S01.E10: Arm-ageddon

[thewhiteowl]

When Boyle’s former military buddy is accused of murder and blames it on the loss of control of his prosthetic arm, Boyle asks Brian to help determine if the artificial limb was hacked. Also, Brian’s father demands he stop working for the FBI.

 

 

[possibilities]

A guy who would kill his wife instead of asking for a divorce is... I don't really have a word for it.

 

Brian's dad seems a little over-zealous, to me, as well as reckless. At least give it some time, observe how Brian's doing, don't go threatening people like some common thug dealing with other common thugs. It's like the guy is so naive he really thinks there are no repercussions from making threats like that?

 

I did like the way the Q guy wanted to poach Brian for his department. Maybe the show will start to give us more of a sense of Brian's choices, not that he's stuck but that he's able to direct more. I'd like to see that happen.

[thuganomics85]

Not sure if my favorite gag was Brian's interpretations of what those various screen-names would actually look like if they were physical items (the baby was creepy!), or the big tech alarm that popped up on screen, when Brian started explaining how he hacked that computer.  Quite a lot of shows would improve if they just explained away any technical jargon like that.  Although, for some shows like CSI Cyber, that warning alone would take up half of the episode alone...

 

All the arm puns were so stupid, but so Brian.  And I liked Rebecca trying to get in on that near the end.  She is so much more fun then the typical characters who are paired up with the more eccentric leads.

 

I would be against it if a future case require Brian to ask for Q's (sorry, Quentin's) help, or some of that nifty technology he has.

 

Glad Brian finally stood up and told his dad he actually wanted to stay with the FBI.  I know a lot of it was because he truly feels like he is helping out, but also wonder how much is it because he knows if he leaves the FBI, Morra will have no use for him.  But it sounds like the dad isn't going to drop this anytime soon.  Ron Rifkin was kind of transforming into Arvin Sloane there for a bit in that final scene with Naz.

[Netfoot]

Another entertaining, wacky, and funny episode.  The only part I didn't like was Brian's father.  He seemed dead set on forcing Brian to quit the programme against his will.  Even to the point of going behind Brian's back and threatening his boss.  And from what he was saying, I get the feeling he wouldn't be above trying to get Brian declared mentally incompetent to try and use the courts to force his will upon him.  

[alias1]

It was really a fun episode, except where his dad was getting downright creepy.  He's not giving Brian much credit.  Maybe he's been this controlling all along, but when Brian was a screw-up, it worked for both of them.

[twoods]

Brian's dad was an ass. Brian is a lot nicer to him than I would have been in that situation.

I did not see Boyle's friend as an actual killer- nice twist.

Rebecca continues to be awesome. She lets Brian have fun, and is really there for him when he needs her. I'm so glad the writers didn't go the cliche uptight partner route, and let her have a fun personality.

I would like to see Brian teamed up with Q in a later episode so we can see more fun tech.

Edited November 25, 2015 by twoods

[Kromm]

Why didn't Brian's alter-ego show up when Brian was confronted with dealing with his Dad?  That dude knows all the angles and would see right through a lot of the stuff he said.  I don't know if this is Dad believing so deeply that Brian is a screwup that this extends even to when he's smart, if Dad's just a control freak, or if there are ways in which he's right (of course not knowing about Mora in a way handicaps him). Now in theory Mora has backed off threats, but I still have to wonder what comes from this long term.

 

I agree that Rebecca is awesome. They've built a great character with her.  Actually the more episodes go by, the more I love Naz too. This show has great female characters.

 

This was a somewhat more serious episode than some other recent ones.  But still had that wacky core we love so much.

By the way did anyone else catch that this show just got linked to being in the same "Universe" as Elementary? Everywhere is Elementary's version of Anonymous, and now this show's. I believe Elementary was probably already in the Tommyverse, so pretty much the rest of TV is probably all linked up now to this show too.

Edited November 25, 2015 by Kromm

[Triskan]

I really cant see Brian's dad threats at the FBI and Naz ending in a good way... and I can see Sands popping up by his house next episode ! 

