Black Box (2014): Season 1, Episode 9 - Sing Like Me - full transcript
Trying to help a sax player with hand tremors who fears brain surgery, Dr Black introduces him to her musician father. Leo begs Ian for a letter of recommendation and Catherine declares her feelings for him.
Previously on Black Box...
What was that?
Gunshots.
37-year-old male with gun shot to the neck.
Bickman?
You cannot operate on someone who shot you.
You don't even have an assistant.
I'm available.
I'm glad I didn't lose you.
I'm right here.
Don't you remember we were supposed
to have dinner at Keith's tonight?
Yeah, I can't possibly make it.
Okay, I'll see you back here later.
- Actually, I'm gonna spend the night here.
- Okay.
One of the patients is critical, and I
don't think he's gonna make it, so...
__
___
__
___
Sofia Ortega!
♪ Una sola palabra mas ♪
What are you doing?
I want to hear the news.
That's Tchaikovsky. I want to hear it.
Look, I like to stay informed.
No, you just hate music.
What are you doing? Look,
I prefer a stimulating
conversation. So sue me.
Hey, hey! Sto... Will you stop it?!
Will you stop it?! I want to hear it!
Mark, stop it.
Oh, Mark, get back in the car.
I'll get a cab.
For God's sakes.
This is ridiculous.
Mark! Mark!
Oh my God. Are you ok?
Mark. Mark, can you hear me?
Mark, wake up. Sweetie, please.
Please, please, please, wake up.
I can't believe it. It's
my first day as an intern,
and you're doing a music study.
We're gonna map the areas of
the brain that process music.
But is that even possible? It's everywhere.
Tonality centers in the prefrontal cortex,
cerebellum, and temporal lobe.
Lyrics are in Wernicke's and Broca's area,
the visual cortex, the motor cortex.
Rhythm is in the left-frontal cortex,
right cerebellum, the left parietal cortex.
All right, MacKenzie.
Studying things so complex
that they seem impossible to understand,
you know, it is what neurologists do.
- You good with that?
- Mm-hmm.
All right. 'Cause if not,
there's always law school.
I appreciate your concern,
but you should understand
the tremors are probably a
result of your alcohol use,
and to fix them, you just
have to stop drinking.
I can help with that.
Oh, I-I don't mean to
be contradictory, ma'am,
but I'm not an alcoholic.
Okay. How long have you
been a working musician?
All my life.
I went to the Berkeley School of Music.
Then I studied with Anthony Braxton.
And I went on tour for a while
with Herbie Hancock
and the great Miles Davis.
Excuse me. I'm sorry.
Um, Dr. Mahmoud,
this gentleman is here for the music study.
Yes, he is, but he's having tremors
that hamper his playing...
A result of his alcohol abuse.
I'm handling it.
How long have you been enjoying your gin?
Um, about three months or so.
I started when I got the shakes.
It makes it f-feel better for a while.
- Dr. Black, thank you. I'm already...
- Excuse me one second.
Would you mind holding this pen for me...
with this hand.
Okay. That's all right.
Very good. Thank you.
I'm Dr. Black. Nice to meet you.
So, this has got nothing to do with alcohol.
If you wouldn't mind,
I'd like to run a few
tests, if that's all right.
Sure.
Okay.
Good.
We'll get you back to this music study.
Thank you.
Thank you.
So, do you know why it's not alcoholism?
He has essential tremors
that predate the drinking,
and they worsen with movements of intention.
Good.
- He's clearly an alcoholic.
- All right.
Why else would he end up on the street?
His wife had a stomach cancer,
and the treatment bankrupted them.
Then she died on the operating table
as a result of a medical error,
and he fell into a depression.
All right. Well, let's start
treating him with propranolol.
Look, Catherine,
I'd like to help out with the music study.
On file. Thanks.
I'm a musician myself.
Brava!
Brava!
Brava!
That was amazing.
Well, it's official...
We have zero in common.
I'm...
I'm tone-deaf.
That's sad.
No doubt the resulting envy
was a subconscious motivation
for your music study.
Okay.
You can't believe what
she sounded like before.
__
__
This appears to be a
case of acquired amusia.
- What's that?
- A complete inability
to recognize or sing a tune and no pitch.
With acquired amusia,
often the patient can't
tell that they are off-key.
Well, can you fix it?
If you're born with amusia like Dr. Black,
then there is no cure.
But when it happens suddenly,
something has gone wrong.
We'll get to the bottom of this.
Start her out on an MBEA.
Montreal battery of evaluation of amusia...
It measures the ability
to discriminate pitch,
musical scales, rhythm, meter, and memory.
Yeah, I know, MacKenzie.
An individual is considered amusic
if he or she performs
two standard deviations
below the mean obtained by
musically competent controls.
No-brainer... This kid will fail.
- Could you stop even if you tried?
- No.
She also has headache, some nausea,
and weakness on the left side of her body.
The parents wrote that off to stress,
but acquired amusia is
usually... if not always...
Caused by brain damage, right?
So I'm thinking tumor.
Okay, let's not get
overly excited quite yet.
Get the blood work and get
the imaging, all right?
Uh, Dr. Bickman.
Leo, how's everything going with Dr. Lark?
Fair.
You should be soul mates.
She's like an older female you.
Uh, Dr. Bickman, uh,
I know you're very busy.
If you just, uh...
If I could have a second of your time,
um...
I was just, uh, wondering,
in light of how well we
worked together in surgery
after you were shot,
if you would reconsider
writing that letter of
recommendation for me.
Sorry, I can't.
Not when you get a grade of "satisfactory"
on your neurosurgery rotation.
Because I had a brain tumor.
I'm recovering.
Well, we can't rewrite the past.
There must be something I can do.
You know what? Let me tell
you the key to success
in four simple words...
Play to your strengths.
The world is full of people
who want to be an artist who can't draw,
singers who can't carry a tune.
Successful people figure
out what they're good at,
and they drop the rest.
You no longer have the hyper-memory,
and you're not really a people person, so...
Radiology's a good fit.
Please, I'll do anything
to get your recommendation for neurosurgery.
How can I change your mind about this?
Ace your Step 2.
So, he wants you to ace the final exam
on everything you've learned in
four years of medical school?
