Why Brilliant Minds Only Has 13 Episodes?

Following Brilliant Minds episode 13, the NBC TV show's first season has come to an end, meaning there won't be any more new episodes (for now). The medical drama series, created by Michael Grassi, is partly based on two of neurologist Oliver Sacks' nonfiction books — The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and An Anthropologist on Mars. Both novels chronicle real-life medical cases, which inspired Grassi to create Brilliant Minds.

Brilliant Minds stars Zachary Quinto as Dr. Oliver Wolf, an attending neurologist at Bronx General in New York. Dr. Wolf is quite gifted (or brilliant, as the show's title implies), eccentric, and defined by his unique approach to his work (which isn't too popular among some of his peers). The series begins with Quinto's character accepting a new job at Bronx General, where he leads a team of interns and takes on unusual and challenging psychological cases. Unfortunately, though, Brilliant Minds season 1 is limited to 13 episodes.

Brilliant Minds Only Has 13 Episodes Because That's NBC's Original Order

NBC Originally Only Gave Brilliant Minds Season 1 13 Episodes

When NBC ordered Brilliant Minds to series, the network granted it 13 episodes. Most TV shows get initial episode counts (whether it's 13 or 22) from their respective networks when they get greenlit, and for Zachary Quinto's new medical series, that number was 13. As a result, Brilliant Minds season 1 only has 13 episodes. So, episode 13, "The Man Who Can't See Faces," serves as season 1's finale (and perhaps the series finale).

Complete Cast List For Brilliant Minds
*Actor*	*Character*
Zachary Quinto	Dr. Oliver Wolf
Teddy Sears	Dr. Josh Nichols
Tamberela Perry	Dr. Carol Pierce
Alex MacNicholl	Dr. Van Marcus
Spence Moore II	Dr. Jacob Nash
Aury Krebs	Dr. Dana Dang
Ashleigh LaThrop	Dr. Ericka Kinney
Mandy Patinkin	Dr. Noah Wolf

Some networks give their new TV shows additional episodes early on in their seasons due to various factors. If a series exceeds expectations regarding ratings or quality, perhaps a network will order more episodes for it to continue telling its gripping story. For example, NBC gave Happy's Place five additional episodes about a month after its premiere, bringing its season total to 18 (per TV Insider). Unfortunately, that wasn't the case for Brilliant Minds.

Is Brilliant Minds Returning For Season 2?

NBC Hasn't Renewed The Show Yet

As of the writing of this article, the medical drama's future remains unclear. NBC hasn't renewed Brilliant Minds for season 2, but the network hasn't canceled it either, leaving the door open for more episodes. The good news is that season 1 ended with many shocking moments and questions unanswered, suggesting the writers believed a second season was a very viable possibility. Only time will tell what the future has in store for Brilliant Minds, though, whether the season 1 finale was the ending or if the story will continue in a second season (hopefully, with more episodes).