 

One other point I think will bite Brian and the FBI back : the man, ex-military reconverted in helping people in Brian's case that his dad contacted. Now that dude knows about NZT and I wouldnt be surprised to see him appear.

[Free]

I really cant see Brian's dad threats at the FBI and Naz ending in a good way... and I can see Sands popping up by his house next episode !

 

Agreed, he should've let it go since Brian was ok with the situation.

[kili]

Brian's dad was the ultimate helicopter parent. Your child is an adult. He's asked you to let it go. Let it go.

[thewhiteowl]

Brian's dad was the ultimate helicopter parent. Your child is an adult. He's asked you to let it go. Let it go.

 

 True, however your child is an adult screw-up and has been for years. He is admittedly taking a drug no one understands and could end up in prison. What's a concerned parent to do? The Father really should not have told anyone, so there's a point.

[Canada]

I am so glad that Mr. Prosthetic Arm didn't get away with murdering his wife.  At the very beginning, I got really angry when he used the excuse that his arm did it, not him, and I was ready to quit the show if he'd got away with that lame, ridiculous excuse!!

[Kromm]

I am so glad that Mr. Prosthetic Arm didn't get away with murdering his wife.  At the very beginning, I got really angry when he used the excuse that his arm did it, not him, and I was ready to quit the show if he'd got away with that lame, ridiculous excuse!!

Wait a sec. That means you inherently dismissed the idea that what he was suggesting was possible. And I think the show did a good job (keeping in mind that this show is heavily Sci-fi) that it WAS possible. Because it WAS possible that's why he was able to use that as a cover for his deed (and only slipped up with the details of his cover-up).

[Slovenly Muse]

I had a lot of love for this episode, but I have to say, I'm not feeling the rage on Brian's dad. Yes, the friend he enlisted will probably bite them in the ass, but overall Dad was absolutely right! Regardless of whether or not Brian is having fun or wants to stop what he's doing, the FBI is deliberately feeding him a daily dose of a drug that is proven to have devastating and fatal consequences to anyone who uses it, and they are pressuring him into staying. And someone who doesn't know Naz and what she's done for Brian would be absolutely correct to assume that if things went wrong, everyone above him in the FBI would cover their own asses, leaving the civilian consultant to twist. Yes, Brian wants to be there, and yes, Rebecca would totally support him if he really did want out. And yes, the team would completely have his back if things went pear-shaped. But from an outsider's perspective, his dad is not wrong! Brian IS in a dangerous and unfair situation from which he needs to be rescued, it's just not the FBI that has the gun to his head: It's Morra. Morra, who makes Brian's very survival dependent on the serum he provides, who makes demands of him and holds his family's lives hostage to ensure compliance. Not to mention who once withheld the serum long enough to prove to Brian that he could very easily torture him into betraying his allies, simply by doing nothing. Dad is totally right to want to give Brian an exit strategy, he just doesn't understand the situation well enough to know that there's nothing he can do about it but make things worse.

 

I'm glad he gave Naz that little reality check. I think she needed it. I think they all do. Doesn't mean they're absolutely wrong and they should stop, just that in all the fun and wacky adventures they have, it's easy to forget that they're playing with someone's life. That's what I really like about this show. It has an enormous amount of fun, but even through all the talking sock puppets and vines of kittens, they never lose sight of the real danger and stakes of Brian's situation. The balance is what makes the show so compelling!

 

 

By the way did anyone else catch that this show just got linked to being in the same "Universe" as Elementary? Everywhere is Elementary's version of Anonymous, and now this show's.

 

Is it? I thought Elementary's version of Anonymous was "Everyone." I could be wrong, because I tend to watch that show with half my brain, but I remember being really confused every once in a while by sentences like, "Well, I asked Everyone for help with this, and they said..." before remembering that it was a hacker collective, and not just every single person on Earth, which seemed like an unrealistic amount of investigative effort.

