Limitless: Season One
December 21, 2015 12:23 PM - Season 1 (Full Season) - Subscribe

A man gains the ability to use the full extent of his brain's capabilities. A television adaptation/extension of the 2011 film of the same name, featuring a different protagonist in the same world. Bradley Cooper's character form the film has a recurring role.
posted by DirtyOldTown (87 comments total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
This show is fairly featherweight, but it's nice as a palate cleanser after too much grim or weighty stuff. The Ferris Bueller-themed episode was hilarious.

Honestly, I'd compare it to a USA Network show, because it's a fluffy procedural based around the charisma and charm of the lead. It'll either wear out its welcome or dig a bit deeper as it goes.

My only real complaint is the brownwashing with Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio playing a character named Nasreen Pouran. They should have used Shohreh Aghdashloo. Everything is improved with Shohreh Aghdashloo.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:26 PM on December 21, 2015 [2 favorites]


I saw a promo for this last night and thought it looked pretty good. What is the best way to watch? CBS on demand?
posted by Clustercuss at 12:28 PM on December 21, 2015


The first couple of episodes had hints of the darkness of the original film and I had begun to think that they had (unfortunately) decided to jettison that but clearly they were just lulling us into a false sense of complacency, because last episode had it in spades. It's good for the show to remember that NZT isn't happy fun pill.

Clustercuss: Watch the movie if you haven't seen it, then On Demand is probably fine.
posted by Justinian at 12:34 PM on December 21, 2015


CBS on Demand isn't the best way to watch anything.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:38 PM on December 21, 2015 [4 favorites]


I only got around to watching the movie after seeing about 7 episodes from the show. Obviously it's fine to watch the movie first, but it's not at all necessary to. The first episode (re)introduces anything you might need to know, and it puts a different (and interesting) spin on Bradley Cooper's character if you don't know any more about him in advance than the show protagonist does.
posted by Pryde at 5:18 PM on December 21, 2015


Pryde, did you think the show did enough to establish the Ungood nature of NZT in the absence of the film's context?
posted by Justinian at 6:37 PM on December 21, 2015


I love Limitless so much - it's a lot like Psych and Burn Notice crossed over with a dash of Medium. I like the fun they have with the different storytelling for how the NZT manifests, and that he is underneath it, still essentially a good and loving person, and for the show, he's been pushed to kill and plan death of multiple people and is slowly descending into madness and can't tell anyone. It's just the right amount of horrible reality glazed over with fun.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 8:07 PM on December 21, 2015 [5 favorites]


The color saturation being amped up whenever the NZT kicks in is a nice touch.
posted by Justinian at 8:32 PM on December 21, 2015 [1 favorite]


Oh, am I wrong or was Deb's secret boyfriend her same secret boyfriend from Dexter?
posted by Justinian at 8:33 PM on December 21, 2015 [2 favorites]


I felt it gave a decent amount of attention to establishing the nasty side effects early on, though later on it becomes easy to forget them.

And yep, it was a little mini Dexter reunion for the two of them.
posted by Pryde at 9:05 PM on December 21, 2015


This show reminds me of Psych a lot, it's about a brilliant but immature character who The Law, for reasons unknown, puts up with.

I really like the twists of storytelling they do -- the last episode had the same story from different characters' points of view. And it was one of the silliest episodes and yet had some serious character development (Mike and Ike) and a touching ending.

I never saw the movie so I came to this fresh. It's a fun show, relaxing after watching something serious. But every now and then it gets serious and surprises me.

I love Brian's relationship with his father, too. Not something you see often in procedurals. Although Psych had it, come to think of it.
posted by mmoncur at 4:27 AM on December 22, 2015


I'm enjoying this. It's like a cross between Suits' really smart guy and Castle's very charming goofy guy. Both in the early seasons, before they got too bogged down with the capital-H Heavy plots. I'd like to think this won't, but it probably will.

