All language subtitles for Brilliant.Minds.S01E07.1080p.WEB.H264-LAZYCUNTS

Previously on
"Brilliant Minds"...

- Who is that?
- This is John Doe.

His toe... It's moving.

I don't think this
man is in a coma.

It appears that our
John Doe is suffering

from locked-in syndrome.

Did you see that?

Maybe she's speaking
his language.

This neurotech could
translate his thoughts

into written and spoken
word in real time.

Oliver Wolf is
not a team player.

You won't regret
changing your mind

for taking a chance on Wolf.
- I'm taking a chance on you.

Your John Doe is in
the InterMind study.

- What? Are you serious?
- Yeah.

Since the beginning
of civilization,

we have looked up to
the stars for answers.

To guide us in the
dark. Give us hope...

We project meaning
onto the cosmos.

Myths and narratives

that help us
understand our purpose.

To be ourselves,

we must have ourselves.

Possess... or in some cases,
repossess... our life stories.

A primal need to
maintain our identity.

Every patient has a story.

This is Roman's.

Roman.

Look up if you
can still hear me.

Great. Okay, so the
electrode will read signals

from the parts of the brain
that control your face

and your mouth, your
tongue and your throat,

so you can communicate
in real time.

If you understand, look up.

Because this is brain
surgery, there are risks.

Bleeding, stroke, infection.

Roman, do you have
any questions?

Look up for yes, down for no.

Do you want to move forward

implanting the
brain-computer interface?

Once more... to be certain.

Okay.

Let's give Roman a voice.

The story is worse
than we thought.

9 months, 12 hospitals, 5
long-term care facilities.

When Roman landed at
the first hospital,

they thought he was
having a seizure.

It wasn't a seizure at all

but the early stages
of a pontine stroke.

Causing movements
that looked like

a generalized
tonic-clonic seizure.

Right and that error meant
they put him on propofol.

Which is why no one
noticed he was locked in.

They sedated him into oblivion
to treat seizures he never had.

When he could have woken
up, he got caught up

in a cycle of infections,
wound up on the vent long term

after his second
bout with pneumonia.

Strong work. Nursing
notes, meds, diagnoses.

Some correct, some
tragically incorrect.

Nothing on his history.

Zero on the Internet
about Roman Fedorov.

Not to perpetuate
the stereotype,

but maybe he's a spy.

It's definitely on
my differential.

Somebody, somewhere has
to be looking for him.

Let's find out who.

Oliver.

I hear congratulations
are in order.

Oh, tell Dr. Pierce.

She's the one who
knew about the trial.

I hear under 100 patients have
had this device placed ever.

Families often decline
these types of operations,

so it's actually lucky
that he doesn't have one.

Well, we don't know that.
That's why we're doing this.

Just getting
this technology here

at Bronx General...

it's gonna change
things for our hospital.

It's gonna change
things for our patient.

I'm just trying to say, as
your mother, not your boss,

I'm proud of you.

I know your father
would be, too.

So starting off with a fun
one... a BMI implantation

for the InterMind
clinical trial.

Cookie-cutter
craniotomy, I assume.

Single burr hole by
perforator, separate dura fully

and a 5-centimeter
by 5-centimeter flap

should be adequate.

Okay, if no one
has any concerns...

I'd like to be in the room.

Do you know what happens
when a neurologist finds

their way into an O.R.?

You get a lot more talking.

Ha ha.

This is your idea in my hands.

I assume you know
where to find scrubs.

Um, do you mind if
I play some music?

Final dural tack up.

Ready to place the first array.

We're at his motor cortex.
Our spot is right...

The blood vessel sitting
across the gyrus...

should we get medial
to that or...?

- "We"?
- You.

Actually, I'd go with lateral.

That's the highest
yield location.

- That makes sense.
- Arm please.

Ohh.

Smaller than a baby aspirin

with 100 minute
electrode sensors

that will detect brain
cell electrical activity.

It's so small, but it's so huge.

- You done?
- Sorry. Yeah.

