S01.E11: This Is Your Brian on Drugs

[thewhiteowl]

When Agent Casey Rooks and his SWAT team skim 80 NZT pills for themselves from the recovery of stolen inventory, it starts an internal investigation that is viewed through the shifting perspectives of Brian’s immediate circle at the FBI.

 

 

[Netfoot]

He forgot to disengage the safety?  Oooo-kay!

 

It seems like far too many people are getting their hands on NZT these days.  6000 units fall into the hands of criminals.  They are recovered, but 80 get pinched by the SWAT team themselves.  And last episode they gave one to someone else (I can't remember who right now).  And now Boyle has one, too.  I hope this trend is curtailed.  Unless they want to give Rebecca one, which would be cool.

 

Speaking of Rebecca, I can't believe from what we've seen of her, that she'd have any difficulty communicating her feelings to Casey.  But anyway, when he asked why she broke up via a text, she could have explained that it was because he never shut up long enough for her to get a word in edgewise.  I also got a sort of resentful vibe from Rebecca, when every time she opened her mouth to contribute to the problem on hand, Brian cut her off to tell her he'd beaten her to the punch.  I like the Brian/Rebecca non-romantic relationship, and I don't want Brian to be just another someone who won't let her get a word in edgewise.  And I don't want her resentful of his abilities.  They've done a fine job so far, showing that Rebecca (and the other agents) are quite competent in their own right, and that shouldn't change.

 

The SWAT guys on NZT seemed to have low ambitions, considering.  But maybe it's just me.  I feel that way about Brian as well, only interested in going to work every day and taking orders from some cops.

 

Interesting that they spent so much time showing how much Mike & Ike hate their detail.  Also, that at the beginning of the show they were all "Actual Name Withheld" for Mike, yet they casually let us know that Ike's real name is Jason?  I realize that's an indicator of Brian's decision to take the guys less for granted, but why treat the two men so differently?  And why did Mike get the promise of a choice posting and/or promotion, while Ike got nothing out of the babysitting deal?  (Except a relationship with Imaginary, Female Ike, and not a good relationship, either!)

 

Brian seemed to text Boyle very openly.  Sure, behind his back, but he was waving the phone about before and after, in plain view of three NZT'd-up guys.

 

Otherwise, a good episode if a little dark (Ike getting shot and all, plus Rebecca's ex being killed).  I do think it was a little heartless of Brian to go visit Boyle when he was obviously dealing mentally with the shooting, and essentially tell him "You killed that man and you didn't have to."  I suppose it's a justification for why a hard-nosed, by-the-book agent like Boyle would keep the NZT pill and not return it.  Still, sort of a crappy move on Brian's part.

[FortKnox]

Well Boyle did tell Brian to come over and tell him how it could have gone differently. So, if he didn't like the answer that's on him.

[MrWhyt]

The SWAT guys on NZT seemed to have low ambitions, considering.  But maybe it's just me.  I feel that way about Brian as well, only interested in going to work every day and taking orders from some cops.

Without going into work everyday and taking orders from some cops Brian doesn't have access to NZT and because he's not where Eddie Morra wants him to be he won't be getting the immunity shot. It doesn't matter what his ambitions are, he's stuck in this job.

[Netfoot]

It doesn't matter what his ambitions are, he's stuck in this job.

 

No, he's not.  There is no way the FBI could demand that he work 12 hours a day, so he has at least 4 hours a day on NZT to do whatever he wishes.  And I doubt they can have him working 7 days a week without a break, but they need to keep giving him the NZT to prevent withdrawal knocking him down.  So he probably has a free 12-hour NZT period once every Sunday.  It may not be a full day to do as he wants, but going by what he could achieve in the time it took Rebecca to get coffee, I'm pretty certain he could achieve amazing things for himself if he tried.

 

I know that would be a departure from what this show is all about, but it's a departure I would welcome.  At least occasionally.  When I think of Brian, I keep thinking about poor old Marvin.  Brain the size of a planet, and they ask him to shut the door.

Edited December 16, 2015 by Netfoot

[thuganomics85]

Damn, I guess it doesn't matter what the show is, Jennifer Carpenter and Desmond Harrington just can't make a relationship work!  The sad thing is that all the insanity here involving drugs, betrayal and death, still isn't anywhere near as weird as the obstacle being that you have fallen in love with your brother who happens to be a serial killer (oh, Dexter.)