[Canada]

Wait a sec. That means you inherently dismissed the idea that what he was suggesting was possible. And I think the show did a good job (keeping in mind that this show is heavily Sci-fi) that it WAS possible. Because it WAS possible that's why he was able to use that as a cover for his deed (and only slipped up with the details of his cover-up).

 

Yes, I did.

[Kromm]

I had a lot of love for this episode, but I have to say, I'm not feeling the rage on Brian's dad. Yes, the friend he enlisted will probably bite them in the ass, but overall Dad was absolutely right! Regardless of whether or not Brian is having fun or wants to stop what he's doing, the FBI is deliberately feeding him a daily dose of a drug that is proven to have devastating and fatal consequences to anyone who uses it, and they are pressuring him into staying. And someone who doesn't know Naz and what she's done for Brian would be absolutely correct to assume that if things went wrong, everyone above him in the FBI would cover their own asses, leaving the civilian consultant to twist. Yes, Brian wants to be there, and yes, Rebecca would totally support him if he really did want out. And yes, the team would completely have his back if things went pear-shaped. But from an outsider's perspective, his dad is not wrong! Brian IS in a dangerous and unfair situation from which he needs to be rescued, it's just not the FBI that has the gun to his head: It's Morra. Morra, who makes Brian's very survival dependent on the serum he provides, who makes demands of him and holds his family's lives hostage to ensure compliance. Not to mention who once withheld the serum long enough to prove to Brian that he could very easily torture him into betraying his allies, simply by doing nothing. Dad is totally right to want to give Brian an exit strategy, he just doesn't understand the situation well enough to know that there's nothing he can do about it but make things worse.

 

I'm glad he gave Naz that little reality check. I think she needed it. I think they all do. Doesn't mean they're absolutely wrong and they should stop, just that in all the fun and wacky adventures they have, it's easy to forget that they're playing with someone's life. That's what I really like about this show. It has an enormous amount of fun, but even through all the talking sock puppets and vines of kittens, they never lose sight of the real danger and stakes of Brian's situation. The balance is what makes the show so compelling!

 

 

Is it? I thought Elementary's version of Anonymous was "Everyone." I could be wrong, because I tend to watch that show with half my brain, but I remember being really confused every once in a while by sentences like, "Well, I asked Everyone for help with this, and they said..." before remembering that it was a hacker collective, and not just every single person on Earth, which seemed like an unrealistic amount of investigative effort.

Ack,you may be right. The 'Every' part must be what I heard and not the rest.

[possibilities]

It's not that Brian's dad is wrong about the problematic nature of Brian's situation, it's how he went about dealing with it. He should have talked to Brian about it more before going off half-cocked. He seemed really stupid and controlling, to me, not respectfully or lovingly protective.

 

For one thing, does he really not understand that whatever threats he just made, he's in the weaker power position here? Surely the FBI has bigger guns than he does, and he's acting like he really thinks they'd be that easily intimidated and unlikely to act in their own defense, possibly endangering Brian further. Right now, his threat is to go public. All the agency has to do is deny that what he says is true, and paint him as crazy. The story looks like this: Father gets upset that his previously aimless son is now a functioning adult, assumes there must be a conspiracy involved, makes up a magic drug to explain it. FBI: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Don't you think that if we had that kind of magic we'd be using it all over the place? Why doesn't this man simply believe his son grew up and got serious and is a competent person? It's sad, but it's also ridiculous, and we don't have time for this kind of frivolous nonsense. Brian: head spinning, what do I do now? Throw my father under the bus, or choose my own well-being? Even if you don't factor in the Morra complication, which Dad knows nothing about, it's not looking good for options here.