Ready to implant the sensor.

Let me wait for the
brain to move toward me

and... arm.

Neuro exam is stable.
Vitals are good.

Roman is on track for
a healthy recovery.

Nice work, Dr. Nichols.

Now that the device is in,

are we installing
apps into his mind?

Sometimes when I close my
eyes, I see Candy Crush.

More like calibrating
the decoder.

I'm showing Roman
words on a screen,

and then he's saying them
out loud in his head.

So his brain signals
correspond to different words.

Like sign language with neurons.

We're reading his body
signals as he tries to speak.

Which, after the training,

will allow him to generate
words of his own and sentences.

It'll translate from Russian
to English and vice versa?

Yes, I've programmed a
tool for just that purpose.

The initial phase of training
protocol is complete.

So now what? Do I just...

Talk to him,

just like you would
any other patient.

Uh...

Um, hi, Roman.

Uh...

is there something
you'd like to say?

This is worse than the three
dots when someone's texting you.

Is the language model working?

Maybe check the
cable connection?

He hasn't used words
in a really long time.

He might just need a second.

Wait. Something's
coming through.

"Scratch my nose."

Okay. Uh...

He says thank you.

Roman, can you hear me?

I could always hear you.

Now I can understand you.

It's nice to officially
meet you, Dr. Wolf.

You know my name.

You brought me a fern.

Played me Bach.

Though, I prefer Stravinsky.

Got me the microchip. Of
course I remember your name.

Well, it's nice to officially
meet you, too, Roman.

Truth be told, I don't
know anything about you.

How did you get here?

I came here from Chechnya.

I didn't have a
choice. I had to leave.

It was exciting, but
scary to be all alone.

I knew some English.

Hey, watch where
you're going. Idiot!

- Americans speak so fast.
- Open your eyes.

Sometimes I felt like I
was living in a dream.

Seeing things I had only
heard about my whole life.

I found comfort in
small pleasures.

We have better
shashlik in Russia.

But you have better pizza.

Eventually, I found
a job that paid cash.

I needed to send money home and
save enough to hire a lawyer

and apply for asylum.

It wasn't easy, but...
- $10 an hour.

- ...I didn't have options.
- The best I can do.

My boss gave me an old bike.

It was the fastest,
cheapest way to get around.

I rode everywhere...

Coney Island, the
Brooklyn Bridge,

the East River.

I loved America
in those moments.

No one knew I didn't
speak the language

or that I wasn't
supposed to be here.

On my bike, I belonged. I
was connected to the city.

May I ask you a question now?

- You must have so many.
- Just one actually.

Will I ever get better?

Um...

given the amount of time that's
passed since your stroke,

I don't expect that you'll
regain any movement.

But that doesn't mean you
can't live a rich life.

And the tube in my throat?

We tried to help you breathe
without a ventilator,

but unfortunately,

your lungs are too damaged
from multiple infections.

Roman, is there
anyone I can call?

Family? A friend maybe?

Anyone?

I can't believe we did it.

Oh, so
you doubted me?

You? Never.
Dr. Wolf however...

Alright. That's enough.
He came through.

- Excuse me.
- You're excused.

I was thinking I would love
to bring some investors

to meet with Roman.

It's important that we
show success outside

of our research program
and clinical circle.

Show that we're no longer in
the realm of science fiction.

Absolutely. This
technology is incredible.

It'll open up an entire
population of patients

we're unable to
communicate with verbally.

Patients whose mental
health is an afterthought

or completely disregarded.

I never even considered
the psych perspective.

An oversight that could
perhaps be avoided

if we had a psychiatrist
on our board.

Good evening, Roman.
You're looking good, man.

Fresh.

My mother would tease

I look like Rasputin
when I forget to shave.

Damn, man, not
Rasputin.

It's funny the things
that make you feel human.

Feeling clean skin,
physical touch.

That day you gave me
a shave, I needed it.

I needed to remember
that I was still alive.

I'm not supposed to
say stuff like this,

but I wish we could do more.