Deb and Quinn, yes. I can't remember either character's new name.
posted by still_wears_a_hat at 5:50 AM on December 22, 2015


I wasn't expecting to be as charmed by this show as I was, but it really grows on you. I was prepared to write it off as yet another asshole genius and his long-suffering handler show, but Brian is so genuinely good-hearted and quite sweet. The show lives and dies on his likability, and he's very likable even when he's being a manchild. Probably because his more childish traits are the good childish traits: imagination, kindness, a sense of fun, willingness to learn.

I also think the stylistic/storytelling twists are a really clever choice and make it stand out from the crowd of procedurals. There's a genuine sense of whimsy and fun to them, and they never feel like gimmicks because they flow from Brian's well-established character. Plus little things like the color saturation when Brian's on NZT lend nice depth to the show's visual storytelling.

And yeah, this show bops along as pleasant, not too taxing to watch viewing that sometimes hits you with something surprisingly serious or moving. I found myself pretty moved by the episode where Brian tells his father about the NZT. His dad being so concerned for him, knowing him so well, and articulating the things he loved about his son were all really touching character beats for both of them. Plus, I really appreciated that neither character was bogged down by weird macho masculinity bullshit there, they communicated openly like goddamn adults. This is a big thing for me in media, people actually COMMUNICATING LIKE ADULTS, I'm done with tedious miscommunication and stupid withholding. Shows that sidestep those frankly lazy storytelling crutches immediately get a ton of points from me.
posted by yasaman at 8:23 AM on December 22, 2015 [4 favorites]


The color saturation being amped up whenever the NZT kicks in is a nice touch.
Agreed. I like the way the world looks brighter on NZT, just the way it would probably feel.
posted by liet at 8:58 AM on December 22, 2015


I watched the first episode of this and picked Blindspot for that slot in my TV-watching repertoire because of the female protagonist. It seemed like they were very similar except for this show being about Another White Guy. (NB: I am also bored by the white dude in Blindspot). Does it pick up and get more interesting after the pilot? I didn't find it bad but I didn't find it interesting enough to do a season pass. And yes, I've seen the movie, which was part of why the pilot felt like a bit of a retread for me.
posted by immlass at 9:02 AM on December 22, 2015


I described this show as cute to someone who watched it with me last week and is now a fan. It is cute. Just....lighthearted, clever, feel good tv. I always look forward to watching it - one of those shows where you can turn off most of your brain and still have fun watching. My favorite characters are Mike and Ike and I enjoy all of Brian's interactions with them. I really liked the recent show that explored them a bit more in depth when one of them took a bullet for the other.

I just watched American Sniper for the first time last night and was surprised to see the Brian Finch character in it, being best buddies with Bradley Cooper.
posted by the webmistress at 10:03 AM on December 22, 2015


Well other than wanting to stamp my foot, why don't they get all the smartest nuclear fission physicists together in a big state of the art lab and feed them the drug, but yea the couple episodes I saw were fun.

It does seem like it's less likely to fizzle out of plot points than the finite skin area of a tattooed puzzle woman bent on exposing the biggest conspiracy evah. Like, well huh, there are not dozens of MIT grads with clearances that have puzzle experience?!?
posted by sammyo at 10:07 AM on December 22, 2015


why don't they get all the smartest nuclear fission physicists together in a big state of the art lab and feed them the drug

Because of the side-effects ? Only Morra has an antidote and he isn't sharing it.
posted by Pendragon at 11:32 AM on December 22, 2015


Oh geez, this show is so much better than Blindspot. I like Jaimie Alexander, and that dude from Strike Back is fine I guess, but that show is just incredibly boring. Limitless is completely unserious and acts like it, so it's actually kind of fun to watch, even if the MOTW is sometimes almost serious. I actually wish they'd nudge up the amount of Finch family interaction in the show (the pot smoking sister, his dad, and the criminally underused Blair Brown as his mom).
posted by axiom at 1:10 PM on December 22, 2015


> why don't they get all the smartest nuclear fission physicists together in a big state of the art lab and feed them the drug

> Because of the side-effects ? Only Morra has an antidote and he isn't sharing it.

And after you had your nuclear physicists solve world energy, you have a bunch of paranoid full-on-mad-scientists.