 

A lawyer or an ally of an adult generally acts with the consent of the person they represent, and he should have enlisted Brian's participation and consulted him about his plans, before taking action. Brian could tell him what would or would not be welcome intervention, and he could talk about why he does or doesn't want to stay, and who his allies are, and what is helpful or not helpful. But Dad's totally convinced that Brian is an idiot, without even giving him a chance to demonstrate why not, so he's leapt into the situation with the whole "he's out of his mind" mentality, without really getting to know in what ways or to what extent, and making a genuine assessment. It was impulsive, not considered action, that he took, and that's not a good way to win a battle against a formidable enemy. It's not even a good way to win against an average everyday enemy.

[sjohnson]

Finch talked to Naz parent to parent. If she has any sense at all, she listened to what he was threatening: If Brian was hurt (as in psychotic break from drug withdrawal/use,) or death (as from OD, neglect in protection from FBI,) Finch would go after her personally as well as the FBI. And she now knows that Finch is following his son's lead for now but is ready to step in if the situation worsens. Nobody enjoys getting informed of these things, but if Naz is mean and petty enough to think she shouldn't suffer consequences if something dire happens to Brian...well, that's not the character I've seen on screen so far. If anything I should think Naz would ultimately regard Brian's father as an ally in protecting Brian. Naz isn't the whole FBI, much less the whole government. 

 

If it wasn't for Morra, Brian would be pretty deteriorated by now, facing death within months. As for the CJC, I'm afraid I'm pretty sure that if Brian wasn't being cooperative they wouldn't cut him off NZT. I think Finch knows this. He can't see that Brian isn't coerced by the FBI because he has a potential supplier in Morra. 

[alias1]

I am so glad that Mr. Prosthetic Arm didn't get away with murdering his wife.  At the very beginning, I got really angry when he used the excuse that his arm did it, not him, and I was ready to quit the show if he'd got away with that lame, ridiculous excuse!!

I agree.  I didn't immediately think he murdered his wife, but when they showed all the other stuff that people with the arm did, I was pretty sure it would turn out that he deliberately killed her.

[kili]

Finch talked to Naz parent to parent.

 

I would not like it if my Mom went behind my back  and talked to my boss about anything - especially to threaten my boss.

 

But Dad's totally convinced that Brian is an idiot, without even giving him a chance to demonstrate why not, so he's leapt into the situation with the whole "he's out of his mind" mentality, without really getting to know in what ways or to what extent, and making a genuine assessment

 

Exactly. He was on a path to have him declared incompetent and now he's talking to the boss.

 

Sure, what Brian is doing, being a lab rat, is very dangerous. But, people are in the armed forces. That's dangerous. Should the dad's of special forces soldiers be getting them declared incompetent? What about test pilots? Or astronauts? Should their be a line of dad's waiting to talk to the head of NASA and threatening him? Brian seems to be completely competent and reasoned. He is aware of the risks. He has decided to do this.

 

The arm thing was a little stupid. So, the arm wants to wreck paintings or push buttons on the  elevator? You have legs. Walk away. And I would argue the incident with the mail truck was not a prank. That nobody died is kind of a miracle.

 

Loved the screen names coming to life and the covering up of tech talk with vines. That's a good way of writing an incredibly intelligent person without having to be incredibly smart yourself.

Edited November 25, 2015 by kili

[Kanner]

Thank you show for just being fun. I know there are some serious things happening but I feel at its core the show is about fun.

[sjohnson]

Brian's situation is not comparable to special forces, test pilots and astronauts. They are not threatened with criminal charges and withholding of an addictive drug known to be otherwise uniformly fatal. And it is yet to be established that prolonged use of NZT doesn't damage the personality. The audience can look at what Morra did and be even more cautious than Finch. There really is very little doubt that Brian is giddy with delight and full of NZT confidence. Is he really assessing the situation?

 

How did this become a matter of what Brian would like most? I thought this was about whether Naz should see revenge on Brian and Brian should kick his asshole father out of his life. 

 

For me the bottom line is that Naz heard nothing that wasn't warranted, even if it was a little embarrassing to Brian to have his father unsure about his judgment on NZT. 

[Netfoot]

Brian's dad is a lawyer, but he doesn't seem to understand the nature of confidentiality.  Brian asked that he tell nobody, so he straight away went and blabbed to some crony from law-school.