Yes, I need to be in the 95th percentile.
- Ooh.
- At a minimum.
Brutal.
- I'll be lucky to pass.
- Oh, come on.
I lost so much when I had the tumor removed.
I've forgotten half of what I've learned.
You have to study. Are you studying?
You've got to study like the rest of us.
I'm crushing the books day and night,
but it's not sticking.
I need my hyper-memory to get it all back,
and that is gone for good.
Come in.
Hi.
Hey.
Oh, no, don't get up. I...
I just wanted to talk to you.
All right. I'm all ears.
So, I know that you're not into commitment,
and I know that that's part of the appeal.
Uh, we both love our freedom.
Yes, we do.
The thing is is that I've, uh...
I've found myself...
thinking about you more than I should.
Yeah, no, I...
I've got to keep a clear head here.
I...
I realized last week,
after you were hurt, that I...
I thought I might lose you, and, um...
brace yourself... I have feelings for you.
Okay, now you're terrified.
No, I'm...
I'm not easily scared.
Emotions and freedom don't mix.
They could.
It's possible to have feelings
without making a long-term
commitment, right?
Yes, I...
- So relax.
- No, I can't.
It's not as easy as that.
You know, there's someone
else involved here.
So, now you're gonna tell me
we have to behave ourselves
until you resolve the little
situation with your fiance.
- Yes.
- Why?
What's done is done, Catherine.
Not doing it again isn't
gonna change anything.
- I have to make a decision.
- Why?
- You can have both of us.
- What?
I don't care if you stay with him.
Just don't tell him about me.
Wow.
Wow.
You seem surprised that I'm not possessive.
- Why?
- I...
- Haven't I been clear about it?
- Yes.
- Have I misled you? Made promises?
- No. No.
I told you the truth the other night.
I am and always will be the
guy whose work comes first,
who lives in a hotel.
I thought... and I may have been wrong...
that that's exactly what
made us a good match.
The way I see it...
is you're bored with a guy
who put a ring on your finger,
who wants you to swear undying love.
Why turn me into that?
You're right.
Hey, Catherine.
I hope I'm not disturbing you.
I thought I'd, uh, stop by after work.
I haven't seen Esme in a few weeks.
I hope that's okay.
Um...
Actually, she's... having a lesson.
Yeah, I can hear. She sounds amazing.
Does she have a new teacher?
Yes.
It's your dad.
Hunter is her... teacher?
Since when?
For about a month now.
Why don't you go upstairs and say hi?
This family reconciliation
has been good for us.
You could be a part of it.
You don't... you can't...
Who are you hurting most
by cutting yourself off like this?
Why don't you just go upstairs and say hi?
That's excellent.
That's terrific. Yeah.
Now, remember, when you practice licks,
you got learn 'em in all 12 keys.
And then, uh,
you know, you got to stay in the groove.
You know what the groove is, right?
- Yeah.
- All right. Good.
So, all right, let's hear it one more time.
Okay.
Oh, you... you got the gene.
- Oh, yeah.
- You are the best grandpa ever.
Come on.
All right, let's hear it. Come on.
The pressure's on.
"Dear, dad, how are you?
"I haven't heard from you in over a year.
"I know you're very busy,
"but are you coming to New York soon?
I've forgotten what you look like."
That was perfect.
And I... and I'm not just saying that.
That was... that was really good.
I'm so glad that you are back here, grandpa.
Me too.
Gotta be a good grandpa, right?
This is Sofia Ortega's MRI.
Oh, our Latin songbird
who suddenly can't sing.
So, I think we can all
see the problem here...
Eccentric hyper-intense lesion on T.I.
with a 2-millimeter scolex.
Pea-in-the-pod appearance. Classic.
For neurocysticercosis.
She's got a worm in her head?
In the right sylvian fissure,
pressing on the Heschl's gyrus,
ergo causing the amusia.
How'd she get a worm in her head?
Results from drinking water
or eating food contaminated
with pigs' feces.
It's really common in the third world.
So, the pigs' feces contained worm eggs.
The eggs grew in her stomach
and then traveled to her brain,
where they formed tiny larval cysts.
Well, the worm is a much better
result than a brain tumor,
which was the likeliest option.
All right, so, what's next?
Antihelminthic medication?
Not with a lesion this size.
Medication will make it worse.
You got to take it out.
This is for you.
Babu?
I heard about the study,
and I thought Dr. Black could help me.
Of course, Babu. You're one of our own.
I have a song stuck in my head for months.
Since I went to the movies with my wife,
I hear it all day over and over again.
It's driving me nut.
That's called an earworm.
And it does qualify for the study.
Here. Fill out this paperwork.
Okay.
Let me give you this one.
This is Mark Brady.
He was struck by lightning.
- Beautiful.
- Thank you.
You were struck by lightning?
Yes. Before that, I was tone-deaf.
He hated music.
But after the lightning strike,
I became obsessed with
listening to violin music.
Soon after that, he started lessons,
and he learned so fast.
It was incredible.
My teacher said I was
too old to be a prodigy,
but he was amazed,
and now I-I adore the violin.
I couldn't live without it.
And music is the center of my life.
Differential.
Acquired savant syndrome.
Do you know how rare this condition is...
to acquire a special skill
after a brain injury?
I once read about
a case about a 3-year-old
who became a musical genius
after having meningitis.
There are others. Well, not many.
The skill can sometimes be in math
or painting or even memory.
What did the lightning strike do?
Well, in some way, it...
rewired his brain.
This is a fantastic opportunity.
Lightning-strike victims
are hard to come by.
And our goal here is to find out
which areas of Mr. Brady's brain changed?
Yep. And to see if we can duplicate them.
Oh, now I see where you're going.
You want to see if we can
administer controlled, safe jolts
in a clinical setting to
increase one's musical ability.
- Bull's-eye.
- Like yours, for instance.
Yes, I admit it... I would
like to be a musical savant.
Who wouldn't?
It looks quite normal unfortunately.
Oh, God. How frustrating.
The changes are not visible.
It must be on the neural level.
"Lightning can actually
modify neural networks,
"providing access to areas of the brain
that were previously inaccessible."
Okay, so, the lightning opened up a door
that was previously closed in the brain,
but we don't know how or where.
