It's rare for any show to get a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but a new NBC show has done so — and it's proof that the network needs to renew Blue Bloods on CBS and cast rotation policies on many NBC shows.
Tight budgets mean NBC and other networks need to weigh their options carefully before renewing shows. Brilliant Minds is currently in limbo for this reason. Despite critical acclaim and a devoted fanbase, the medical drama has not yet been renewed. There are ample reasons for Brilliant Minds season 2 to go forward; however, it will not happen unless NBC is convinced the medical drama will make more money than it costs to produce. Still, its comparison to another freshman NBC show shows exactly why it's worth a renewal.
NBC's Hunting Party Debuts To A 0% Score On Rotten Tomatoes
The Newest Crime Drama Gets One Of The Poorest Critical Receptions In Recent Years
NBC has heavily promoted its newest crime drama The Hunting Party, which debuted in January 2025. The Hunting Party revolves around the battle to recapture a group of notorious serial killers after they escape from a maximum-security prison. It is intended to be a thriller that pits violent criminals against the best law enforcement agents the FBI has to offer. However, The Hunting Party has proven, so far, to be extremely unpopular with critics and audiences.
9 Biggest Questions After The Brilliant Minds Finale
Brilliant Minds season 1, episode 13 ended the freshman season of the neurological-based medical drama with more questions than answers.
Currently, The Hunting Party has a critics' score of 11% on Rotten Tomatoes, with many reviewers calling the series "predictable" and "ridiculous." Shockingly, this abysmal rating is an improvement over its debut, which earned a score of 0%. The series premiere was universally panned, and its still terrible rating proves that the vast majority of critics still aren't impressed. That said, The Hunting Party debuted with a respectable 3.05 million viewers, and audiences like it better than critics, with a current Popcornmeter rating of 68% - not incredible, but enough to be rated fresh.
Hunting Party's Rotten Score Highlights Brilliant Minds' Success
Brilliant Minds Season 1 Had Modest Ratings But Was Critically Acclaimed
Brilliant Minds held its own in the time slot that had once been dominated by ABC's The Good Doctor. The offbeat medical drama debuted to approximately 3.9 million viewers (via TV Series Finale); while ratings declined from week to week, it ended with 2.9 million, which is close to The Hunting Party's debut figures. Furthermore, the show was a hit with its audience, boasting a healthy 82% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and favorable reviews from professional critics, with a current critics' score of 88%.
It remains to be seen if The Hunting Party can recover from this dismal first showing or whether its encore presentation on February 6, 2025 made a difference.
Comparing these metrics to The Hunting Party's dismal reception on Rotten Tomatoes and its debut episode ratings, it is clear which show is the bigger hit. In of viewership ratings, Brilliant Minds' debut was far higher than The Hunting Party's, boasting almost 1 million more viewers. Of course, it remains to be seen if The Hunting Party can recover from this poor first showing or whether its encore presentation on February 6, 2025 made a difference. However, the fact that it got such a low rotten critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes is a significant concern, especially considering that Brilliant Minds resonated much more strongly with audiences and critics alike.
Why NBC Needs To Renew Brilliant Minds For Season 2 (Aside From Its Ratings)
There Are Several Reasons NBC Needs Brilliant Minds Season 2
Brilliant Minds left several questions unanswered at the end of its first season. The season finale contained the bombshell revelation that Wolf's (Zachary Quinto) father, Noah (Mandy Patinkin), who had long been believed to be dead, had abandoned the family when Wolf was 14. Noah has bipolar disorder and feared he was a threat to his son's health and safety, so he allowed Wolf to believe he was dead.
Furthermore, in the final scene, Noah revealed to Wolf that he had a mysterious illness that he needed his son to help diagnose and treat. This cliffhanger was coupled with Wolf's friend and colleague Carol (Tamberla Perry) learning that she was being placed on istrative leave pending an investigation into accusations of unethical behavior.
Brilliant Minds Has The Perfect Argument For NBC's Season 2 Renewal
NBC hasn't made a decision about Brilliant Minds yet, but the freshman medical drama has the perfect argument for why it should get the green light.
These cliffhangers make it clear that the creative team behind Brilliant Minds expects it to be renewed, and it would be disappointing and frustrating if these stories were left unresolved because NBC didn't greenlight a second season. The fact that Brilliant Minds snagged stage and screen legend Mandy Patinkin to play Noah is an additional testimony to the show's power. Patinkin has a big enough name that he can afford to be picky about the projects he chooses, so his participation should not be taken lightly.
NBC has several ways to market this show to audiences who have not yet discovered it while continuing to please its fanbase.
Finally, Brilliant Minds differs in significant respects from other medical dramas. It focuses on neurological disorders, often presenting cases that are not like the standard illnesses seen on other hospital-based shows. It also has one of the most diverse casts on television and highlights neurodivergence in ways that other shows do not. Thus, NBC has several ways to market this show to audiences who have not yet discovered it while continuing to please its fanbase.
NBC Is Better Off With A Medical Drama Than A Crime Procedural
It Will Fall Behind If It Doesn't Brilliant Minds
NBC has more than enough crime procedurals without The Hunting Party. Currently, the network has two Law & Order shows on Thursday nights, followed by Found, and it will eventually stream new episodes of Law & Order: Organized Crime on Peacock. Additionally, NBC has The Irrational on Tuesday nights and Chicago PD on Wednesdays. Conversely, it only has one medical drama, Chicago Med, so it has room for another such show in its lineup.
Every Crime Procedural on NBC |
|
|---|---|
Show |
When It Airs (in ET) |
The Hunting Party |
Mondays @ 10 PM |
The Irrational |
Tuesdays @ 10 PM |
Chicago PD |
Wednesdays @ 10 PM |
Law & Order |
Thursdays @ 8 PM |
Law & Order: SVU |
Thursdays @ 9 PM |
Found |
Thursdays @ 10 PM |
Additionally, high-concept medical dramas are hot right now. ABC recently wrapped up The Good Doctor after a 7-year run, but has been the home to Gray's Anatomy for over 20 years. It also made a splash with Dr. Odyssey, a new medical drama that takes place on a cruise ship. CBS also has a new high-concept medical drama now that Watson has premiered, and FOX recently premiered Doc, about a doctor who needs to rebuild her life after an accident wipes out her memories. The only medical drama NBC has is Chicago Med, which is flashier and not high-concept.
NBC's best move is to renew the offbeat medical drama it already has rather than trying to create a new one from scratch.
While Chicago Med is popular, it's also part of a successful franchise of shows about first responders and is more about relationships than medicine. One show is not enough, and NBC's best move is to renew the offbeat medical drama it already has rather than try to create a new one from scratch, especially in a field oversaturated with criminal procedurals. Given these conditions and the poor showing by The Hunting Party thus far, it's clear that Brilliant Minds is the better show for NBC to renew.
Source: TV Series Finale
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Brilliant Minds
- Release Date
- September 23, 2024
Cast
Dr. Oliver Wolf
Teddy SearsDr. Josh Nichols
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