 

Does he remember when, thanks to NZT, Brian was able to learn enough medicine in 12 hours to save his dad from a deadly disease which all the specialists were not able to diagnose?  Does he not think that maybe, if needed, Brian could become ten times the lawyer his dad is, by lunchtime tomorrow?  Why assume that his son, who has the benefit of trans-mega-ultra-genius, need his help in deciding on a course of action?  To such a degree that Brian's choices must be circumvented, by an end-run past his boss, or even by declaring Brian incompetent in the courts?  Good luck with that, BTW.  I'd like to see what sort of mincemeat an NZTd-up Brian would make of your case.

[Free]

I am so glad that Mr. Prosthetic Arm didn't get away with murdering his wife.  At the very beginning, I got really angry when he used the excuse that his arm did it, not him, and I was ready to quit the show if he'd got away with that lame, ridiculous excuse!!

 

Yup, I knew he was faking it, sending them on a wild goose chase.

[Driad]

With the arm acting on its own, I expected a "Dr. Strangelove" reference.  Did I miss one?

Maybe they could have worked in "You're gonna have to answer to the Coca-Cola company."

Edited November 26, 2015 by Driad

[txwatcher]

Naz and FBI aren't the threat to Mr. Finch, she actually gave a nod of approval and parental respect. Despite the whole mental invompetency thing. Morra is the wildcard. I can't wait to see how this part plays out.

[AConspiracy]

If your robot arm is going crazy pushing buttons, can't you just step away from them? You still have control over your legs to move back.

Well, it is easy to ARMchair quarterback!

[shapeshifter]

Does he remember when, thanks to NZT, Brian was able to learn enough medicine in 12 hours to save his dad from a deadly disease which all the specialists were not able to diagnose?  Does he not think that maybe, if needed, Brian could become ten times the lawyer his dad is, by lunchtime tomorrow?  Why assume that his son, who has the benefit of trans-mega-ultra-genius, need his help in deciding on a course of action?  To such a degree that Brian's choices must be circumvented, by an end-run past his boss, or even by declaring Brian incompetent in the courts?  Good luck with that, BTW.  I'd like to see what sort of mincemeat an NZTd-up Brian would make of your case.

I slept through most of this episode, but is it possible dear old dad has Alzheimer's or other dementia and that will be how his exposure of the program is hushed up?

Brian opening up to his dad reminds me of the last time I went to my mom with my troubles (5-10 years ago), and about 30 seconds into my spill, I realized she couldn't handle that kind of information anymore. I still share stuff, but it's highly edited. I could see Brian coming to this realization too.

[sjohnson]

I'm pretty sure Mr. Finch's communications with another lawyer on handling a case is privileged. The other lawyer is part of Brian's legal team. 

 

It seems to me that a lot of people are just reacting to the conservatorship threat. In a legal situation where Brian can face criminal charges, saying that he might be argued to be legally incompetent to one of the people who might arrest him, isn't a personal assault on Brian. What Mr. Finch did was to follow Brian's wishes about holding off on suing the FBI, not petitioning the court for the conservatorship. In daily life, it's very important to look at what people do. Why not in a TV show?

Edited November 26, 2015 by sjohnson

[Latverian Diplomat]

Brian's dad is a lawyer, but he doesn't seem to understand the nature of confidentiality.  Brian asked that he tell nobody, so he straight away went and blabbed to some crony from law-school.

 

 

In addition to agreeing with sjohnson on the legal confidentiality not being violated by involving co-counsel, I had this thought:

 

Brian tried to have it both ways. He's using legal confidentiality to try and protect his father while trying to patch up their relationship by sharing a personal secret. But keeping a personal matter private is different than legal confidentiality. By tangling up his dad's roles as lawyer and father, he opened a door. His dad feels empowered to take legal actions on his behalf as his lawyer, and empowered to make decisions about the right course of action as Brian's father. 