I'm so sorry, man.

Please don't be.

I could never repay you for
what you've already done.

Don't even sweat it.

I have one request, if I may.

I've been thinking
about it for a while,

and I didn't have a
way to say it before.

But now I can.

And I'm certain.

I don't want to live
like this anymore.

Are we sure that's
what he meant?

John Doe wants to die?
- His name is Roman.

And yes. However,
I have assured him

there is much more we can do,

and we will exhaust
every option.

We've projected
onto him for weeks.

Thoughts, desires, a name.

Now he's telling us who he is,

and for better or
worse, what he wants.

I thought assisted suicide
was illegal in New York.

It's not assisted suicide.

It would be
palliative withdrawal

of mechanical ventilation.

We're not actively
ending Roman's life.

We're just removing the machines
that have been prolonging it.

It is an ethical
gray zone for some,

but it is definitely legal.

Would Roman's death impact
Dr. Gadson's clinical trial?

The implant's meant to
enable communication.

On that metric, Roman's
already a success.

Mortality also matters,

but it's not mortality related
to a device malfunction.

Either way, that's not
a good-enough reason

to keep Roman alive
against his will.

Okay, but what was the
purpose of the surgery

if Roman wanted
to die all along?

To restore his autonomy.

Sometimes that means giving
a patient the ability

to make a decision you
might not agree with.

So y'all are cool with this?

We can't just give up.

Roman just learned of his full
prognosis for the first time.

We have to give him a chance
to come to terms with it

and imagine a new life,
one he actually wants.

Leave no stone unturned.

Find a reason for
Roman to want to live.

Careful.

I was the captain of my
high school chess team.

Check. You're out of practice.

You sure you want to do that?

Try again. I like
second chances.

You said you came to
America seeking asylum.

Why?

Roman...

Embrace the quiet, Doctor.

It is the key to chess...

and other things.

Checkmate.

You're on your phone a lot.

I'm anxious-avoidant.

And so are you, it seems.

You didn't answer my question.

Why did you leave Chechnya?

- Oh, man.
- What happened?

- Someone call 911.
- Call 911.

He don't look so good.

Is anything broken? Do
you need an ambulance?

I'm okay.

I'm calling 911.

No! No police.

Is that guy okay?

I had $500. No papers.

They told me I was safe
until my asylum appointment.

But I didn't know.

What I did know...

I could never go
back to Chechnya.

Those were my last thoughts
before everything went black.

You didn't answer my question.

Why did you leave Chechnya?

For love.

Big news. Roman isn't alone.

Jacob, go to the warehouse
by the pier where he works.

See if anybody has stopped
by to look for him.

Ericka, check out
his old apartment.

I've texted you the address.

Van, call immigration,
social services.

I've already started
a deep dive online.

Ready, Alex?

Roman.

Can he hear me?

Yes.

Alex.

Rome.

Rome...

That's why he came to America.

It's illegal to be
gay in Chechnya.

Friends and family turn
their loved ones in.

And those suspected
are persecuted,

abducted, even killed.

Let's give them some privacy

so they can catch up
without an audience.

How did you two meet?
- In school.

We both loved
astronomy and dessert.

This one is not bad.

When I got here,

I checked every hospital,
police station, shelters.

I searched for Roman every day.

I thought that I might
never see him again.

No one knew where he
was or what happened.

But you do.

We pieced it together.

Uh, Roman was thrown
from his bike.

His head must have gone
forward and back very quickly.

We call it whiplash.

At first he thought he was okay,

but then his neck
started to hurt.

He didn't go to the hospital
because he was afraid.

He thought he'd be fine.

But the injury caused
a clot in an artery

that supplies blood and
oxygen to the brainstem.

Roman had a massive stroke.

Now, the parts of the brain

responsible for
thought were unharmed.

But because he was almost
entirely paralyzed,

no one knew he was still
awake, still himself.

So if he had gone to the
doctor after the accident...

I know you've
heard his decision.

