard discussions made it clear that Roman was of sound mind, and it would be cruel to ignore his wishes and let him live in a manner he did not find quality within. Which brought forth a powerful end to a fascinating life and left us with a simple answer to those questions.

In that, the debate should end now simply because… like anything in this life, it is up to the individual how they want to live, and we have no power over that. We can merely make suggestions and offer alternatives. But if someone is facing a horrible end from cancer or a true quality of life concern as Roman did here, they can choose an end if they see fit, for it is their life and they are facing circumstances that aren’t the norm. All of which made for a powerful and moving episode. One that not only explored the life and times of a long-standing mystery this season but showcased what real kindness looks like and how this team has jelled and come together since they were all there for Roman at the end. Which was just beautiful to see, as was Wolf finding inspiration to go for it love wise with Nicols, and this story definitely gave us plenty to ponder upon regarding patient’s rights and the need to let people choose their path when they can. For we are the captains of our own souls and should always have the right to decide what’s best for us. Until next time.

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