And we can't duplicate it.
I mean, to get this effect,
you'd need another lightning strike,
which could cause widespread
nervous-system damage,
personality changes, memory loss.
- Or kill you.
- Damn it!
Well, no help for the tone-deaf here.
Mm. Mm.
Propranolol didn't help.
No.
I-I-I don't know what to do.
Without my wife and my music,
there's nothing much
left for me to live for.
Dr. Black will have more ideas.
Don't give up.
What the hell are you doing here?
All right, just calm down.
This is you. This is what you do.
I don't see you for years,
and then you just walk into
my office unannounced.
I left messages for you.
- Oh, Jesus Christ.
- I wrote you a letter.
I-I know Joshua tried to talk to you.
- Kitty...
- No, don't call me that.
Only two people in the
entire world call me that...
You and Esme's father.
- Don't compare me to Johnny.
- Why wouldn't I?
You both abandoned me.
It seems quite fitting.
I... all right. I...
Look, w-w-what... What do you me to say?
How about "I'm sorry"?
I'm sorry.
You're not sorry. You're never sorry.
Neither are you. Just one of the
many things we have in common.
We don't have anything in common.
Why don't you just go?
What did you expect?
I just thought I'd give it one try.
I don't know if you care, but...
This is breaking my heart.
Your heart?
My heart.
Because you're my daughter.
And I love you.
This was your mother's.
I think you should have it.
Oh.
You're a manipulative
bastard. You know that?
I gave your mother this necklace
the morning you were born.
The hearts are you and me and Joshua...
strung on the same chain of gold.
And whether or not you
ever speak to me again...
That chain will never be broken.
Kitty, you look... you just...
You're so much like your mother.
No, I'm not.
I'm nothing like her.
Why do you give your father
so much power over you?
I don't. He just... he just showed up.
He's not touring anymore,
and suddenly he needs us.
When you saw him with
Esme, how did you feel?
Jealous.
'Cause he was giving her
something you never had.
Small of me, isn't it?
I should be happy for my daughter, right?
Maybe Hunter can be a better
grandfather than he was a dad.
Maybe, but I...
I don't think people change.
Personality is incredibly constant.
But it is possible to
learn from our mistakes.
If it weren't,
I, for one, would be out of a job.
On the contrary... I think you're in a job
because people like me keep
making the same mistakes
over and over and over and
over and over and over again.
What are you doing?
I'm trying to see the world
from your point of view.
You can try to do that for your father.
He's made mistakes. So have you.
So have I. We're all deeply flawed.
I can't love my dad, okay?
I'm not so sure.
If you didn't care, he
couldn't get to you this way.
All this is to study for the Step 2?
- What does it cover?
- Everything...
Internal medicine,
obstetrics and gynecology,
pediatrics, preventative medicine,
psychiatry, surgery.
The test is eight hours long.
They give you a case.
You provide a diagnosis, a prognosis,
an indication of underlying
mechanisms of disease.
Here, test me with these flash cards.
Radical idea here, short coat...
Why not practice on an actual patient?
Babu.
Babu's not a patient.
I have a worm in my head.
Another one?!
He's in the music study.
That's what they call a song
you can't get out of your head.
I know how to treat that...
You sing another song,
something catchy to drive
out the other catchy tune.
Um, like this...
♪ Yankee doodle went to
London, riding on a pony ♪
♪ Stuck a feather in his
cap and called it macaroni ♪
♪ Yankee doodle went to
London, riding on a pony ♪
♪ Stuck a feather in his cap
and called it macaroni ♪
♪ Yankee doodle went to
London, riding on a pony ♪
♪ Stuck a feather in his
cap and called it macaroni ♪
♪ Yankee doodle, keep it up ♪
♪ Yankee doodle dandy ♪
♪ Mind the music and the step ♪
♪ And with the girls be handy. ♪
♪ Yankee doodle went to
London, riding on a pony ♪
Sounds like Babu's earworm is spreading.
Hey, I think we got the bug...
The live one, I mean.
♪ Yankee doodle went to London ♪
♪ Riding on a pony ♪
♪ Stuck a feather in his hat ♪
♪ And called it... ♪
♪ Macaroni ♪
Oh, hey. Check it out.
Gonna give it to Owen to add to
his collection of medical oddities.
Oh, I'm sure he'll be delighted.
How is she?
- Yeah, she's great.
- Good.
So, uh, I need your advice on a patient.
- His name is Wade...
- Have I told you how beautiful you are?
Stop it. It's important.
Look, his name's Wade.
He's a wonderful musician.
- Hold my worm.
- Hold your worm?
Okay, let's imagine that this is your brain.
The part that controls
movement is right here.
The reason your tremor exists is because
this part of the brain
isn't working properly.
There's only one way to fix it.
I have to drill through
a quarter inch of skull,
insert a probe with an
electrode on the end of it
to stimulate this part of the brain.
Now, it's a fantastic
procedure, it really is,
and the best part of it
is right in the middle of the operation,
we wake you up.
You wake me up?
- Yeah.
- Why would you do that?
It's not as bad as it sounds, I promise.
We need to wake you to make
sure the stimulation is working,
but I assure you there is no pain.
No, no, no, no. The... the
brain doesn't feel pain at all.
Once Dr. Bickman turns on the electrode,
we give you your saxophone,
and we'd like you to play
for us during the surgery
to make sure that the tremor's gone.
You make it sound so easy.
But I know it's not.
There are risks, as with every surgery.
I know, but...
Just tell me what could go wrong.
Loss of balance, loss of speech,
paralysis, loss of sensation
are very rare complications,
but I can assure you
I have done this procedure a hundred times.
You got nothing to worry about.
My wife is dead.
She died on the table.
The surgeon said the same thing to me
before the operation...
"You have nothing to worry about."
No.
No, Wade. The... the odds that you will play
as well as you ever did are excellent.
Or end up paralyzed...
unable to talk...
or dead.
I-I'm sorry, Dr. Black.
No, thanks.
Thanks a lot!
Poor Babu.
He substituted one earworm for another.
This one's worse.
What's Leo doing?
He's taking the practice
test for his Step 2 exam.
He's been at it for hours.
So?
Did someone die?
I bombed another practice exam.
