Comedy
Government Cheese
Apple TV+’s Government Cheese is described, by some, as a family show. And while it is about a family, it’s not one yours will probably want to watch.
Dr. Oliver Wolf may suffer from face blindness. But he sees his patients better than anyone else.
While his disability makes it difficult for him to fully connect with his coworkers, it allows him to connect on deeper levels with his patients. He’s the sole neurologist at Bronx General Hospital. And compared to other doctors, he’s known for being a bit more … eccentric in his methodology. Other doctors do things by the book; Wolf dives deeper—much to his hospital’s legal frustrations.
“You want to change how your patients see the world,” an exasperated doctor states in a meeting.
“I want to change how the world sees my patients,” corrects Wolf.
Of course, there’s a personal reason why Wolf continues where others might stop: He was told (by his own mother) that no one could help his father with his mental struggles. That’s why Wolf endures much longer than other hospital workers to understand what really lies at the root of his patients’ mental problems—and how he might be able to mitigate them.
Brilliant Minds feels familiar and different.
It’s familiar, in that it stars a brilliant, but socially inept medical professional who simply understands how his patients tick better than anyone around him. But it also feels different, in that this show—or at least it’s main character—is loosely based on the work of the late Dr. Oliver Wolf Sacks. The famous neurologist worked in the Bronx and wrote many books on the unique case studies with which he was involved.
Like his real-life counterpart, the fictionalized Dr. Wolf spends his free time swimming the chilly New York waters. They’re both homosexual men. And they both work at understanding uncommon mental illnesses.
The show likewise grapples with issues you might expect from a hospital: bloody procedures and emergencies; violent or disturbing mental illnesses; drug use and abuse. What’s more, while hospitals attempt to create sterile environments, it’s evident that some crude-tongued mouths here need to be washed with soap. (Beyond a brief mention to Wolf’s homosexuality and a nurse who changes out of dirty scrubs, we’ve yet to see much in the way of sexual content.)
Brilliant Minds falls right in line, content-wise, with its medical counterparts. It’s full of noble intentions: We see doctors and nurses who strive to take care of their patients in the best way they know how. But like a visit to a hospital, it’s a show that may require a hand washing afterwards.
(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at [email protected], or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)
We see a man whose hand is bleeding profusely. A woman suffers a seizure. Someone contemplates suicide.
Wolf makes a reference to his homosexual desires. A woman changes out of her hospital scrubs, and we see her in a sports bra. Wolf appears to his interns in nothing but a towel.
Someone describes a patient’s medical situation as “full exorcist.”
Wolf drinks alcohol. Someone shares one of her prescription pills with him as well. A woman is covered in vomit.
God’s name is abused six times, including one time which is followed by “d–n.” “H—” and “d-ck” are both used twice.
Kennedy Unthank studied journalism at the University of Missouri. He knew he wanted to write for a living when he won a contest for “best fantasy story” while in the 4th grade. What he didn’t know at the time, however, was that he was the only person to submit a story. Regardless, the seed was planted. Kennedy collects and plays board games in his free time, and he loves to talk about biblical apologetics. He thinks the ending of Lost “wasn’t that bad.”
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