Brilliant Minds' Zachary Quinto discusses Oliver's complicated relationship with his mother

Warning: The following contains spoilers for Episode 2 of Brilliant minds“The Disembodied Woman.” Read at your own risk.

It was another emotionally stressful day for Oliver Wolf (Zachary Quinto). Brilliant minds. The brain specialist and his team of interns had two patients this week: a college student with dragon delusions and Jessica (Tedra Marie Taylor), a local basketball player who suddenly loses control of her body. The latter patient became a real problem for Oliver as her condition worsened and the team couldn't figure out why.

Spoiler alert: The team never really figured out what was going on with Jessica, but Oliver found a way to deal with her. He helped her learn a new way of thinking about the movement of her body. She had to relearn everything from breathing to writing her own name to walking. Again, this was about learning to rewire the brain rather than actually treating it, and Oliver was able to drive home the importance of caring for his patients and their care.

While Oliver was making a difference in the lives of his patients, he struggled to stay with his mother, Dr. Muriel London (Donna Murphy), who also happens to be his mother, makes similar progress. The two clashed when Muriel urged Oliver to pay as much attention to hospital politics as he did to finding unconventional ways to help the patients who came to him. By the end of the episode, Oliver was making greater efforts to get along with his mother, while also claiming a mysterious John Doe patient. However, Muriel has more up her sleeve than we thought, as the episode ended with Muriel asking Carol (Tamberla Perry) to look after Oliver because there are “things in my son's past” that even Carol doesn't know about.

Ominous, right? TV Guide spoke to Brilliant minds Star Zachary Quinto on the latest episode and what awaits Doctor Oliver Wolf in the first season.

Once you got through the entire pilot, what were you most looking forward to in Episode 2?
Zachary Quinto: Certainly, Wolf's relationship with his mother. At the end of the pilot, we learned that his mother is also his boss, so I was really excited to dive into the story. I was also excited to further explore the relationship between Wolf and Pierce. Carol and Oliver are really strong anchors for the show. When you make a pilot you have to throw everything into it. Everyone needs to know who everyone is, what their relationships are like, what the past is, where they are going, where they are at this moment. There was just this idea that made us all breathe a little easier when we got to do the series ourselves. … [Showrunner] Michael Grassi and our team of incredible writers have written stories we never expected. These patients, who come every week, reflect to the doctors about things they are going through in their own lives and experiences. As the season progressed, I felt that it was a wonderful meeting of patients and doctors.

On the subject of Wolf's mother, Carol makes an interesting point in this episode that Oliver doesn't give his mother the same leeway that he gives his patients. Why do you think this is so?
Quinto: Do you have a mother? I think we all understand how difficult it can be to show this courtesy. One of the really interesting dynamics of this character is how difficult it can be to extend the same generosity to those we may be closest to or have the most complicated relationships with. I had this experience with my own mother and it adds to the depth of character and circumstances of the series, which I think is really relatable. We also learn a lot about Oliver in the first season through flashbacks and the relationship he had with both of his parents when he was much younger. [Brilliant Minds] examines how we become who we are in the present experience we have in the world and how our family's contributions influence this, even against our will or sometimes unconsciously. We don't always know what impact these contributions will have on us later. Our show is about a lot of that – a lot of awakening, a lot of discovery, and a lot of forgiveness and acceptance.

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Wolf's mother asks Carol to babysit him at the end of the episode, for lack of a better term. How does this underscore his ongoing trust issues?
Quinto: I think that Oliver Wolf is developing relatively quickly in his new environment. Carol is an impetus for this development. His need to work with his mother and find common ground actually leads to some pretty significant breakthroughs for him relatively early in the season. I think people will see that we're tackling that and moving towards it pretty quickly, which I think is a really good engine for the drama of the series.

Wolf doesn't seem to have much patience with the interns in this episode until the end. How does Jessica's case help him become a better mentor to her?
Quinto: He sees that collaboration has more value than conflict. He sees that these are serious-minded young people who could benefit from his perspective and point of view. A lot happens very quickly for Wolf when he takes this job, and he realizes the types of patients he will be dealing with and the types of situations he will be faced with. He realizes that a team can execute his plan better than if he tries to be a lone wolf, for lack of a better term.

At the end of this episode, he clings to the John Doe patient. What can you say about how this case will challenge him in the future?
Quinto: The most exciting thing for me about the John Doe case is that it is a case that spans several episodes of the season. As we meet patients every week and really work to solve their medical mysteries, it's really nice to have a patient who represents the kind of bond that can be formed between a doctor and a patient, and the way that how a patient can really influence a doctor's relationship with work. John Doe really represented that and the connection that Oliver feels for this patient who is not communicative. He's essentially in a vegetative state, but Oliver Wolf, much like Oliver Sacks, focuses solely on understanding who this person was. It's not just another body in a hospital bed hooked up to machines. Oliver Wolf focuses on the mystery of who this person was and therefore who this person still is. This is derived directly from the life of Oliver Sacks. I love that John Doe's story truly captures the endless curiosity and deep commitment that Oliver Sacks had for his patients.

This deep commitment has worked really well for him so far. He had two miraculous saves in a row, but it made me curious to see how Oliver will react when a case inevitably comes up that doesn't go his way or that he can't understand.
Quinto: That's a big part of the journey he's taking this season. It will be something we see him and those around him coming to terms with very soon. He's a brilliant doctor. He knows a lot about these very unusual and, some would say, insurmountable challenges that many of his patients face. Every now and then he can't predict how things will turn out. He is unable to control what happens next. If he stays true to himself as a doctor, he will have to make decisions on his journey, and we'll see that he has to make them in the series, that are really at odds with what he would like to do. See how those play out develop things. How does someone move with a sense of adaptability? Adaptability is a big topic Brilliant minds. How does Wolf encourage patients to accept a new normal? How does Wolf himself accept a new normal?

READ ALSO: NBC's new medical drama Brilliant minds says mental health is just as important as physical health

Do you have a favorite case coming up that you would like to address?
Quinto: I have to say the eighth episode of the series, which stars my dear friend Susan Bay Nimoy, Leonard Nimoy's wife. Susan plays a woman suffering from an illness that causes hypersexuality. So she's essentially playing an 80-year-old nymphomaniac, an eighty-year-old nymphomaniac, and it was so nice to watch my friend Susan explore. She hasn't acted in almost 40 years and to bring her into this experience and to share it with her, to see her thrive and do such an amazing job, I'm really proud of her and really excited to do this performance with her to share audience. This is probably my favorite case.

But I'm fascinated by all the cases in the series. I can't tell you how many times I read scripts at the beginning of the season and my reaction would have been, “Well, that can't be true.” There is no way this can be true.” Everything you see on the show is true and accurate, providing the highest level of authenticity possible. These are real neurological disorders, and the solutions we find on the show are viable solutions in the real world. It is a fascinating landscape to explore and contemplate. It feels stranger than science fiction, but the reality is that it is largely the real world and these things actually happen, in many different ways to different people.

Brilliant minds Continues Monday at 10/9c on NBC. Episodes will be available to stream the next day on Peacock.