 

You'd get a similar dynamic if pre-NZT Brian had been busted for something and his dad had hired a lawyer. His dad would feel entitled to make any decisions that lawyer presented to Brian. It's no wonder this is not working out the way Brian hoped.

 

Lastly, if your child told you that he's taking a new drug that made him feel like he's on top of the world, best person he's ever been, wouldn't you suspect the drug was interfering with his or her judgement? To me, NZT is almost paranormal in it's effects and "rules".In real life, the skeptic who says "that's not how things work there must be something fake or some mistake" would be right. But on those paranormal shows, and here with NZT, the skeptic has to be wrong, or you don't have a show.  

 

OT, there was a question last time about whether Brian was currently using pot or not, raised by the scene with his sister. It was pretty clear he was smoking up in this episode (while watching the cartoon).

 

Ironically, in making fun of how Hollywood portrays hacking, Limitless gave us a more realistic version of it. Weeks of boring tedious work, for example, and then the solution coming down to technical details that they aren't going to get right anyway, so why bother. Brian's montage of someone typing fast, summary of Hollywood hacking was spot on.

Edited November 27, 2015 by Latverian Diplomat

[Netfoot]

Brian tried to have it both ways. He's using legal confidentiality to try and protect his father while trying to patch up their relationship by sharing a personal secret. But keeping a personal matter private is different than legal confidentiality. By tangling up his dad's roles as lawyer and father, he opened a door. His dad feels empowered to take legal actions on his behalf as his lawyer, and empowered to make decisions about the right course of action as Brian's father. 

 

But it didn't look like Brian was speaking to his father as a lawyer.  I know that was the plan a few weeks ago, but there was no mention of it this time.

 

No, Brian spoke to his father (not his lawyer) saying that he was about to divulge highly classified information, and that he expected confidentiality.  His father (coincidentally being a lawyer) should have had no difficulty in understanding what that meant.  It meant shut up about it.  Don't blab to a colleague, and it certainly don't run to Brian's boss and divulge that he, Brian, had been spilling the highly classified beans!  Just talking to her like that could have resulted in Brian being dragged away to jail!

 

Dad wasn't looking at a strung-out, drooling junkie who couldn't string two words together.  He was looking at a man who proved to be highly capable and competent under the influence of the drug, and his perfectly normal self, when not on it.  Why jump to the conclusion that there was any need to trigger the Protective Parent gene?  Brian is taking part in a classified, but official, drug trial.  Why?  Because he is immune to the ill-effects of the drug, and they want to study how these ill-effects can be eliminated for everyone.

[Latverian Diplomat]

Dad wasn't looking at a strung-out, drooling junkie who couldn't string two words together.  He was looking at a man who proved to be highly capable and competent under the influence of the drug, and his perfectly normal self, when not on it.  Why jump to the conclusion that there was any need to trigger the Protective Parent gene?  Brian is taking part in a classified, but official, drug trial.  Why?  Because he is immune to the ill-effects of the drug, and they want to study how these ill-effects can be eliminated for everyone.

 

I think you are failing to distinguish what we, the audience know from what Brian's dad knows. Psychoactive drugs can have all kinds of dangerous effects, not just stereotypical junkie symptoms.  even non-magic drugs that are not NZT (e.g., antidepressants can make some people suicidal). We have seen Brian do all kinds of NZT magic, but his dad hasn't seen that. We trust Brian because he's our narrator/POV character who seems like a good guy and we've seen him do amazing good deeds. His dad has seen none of those. His dad has a long history with Brian as a well meaning screw up who's gotten in over his head a few times. Lately his dad has seen Brian be secretive, then this big disclosure about a mysterious drug that makes Brian suddenly feel happier and more confident than he's ever felt in his life (there goes the alarm bell) and he's taking it as part of secret government experiment that he signed up for under duress (alarm bell times two). Then, when his dad tries to help, in ways that seem quite reasonable and come right out of his life experience and professional expertise, Brian shuts him out and won't return his calls. (Are we up to four alarm bells, yet?).