 

Overall, after the first bit with Mike and the guy formally known as Ike, the episode went pretty dark, with "Ike" being shot (really wish they found another way then Mike forgetting the safety, because just seemed like an odd choice to me), and then Casey and his team taking NZT and being corrupted by it.  And it sounded like Casey fully intended to have nothing to do with it at first, but getting dumped by Rebecca via text, made him suddenly say "Fuck it!"  Also kind of weird that they got Marc Blucas to show up as his squadmate and he really didn't do much outside of strangle that other guy. 

 

I think it was in character for Boyle to take that shot, and even if Brian truly believed he might have talked Casey down, there were other ways it could have easily gone south.  That said, Boyle was the one who called Brian to talk about it, so if you're going to do that, you can't be that surprised when he tells you how he really feels. But I'm guessing Boyle finding that missing pill and keeping it means he'll be tempted to use it one day.

 

Bummed that Naz didn't get a title card and a brief moment of seeing things from her perspective, like we did with everyone else.

 

Curious to see how things will differ from here: both with Brian claiming he is going to be more respectful towards "Mike" and Jason, and if and how long Rebecca is going to resent Boyle for having to put Casey down.

[sjohnson]

Excellent episode. Structurally imaginative, especially twisting it into a Boyle episode. In my view, despite the horrible lapse in episodes, we should see this as also a direct follow up to Dad's concerns about NZT's psychological effects. They're real, even if subtle. Also the question of what NZT could do for dementia is really SF stuff, kind of interesting to see something along those lines.

 

One aspect about Mike and Ike and Brian's denigration of them I thought got looked over: They weren't just his bodyguards but his guards. They didn't just watch over him, but watched him. And even if Brian has found a certain coolness in criminal catching, he was forced into his position. So there was an adversarial element there that wasn't Brian's fault. 

 

Petty of me, but it just seems so strange that Quantico and Blind Spot, which are silly even in their own fictional universe, get all the attention, but Limitless which is much more creative, doesn't. 

Edited December 16, 2015 by sjohnson

[possibilities]

I thought Brian could have been gentler when he told Boyle off. He is usually more empathetic than this, but this week he was kind of a dick, even to Rebecca (trying to help her but cutting her off, flaunting his being ahead of her). His words with Boyle were okay, but his tone was smug and contemptuous. That he learned his lesson with "Mike and Ike" was good, but he seems to have regressed with Rebecca and taken on a whole new shittiness with Boyle.

 

I found Casey so obnoxious all episode, I couldn't believe Rebecca had been with him at all, ever, even for ten minutes. I also agree it's not like her to be unable to say what she needs to say.

 

I know Brian is frustrated, because he's trapped, and because he doesn't have mental peers, and stuff happens that is from his point of view unnecessarily awful. When you see the alternatives, it does make you kind of crazy when people do what looks like dumb shit. But he has to find a way to deal with it, and not just condescend to everybody on his team. That's a good conflict for the show to explore.

 

The truth is, Brian can't do it all on his own. Boyle was instrumental to his plan, and he has needed assistance at other times, as well. He needs to feel the value of being part of the organization despite being an outlier, but the organization also needs to treat him like a person with personal needs and not only like a resource. Then he wouldn't be so frustrated, and get pissy with his co-workers, and want to go off script and "take a day off" so often.  You don't induce genius and then ask the person to do grunt work and follow top-down decrees all the time any more than you take a less intelligent person and ask them to solve excruciatingly difficult creative problems with support. Brian needs more room to be his own person and to exercise his creativity, just like his team needed to be treated more like peers and less like minions, and to be more fully briefed and prepared for whatever Brian wanted them to do as support people to his plans.

 

I get that this is new for everyone. I hope they're going to explore the psychological impacts of NZT use-- not the medical side effects, but the social implications. If so, this episode was a good set up for how it's working on both Brian and the people surrounding him.

 

I felt terrible for Boyle. Usually when you do what he did, the people you thought you were saving are grateful, and that takes at least some of the edge off the pain of it. It's a rough position to be in, to know that the person you did it for thinks it was a fuck up. Boyle kept that pill because he wanted to be better, not because he wanted to goof off or because he was jealous. You can't hate him for that, even if it's a terrible idea.

 

ETA: I agree it would have been great to see Naz's point of view. I really hope they shot it but then cut it for time, and that we'll get to see it as an extra somewhere.