I have to quit.
It's done. I'll never be a
neurosurgeon like Bickman.
I have to move forward best way I can.
You could try something new.
Why don't you try again?
- What's that?
- That is the TDCS...
The transcranial direct
current stimulation machine.
It's a simple, portable device
that delivers low electrical current,
kind of like a tiny lightning strike.
It's been used to treat
patients recovering from strokes
and improve neuro-functions, like memory.
With some people, it seems to work great.
Why didn't anyone mention it before?
Well, because nobody really knows
how it works or why it works,
so using it on a student
is totally unethical.
Leo, the hazards and drawbacks
aren't known yet, okay?
And, I repeat, there are hazards here.
So this is totally experimental.
Do you understand?
Yes.
But I owe you, Leo,
for keeping mum about my secret room...
and my agoraphobia.
About the fact that I haven't left the
Cube since I started here last year.
So, if you are desperate enough,
let's go for lift-off,
and we will monitor the effects closely.
What do you say?
- Fire me up.
- Okay.
Hi.
Thank you for coming.
Well, I just... I hope I can help.
- Is that the guy?
- Yeah.
His name's Wade... Wade Jordan.
- Wade Jordan, did you say?
- Yeah.
- Gee, that rings a bell.
- You know him?
Did he used to work with Herbie Hancock?
Yeah. Yeah, he did.
He was good. He was really good.
Hey, it's way too cold
to be playing outside, man, isn't it?
Your fingers must be frozen solid.
Oh, I got a lot more troubles
than just frozen fingers.
Well, I'm thinking I might be
able to help you with that.
Hunter Black.
- Ah!
- Yeah, last time I checked.
Oh, I heard you play at Montreux in 1990.
I mean, I was there with Wynton.
Oh, I remember that well.
You guys, you... you blew the roof off.
Hi, Wade.
I thought you might like to meet my father.
Your father?
This man is your father?
Girl, why didn't you say something?
Well, she usually doesn't claim me.
Now, listen, I'm thinking
maybe you and me should
make some music together.
What do you say?
I'd be honored...
Anytime, anyplace.
All right, I'm gonna take
you at your word on that.
Yeah, mm-hmm.
Now, what about while you're having...
That surgery?
Come on. Hey.
Let the doctors crack
that thick skull of yours
and just fix what needs fixing.
I'll be there. I'll jam with you.
Come on, now. Come on.
Coordinates correspond
with the ventralis intermedius.
We backed off the fentanyl.
Okay, wake him up.
Show time.
Wade? Can you hear me?
Wade, it's Dr. Black. Hello.
You're in the O.R. everything's fine.
You're doing great.
Dr. Bickman has placed the
probe, and we're ready to go.
That all right?
Yep.
We're gonna hand you your saxophone now.
Let me see.
Ah.
Okay, easy does.
Here you go.
All right, you've got it now.
Mm.
Just play for us, huh?
Contact 0 and 1, 185 hertz.
90 microseconds, 2 volts.
Activate on my word.
Now.
I got... I got no feeling in my left hand.
Okay. It's all right.
It must be the VPR.
Yeah, which means it's
directly posterior to the V.I.M.
Okay, turn it off. I'm redirecting.
I knew this was gonna happen.
- It's gonna be okay.
- No, no, just stick with me, Wade.
Stick with me.
Okay,
you should be able to feel your hand again.
Yes. Yeah.
Start playing. Try one more time.
Contact 0 and 1, same settings.
You're doing really well.
Increase the voltage to 3.
Contact 1 and 2.
You're doing great.
Expand the pulse width slightly. Let's...
Let's move the frequency...
Let's go up to 100,
and frequency down to 175.
Pipe the sound from the
O.R. through the Cube.
Catherine.
You know, I never really understood
what you did until just today.
Well, how could you?
You've never been here.
Catherine, I just...
I could never find a way to live or...
or to make a living without my music.
It always came first...
even before you and Josh,
and that... that's just...
that's... that's the truth.
And that made it impossible
for me to be any kind of a father.
And I-I know it hurt you both.
All right, you... you...
you asked for an apology.
And I am so, so sorry.
I was really proud of you today.
Yeah, I was proud of you.
You know, we're having a family dinner
at Joshua's on Sunday.
Will you come
and bring along this guy you're gonna marry?
I would love to meet him.
Yeah, I'll come.
Hey, Will.
You're gonna be my uncle soon, right?
That's the plan.
- Then can I ask you a favor?
- Of course.
Well, I'm 16 now,
and I'd really like to
get a part-time job...
You know, something just on the weekends.
And mom and dad said that it's okay.
No, that's not improvising. No, no, no.
You can totally say no.
Of course. Come on.
We could always use a bright, young
person like you at the restaurant.
You can, uh, bus tables,
work for minimum wage, tips...
You know, learn the ropes.
Here's my cell.
Thank you so much, Uncle Will.
Oh, sorry.
- I got it.
- Thank you.
Oh, the Hotel Mirabella.
- I know that place.
- You do?
Yeah, Aunt Kate and I ran into
one of her doctor friends there...
The handsome one.
I think he's a surgeon.
Well, we could
always start off with...
♪ Go tell it on the mountain ♪
I don't... I don't mean...
I don't mean to be rude,
but shut the...
Okay, fine. Are you going...
♪ Are you going
to scarborough... ♪
♪ Fair ♪
♪ Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme ♪
That's what happens when I
leave you alone for 30 years.
Look at the
passion, though. Oh, my God.
That's horrible. Horrible.
- Here, Catherine.
- You're so critical.
Catherine, here. Remember this one?
It was great.
♪ Beautiful dreamer ♪
♪ Wake unto me ♪
♪ Starlight and dewdrops
are waiting for thee ♪
Come on, Will.
♪ Sounds of the rude world ♪
♪ Heard in the day ♪
♪ Lulled by the moonlight ♪
♪ Are all passed aw... ♪
♪...Away ♪
Oh, my God.
The right note is in there somewhere.
It's in there. You're close.
All right, I'm out of here.
- No, hey.
- Are you serious? No, no.
No, no, no, no. No!
Don't take... She's gonna take offense.
That's not a musician.