That can't end well.
posted by insert.witticism.here at 3:43 PM on December 22, 2015 [6 favorites]


It's been years since I saw the movie. Didn't it imply that while you became exponentially smarter you also lost a lot of your empathy? Or was it just that the people in the movie were kind of crappy people to start with, because Brian hasn't had that problem.
posted by Justinian at 6:17 PM on December 22, 2015


There was an episode specifically dealing with the empathy loss and Brian explicitly rejects it.

This show certainly got a lot better after the first... maybe 4 episodes? It felt like they just said, "Fuck it, let's just have fun with it."
posted by ODiV at 11:43 PM on December 22, 2015


The show takes a little while to find its footing, so stick with it for 6-7 episodes if you haven't watched it. It starts out as a fairly typical, fairly serious case of the week crime show with a Sherlock-ian detective and his sidekick. After a few episodes the show runners embraced the silliness and it really comes into its own.

There are still serious moments, and big issues happening, but the whole tone lightened up and the characters really came to life. I wasn't very fond of the show at first but it has grown on me.

There are a few episodes already where other people take NZT. This is done in part to show that different people react differently to the drug, which explains a lot about why Brian handles it the way he does in contrast to Bradley Cooper's character.

I'm sort of hoping they ditch the whole FBI setting to let Brian and Rebecca go on NZT fueled adventures without the forced constraint of solving routine crimes.
posted by 2ht at 5:46 AM on December 23, 2015 [1 favorite]


Oh hey, Badass Brian is back in this latest episode (12)! Significant amounts of Bradley Cooper, too.

Fairly good episode I thought, striking a decent balance between suspense, drama, and humour. The show's doing a good job of showing the FBI as competent instead of helpless without Brian, which I appreciate. Rebecca's figuring some stuff out on her own.

Sands quoting Ripley from Aliens in Brian's imagination was too good.
posted by ODiV at 3:55 PM on January 8, 2016


This series is fast becoming excellent.

The cast seem to be having such fun with the silliness yet nailing the seriousness. It seemed weird they had such a quality supporting cast with a fairly run of the mill script when it started. I wonder if the tonal shift was forced in a last throw of the dice before cancellation way or whether the initial mundanity was used to smooth over the change and prevent it just being The Silly Show.

Colin Salmon in particular started as fairly standard BritVillain and is becoming more nuanced as it goes on.

I only hope Morra isn't the Big Bad simply because it seems a little obvious.
posted by fullerine at 3:18 AM on January 9, 2016


Last episode was great. I loved the subway callback to the first 5 minutes of Episode 1--if you remember everything, it's pretty obvious what happened, and if you don't Brian explains it later. With awesome animated stick figures.

And I liked how they handled multiple people on NZT dealing with each other: Piper communicating with Brian, Morra calmly figuring out the best way to deal with Piper's attempt, and so on.
posted by mmoncur at 1:41 AM on January 10, 2016


Wow, finally. I have been watching and enjoying this show all season wondering how it doesn't have a fanfare entry.
It's pretty lightweight, but fun and while I watch every week and enjoy the heck out of it, I am so convinced that it will never get picked up for a second season that I just don't get invested in any of the long story arcs.
posted by OHenryPacey at 6:09 PM on January 10, 2016


8 New Shows You Don't Have to Worry About Being Cancelled. #1 is Limitless.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:51 AM on January 11, 2016


I have to admit I considered the lack of interest here on fanfare as a sure sign that the show was doomed. glad to see that I am mistaken on both counts.
posted by OHenryPacey at 2:22 PM on January 11, 2016


Hee, the ending music of the last ep was Dan Deacon! I'm always to happy to hear him.
posted by Pronoiac at 10:08 PM on January 11, 2016 [2 favorites]


Okay, so I just took it up a few days ago (watched what was on CBS at the moment to give it a shot) and wow, I really like it. Brian is a fun guy to watch and clearly the creators of this show are having a blast putting it together and throwing in all kinds of amusing things. Sold. I'm also delighted that Brian is a total crafter--when he made a mobile to explain something or other he did while in the fourth grade? Hah. I wish I could fix him up with Carol on Last Man On Earth so they can make some giant bedazzled Post-It sculptures or something.