Roman can be quite stubborn
when his mind is made up.

Well, if we are able to
convince him otherwise,

he would be able to
leave the hospital.

Then the question would become
does he return to long-term care

or does he go home with you?

I would love him home.

I want to make sure you
understand what this means.

There will be nursing help,

but a tremendous
responsibility will fall to you

between his tracheostomy
tube, the ventilator...

I will do it.

I will do it.

It was my idea for
us to come here.

I'm the one who speaks English.

I was always planning
to care for Roman.

It just looks different now.

Um, as we say in our country,

Alex is a prince among men.

You're very lucky.
- Very.

Not a lot of options
where we come from.

If only I had the same excuse.

Dr. Nichols is taking
Alex through the post-op

dressing changes and
troubleshooting device.

My interns are working with
the respiratory therapists

to train him on suctioning
your tracheotomy tube

and responding to
ventilator alarms.

And Dr. Dang is searching
for first-floor apartments

to move you home.

No, I told you, Dr. Wolf.
I don't want that.

But Alex wants to...
to care for you.

He understands what is required.

You came here to be together.

He still wants that.

Don't you?

Before you,

all I wanted was to be
released from the misery

of being an able mind
trapped in a useless body.

I made my decision then.

But then, uh, in between,

you afforded me so much.

You gave me my voice back.

You gave me my love back.

And now...

I need you to give
me one more thing.

I'm reading about these
experimental technologies

that I think could make...

As much as I appreciate
your efforts,

I don't want this
version of life.

Not for me or for Alex.

Why did you ask me
not to leave you

if you knew you wanted to go?

I had been passed from hospital
to hospital, doctor to doctor.

I needed someone to stop,
look at me and listen.

Who is that?

Yes, this is John Doe.

No I.D., no medical history,

no family.

Transferred from
hospital to hospital

every time he gets
a new infection.

Now he's ours.

You saw me when no one else did.

Which is ironic, because they
tell me you can't see faces.

And because it seems like you
don't see me at all anymore.

Wolf, put yourself
in Roman's shoes.

You'll never walk, talk, swim,

or obsessively care
for a fern again.

- That's not a fern.
- What would you do?

Adapt and Roman can, too.

Many locked-in patients
report being relatively happy

across multiple studies.

But Roman is not just
dealing with locked-in.

He's vent-dependent, which is
an acceptable quality of life

for some, but not for him.

He must be depressed.
Can you talk to him?

Assure him that there are other
paths that we can explore?

I know you want to
save his life, Wolf.

You're attached.
- That's not a bad thing.

It's a beautiful thing.

That's what makes you
the doctor you are.

Roman came here seeking
the ultimate freedom

and ended up in the
ultimate prison.

You've done so much, more
than any other doctor would.

But not every patient
can be saved, Wolf.

Not every patient
wants to be saved.

Can you talk to him
and try, please?

For me?

Yes, but if he has capacity,
it's not up to us to stop it.

Why would we give Roman a
voice just to ignore it?

Alex was supposed to come first.

He planned it out,
but things changed.

At the time, it scared me.

And how do you
feel about it now?

In a strange way,
I feel... content.

I have everything I wanted.

Hmm.

Many people with locked-in
syndrome report happiness,

and they go on to
live for decades,

particularly those with
dedicated caretakers.

Good for them.

I'm at peace with my decision.

Your ability to
reframe the narrative,

it's... it's quite impressive.

I've had a lot of practice
and time to think.

Coming to America,

taking a leap of faith to
create a life with Alex,

having him with me in
the end, that's my story.

And what about Alex?

Alex will be okay.

He'll fall in love again.

Write a new story
for both of us.

Are there any
innovations we could try?

Robotic limbs? Exoskeleton?
Clinical trials?

I read about a
study with a guy...

I don't think another
clinical trial

is what Roman's
asking for, Wolf.

I want to be a good doctor.

I want to see his perspective.

But we've come so far
just to let him go.

I can't, not with him.

What you do best is allow
your patients to see

the world the way they want to.