RE whether Brian is trapped or not, I think the show wants us to think he is, but I take the point that he ought to have some leeway, and it doesn't make a lot of sense that he doesn't seem to.

Edited December 16, 2015 by possibilities

[crowswork]

It hink Boyle wants to try the pill on his mom (Gran?)

 

Brain should do what Eddie did. Find a way to synthisize (SP) nzt and the antidote on his own. Doubt Morra would lethim get away with that though.

[Noirprncess]

And why did Mike get the promise of a choice posting and/or promotion, while Ike got nothing out of the babysitting deal?

A few episodes back addressed the fact that Ike was pretty much in the bottom of his class at Quantico so he was lucky to have a babysitting job at the CJC while Mike was pretty much the opposite. So Mike was promised his next post in exchange for 1 year of babysitting.

[Free]

Damn, I guess it doesn't matter what the show is, Jennifer Carpenter and Desmond Harrington just can't make a relationship work!

 

It's always one of them in the end that bites it.

 

Well Boyle did tell Brian to come over and tell him how it could have gone differently. So, if he didn't like the answer that's on him.

 

Brian is very naive, he's reliant on NZT, but otherwise he doesn't know how the agents operate since he's usually on his happy-go-lucky vibe.

[Pothunter]

Why are the writers giving NZT to all and sundry? I thought one dose was sufficient to sound the death knell if the drug is withdrawn.

[Snarkette]

I loved this ep. It showed how normal people react to NZT.  If your first 24 hours on and off NZT are a test of character, Brian passed with flying colors and pretty much all the rest of them failed badly.

 

Brian's great strength is his kindness and decency. Cuckold man knew for sure his wife had been cheating and committed murder.  Casey was rockin' the villainy feeling betrayed and misused. Even when Brian has been ill done by, he does the right thing. This ep showcased that even in his absence as viewpoint character. 

 

It also showed that NZT is a skill set. Brian is getting way better at using it -- even seems to have a natural gift.

[Free]

Why are the writers giving NZT to all and sundry? I thought one dose was sufficient to sound the death knell if the drug is withdrawn.

 

I think it was supposed to show the consequence of NZT on other people, which is a much darker turn.

[Anela]

My favourite part was Ike (?) running away from Brian, in his mind, with his IV. That made me laugh out loud. :)

 

I haven't watched every episode, so I'll have to watch what I've missed.

[shapeshifter]

I think it was supposed to show the consequence of NZT on other people, which is a much darker turn.

And maybe highlight how Brian's innocence uniquely qualifies him as a subject.

I want the next episode to begin with Boyle walking up to Naz, reaching into his pocket, withdrawing the NZT tab, and saying to her, "I found it."

[Netfoot]

Brain should do what Eddie did. Find a way to synthisize (SP) nzt and the antidote on his own.

 

They just told him who is making the stuff.  Or gave him enough information that he could easily track down the manufacturer.    All Brian has to do is use his abilities to make a lot of money, and buy the company that is making it!

[sjohnson]

Well, the show has said the withdrawal symptoms are bad. It would be unlikely one pill is physically addictive, but it's pretty clear it immediately inspires a desire for more. 

 

But Brian's long term problem is that without Morra's antidote, long term usage is still fatally toxic. 

 

The long term problem for Morra is that someone else plainly knows about NZT and wants it kept from the general population. So trying to go public (if that were Morra's ultimate plan) is asking to be terminated by that someone else. And with access to NZT, they are likely to be successful. Hence, Morra's planting a top agent in a position to investigate NZT. 

[iMonrey]

I thought this episode was very well structured and I'm happy that they are starting to really flesh out some of these supporting characters. They've been slow to do that and some of them have been ill-defined for too long. However, I had two problems with it, and this was one:

 

 

I thought Brian could have been gentler when he told Boyle off. He is usually more empathetic than this, but this week he was kind of a dick, even to Rebecca (trying to help her but cutting her off, flaunting his being ahead of her). His words with Boyle were okay, but his tone was smug and contemptuous. That he learned his lesson with "Mike and Ike" was good, but he seems to have regressed with Rebecca and taken on a whole new shittiness with Boyle.

 

Brian was kind of insufferable in this episode. And maybe it's because so much of this episode was told from the perspective of other characters rather than Brian himself. It's interesting but also kind of jarring to realize a lot of the other characters regard him with disdain and are kind of justified. 