Though at the moment I am making myself watch Limitless: the movie and ... I dunno, wouldn't have been sold on this.
posted by jenfullmoon at 7:26 PM on January 14, 2016


Yes, I love how Brian's personality isn't repressed when he's on NZT -- he doesn't become a total nerd or a brash wit, he kind of becomes even more Brian. And the storytelling is based on his personality too.

I'd like to see more perspectives of other people on NZT - for instance we saw briefly into Morra's head last episode, and his inner NZT thoughts were nothing like Brian's. Cold and calculating and calm. And he suggested to Brian that he could become more like Morra the more he's on NZT, which is another fun can of worms for future episodes...
posted by mmoncur at 8:20 PM on January 14, 2016


I am LOVING this last episode. Substituting cute friendly words for rape and murder with periodic mental visits to a guy in a dinosaur suit? So awesome. Criminal Minds needs to try it sometime.
posted by jenfullmoon at 6:17 PM on January 21, 2016


"He cuddled her until she went to an awesome farm in the country," for example.
posted by jenfullmoon at 6:20 PM on January 21, 2016 [1 favorite]


I figured out what "playing air guitar" was code for eventually, but I still don't know what "cuddled her with her own unicorn" meant. Killed her with her own...weapon?

The visuals on this show are so fantastic. All the ridiculous props in place of the serial killer paraphernalia (kittens!). Though with that room and the imaginary rooms with his dinosaur-suit figment, made Brian's HQ room look tame in comparison.
posted by oh yeah! at 6:53 PM on January 21, 2016


After awhile I tried to NOT figure out what the euphemisms were for. I assumed "her own unicorn" was some dismembered body part off her own body that the killer did something with and started going to the la la kittens place myself to stop thinking about this.
posted by jenfullmoon at 9:09 PM on January 21, 2016


Cuddled is strangled, but Boyle is cut off at the beginning before we find out what unicorn is. I couldn't tell from contextual clues.
posted by ODiV at 10:45 PM on January 21, 2016 [1 favorite]


I loved the last episode... but apparently there's something wrong with my brain because the cute words somehow creeped me out a bit more than the normal words you'd hear on other shows.

I have to give all of the actors credit for saying things like "cuddled by Mr. Pralines and Cream" with straight faces. And I loved the skeevy "retired" version of Dinosaur Guy who appeared at the end when Brian was cooling off.

Also... this made me realize two things. First of all, the fact that there was a murder scene at the beginning of the episode reminded me that this is an amateur-detective procedural that usually doesn't have a murder in the first 10 minutes, which is nice.

Second, it's good to see Brian having actual trouble with the violence and death. Shows another aspect of his personality.
posted by mmoncur at 9:00 AM on January 22, 2016 [2 favorites]


I love that this show is able to push the boundaries of "crime scene procedural" in such unique ways, while remaining humorous and fresh.
I also love the not so subtle message that Profiling is BS and no substitute for investigative work, and that NZT might make the job quicker, but in the end, a good detective, like Rebecca, will be just as smart and get the job done even without it.
posted by OHenryPacey at 10:12 AM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]


From "Stop Me Before I Hug Again:"
LAWS I HAVE BROKEN SINCE JOINING THE FBI
1.) Destruction of Evidence
2.) Impersonating a Federal Agent
3.) Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
4.) Forgery
5.) Larceny
6.) Submitted a False Claim to Medicare
7.) Public Endangerment
8.) Yelled "Fire" in a Crowded Theater
9.) Hacked Government Database
10.) Malicious Distribution of Sex Toys
11.) Ran 65mph in a 35 Zone
12.) Connected to Unsecured Wi-Fi
13.) Sang 'Happy Birthday' in Public
14.) Performed 'Macarena' in Central Park
15.) Played Poker for Money
16.) Jaywalked. Repeatedly.
17.) Took Single-Serving Ketchup from Diner
18.) Failed to Inform Clerk of Incorrect Change
19.) Used Jetpack on Sidewalk
20.) Downloaded Pirated Music
21.) Littering
22.) Loitering
23.) Refilled Stranger’s Parking Meter
24.) Took 120 Packs of Post-It Notes from Work
25.) Jumped a Turnstile
26.) Used Fake Names on the Internet
27.) Possessed Aerosol Cans in Public Space
28.) Accessory After the Fact
29.) Facilitated Escape of War Criminal
30.) Recoreded[sic] NFL Game Without Consent