You honor who they
are, what they choose.

Even if you disagree.

I admire that about you.

Yes. Do you know how
many lives I've saved

only to have patients
relegated to states

they find unacceptable...

states I would
find unacceptable?

The decision he made is hard.

If we're good
doctors, we honor it.

We'll administer morphine to
make sure you're comfortable

when we decrease the
ventilator settings.

And then when we take
you off the vent,

we'll give you more meds to
ensure you're not anxious

or struggling to breathe.

Then... you'll... pass away.

Okay.

Would you like to speak with a
chaplain or a spiritual advisor?

No.

Alright.

Just one more.

You're disappointed in me.

N-N-Not at all.

I guess I used to
imagine who you were.

What you wanted.

What your life would look
like after everything.

And it... wasn't this.

Is there anything
we can do

to support you in
your final moments?

Remember that day you and
Dr. Nash took me outside?

If there's any
psilocybin in his system,

then he won't be
able to participate

in the sleep study,
but thank you. Yeah.

- We need to take Roman home.
- To Chechnya?

I suppose a medflight's
not out of the question,

but...
- Not home home. A home.

He needs to get out of the
hospital before tomorrow for...

For when he leaves us.

He doesn't want to
die in the hospital.

- Oh.
- Okay.

Ostrich ferns don't particularly
like to be trampled, Dr. Markus.

Copy that.

This...

Uh, no.

Dr. Wolf. Do you
ever let anyone in?

You're here. I let you all in.

I'm regretting it with
each passing moment.

He meant in your heart.

Thank you for bringing me here.

It's much better
than the hospital.

Very homey.

That's what I thought
when I first saw it.

It was on my swimming route.
It reminded me of my childhood.

I used to love to
swim. When I was young,

my father and I would go to
this crystal-blue alpine lake

in the summers
called Kezenoy-am.

Hmm. Sounds much
nicer than the Hudson.

That's where my
father taught me.

Do you see your father often?

Me neither.

Even before I left,
we agreed on nothing

but our love for each
other and swimming.

I find opposite perspectives
and mutual respect

make a good team.

You know who makes a great team?

You and the tall doctor.

Carol's actually not that tall.

She's just obsessed
with high heels.

No, the surgeon. He likes you.

Dr. Nichols? Yeah.

No. Okay.

I mean, I think you just
caught us on a good day.

Take it from a
locked-in patient.

There is no time
like the present.

You're doing the right thing.

I hope you know that.

200 billion trillion.

That's how many stars
there are in the universe.

Whether you're in
Grozny or New York,

we all see the
same incandescence.

To ancient cultures,
these stars were alive

and animate.

Their celestial bodies of light

every bit as real as our
earthly ones of flesh.

That's why they named them.

Capella.

Pollux. Mirfak.

And my favorite,
Vega and Altair.

In Chinese folklore, they
represent forbidden lovers

who were separated
by the galaxies.

But in spite of
their great distance,

they always, always stay
connected by their hearts.

♪ Think about it ♪

♪ There must be
a higher love ♪

♪ Life is wasted time ♪

♪ Look inside your heart,
and I'll look inside mine ♪

♪ Things look so
bad everywhere ♪

♪ We walk the line,
we try to see ♪

♪ Fallin' behind
in what could be ♪

♪ Bring me a higher love ♪

♪ Where's that higher
love I been thinking of? ♪

♪ Worlds are turnin',
we're just hanging on ♪

Roman.

♪ Facing our fear and
standin' out there alone ♪

♪ A yearning ♪
- It's time.

♪ And it's real for me ♪

♪ There must be someone
who's feeling for me ♪

♪ Things look so
bad everywhere ♪

♪ In this whole
world, what's fair? ♪

♪ We walk the line,
we try to see ♪

♪ Fallin' behind
in what could be ♪

♪ Bring me a higher love ♪

♪ Bring me a higher love ♪

♪ Where's this higher
love I been thinking of ♪

Remember those investors
I scheduled to meet Roman,

all eager to see the successful
implantation of the device

that they funded?
- Look, Simon...

