All language subtitles for Brilliant Minds S01E07 The Man From Grozny 1080p AMZN WEB-DL DDP5 1 H 264-NTb

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...

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.

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.