(Mostly from a comment on a torrenting site.)
posted by Pronoiac at 1:08 PM on January 23, 2016 [4 favorites]


"Malicious Distribution of Sex Toys"

Has Brian been mailing things to Oregon lately? :)
posted by jenfullmoon at 10:13 PM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]


It's back!

Rebecca's baseball card stats:
HEIGHT: 5'9"
32% LESS OF A TIGHT-ASS THAN HER COLLEAGUES
ENJOYS 70'S LIGHT ROCK
WEAKNESS = CAPERS
BATS BOTH. THROWS RIGHT
posted by oh yeah! at 6:04 PM on February 10, 2016 [2 favorites]


Mike and Ike dancing in a Bollywood number was just glorious.
posted by ODiV at 7:26 PM on February 17, 2016


Also, kind of hoping Lucy is a reoccurring character. Or at least shows up again once or twice.
posted by ODiV at 9:44 PM on February 17, 2016 [1 favorite]


I loved the Bollywood number; and I think about how much effort must have gone into it -- the costumes, dance choreography & rehearsal, set design, all for a seconds-long bit. But that's what makes this such an interesting show, that commitment to going over the top.
posted by oh yeah! at 8:40 AM on February 18, 2016 [1 favorite]


Ooh, AV Club just did their first Limitless recap, yay!
posted by oh yeah! at 9:26 AM on February 18, 2016


Episode 16 was so great! Somehow an episode that seems to take place almost entirely between the "action" was just riveting. Backstory on Sands, Naz calling Ike Ike, the overlapping case that gave you enough time to get there yourself, Finch's sister hooking up with Ike, it was all excellent.
posted by ODiV at 7:16 PM on February 24, 2016 [1 favorite]


I feel like more people should be watching this show.
posted by ODiV at 7:22 PM on February 24, 2016 [1 favorite]


Me too.

Hey, they added comics into the credits! Okay, probably because the episode has comics in it, but still cool bonus!
posted by jenfullmoon at 6:42 PM on February 25, 2016 [1 favorite]


Yes! the comics in the opening credits ! this show is just so much fun.
posted by OHenryPacey at 5:59 PM on February 26, 2016


Here's some information on the comic illustrations, by the way.
posted by ODiV at 6:03 PM on February 26, 2016 [2 favorites]


My feelings after watching tonight's Limitless episode = kermit flail gif

Poor, poor woobie Brian.
posted by oh yeah! at 8:12 PM on March 8, 2016


Man, that was tough. Should be interesting next episode though!
posted by mmoncur at 2:38 AM on March 9, 2016


I think a fair amount of people were probably turned off by this being an adaptation of a middling movie, some more were turned off by Brian seeming like a slight character, and even more by this being (or having some of the aspects of) a procedural.

Thing is, those people got it wrong, wrong, and wrong.

As has been noted elsewhere in the thread, the producers seem to have taken the kernel premise of the film while focusing on an altogether different and more promising character journey: how do you stay a decent human being when regularly uses a drug that tends to kill empathy? As for the character of Brian, the very fact that he stays lighthearted, optimistic, kind, and positive is a kind of heroic victory in its context. Also, the variety and charm of his idiosyncracies is way, way past standard level tv quirk. He's a complicated oddball, not just some USA Network-level standard screenwriter's goof.

And as for the procedural thing, I think this is the second time CBS has pulled off the trick of a show that seems to be a procedural, but is really just using that as a framework for something altogether weirder and more interesting. Person of Interest pretended to be a procedural, even as it was luring hordes of viewers into a thorny serial about the morality of Artificial Intelligence. I think the producers of Limitless must have seen this misdirect and decided to run their own similar con to lure audiences in.