♪ Beautiful dreamer ♪
♪ Wake unto me ♪
♪ Starlight and dewdrops ♪
♪ Are waiting for thee ♪
♪ Beautiful dreamer ♪
♪ Dream of my heart ♪
What was that?
Gunshots.
37-year-old male with gun shot to the neck.
Bickman?
You cannot operate on someone who shot you.
You don't even have an assistant.
I'm available.
I'm glad I didn't lose you.
I'm right here.
Don't you remember we were supposed
to have dinner at Keith's tonight?
Yeah, I can't possibly make it.
Okay, I'll see you back here later.
- Actually, I'm gonna spend the night here.
- Okay.
One of the patients is critical, and I
don't think he's gonna make it, so...
__
___
__
___
Sofia Ortega!
♪ Una sola palabra mas ♪
What are you doing?
I want to hear the news.
That's Tchaikovsky. I want to hear it.
Look, I like to stay informed.
No, you just hate music.
What are you doing? Look,
I prefer a stimulating
conversation. So sue me.
Hey, hey! Sto... Will you stop it?!
Will you stop it?! I want to hear it!
Mark, stop it.
Oh, Mark, get back in the car.
I'll get a cab.
For God's sakes.
This is ridiculous.
Mark! Mark!
Oh my God. Are you ok?
Mark. Mark, can you hear me?
Mark, wake up. Sweetie, please.
Please, please, please, wake up.
I can't believe it. It's
my first day as an intern,
and you're doing a music study.
We're gonna map the areas of
the brain that process music.
But is that even possible? It's everywhere.
Tonality centers in the prefrontal cortex,
cerebellum, and temporal lobe.
Lyrics are in Wernicke's and Broca's area,
the visual cortex, the motor cortex.
Rhythm is in the left-frontal cortex,
right cerebellum, the left parietal cortex.
All right, MacKenzie.
Studying things so complex
that they seem impossible to understand,
you know, it is what neurologists do.
- You good with that?
- Mm-hmm.
All right. 'Cause if not,
there's always law school.
I appreciate your concern,
but you should understand
the tremors are probably a
result of your alcohol use,
and to fix them, you just
have to stop drinking.
I can help with that.
Oh, I-I don't mean to
be contradictory, ma'am,
but I'm not an alcoholic.
Okay. How long have you
been a working musician?
All my life.
I went to the Berkeley School of Music.
Then I studied with Anthony Braxton.
And I went on tour for a while
with Herbie Hancock
and the great Miles Davis.
Excuse me. I'm sorry.
Um, Dr. Mahmoud,
this gentleman is here for the music study.
Yes, he is, but he's having tremors
that hamper his playing...
A result of his alcohol abuse.
I'm handling it.
How long have you been enjoying your gin?
Um, about three months or so.
I started when I got the shakes.
It makes it f-feel better for a while.
- Dr. Black, thank you. I'm already...
- Excuse me one second.
Would you mind holding this pen for me...
with this hand.
Okay. That's all right.
Very good. Thank you.
I'm Dr. Black. Nice to meet you.
So, this has got nothing to do with alcohol.
If you wouldn't mind,
I'd like to run a few
tests, if that's all right.
Sure.
Okay.
Good.
We'll get you back to this music study.
Thank you.
Thank you.
So, do you know why it's not alcoholism?
He has essential tremors
that predate the drinking,
and they worsen with movements of intention.
Good.
- He's clearly an alcoholic.
- All right.
Why else would he end up on the street?
His wife had a stomach cancer,
and the treatment bankrupted them.
Then she died on the operating table
as a result of a medical error,
and he fell into a depression.
All right. Well, let's start
treating him with propranolol.
Look, Catherine,
I'd like to help out with the music study.
On file. Thanks.
I'm a musician myself.
Brava!
Brava!
Brava!
That was amazing.
Well, it's official...
We have zero in common.
I'm...
I'm tone-deaf.
That's sad.
No doubt the resulting envy
was a subconscious motivation
for your music study.
Okay.
You can't believe what
she sounded like before.
__
__
This appears to be a
case of acquired amusia.
- What's that?
- A complete inability
to recognize or sing a tune and no pitch.
With acquired amusia,
often the patient can't
tell that they are off-key.
Well, can you fix it?
If you're born with amusia like Dr. Black,
then there is no cure.
But when it happens suddenly,
something has gone wrong.
We'll get to the bottom of this.
Start her out on an MBEA.
Montreal battery of evaluation of amusia...
It measures the ability
to discriminate pitch,
musical scales, rhythm, meter, and memory.
Yeah, I know, MacKenzie.
An individual is considered amusic
if he or she performs
two standard deviations
below the mean obtained by
musically competent controls.
No-brainer... This kid will fail.
- Could you stop even if you tried?
- No.
She also has headache, some nausea,
and weakness on the left side of her body.
The parents wrote that off to stress,
but acquired amusia is
usually... if not always...
Caused by brain damage, right?
So I'm thinking tumor.
Okay, let's not get
overly excited quite yet.
Get the blood work and get
the imaging, all right?
Uh, Dr. Bickman.
Leo, how's everything going with Dr. Lark?
Fair.
You should be soul mates.
She's like an older female you.
Uh, Dr. Bickman, uh,
I know you're very busy.
If you just, uh...
If I could have a second of your time,
um...
I was just, uh, wondering,
in light of how well we
worked together in surgery
after you were shot,
if you would reconsider
writing that letter of
recommendation for me.
Sorry, I can't.
Not when you get a grade of "satisfactory"
on your neurosurgery rotation.
Because I had a brain tumor.
I'm recovering.
Well, we can't rewrite the past.
There must be something I can do.
You know what? Let me tell
you the key to success
in four simple words...
Play to your strengths.
The world is full of people
who want to be an artist who can't draw,
singers who can't carry a tune.
Successful people figure
out what they're good at,
and they drop the rest.
You no longer have the hyper-memory,
and you're not really a people person, so...
Radiology's a good fit.
Please, I'll do anything
to get your recommendation for neurosurgery.
How can I change your mind about this?
Ace your Step 2.
So, he wants you to ace the final exam
on everything you've learned in
four years of medical school?
Yes, I need to be in the 95th percentile.
- Ooh.
- At a minimum.
Brutal.
- I'll be lucky to pass.
- Oh, come on.
