Saagar Kote
In the NBC medical drama series ‘Brilliant Minds,’ Dr. Oliver Wolf, a neurologist, navigates the challenges of “Face Blindness” or “Prosopagnosia,” a medical condition that impairs his ability to remember faces. He champions a patient-centric approach, prioritizing individual needs over the specific medical condition, as he serves at the Bronx General Hospital. Created by Michael Grassi, it explores the ideas of friendship, identity, complex familial bonds, secrets of the medical field, and humanism. One of the most interesting characters in the first episode of the second season is an MMA fighter named Tommy Grudko, who takes Oliver by surprise due to his complex medical condition. As the protagonist becomes obsessed with the idea of helping Tommy, he faces difficult choices that may determine the fighter’s future. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Tommy Grudko is a Fighter Who Faces a Unique Challenge
Tommy is introduced as he takes part in a sparring session at the gym. He shows his martial arts skills impressively while being coached by his father, Earl. However, as he is about to win a bout, he starts displaying strange behavior, wherein he begins to punch himself in the face violently, which causes significant damage. He is immediately transported to Bronx General Hospital by his wife, Cynthia, and his father, where he is initially cared for by Dr. Thorne and subsequently by the neurologist intern Jacob, who initiates treatment for his head injury. When Oliver and his team examine Tommy, he tells them that he desperately wants to return to training. Despite Oliver’s suggestion of a brain scan, the reluctant MMA fighter violently punches the protagonist, causing a black eye.
After the violent incident, Wolf speaks with Tommy, his father, and their family doctor, who attributes the MMA fighter’s actions during the sparring session to him being overwhelmed. Tommy is surprised to learn he punched himself, but his father attempts to dismiss these thoughts. Wolf agrees to discharge the MMA fighter, provided he consults Carol Pierce. When Tommy confides in Carol about his father’s dislike of him losing fights, he suddenly punches a wall adorned with a decorative sculpture. This leads Oliver and Carol to realize that Tommy has been using his right hand to punch himself and others, despite typically being left-handed in fights. After observing Tommy again during a sparring session, the protagonist determines that the fighter has a strange and unique health condition.
Later, Oliver requests the fighter’s father to let him run more tests, but is refused. It is later discovered that the MMA fighter has been taking drugs related to Parkinson’s. However, after Oliver makes more specific observations about Tommy’s condition, he is able to help him out by using a technique to control both his left and right hands in the best possible way. Due to this, Tommy is able to win a fight, despite facing overwhelming odds. He expresses gratitude towards Oliver for helping him when it mattered to him the most.
Tommy is Diagnosed With Alien Hand Syndrome and Corticobasal Degeneration
After observing Tommy carefully, Oliver concludes that the fighter has a health condition called “Alien Hand Syndrome (AHS),” which is also called “Dr. Strangelove Syndrome.” Oliver suggests it is a condition where individuals involuntarily lose control over certain body parts, leading to unintended actions. According to the Cleveland Clinic, AHS involves the sensation that one’s hand is operating independently. Individuals may find their hands performing purposeful actions, such as grasping items or buttoning clothing, without conscious command. This condition can emerge following brain injury or surgery, or in conjunction with specific medical conditions.
The condition is also called “Dr. Strangelove Syndrome” due to its unique connection with one of the main characters in the 1964 film ‘Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb,’ directed by the legendary Stanley Kubrick. In the film, Strangelove’s right arm repeatedly makes the “Hitlergruss” or the Nazi Salute during his audition in the US government’s war room. Meanwhile, his left hand struggles to prevent these seemingly intentional yet involuntary movements. This scene led to the film’s association with AHS. While some instances of AHS are temporary, others can endure for an extended period. This connects to the point that Tommy is an MMA fighter. It can be reasonably presumed that Tommy’s injuries while fighting could have caused his condition or aggravated it.
Ericka and Charlie discover that Tommy has been consuming significant amounts of Levodopa, a drug prescribed for Parkinson’s. Following this, Oliver diagnoses Tommy with Corticobasal degeneration (CBD), a rare condition that accounts for his aggressive behavior and also aggravates his AHS incidents. Tommy reveals that his father, Earl, manages his medications, suggesting Earl was aware of the condition yet still compelled him to participate in fights. According to the NHS of the UK, Corticobasal degeneration (CBD) is a rare condition that progressively impairs movement, speech, memory, and swallowing. It is also called Corticobasal Syndrome (CBS), and can be caused by multiple brain cells taking damage over time.
Tommy’s time in the ring most likely caused irreparable damage to his body, which led to his battle against the medical conditions. Interestingly, the use of the Mirror box therapy in the show to counter AHS is a technique that is also prescribed on medical websites. It involves an illusion using a mirror to make the brain believe that the hand or limb is in your control. Tommy is able to win his MMA bout due to the therapy suggested by Oliver.
Duke Davis Roberts’ Endearing Performance Brings Tommy Grudko to Life
Tommy Grudko is a complicated man who faces emotional difficulties with his father and a tough battle against his health conditions. Duke Davis Roberts was born in LA and comes from a diverse background, encompassing Polynesian, Indigenous, and Western European heritage. He competed as an amateur in MMA for two years, securing a light heavyweight belt. He then retired from the sport to focus on his acting career. He started acting in his twenties in 2013 with an uncredited performance in ‘Maxi Wild: Sudden Death.’
Another uncredited acting stint in ‘The Night Shift’ led to his breakthrough performance as Choo-Choo in ‘Justified.’ His portrayals of Larry Meade in ‘Battle Creek’, Ty in ‘Undrafted’, and Bennett in ‘The Night Shift’ add to his skills. His performances as Cody Branson in ‘Longmire’ and Nocona in ‘The Son’ are also memorable. His recent portrayals are as Cash in ‘The Peripheral,’ Big Jim Kitchen in ‘Heels,’ and Shawn Gallagher in ‘Countdown.’ His layered and mature depiction of Tommy and his struggles in ‘Brilliant Minds’ makes it a memorable performance.
Read More: Is Brilliant Minds a True Story?
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