 

To me, some of the best drama comes from good people doing the wrong thing because of what they don't know (NZT is safe) or what they they think they know that isn't so (Brian's still a screw up). I don't disagree that Brian's dad is doing the wrong thing. But he's doing it for reasons that a loving father with his knowledge of what's going on, his history with Brian, make perfect sense. That doesn't make him stupid or evil.

Edited November 26, 2015 by Latverian Diplomat

[roomtorome]

Maybe I missed it but how did the wife killer even know the hands could be hacked and controlled by others? I did not see anything that implied he knew that was happening elsewhere. Again, maybe I missed something.

I knew he did kill her just based on the first scene with him when he held out his arm and made a shooting a gun gesture. I knew he would use it somehow for something bad so when the murder happened I wasn't surprised. Wish they has not included that first moment. I would rather have been surprised he was a killer.

As to the dad. He does have valid concerns. To me, it is the way he went about dealing with his concerns. Found it really dickish. If he was honest, he would tell his son about his plans to possibly seek conservatorship over Brian and also tell him about his talk with Naz. But, he didn't, so my ultimate take on him is that he is inherently disrespectful of the son who saved his life and a manipulative,dishonest control freak of a parent. And so, a dick.

[MrWhyt]

Maybe I missed it but how did the wife killer even know the hands could be hacked and controlled by others? I did not see anything that implied he knew that was happening elsewhere. Again, maybe I missed something.

The hacker needed an arm to test his hacking on, so he paid the killer to use his as a test subject.

[BooBear]

As to the dad. He does have valid concerns. To me, it is the way he went about dealing with his concerns. Found it really dickish. If he was honest, he would tell his son about his plans to possibly seek conservatorship over Brian and also tell him about his talk with Naz. But, he didn't, so my ultimate take on him is that he is inherently disrespectful of the son who saved his life and a manipulative,dishonest control freak of a parent. And so, a dick.

I think I agree. Brian is an adult and he should trust him at least until he sees something that would cast doubt on Brian's view.  But I am a little confused on what exactly dad knows. Have I missed it or is Brian "addicted" to the drug? I am really unclear on that. It seems like if Brian weened off the drug while immune, he would be just fine.  But dad seems convinced that not only is the drug doing harm to Brian but that Brian is so far "addicted" that he can't think streight. I mean he seems legitimately concerned about that. I kind of wish someone could have set him streight.  I think he dad is seriously blufffing. He would have quite the high bar to convince any Judge that Brian needed a conservator, nevermind all this NZT folly.

 

I didn't love this plot because I like to think that Brian is too big of a resource to be using his skills to helping out a friend of a friend -- at least initially. Also the actor sort of looked too shifty to be "innocent" so I at least had it in the back fo my mind that it would turn out that he was guilty.

[Kromm]

I think I agree. Brian is an adult and he should trust him at least until he sees something that would cast doubt on Brian's view.  But I am a little confused on what exactly dad knows. Have I missed it or is Brian "addicted" to the drug? I am really unclear on that. It seems like if Brian weened off the drug while immune, he would be just fine.  But dad seems convinced that not only is the drug doing harm to Brian but that Brian is so far "addicted" that he can't think streight. I mean he seems legitimately concerned about that. I kind of wish someone could have set him streight.  I think he dad is seriously blufffing. He would have quite the high bar to convince any Judge that Brian needed a conservator, nevermind all this NZT folly.

It's never been overly stated that NZT is addictive, but I think it's been strongly implied.

 

At the very least if not physically addictive, we've seen direct statements that the feeling the drug gives is euphoric, and real implications that it's psychologically irresistible. We even see visual evidence of this each time we see the gimmick where the screen goes from cold blue and grey filters to warm oranges and yellows.

The situation is complicated that as far as the authorities know, Brian is the only specimen to survive taking NZT for any length of time. WE know there must be others, but Brian hasn't been interested in exploring that enough to figure out the long-term effects of NZT other than... still being smart and now not dying.