I lost so much when I had the tumor removed.
I've forgotten half of what I've learned.
You have to study. Are you studying?
You've got to study like the rest of us.
I'm crushing the books day and night,
but it's not sticking.
I need my hyper-memory to get it all back,
and that is gone for good.
Come in.
Hi.
Hey.
Oh, no, don't get up. I...
I just wanted to talk to you.
All right. I'm all ears.
So, I know that you're not into commitment,
and I know that that's part of the appeal.
Uh, we both love our freedom.
Yes, we do.
The thing is is that I've, uh...
I've found myself...
thinking about you more than I should.
Yeah, no, I...
I've got to keep a clear head here.
I...
I realized last week,
after you were hurt, that I...
I thought I might lose you, and, um...
brace yourself... I have feelings for you.
Okay, now you're terrified.
No, I'm...
I'm not easily scared.
Emotions and freedom don't mix.
They could.
It's possible to have feelings
without making a long-term
commitment, right?
Yes, I...
- So relax.
- No, I can't.
It's not as easy as that.
You know, there's someone
else involved here.
So, now you're gonna tell me
we have to behave ourselves
until you resolve the little
situation with your fiance.
- Yes.
- Why?
What's done is done, Catherine.
Not doing it again isn't
gonna change anything.
- I have to make a decision.
- Why?
- You can have both of us.
- What?
I don't care if you stay with him.
Just don't tell him about me.
Wow.
Wow.
You seem surprised that I'm not possessive.
- Why?
- I...
- Haven't I been clear about it?
- Yes.
- Have I misled you? Made promises?
- No. No.
I told you the truth the other night.
I am and always will be the
guy whose work comes first,
who lives in a hotel.
I thought... and I may have been wrong...
that that's exactly what
made us a good match.
The way I see it...
is you're bored with a guy
who put a ring on your finger,
who wants you to swear undying love.
Why turn me into that?
You're right.
Hey, Catherine.
I hope I'm not disturbing you.
I thought I'd, uh, stop by after work.
I haven't seen Esme in a few weeks.
I hope that's okay.
Um...
Actually, she's... having a lesson.
Yeah, I can hear. She sounds amazing.
Does she have a new teacher?
Yes.
It's your dad.
Hunter is her... teacher?
Since when?
For about a month now.
Why don't you go upstairs and say hi?
This family reconciliation
has been good for us.
You could be a part of it.
You don't... you can't...
Who are you hurting most
by cutting yourself off like this?
Why don't you just go upstairs and say hi?
That's excellent.
That's terrific. Yeah.
Now, remember, when you practice licks,
you got learn 'em in all 12 keys.
And then, uh,
you know, you got to stay in the groove.
You know what the groove is, right?
- Yeah.
- All right. Good.
So, all right, let's hear it one more time.
Okay.
Oh, you... you got the gene.
- Oh, yeah.
- You are the best grandpa ever.
Come on.
All right, let's hear it. Come on.
The pressure's on.
"Dear, dad, how are you?
"I haven't heard from you in over a year.
"I know you're very busy,
"but are you coming to New York soon?
I've forgotten what you look like."
That was perfect.
And I... and I'm not just saying that.
That was... that was really good.
I'm so glad that you are back here, grandpa.
Me too.
Gotta be a good grandpa, right?
This is Sofia Ortega's MRI.
Oh, our Latin songbird
who suddenly can't sing.
So, I think we can all
see the problem here...
Eccentric hyper-intense lesion on T.I.
with a 2-millimeter scolex.
Pea-in-the-pod appearance. Classic.
For neurocysticercosis.
She's got a worm in her head?
In the right sylvian fissure,
pressing on the Heschl's gyrus,
ergo causing the amusia.
How'd she get a worm in her head?
Results from drinking water
or eating food contaminated
with pigs' feces.
It's really common in the third world.
So, the pigs' feces contained worm eggs.
The eggs grew in her stomach
and then traveled to her brain,
where they formed tiny larval cysts.
Well, the worm is a much better
result than a brain tumor,
which was the likeliest option.
All right, so, what's next?
Antihelminthic medication?
Not with a lesion this size.
Medication will make it worse.
You got to take it out.
This is for you.
Babu?
I heard about the study,
and I thought Dr. Black could help me.
Of course, Babu. You're one of our own.
I have a song stuck in my head for months.
Since I went to the movies with my wife,
I hear it all day over and over again.
It's driving me nut.
That's called an earworm.
And it does qualify for the study.
Here. Fill out this paperwork.
Okay.
Let me give you this one.
This is Mark Brady.
He was struck by lightning.
- Beautiful.
- Thank you.
You were struck by lightning?
Yes. Before that, I was tone-deaf.
He hated music.
But after the lightning strike,
I became obsessed with
listening to violin music.
Soon after that, he started lessons,
and he learned so fast.
It was incredible.
My teacher said I was
too old to be a prodigy,
but he was amazed,
and now I-I adore the violin.
I couldn't live without it.
And music is the center of my life.
Differential.
Acquired savant syndrome.
Do you know how rare this condition is...
to acquire a special skill
after a brain injury?
I once read about
a case about a 3-year-old
who became a musical genius
after having meningitis.
There are others. Well, not many.
The skill can sometimes be in math
or painting or even memory.
What did the lightning strike do?
Well, in some way, it...
rewired his brain.
This is a fantastic opportunity.
Lightning-strike victims
are hard to come by.
And our goal here is to find out
which areas of Mr. Brady's brain changed?
Yep. And to see if we can duplicate them.
Oh, now I see where you're going.
You want to see if we can
administer controlled, safe jolts
in a clinical setting to
increase one's musical ability.
- Bull's-eye.
- Like yours, for instance.
Yes, I admit it... I would
like to be a musical savant.
Who wouldn't?
It looks quite normal unfortunately.
Oh, God. How frustrating.
The changes are not visible.
It must be on the neural level.
"Lightning can actually
modify neural networks,
"providing access to areas of the brain
that were previously inaccessible."
Okay, so, the lightning opened up a door
that was previously closed in the brain,
but we don't know how or where.
And we can't duplicate it.
I mean, to get this effect,
you'd need another lightning strike,
which could cause widespread
nervous-system damage,
personality changes, memory loss.