 

The other problem I had with it was that the SWAT team guys should have experience massive after-effects from even one dose of AZT. Brian did the first time he took it - he was doubled over in the bathroom the next morning. Even one dose is supposed to be enough to knock you so hard on your ass you never want to take the stuff again.  We never got to see the after-effects on the witness they gave the pill to in the last episode either. I know the side effects from just one dose aren't necessarily fatal but they were portrayed as being so severe in the pilot that it was compared to ten hangovers all at once or something like that. Now that other people are taking this drug it seems like they're downplaying the hazardous side effects.

 

My only other quibble has been sufficiently put to rest, but the guy playing Casey just looks so damn evil I can't imagine Rebecca or any other woman ever dating him.

 

[MrWhyt]

 And I doubt they can have him working 7 days a week without a break, but they need to keep giving him the NZT to prevent withdrawal knocking him down.  So he probably has a free 12-hour NZT period once every Sunday.

 

As long as he's on the shots from Morra he doesn't get withdrawal. The FBI thinks he's immune to the negative side effects of NZT, they wouldn't be doping him up on the weekends.

[Kromm]

So so so so so so happy we got another of these after that mini-break.  And then we start off with something as awesome as the Mike & Ike piece?

 

I am so this show's bitch.

And at least we finally got it straight which guy is which!  (thanks to Ike's hilarious rant about possible future Mikes)

[possibilities]

And at least we finally got it straight which guy is which!

I took it as a shout out to the fans like me who just couldn't track it otherwise!

[MisterGlass]

I've been intermittently watching this show and liked this episode enough to post.  The show has been surprisingly inventive with Brian's brand of NZT brilliance and his world view.  It is really distinct from the movie interpretation, which makes sense if the experience is tailored to the user.  And it took some time for Morra to start acting in support of long term ambitions after he started using NZT.  I think he decided to clean his apartment the first time he used it, and subsequently worked on a book draft that he hadn't started but owed the publisher.  The SWAT guys had modest goals because they only anticipated using the pills once to have some fun.  Casey was already intense, and became mechanical after using the drug.  It seems to require a certain amount of experience to get past the initial euphoria and settle into doing something.

 

This had a great set of stories, and a good structure.  I'm surprised that he didn't show a little more contrition when Ike was shot and a little more compassion toward Boyle, but the posters above make good points about the episode coming from the perceptions of other characters.  I like that this gave the supporting characters time to tell their side.  Brian really would be insufferable at times, and it came through.  The Mike and Ike opening was fantastic.  I liked Brian including Mike in the news story search for NZT incidents.  That was thoughtful and hopefully is a sign of things to come.  And I hope other characters don't get eclipsed by the NZT brilliance.

 

crowswork, I also though Broyle might give it to his mother (or grandmother).

[Triskan]

Daaaaamn, I loved that episode ! 

 

Definitly my favorite new show of the year !

[twoods]

Usually I like Brian but he was a total dick to everyone, especially Mike and Boyle. I'm team Boyle all the way- he did what he had to do in a situation. Casey put himself in a bad situation. I'm interested to see Rebecca and Boyle's dynamic now. She is probably guilty about how she treated Casey and will take it out on Boyle. Who breaks up over text? And it was never mentioned why she wanted to break up.

I hope Brian treats Mike and Jason with more respect now.

[Ottis]

What was the point of this episode? We're introduced to a SWAT team who doesn't matter and who just as quickly goes away. Rebecca breaks up with a guy she is dating who, to be honest, I didn't even remember. And we nudge ever so slightly Brian's interpersonal relationships with Mike and Ike, which we seem to do about every other episode. Oh - and Boyle has to care for a parent and finds a stray NZT pill.

 

So ... why? I thought at first that this was going to be the Limitless version of the Six Million Dollar Man vs. the Seven Million Dollar Man, where Brian goes up against someone on NZT who also is trained to adapt as part of his real life. But the episode never went that way. Casey wasn't better than Brian at anything. 

 

Seemed like a waste of 45 minutes. AND BTW, why would anyone date that sour puss Casey? Does he ever smile?

[sjohnson]

Again, I think Mike and Ike's view of how put upon they are by Brian forgets they weren't his friends but his watchdogs and always have been from day one. Rebecca has exercised her duty flexibly to be Brian's friend, but everybody else had to be pushed into giving him any space. Mike, Ike, Spellman, Naz would have used him as a kind of voice-activated computer from the beginning to the end. Brian escaped that, but he had to do things like literally escape his watchers Mike&Ike. 