Imagine their surprise

when I had to cancel
the visit last minute

because your nurse just
informed me that Roman is dead.

This is exactly why I didn't
want to work with Wolf.

And now I can see that
you're just as reckless.

That device was created to
save lives, not end them.

It was what was best
for the patient.

Surely you wouldn't want him
to exist purely for research.

His death is on the
record as a mortality

within the first 30 days of
the device's implantation.

Do you know how bad that looks?

Our goal is to revolutionize
many lives, not just one.

You gave Roman a voice. As
his doctors, we respected it.

Isn't that a
revolution in itself?

I had thought that
this was the start

of a prolific partnership
with Bronx General.

Clearly, I was wrong.

If you are here because I took
Roman out of the hospital,

please do me a favor and just
file an official grievance,

because I really don't
feel like talking about it.

I'm checking in to
make sure you're okay.

What? I'm... I'm fine.

I need to start my rounds.

Well, before you leave, I just
have to say that I'm surprised.

After all you did for Roman,

that... you just seemed
to give up so easily.

There was nothing easy
about what we did.

It was the single hardest
decision I've ever made.

Well, it's just not
like you, Oliver.

I thought that you
would have tried harder

to convince him to stay
alive, to give it a chance.

You think I gave up?

You think I didn't
try hard enough?

Let's talk about giving up.
- Oliver...

Whenever Dad was in a bad place,

you just spent
more time at work.

When you knew he
couldn't be fixed,

you just stopped trying.

You let him become a shell of
a man, and then you left him.

But you think I
should try harder?

After all these years, you're
still trying to fix him.

And it doesn't matter how many
patients you treat, honey.

It's not going to
bring him back.

And the sooner that
you deal with this,

the sooner you will
stop making decisions

that primarily serve you.

What I did was for Roman.

His choice, not mine.

A choice that hurt
this technology,

other patients out there
who could benefit from this.

I will always focus on the
patient right in front of me.

Huh.

I'm glad you have
that privilege.

You and I are never gonna
see eye to eye, Mom.

If you want to terminate me
because of that, then do it.

That's on you.

Hey, Ericka.

You holding up?

If stuff like that
comes with the job,

I'm glad we have each other.

I've been wanting to
ask you something,

and I could be
totally off base here,

but, um, the past
couple of days,

I've been getting a sense
that you have, uh, feelings.

Good ones, big ones.

You felt that?

Of course you did.

You're right.

I am.

I do.

Please
don't tell Jacob.

♪ I was distracted
and in traffic ♪

♪ I didn't feel it when
the earthquake happened ♪

♪ But it really
got me thinking ♪

♪ Were you out drinking? ♪

♪ Were you were in
the living room? ♪

♪ Chilling, watching
television? ♪

♪ It's been a year now ♪

♪ Think I've figured out how ♪

♪ How to let you go and
let communication die out ♪

♪ I know, you know, we know ♪

♪ You weren't down for
forever and it's fine ♪

♪ I know, you know, we know ♪

♪ We weren't meant for
each other and it's fine ♪

♪ But if the world was ending,
you'd come over, right? ♪

I always had this wish that
after I moved to New York,

I would see Alex on the street.

He smiles at me.

I run toward him,

and we kiss right there in
the middle of everything,

and no one would look at us
or care because we were free.

♪ If the world was ending,
you'd come over, right? ♪

- What's wrong?
- Nothing.

I just wish I could
have given that to you

and Alex.

You did.

My question to you is...

♪ If the world was ending ♪

what are you waiting for?

♪ The sky'd be falling
and I'd hold you tight ♪

♪ No, there wouldn't
be a reason why ♪

♪ We would even have
to say goodbye ♪

♪ If the world was ending ♪

♪ You'd come over, right? ♪

♪ You'd come over, you'd come
over, you'd come over, right? ♪

♪ Yeah ♪

♪ If the world was ending,
you'd come over, right? ♪

Greg, move your head.