- Or kill you.
- Damn it!
Well, no help for the tone-deaf here.
Mm. Mm.
Propranolol didn't help.
No.
I-I-I don't know what to do.
Without my wife and my music,
there's nothing much
left for me to live for.
Dr. Black will have more ideas.
Don't give up.
What the hell are you doing here?
All right, just calm down.
This is you. This is what you do.
I don't see you for years,
and then you just walk into
my office unannounced.
I left messages for you.
- Oh, Jesus Christ.
- I wrote you a letter.
I-I know Joshua tried to talk to you.
- Kitty...
- No, don't call me that.
Only two people in the
entire world call me that...
You and Esme's father.
- Don't compare me to Johnny.
- Why wouldn't I?
You both abandoned me.
It seems quite fitting.
I... all right. I...
Look, w-w-what... What do you me to say?
How about "I'm sorry"?
I'm sorry.
You're not sorry. You're never sorry.
Neither are you. Just one of the
many things we have in common.
We don't have anything in common.
Why don't you just go?
What did you expect?
I just thought I'd give it one try.
I don't know if you care, but...
This is breaking my heart.
Your heart?
My heart.
Because you're my daughter.
And I love you.
This was your mother's.
I think you should have it.
Oh.
You're a manipulative
bastard. You know that?
I gave your mother this necklace
the morning you were born.
The hearts are you and me and Joshua...
strung on the same chain of gold.
And whether or not you
ever speak to me again...
That chain will never be broken.
Kitty, you look... you just...
You're so much like your mother.
No, I'm not.
I'm nothing like her.
Why do you give your father
so much power over you?
I don't. He just... he just showed up.
He's not touring anymore,
and suddenly he needs us.
When you saw him with
Esme, how did you feel?
Jealous.
'Cause he was giving her
something you never had.
Small of me, isn't it?
I should be happy for my daughter, right?
Maybe Hunter can be a better
grandfather than he was a dad.
Maybe, but I...
I don't think people change.
Personality is incredibly constant.
But it is possible to
learn from our mistakes.
If it weren't,
I, for one, would be out of a job.
On the contrary... I think you're in a job
because people like me keep
making the same mistakes
over and over and over and
over and over and over again.
What are you doing?
I'm trying to see the world
from your point of view.
You can try to do that for your father.
He's made mistakes. So have you.
So have I. We're all deeply flawed.
I can't love my dad, okay?
I'm not so sure.
If you didn't care, he
couldn't get to you this way.
All this is to study for the Step 2?
- What does it cover?
- Everything...
Internal medicine,
obstetrics and gynecology,
pediatrics, preventative medicine,
psychiatry, surgery.
The test is eight hours long.
They give you a case.
You provide a diagnosis, a prognosis,
an indication of underlying
mechanisms of disease.
Here, test me with these flash cards.
Radical idea here, short coat...
Why not practice on an actual patient?
Babu.
Babu's not a patient.
I have a worm in my head.
Another one?!
He's in the music study.
That's what they call a song
you can't get out of your head.
I know how to treat that...
You sing another song,
something catchy to drive
out the other catchy tune.
Um, like this...
♪ Yankee doodle went to
London, riding on a pony ♪
♪ Stuck a feather in his
cap and called it macaroni ♪
♪ Yankee doodle went to
London, riding on a pony ♪
♪ Stuck a feather in his cap
and called it macaroni ♪
♪ Yankee doodle went to
London, riding on a pony ♪
♪ Stuck a feather in his
cap and called it macaroni ♪
♪ Yankee doodle, keep it up ♪
♪ Yankee doodle dandy ♪
♪ Mind the music and the step ♪
♪ And with the girls be handy. ♪
♪ Yankee doodle went to
London, riding on a pony ♪
Sounds like Babu's earworm is spreading.
Hey, I think we got the bug...
The live one, I mean.
♪ Yankee doodle went to London ♪
♪ Riding on a pony ♪
♪ Stuck a feather in his hat ♪
♪ And called it... ♪
♪ Macaroni ♪
Oh, hey. Check it out.
Gonna give it to Owen to add to
his collection of medical oddities.
Oh, I'm sure he'll be delighted.
How is she?
- Yeah, she's great.
- Good.
So, uh, I need your advice on a patient.
- His name is Wade...
- Have I told you how beautiful you are?
Stop it. It's important.
Look, his name's Wade.
He's a wonderful musician.
- Hold my worm.
- Hold your worm?
Okay, let's imagine that this is your brain.
The part that controls
movement is right here.
The reason your tremor exists is because
this part of the brain
isn't working properly.
There's only one way to fix it.
I have to drill through
a quarter inch of skull,
insert a probe with an
electrode on the end of it
to stimulate this part of the brain.
Now, it's a fantastic
procedure, it really is,
and the best part of it
is right in the middle of the operation,
we wake you up.
You wake me up?
- Yeah.
- Why would you do that?
It's not as bad as it sounds, I promise.
We need to wake you to make
sure the stimulation is working,
but I assure you there is no pain.
No, no, no, no. The... the
brain doesn't feel pain at all.
Once Dr. Bickman turns on the electrode,
we give you your saxophone,
and we'd like you to play
for us during the surgery
to make sure that the tremor's gone.
You make it sound so easy.
But I know it's not.
There are risks, as with every surgery.
I know, but...
Just tell me what could go wrong.
Loss of balance, loss of speech,
paralysis, loss of sensation
are very rare complications,
but I can assure you
I have done this procedure a hundred times.
You got nothing to worry about.
My wife is dead.
She died on the table.
The surgeon said the same thing to me
before the operation...
"You have nothing to worry about."
No.
No, Wade. The... the odds that you will play
as well as you ever did are excellent.
Or end up paralyzed...
unable to talk...
or dead.
I-I'm sorry, Dr. Black.
No, thanks.
Thanks a lot!
Poor Babu.
He substituted one earworm for another.
This one's worse.
What's Leo doing?
He's taking the practice
test for his Step 2 exam.
He's been at it for hours.
So?
Did someone die?
I bombed another practice exam.
I have to quit.
It's done. I'll never be a
neurosurgeon like Bickman.
I have to move forward best way I can.
You could try something new.
Why don't you try again?
