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Who Is Dr. Josh Nichols? Teddy Sears' Brilliant Minds Surgeon Explained
Is it always going to be Dr. Josh Nichols vs. Dr. Oliver Wolf on NBC's Brilliant Minds?
Dr. Oliver Wolf, the central character of NBC's Brilliant Minds, is unlike any medical professional you've ever seen. Inspired by Oliver Sacks and played by Zachary Quinto (alumnus of both Heroes and the recent Star Trek films), Wolf believes in a radical philosophy of getting to know his patients on an intimate level as a way to diagnose and treat neurological ailments.
He's literally willing to do whatever it takes to get inside the minds of the people under his supervision — whether it's taking mind-altering substances or whisking an Alzheimer's patient out of hospice care on a hunch. Of course, his methods aren't exactly palatable to the rest of the industry and Wolf is unceremoniously fired in the series premiere. Enter: a possible new rival — or maybe a love interest — in Dr. Josh Nichols.
RELATED: Zachary Quinto's Dr. Wolf Butts Heads with Lead Surgeon in Brilliant Minds: Watch
Because luckily for Wolf, a new neurology position opens up at Bronx General Hospital where his old friend and colleague, Dr. Carol Pierce (Tamberla Perry), oversees the psychiatry department. She's willing to take a risk on Dr. Wolf, granting him free reign (within reason, of course) and four bright-eyed interns. While at Bronx General, Oliver begins to butt heads with his own mother, Chief of Medicine Dr. Muriel Landon (Donna Murphy), and the Chair of Neurosurgery, Dr. Josh Nichols (Teddy Sears).
Every hospital needs a good old-fashioned rivalry, right? Or, just maybe, a will-they-won't-they romance?
Dr. Josh Nichols, Explained
From the moment he's introduced in the Brilliant Minds premiere episode, Dr. Nichols very much subscribes to the mainstream school of medical practice: treat the disease and seemingly never mind the patient suffering from it. Why bother getting to know the individual when it's not even your job to do so?
In the very first episode, we're introduced to a patient of his, Hannah Peters (guest star Kira Guloien), who underwent surgery to cure chronic seizures. After the procedure, however, the woman mysteriously begins to see her two children as imposters. Nichols doesn't see this as his problem, stating that his only goal was to cure Hannah's seizures, not make her a fit parent.
But if television medical dramas have taught us anything, it's that even the most adversarial of colleagues can teach each other new tricks. Despite the initial friction between Wolf and Nichols, we have a nagging suspicion the two characters may end up much closer before the season is over.
Is there romance brewing between Wolf and Nichols?
That instinct seems especially prudent post-Episode 3, in which Wolf accidentally discovers that Nichols, like him, is interested in men. While working a case together, Wolf overhears a voicemail from a fling Nichols met at a workout class. Nichols downplays the situation — maybe because they're literally in the middle of trying to save their patient's life — but Wolf definitely clocks this new detail. He's not not interested.
And there's something to be said for the thin line between love and hate.
RELATED: How Does the Real-Life Dr. Sacks Inspire Dr. Wolf in Brilliant Minds?
"We do learn in Episode 3 that Josh is gay, that Josh clearly ... has a thriving, if not interesting, life outside of the hospital that comes up at the most sort of inopportune time," Sears told TV Insider. "That was a very, very stressful, very high-tension scene…and we talk so fast! Zach and I talk so fast, and that’s something that I think you’ll see throughout the season is these two characters sort of match cadence. They go toe-to-toe really well... But there’s a massive amount of respect because ultimately, they both care about the well-being of the patient, not just about getting the surgery done and moving on to the next patient, if that makes any sense."
New episodes of Brilliant Minds premiere on Mondays on NBC at 10/9c and are available to stream on Peacock.
Originally published Sep 23, 2024.