People not watching this show are missing out.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:29 AM on March 9, 2016 [4 favorites]


There was a nice narrative parallel with his parents unable to talk openly about the drugs and his father using a question to try to get his wife to talk, and that going in a direction he didn't want, Brian's ban from the house, but being caught by his own lies and refusal to speak, from objecting. Brian is a lot more like his father than first glance, both of them charming and able to keep secrets and lie lie lie over and over.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 4:28 PM on March 9, 2016


Since all signs point to Limitless' renewal (deadline.com article) I'm hoping that S1 will be up on Netflix or somewhere so people can catch up, and that AV Club or someone starts doing regular recaps. I don't think there's much point in switching from a season-thread to weekly posts until S2.

There was a nice narrative parallel with his parents unable to talk openly about the drugs and his father using a question to try to get his wife to talk, and that going in a direction he didn't want, Brian's ban from the house, but being caught by his own lies and refusal to speak, from objecting. Brian is a lot more like his father than first glance, both of them charming and able to keep secrets and lie lie lie over and over.

It's all just so beautifully heartbreaking. It's like some horrible 'Gift of the Magi'; everyone keeps doing the absolute worst things for the best reasons.
posted by oh yeah! at 5:21 PM on March 9, 2016


I'm so so so glad his sister didn't take one of the pills as I first suspected she was going to.

A whole episode of Brian helping random people over the course of a night in NYC would have been amazing. Maybe we can get that next season.
posted by ODiV at 8:04 PM on March 9, 2016 [1 favorite]


I gotta say Limitless has turned into the best of the new network shows from last year and that last night's show was pretty strong. It's not Hannibal levels of surprisingly-good, of course, but I expected mediocrity and got something quite good.
posted by Justinian at 12:20 PM on March 16, 2016


Oh, I particularly admired Finch's dad's barely suppressed rage on Brian's behalf last night. We tend to overlook how messed up the whole situation is because we have gotten to see the people involved up close but Finch's dad's anger is both understandable and even justified.
posted by Justinian at 12:23 PM on March 16, 2016


Wow, enlisting GRRM in your schemes to bamboozle Russians? Wow.

Did enjoy Brian and Piper's love affair, but hoo boy, is there gonna be some trouble now.
posted by jenfullmoon at 10:21 PM on March 16, 2016


Man, the actor who plays Brian's dad is GOOD. That angry speech to Rebecca almost scared me.

I like how they're ramping up the story arc, I thought they'd easily go a whole season without Rebecca knowing about Brian's association with Morra.

And it's great to see them getting away with completely abandoning the procedural formula for an episode or two.
posted by mmoncur at 12:00 AM on March 17, 2016


Ok, confession time. Who else was like "...nooooo they wouldn't" the minute Brian mentioned "the Iron Price". 'Cause I was like ...noooooo they wouldn't. And they did.
posted by Justinian at 4:51 PM on March 17, 2016 [2 favorites]


Man, the actor who plays Brian's dad is GOOD. That angry speech to Rebecca almost scared me.

I think Ron Rifkin has specialized in playing villains & sleezeballs - or maybe it's just that I know him best from his years as Arvin Sloane on Alias, and as the closeted DA in L.A. Confidential. He does scary very well, it's the 'loving father' character that I don't think I've seen him do before.

Hey - didn't realize until this week, Vulture has been doing Limitless recaps all season. Great gif of the "You fixed it, Brian. You rule" group thumbs-up in this week's recap, I'll have to go back and look at the others sometime.

Now I just want a transcript of what Yuri's Cousin Andrea Who Knows Things knows.
posted by oh yeah! at 5:12 PM on March 17, 2016 [2 favorites]


Things Andrea Who Knows Things Knows:

1. Barry Manilow did not write the song he sings, "I write the songs."
2. A Pig's orgasm can last 11 to 14 minutes.
3. When you walk, your head moves faster than your body.
4. An octopus has 3 hearts.
5. Black holes aren't really black.
6. Quantum Mechanics theorizes that there is unlimited number of universes, which means there's infinite amount of me's making this talk and infinite amount of you's listening.