- What's that?
- That is the TDCS...
The transcranial direct
current stimulation machine.
It's a simple, portable device
that delivers low electrical current,
kind of like a tiny lightning strike.
It's been used to treat
patients recovering from strokes
and improve neuro-functions, like memory.
With some people, it seems to work great.
Why didn't anyone mention it before?
Well, because nobody really knows
how it works or why it works,
so using it on a student
is totally unethical.
Leo, the hazards and drawbacks
aren't known yet, okay?
And, I repeat, there are hazards here.
So this is totally experimental.
Do you understand?
Yes.
But I owe you, Leo,
for keeping mum about my secret room...
and my agoraphobia.
About the fact that I haven't left the
Cube since I started here last year.
So, if you are desperate enough,
let's go for lift-off,
and we will monitor the effects closely.
What do you say?
- Fire me up.
- Okay.
Hi.
Thank you for coming.
Well, I just... I hope I can help.
- Is that the guy?
- Yeah.
His name's Wade... Wade Jordan.
- Wade Jordan, did you say?
- Yeah.
- Gee, that rings a bell.
- You know him?
Did he used to work with Herbie Hancock?
Yeah. Yeah, he did.
He was good. He was really good.
Hey, it's way too cold
to be playing outside, man, isn't it?
Your fingers must be frozen solid.
Oh, I got a lot more troubles
than just frozen fingers.
Well, I'm thinking I might be
able to help you with that.
Hunter Black.
- Ah!
- Yeah, last time I checked.
Oh, I heard you play at Montreux in 1990.
I mean, I was there with Wynton.
Oh, I remember that well.
You guys, you... you blew the roof off.
Hi, Wade.
I thought you might like to meet my father.
Your father?
This man is your father?
Girl, why didn't you say something?
Well, she usually doesn't claim me.
Now, listen, I'm thinking
maybe you and me should
make some music together.
What do you say?
I'd be honored...
Anytime, anyplace.
All right, I'm gonna take
you at your word on that.
Yeah, mm-hmm.
Now, what about while you're having...
That surgery?
Come on. Hey.
Let the doctors crack
that thick skull of yours
and just fix what needs fixing.
I'll be there. I'll jam with you.
Come on, now. Come on.
Coordinates correspond
with the ventralis intermedius.
We backed off the fentanyl.
Okay, wake him up.
Show time.
Wade? Can you hear me?
Wade, it's Dr. Black. Hello.
You're in the O.R. everything's fine.
You're doing great.
Dr. Bickman has placed the
probe, and we're ready to go.
That all right?
Yep.
We're gonna hand you your saxophone now.
Let me see.
Ah.
Okay, easy does.
Here you go.
All right, you've got it now.
Mm.
Just play for us, huh?
Contact 0 and 1, 185 hertz.
90 microseconds, 2 volts.
Activate on my word.
Now.
I got... I got no feeling in my left hand.
Okay. It's all right.
It must be the VPR.
Yeah, which means it's
directly posterior to the V.I.M.
Okay, turn it off. I'm redirecting.
I knew this was gonna happen.
- It's gonna be okay.
- No, no, just stick with me, Wade.
Stick with me.
Okay,
you should be able to feel your hand again.
Yes. Yeah.
Start playing. Try one more time.
Contact 0 and 1, same settings.
You're doing really well.
Increase the voltage to 3.
Contact 1 and 2.
You're doing great.
Expand the pulse width slightly. Let's...
Let's move the frequency...
Let's go up to 100,
and frequency down to 175.
Pipe the sound from the
O.R. through the Cube.
Catherine.
You know, I never really understood
what you did until just today.
Well, how could you?
You've never been here.
Catherine, I just...
I could never find a way to live or...
or to make a living without my music.
It always came first...
even before you and Josh,
and that... that's just...
that's... that's the truth.
And that made it impossible
for me to be any kind of a father.
And I-I know it hurt you both.
All right, you... you...
you asked for an apology.
And I am so, so sorry.
I was really proud of you today.
Yeah, I was proud of you.
You know, we're having a family dinner
at Joshua's on Sunday.
Will you come
and bring along this guy you're gonna marry?
I would love to meet him.
Yeah, I'll come.
Hey, Will.
You're gonna be my uncle soon, right?
That's the plan.
- Then can I ask you a favor?
- Of course.
Well, I'm 16 now,
and I'd really like to
get a part-time job...
You know, something just on the weekends.
And mom and dad said that it's okay.
No, that's not improvising. No, no, no.
You can totally say no.
Of course. Come on.
We could always use a bright, young
person like you at the restaurant.
You can, uh, bus tables,
work for minimum wage, tips...
You know, learn the ropes.
Here's my cell.
Thank you so much, Uncle Will.
Oh, sorry.
- I got it.
- Thank you.
Oh, the Hotel Mirabella.
- I know that place.
- You do?
Yeah, Aunt Kate and I ran into
one of her doctor friends there...
The handsome one.
I think he's a surgeon.
Well, we could
always start off with...
♪ Go tell it on the mountain ♪
I don't... I don't mean...
I don't mean to be rude,
but shut the...
Okay, fine. Are you going...
♪ Are you going
to scarborough... ♪
♪ Fair ♪
♪ Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme ♪
That's what happens when I
leave you alone for 30 years.
Look at the
passion, though. Oh, my God.
That's horrible. Horrible.
- Here, Catherine.
- You're so critical.
Catherine, here. Remember this one?
It was great.
♪ Beautiful dreamer ♪
♪ Wake unto me ♪
♪ Starlight and dewdrops
are waiting for thee ♪
Come on, Will.
♪ Sounds of the rude world ♪
♪ Heard in the day ♪
♪ Lulled by the moonlight ♪
♪ Are all passed aw... ♪
♪...Away ♪
Oh, my God.
The right note is in there somewhere.
It's in there. You're close.
All right, I'm out of here.
- No, hey.
- Are you serious? No, no.
No, no, no, no. No!
Don't take... She's gonna take offense.
That's not a musician.
♪ Beautiful dreamer ♪
♪ Wake unto me ♪
♪ Starlight and dewdrops ♪
♪ Are waiting for thee ♪
♪ Beautiful dreamer ♪
♪ Dream of my heart ♪