 

Brian believed Boyle's training led him to mis-evaluate what he had to do. He said so because he was asked, not because he felt like it. In real life, you don't hear about people facing a hostage taker with a gun to someone's head taking out the perpetrator with a head shot. I believe this is because at that range the person with the gun can see the shooter is starting to shoot...and would have time to shoot the victim, if they wished. Brian said Casey chose not to, and I believe that to be correct. (Actually I believe the real policy is for snipers who can't be seen aiming to make such kill shots, precisely because the Spellman Boyle way doesn't have much chance. I think you've got a much better chance if the hostage taker is using a knife, which takes lot more than a little squeeze and can't be fitted into that fraction of a second between muscles tensing on the trigger and the gunshot.) 

 

So, no, I don't think Brian was being a dick when he told Boyle Casey didn't have to die. 

 

PS I think one point of the episode was the effects of NZT on different people. Since there is no such thing as NZT, I suppose that can seem like science fiction rather than melodrama.

Edited December 17, 2015 by sjohnson

[MrWhyt]

I think one point of the episode was the effects of NZT on different people. Since there is no such thing as NZT, I suppose that can seem like science fiction rather than melodrama.

Yes i think this was a "this is what Brian could be like if he wasn't a fundamentally nice guy" episode.

[Kromm]

What was the point of this episode? We're introduced to a SWAT team who doesn't matter and who just as quickly goes away. Rebecca breaks up with a guy she is dating who, to be honest, I didn't even remember. And we nudge ever so slightly Brian's interpersonal relationships with Mike and Ike, which we seem to do about every other episode. Oh - and Boyle has to care for a parent and finds a stray NZT pill.

 

So ... why? I thought at first that this was going to be the Limitless version of the Six Million Dollar Man vs. the Seven Million Dollar Man, where Brian goes up against someone on NZT who also is trained to adapt as part of his real life. But the episode never went that way. Casey wasn't better than Brian at anything. 

 

Seemed like a waste of 45 minutes. AND BTW, why would anyone date that sour puss Casey? Does he ever smile?

I'm not sure what you mean here about a "point". This didn't contribute to any larger story arc, sure, but it was a fantastic stand-alone. And a great change of tone as a one-off (although the bulk of the episode was actually fairly serious it still had some wacky bits--especially the Mike & Ike intro--which is one of the funniest things this show has ever done).

 

I even liked that Brian's dickishness was displayed in this episode. The show could get cloying if we aren't reminded he's a handful. But even in the context of him being a dick, as was pointed out by a few people upthread, you also got to see that Brian's success here is more than just NZT. He outthought someone else on NZT, and we also saw reminders that he's a really moral guy deeper down.

 

In a way I thought this was a great "character boosting" episode. That alone gave a point to it, even if not a traditional plot-oriented one.

I hope Brian treats Mike and Jason with more respect now.

Actually my burning question is if he goes back to being "Ike" next episode.  Rather than the usual moaning about continuity between episodes, I'd actually appreciate it if it did. This show is inherently 4th wall breaking. meta, and a bit bent off any real "reality". The panache of the show is how is uses that stuff in a stylistic way, so Jason magically being "Ike" again and everyone acting like the Jason bit never happened would play right into that. 

I think it was supposed to show the consequence of NZT on other people, which is a much darker turn.

I agree. Although to further that point I would have had one of the group have serious physical symptoms the way Brian did (or worse) just to help illustrate there's a spectrum of reactions (even with one dose).

Clearly we saw MENTAL reactions (one person being paranoid and another arguably megalomaniacal), so the physical reaction by a third would have been the cap on that. 

[possibilities]

When Brian called Jason by his real name at bedside, Jason said he'd kind of gotten used to being called Ike. So they did give themselves a way to keep the Mike and Ike joke running, without having it mean Brian reverted to pre-revelation habits out of disrespect.

[Ottis]

I agree. Although to further that point I would have had one of the group have serious physical symptoms the way Brian did (or worse) just to help illustrate there's a spectrum of reactions (even with one dose).

Clearly we saw MENTAL reactions (one person being paranoid and another arguably megalomaniacal), so the physical reaction by a third would have been the cap on that.