Think about that.
posted by mmoncur at 11:57 PM on March 17, 2016 [2 favorites]


OK, so once Piper told him she's finished, why didn't he immediately come clean to Rebecca?
posted by OHenryPacey at 9:25 PM on March 23, 2016


Because clearly they're putting that off until the next episode.
posted by jenfullmoon at 10:53 PM on March 23, 2016


This past episode (20, Hi, My Name Is Rebecca Harris) was really excellent, too.

I don't know about everyone else, but I'd almost be up for a rewatch next year. Hopefully it gets renewed.
posted by ODiV at 2:52 PM on April 6, 2016


From the Vulture recap "On their way out of the cabin, Rebecca gets sniped by Sands's hit man. Luckily, she's on NZT, so she can just shut down the part of her brain that feels pain. If that seems like a new NZT skill invented arbitrarily for the sake of narrative then … hi, welcome to Limitless. Where have you been all season?". Heh.

Not sure what to make of the episode yet in terms of the major arc stuff, will have to wait and see what happens in the finale with Morra, Piper, and Sands' band of fellow NTZ-villains.
posted by oh yeah! at 6:30 PM on April 6, 2016


From the Vulture recap "On their way out of the cabin, Rebecca gets sniped by Sands's hit man. Luckily, she's on NZT, so she can just shut down the part of her brain that feels pain. If that seems like a new NZT skill invented arbitrarily for the sake of narrative then … hi, welcome to Limitless. Where have you been all season?". Heh.

I sort of and sort of don't agree with that. I feel like the show has been superb about laying the groundwork for the idea that what NZT does - allow you full access to your brain's potential - can be very different with different people, and that it supports a lot of different approaches for different people. This episode supports this in another way, when Rebecca outshines Brian during a conversation though they're both on NZT and he's got more experience with NZT brain. She's smarter and more driven than him and has different experiences and outlooks.

So the fact that Rebecca - someone has without a doubt spent more time in her life concentrating on work through the pain - thought to do this with her enhanced access, but Brian hasn't? Works for me completely.
posted by phearlez at 12:32 PM on April 18, 2016 [3 favorites]


Yeah, it made sense to me because Rebecca's a cop, and on NZT she would be focused on ways to be a better cop. Being able to take a bullet and still work the case.

Anyway, it's the sort of shoulder bullet injury that we see cops shrug off in other shows all the time -- at least she had an explanation for it...

Also, Brian hasn't ever been shot, has he? Who says he wouldn't have come up with the same thing?

I mean, this is NOT a realistic show, but considering that people in the real world really can do amazing pain-blocking mental disciplines, this is hardly where it becomes hard for me to believe.
posted by mmoncur at 4:52 AM on April 19, 2016


OK - I just really enjoyed the style & humor of the recap and thought that was a good snippet to pull-quote.
posted by oh yeah! at 7:24 AM on April 19, 2016


You should not interpret my willingness to use that as a springboard for more fanwank and riffing as an indication that I am arguing with you in some way :)
posted by phearlez at 7:49 AM on April 19, 2016 [1 favorite]


Finale: Part Two!! was everything I could have wished for. Now when oh when will CBS make an official announcement on renewals for this season's freshman dramas?
posted by oh yeah! at 8:44 PM on April 26, 2016


Vulture recap - Everything Worked Out and Nobody Got Hurt

(Not sure why they're so disparaging in their review; I loved the end squad-interview-montage, for the return of Yuri's cousin Andrea Who Knows Things, if nothing else.)
posted by oh yeah! at 5:48 AM on April 27, 2016 [1 favorite]


I think they didn't like that it ends on a happy ending...you know, just in case they don't get renewed.

I'll admit, Brian suddenly losing all worries about NZT comedowns forever is pretty much magic...but did I want that for him? Yes. Did I want the show premise to be over? Nope. And yeah, Piper just magically showing up at his house okay was kind of a "where did that come from" and I concur with the Vulture reviewer that I would have rather seen more of her than the uh...iceberg passage Canadians Greenland thing that bored me even though I did admire Brian's art. So yeah, I do kinda agree there were some issues.

