Music plays a big role in the way our memory reconnects with our world and our past. People suffering from Alzheimer’s will suddenly remember details from the past through music they loved, something Dr Oliver Sacks (who inspired this TV show) studied extensively.
The past which is not recoverable in any other way is embedded, as if in amber, in the music, and people can regain a sense of identity.”
— Oliver Sacks
The patient du jour is Tom Price (Jamie Thomas King), a historian who suddenly started hearing music out of nowhere at any time of the day. What makes him special, outside this obvious neurological issue, is that he’s not just a random man, he’s one of Oliver’s (Zachary Quinto) old flames, someone significant to him, even if he didn’t recognize him at first. Oliver and he spent a summer together 30 years ago, and while they only shared one kiss at the time, they both cherish this memory very dearly up to this day.
This case turns out to be more severe than expected, and with Tom being someone dear to Oliver, it creates an interesting situation between Oliver and Josh (Teddy Sears). Tom clearly still has feelings for Oliver, he’s not in love with him, but he certainly has remnants of romantic feelings. It creates a sort of wake-up call for Oliver, who awkwardly tries to make Josh jealous. Tom being married and a dad of two, there’s obviously nothing happening between them, but Oliver still takes advantage of their mutual fondness.
Unfortunately, this leads to Oliver wanting to try again with Josh, only to discover Josh has been dating someone else, who turns out to be an ex of his. Old flames never really die, apparently. It’s hard to blame Josh, we’ve seen him really try to wait for Oliver to make up his mind, to tidy his life enough to make room for a stable relationship, and it never came. Josh had been clear too, he didn’t want to wait in vain, and he was absolutely right to say that.
For Oliver, the situation is a lot more personal, and the news of Josh dating someone else hits him right where it hurts the most, especially after Josh tells him that the relationship is easy with his new lover. Oliver takes that very personally, because he knows he’s not an easy man to have a relationship with. Oliver is Oliver, he’ll prioritize his work and patients before anything and anyone else. He expected Josh to accept him the way he is.
Being ourselves comes with a price some of us can barely afford. Yes, Oliver wasn’t the best partner, and yes, things are more complicated with him, but he’s a good person, has a lot of empathy, and he probably expected to be loved for all these qualities, and not just for being available or not. Again, it’s hard to blame Josh, and at this point, they’ll both have to figure out what they’re really looking for, and what they’re willing to compromise. Because yes, compromising is part of life, and it doesn’t mean people need to change. It’s about adaptation.
Paralleling Oliver’s chaotic love life on a more joyful note, his friendship with Carol (Tamberla Perry) (who already knew who was Tom to Oliver) is such a breath of fresh air. It’s written with so much love for each other. I just love how real it sounds, the way Carol doesn’t coddle Oliver, always putting him in front of his mistakes or even himself, something he reciprocates. It’s a beautiful bond and relationship.
Nurse Silva (Al Calderon) is also another bright light at the Neuro service. He can be bossy (for all the right reasons), but in this episode, he’s clearly more interested in knowing everything about what’s going on between Oliver and Josh, and definitely wants them back together, for the sake of a better work environment, but also because he’s not about to let queer love go bad! “I need my dads back.” We do to, Nico.
On the interns’ side, things go from successful to catastrophic. Sam (Nabil Rajo), the homeless man Ericka (Ashleigh LaThrop) is personally taking care of, is also having neurological issues. The voices he’s hearing are preventing him from getting treatment, but one workaround might help: movies. To conduct their tests, Ericka, Dana (Aury Krebs), and Van (Alex MacNicoll) need him to relax, and decide to create a makeshift personal theater. An empathetic idea that eventually pays off. If there’s one person Oliver has inspired, it’s Ericka.
Dana and Katie (Mishel Prada) meet their first real hurdle in their relationship. Katie wants to include Dana more in her life and wants her to meet her friends. While it’s a completely normal progression, Dana didn’t expect Katie to be so close and tactile with her friends, something that throws Dana off. The situation reveals they both don’t see their respective friends in the best light, Dana for what just happened, Katie for the way Ericka reacted to Dana reporting Carol.