 

 

I thought of that, but we actually had multiple other people on NZT - the entire SWAT team. And none of them did anything different than the other because of it. Yes, they took different *actions* - but those actions were all of the same kind, i.e. "I can do anything so now I am going to chase my dream." NZT didn't fundamentally change them in any way, and having it didn't cause them to act differently aside than actually pursuing a dream they had pre-NZT. That's why, to me, this episode didn't actually mean anything. It could have, executed differently, but didn't.

[rubyred]

Brian was kind of insufferable in this episode. And maybe it's because so much of this episode was told from the perspective of other characters rather than Brian himself. It's interesting but also kind of jarring to realize a lot of the other characters regard him with disdain and are kind of justified. 

Co-sign. But I have never found Brian's man-child tendencies to be as cute as the show likes to portray them, and have always had low-grade resentment for the way he uses Mike & Ike, trained agents, which you are not, BRIAN.

 

I thought the show came down a little too hard on Boyle. We're supposed to take at face value (because Brian said it) that there was another way, and that Casey was about to do something honorable -- which I couldn't see because of the tear gas bomb but whatever. But I feel like every time Brian defends how awesome he is, in my head I hear "on NZT" at the end of every sentence-- which in my mind actually undermines his argument. "I am so awesome and omniscient" is not the same thing as "I am so awesome and omniscient on drugs". I've felt pretty damn skippy on certain stimulants but it didn't convince me that I was the Wizard. And for Brian to tell Boyle that he "respects his training" was pretty damn rich since he hasn't shown that level of respect for any other agents' abilities and skills, save Rebecca.

 

So good for you Brian that you think your superior communication skills are enough to save the world. Perhaps they can also form a bulletproof shield around everyone his actions (not just in this ep) put in danger? Okay that was petty, but still.

 

God I hope Boyle doesn't take that pill. I actually thought he was going to resign when he went into the office. Although I did think Naz understood and approved of his actions.

[snarktini]

For a moment there I thought Boyle was genuinely asking Brian what the alternate scenarios might have been to avoid shooting Casey, through the all-seeing NZT lens. I thought that was an interesting character beat, with Boyle believing he did the right thing but still wanting to learn from the experience and play out the scenarios. (Because being responsible for killing someone sucks, even when it's necessary.) Or perhaps the scene would have been a learning exercise for Brian instead, realizing his scenarios didn't work as well as he thought and coming around to agreeing with Boyle's action.

 

But a second later I realized I was totally wrong on that, so never mind. 

Edited December 18, 2015 by snarktini

[possibilities]

I thought the episode was showing the social effects of NZT, i.e. not only what it does to the person who take sit, but also to the relationships between that person and others. For example, Brian and Rebecca: usually that relationship looks great, but this week we saw that Rebecca feels diminished by Brian's superior speed at reaching conclusions. And everyone else around him probably feels the same way, that it's a drag to be serving this dude with no training who waltzes in here and one ups them without even trying. We already knew Brian was bored and restless and frustrated being kept in an office. Now we see that everyone else is frustrated playing catch up. And even when Brian is trying to help, he's out of sync with his partners. It's uncomfortable for everyone and sets up an inherent mis-match between those on and off the drug.

 

That may be an obvious conclusion, but the show has never played out how it would affect a mission so much, or how it strains even the best relationships, nevermind the ones that are already awkward or strained. It makes it hard to co-operate, even when you are absolutely trying to (Brian and Boyle).

 

Even if NZT had no side effects, was medically safe and in constant supply, the distribution of it would create tremendous tensions. It's really all or nothing, not just for an individual but for the entire social structure, otherwise a huge rift develops. The way it is impacting the relatively small and disciplined group where Brian works is having ripples already.

 

ETA: I thought it was a cop out that Brian didn't tell Boyle what the alternatives were. It's like the writers didn't know, didn't want to have to figure it out, and so just had Brian say they existed and instead of using it as a moment the characters could have bonded and worked together to unravel it, which would have helped Boyle expand his thinking and made Brian less of a dick and more of a mentor, they just let it sit there like a big fuck you.

Edited December 18, 2015 by possibilities

[Big Mother]

I'm confused why the FBI isn't continuing to monitor Brian and wonder how he is immune to the Nzt side effects. Shouldnt he be having daily blood tests or something?

 

When is he getting his next immunity shot?