I do not miss Morra though, not one bit.

But I wanted a happy ending for Brian just in case, and got it. Yay.

If I had ever had the ability to make a TV show, I think I would have done it in something like this style. The Legion of Whom meeting in a volcano stuff was just gold.
posted by jenfullmoon at 9:06 AM on April 27, 2016


AV Club review also has some issues and has an interview with the boss.
posted by jenfullmoon at 9:08 AM on April 27, 2016


How was Piper at the end not a hallucination? I kept waiting for Brian's world to implode and it never did. Even after the credits I found myself sitting, waiting.

The deal each country is willing to make depends on who is negotiating? That feels like it's leaving way too much up to your representative.

That said: Canadian nationalists! Tim's!
posted by ODiV at 7:54 PM on April 27, 2016


*sob*
Upfronts 2016: TV adaptation isn’t on CBS entertainment president Glenn Geller’s upcoming schedule

CBS drama “Limitless” could return on another network, CBS entertainment president Glenn Geller said Wednesday.

“Right now, we’re in discussions with other potential buyers, so I’d rather not comment on it right now,” he said when asked about the one-season series, an adaptation of the Bradley Cooper film of the same name.

Geller then clarified that it was possible the show could return on another network.
posted by phearlez at 10:35 AM on May 18, 2016


I know. :(

One of my favourite shows this past season. Will probably buy it digitally if I can figure out what platform to get it on because it should be a nice rewatch.
posted by ODiV at 10:42 AM on May 18, 2016


Dammit! What the hell happened between Moonves' "we're renewing 4 of this season's new shows" and now? The idea that Sleepy Fucking Hollow is getting a 4th season while Limitless gets shafted, ugh.
posted by oh yeah! at 10:44 AM on May 18, 2016 [2 favorites]




I was pleasantly surprised by how popular the show became, but had myself convinced from the start that it was one season and done. heartbroken as i am that i will never know whether the ending was hallucination or not, i am satisfied that it was a great show for that one season.
posted by OHenryPacey at 4:00 PM on May 25, 2016


*whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine*
posted by jenfullmoon at 10:31 PM on May 25, 2016


I keep deleting longer comments but I think I will just go with

.
posted by phearlez at 1:52 PM on May 26, 2016


Leslie Moonves is the fucking worst.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 2:21 PM on May 26, 2016


Had originally given the show a pass, but this thread got me to give it a chance - and I was hooked and watched it over the holidays.

Yes, it's a lighter show - which is a strength. Jake McDorman/Brian Finch effuses so much humanity.

Nice touch that when Jennifer Carpenter/Rebecca Harris is on the job, she wears sensible footwear. In contrast to Tea Leoni taking advice from Gillian Anderson/Scully on how to run in high heels.

Felt that Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio was underused, but not a fan of not actually casting someone ethnically appropriate for a "Nasreen Pouran." Mike and Ike really grew on me but "Deb's secret boyfriend" ... was just a gaunter version of "Deb's secret boyfriend."

Aside from being a fun show, I'm surprised that a network show was willing to explore nootropics (mind enhancing drugs). I'm not surprised that it was cancelled after a season, but I couldn't really see another season other than to stretch out the last few episodes anyway. I think that it ended on a good note, but I wasn't a fan of the happy ending.

Saw the movie after finishing the show, and I liked the show more especially when they started exploring implications for the availability of such substances and whether "enhanced" is the "real" person or "baseline" is.

The handcrafts and Brian silliness is really wonderful, and the comic book montage of Sand's background is particularly well done.

Have to give most of the "science" a Fail, though. At least they reference the "only 10% of the brain" as a misconception.
posted by porpoise at 3:10 PM on December 29, 2016


Currently rewatching this with our kid. This show seriously got a raw deal. If it had come out now, with the current fixation on non-toxic male leads, it might have really taken off.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 6:39 PM on September 12, 2021


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