[BooBear]

At the very least if not physically addictive, we've seen direct statements that the feeling the drug gives is euphoric, and real implications that it's psychologically irresistible. We even see visual evidence of this each time we see the gimmick where the screen goes from cold blue and grey filters to warm oranges and yellows.

I guess I don't see the problem with it being psychologically addictive if it isn't physical.  Also not sure if the screen changes are meant to imply addiction or good feelings on Brian's part - more that Brian sees the world so differently once he gets the pill.   If dad thinks the drug is physically addicting I can see his extreme reaction but if Brian has told him that it isn't I would think Dad should back off.

[Netfoot]

dad seems convinced that not only is the drug doing harm to Brian but that Brian is so far "addicted" that he can't think streight. I mean he seems legitimately concerned about that.

 

I think Dad has been looking out for Brian for so long, he needs Brian to be a fuckup, because he needs someone to look after.  He has seen the benefits of Brian on NZT (Brian cured his Gonnakillyouitis when the best doctors couldn't figure it out).  He hasn't seen Brian exhibiting any negative behaviour attributable to NZT, 

yet he has to jump in with both feet.

[Kromm]

I guess I don't see the problem with it being psychologically addictive if it isn't physical.  Also not sure if the screen changes are meant to imply addiction or good feelings on Brian's part - more that Brian sees the world so differently once he gets the pill.   If dad thinks the drug is physically addicting I can see his extreme reaction but if Brian has told him that it isn't I would think Dad should back off.

Brian has as much as SAID the feeling after taking the pill is amazing. And how could it NOT be?  The brain is connected to the rest of the body. If you go from using the usual smidgen of your brain for active thinking to using the whole thing, do you really think that doesn't feel REALLY good? And that if later deprived of that that people would get desperate and act like addicts looking for a fix?  In the first episode didn't we see evidence of people being willing to do that even when they knew the pill was killing them?

 

Brian's pills not killing him doesn't mean that his version with the booster shot isn't still dangerous in a sense. If he's ever cut off more than a few days, I wonder what story the show will use that to tell?

[Clanstarling]

I can see the father worrying about drug addiction, although since Brian manifests no actual symptoms of addiction, it seems a big leap. And as some have mentioned, it's a leap his father takes because he sees Brian as a child and perpetual screw-up. All the talk about "I know it's scary" was incredibly condescending. Still, as a parent, I would allow him the worry, but he seems to be going to extremes. It would seem more prudent to just be part of Brian's life and see how it goes before setting off alarms and making threats.

 

Beginning a conservatorship process is big guns - it's an excruciating process which he wouldn't even be able to manage, given that Brian on or off of NZT is a functioning, lucid person.

 

I've had to go through the process for a family member - but that was because he was far gone with Alzheimer's and hadn't given anyone power of attorney. So to get the care he needed, someone had to take charge and I drew the short straw. It was awful, even though getting him declared incompetent was a slam dunk.

 

Other than that (Mrs. Lincoln), I enjoyed the show. I liked the puns, the commentary on how hacking is portrayed on TV, and getting to know Spellman just a little bit more.

 

 

[Kromm]

I can see the father worrying about drug addiction, although since Brian manifests no actual symptoms of addiction, it seems a big leap. 

Sure he does. He's often manic, and at other times seems depressive.  He's furtive and if one didn't know about Mora but noticed some of Brian's behavior might come off as paranoid. And we can only suspect what he might be like if he wasn't getting constant doses of NZT.

[Clanstarling]

Valid points. But IIRC, some of that was true even before NZT.

[sjohnson]

Maybe it's just not understanding the law, but I still tend to think Dad's interest in a possible conservatorship has a lot to do with legal standing to help Brian vis-a-vis the FBI and legal defense against possible bank robbery charges.

Maybe it's just not understanding the law, but I still tend to think Dad's interest in a possible conservatorship has a lot to do with legal standing to help Brian vis-a-vis the FBI and legal defense against possible bank robbery charges.