 

As for how NZT is affecting the others, I view NZT as some kind of combination Adderall-type drug and steroids.... I'm on Adderall and believe me, when I'm off it I feel like I'm swimming in molasses, and when I'm on it, my brain is actually working. I'm able to figure stuff out, feel super productive, and confident. I don't abuse Adderall, I have a real ADHD diagnosis and am under doctor's care. So I think NZT enhances the individual's natural abilities. Every brain cell can be accessed, but then it's up to the individual what they want to do with their sudden clarity and confidence.

[alias1]

Since Brian thinks he can handle any situation, I didn't get why he texted Broyle at all (except then there wouldn't have been all the after-effect drama of the shooting).  I really liked the episode, but I thought Brian was being a dick.

[Rambler]

I guess I have to agree with Brian on this one. If this were some suspect off the street, then fine pull the trigger, but this was a fellow FBI agent that Boyle had worked with in the past. When Casey and Boyle were partnered together taking down the ten most wanted list, it looked like they bonded somewhat, so just blowing Casey away without giving Brian a chance to talk him down seems a bit out of character, unless Boyle is supposed to be a shoot first ask questions later type which I don’t think he’s supposed to be. From Brian’s perspective, Casey was a good cop who made a bad mistake and got in over his head after being dumped by his girlfriend. He didn’t kill anyone and was just trying to get out of the building, so yeah there was a good chance that Brian could have talked him down. He was someone that Rebecca cared about at some point, so I could see why Brian might be a little annoyed with Boyle in that last scene.

[sjohnson]

Brian having a different perspective from all the other FBI is a real premise for drama. And it's plausible non-FBI wouldn't think like FBI too. I think examining Brian for dickishness for thinking differently is sort of missing the point of a drama, even one with a light touch like Limitless. 

 

Brian was responsible for none of the problems in this episode, though. Rebecca's dumping Casey via text (if Brian had done that?) is the closest any regular came to causing any of this.

[Irlandesa]

I have less of a problem with Brian's treatment of Mike and Ike in this episode.  Yes, he was being kind of dismissive but he doesn't really want them anymore than they want him.  All three of them are put into a situation because of FBI commands. 

 

And I liked how Brian and Boyle had different perspectives.  Boyle did what he thought he needed to do.  Brian is closer to Casey and thinks they could have talked him down.   Brian likely thinks his opinions are being formed by his heightened intellect on NZT but in reality it's more emotion and the desire to think the death was preventable.  Boyle was faced with a situation if he hedged, Brian could have died.  He wasn't going to risk negotiating with someone who was acting unpredictably.

 

I love this show.  I love how it took the opportunity to showcase how different people react while on NZT. 

Edited December 19, 2015 by Irlandesa

[Kromm]

I love this show.  I love how it took the opportunity to showcase how different people react while on NZT. 

Although we all have occasional nitpicks I think most of us who post here do. But it's odd. Unless I've missed it, have the critics really been championing the show (as it deserves). It should be on everyone's "year's best" lists (since they put those out around this time) as well as in regular "it's great but you probably don't know it" pieces.

 

In fact, the show's score on Metacritic (that site that compiles media reviews into one composite score) is a mediocre 57/100. Which because I believe in myself and my impressions more than in their reactions, makes me really think a lot of critics are really missing the boat.  Admittedly those reviews are likely mostly based on Episode 1 only, but even Episode 1 was okay (the show really hit full stride around Episode 3 or 4). 

Edited December 19, 2015 by Kromm

[Irlandesa]

Which because I believe in myself and my impressions more than in their reactions, makes me really think a lot of critics are really missing the boat.  Admittedly those reviews are likely mostly based on Episode 1 only, but even Episode 1 was okay (the show really hit full stride around Episode 3 or 4). 

I think this is the main reason it hasn't been talked about much by critics because I have the same thought as you do. I wouldn't expect it on "best of" lists but I thought it would've gotten some votes at least for "10 best new shows." 

 

If this show had come out five years ago, I think we'd have more people coming around on it publicly.  But in this era of "peak TV" it's getting lost by critics.  They have so many other shows to watch.  Most of those shows seemingly aim for something more than "procedural" which is a format that doesn't get much critical love these days.  And they likely sent out multiple screener episodes so critics could see how the series develops.

 

As far as I know, CBS probably only sent out one episode for review. And that episode was earnestly competent but just okay.  Probably not something that made many critics think they had to see the next episode with everything else there was to review.  And it hasn't been the huge ratings getter like Empire or Scandal that demands critical attention.

 

So most probably don't know that, starting with the second episode, this show became a lot of fun. It was such a tonal shift that I was completely surprised by and absolutely pleased by.

 

Or they have seen more than one and it's still not their thing. 

[Kromm]

I agree with all of that, but usually savvy new media type entertainment reporting folks (Alan Sepinwall, Michael Ausellio, etc.) catch on eventually, then push out those kind of observations.  Can't say I've noticed them doing that yet.  Could have missed it though.

 

EDIT - In fact, TVLine (Ausillio's site), put out it's year end best of the year lists the first week of December. And Limitless wasn't on any of them (either the drama or comedy ones--since it could slot in as either of those).

Edited December 19, 2015 by Kromm

[Irlandesa]

Yep. I absolutely agree with you.  They usually do but I just think they may have so much else to watch.  I keep hoping someone gives it recognition.  (I was thinking of the HitFix critics poll that shows every show that got a vote for best show and best new show. I don't recall seeing Limitless on either list.)

[sjohnson]

Well, I'm afraid I think there's a lot of trendy instead of thinking going on with people like Sepinwall. Also, CBS isn't trendy, but dismissing something as a "procedural" when most critics don't seem to have a clue what that really means, except "not cool," is. One of the would be cool sites, zap2it, just this week had a little article trying to pretend Limitless is Chuck 2.0. Which it isn't. For one thing, Chuck was special in a fantasy kind of way and it was about his heroics. Brian isn't special, NZT is, and Brian doesn't really do heroics. 

[MrWhyt]

 Admittedly those reviews are likely mostly based on Episode 1 only, but even Episode 1 was okay (the show really hit full stride around Episode 3 or 4). 

Its a TV sequel of a 4 year old movie that while not a bomb didn't set the world on fire when it was released. I don't doubt that many critics watched the first episode and then didn't bother to follow up.

[Netfoot]

Its a TV sequel of a 4 year old movie that while not a bomb didn't set the world on fire when it was released. I don't doubt that many critics watched the first episode and then didn't bother to follow up.

 

Which is a shame, because the show really came into it's own in the subsequent episodes.  Sort of like Minority Report improved dramatically when they remembered that the show should be about the precogs and not primarily the cop.  But by then it was too late for anybody important to notice the improvement.

[bethy]

EDIT - In fact, TVLine (Ausillio's site), put out it's year end best of the year lists the first week of December. And Limitless wasn't on any of them (either the drama or comedy ones--since it could slot in as either of those).

The TV Line list was the reason I tracked the show down and binged it recently. And I'm so glad I did.

During Brian's conversation with Boyle at the end, I couldn't help but wonder if Brian's confidence in his abilities on NZT will come back and bite him in the butt at some point. I felt like there was an underlying current of ... something connected to Brian's attitude toward his colleagues this episode. They've made a point of showing us that Brian on NZT is not the same guy as regular Brian. Yes, regular Brian rejected the other guy, but I would think that being on a drug like that so regularly would put one in danger of beginning to believe you were actually that capable. I don't know.

Edited December 19, 2015 by bethy

[hnygrl]

i wasn't too sure about this series when it began, but dammit I freakin' LOVE this show. It's just so GOOD. So well done and so intricately thought out.

 

I think it would be a good thing if they showed the side effects of the regular Joe using NZT to discourage others from stealing a pill. This has got to stop. They see Brian and assume they'll be fine if they take a pill or 12...little do they know. I'm kinda hoping the side effects would show up after only one dose (I know, they don't but still).

 

I don't think Brian's beliving his own hype. but I do think he needs to remember that he's basically a slave. His life is not his own. Between the FBI and Morra, he's not free to live even a seemingly normal life, and if his father's not careful he's gonna be "eliminated" to show Brian just how serious a slave to NZT he really is.

 

I am enjoying the hell out of this show. It's become one of my favorite binge-watching shows. Here's hoping they can keep the magic going for another season or three...

[Free]

Its a TV sequel of a 4 year old movie that while not a bomb didn't set the world on fire when it was released. I don't doubt that many critics watched the first episode and then didn't bother to follow up.

 

Agreed, it's fine, but it's not a very buzz/water cooler show compared to some of the other shows they review.

[Kromm]

Agreed, it's fine, but it's not a very buzz/water cooler show compared to some of the other shows they review.

The thing is the overtly known watercooler shows often let you down. Blindspot is leaning that way a lot of the time. 

 

I'd say that Limitless is more of a gem that's slipped past people's notice. Not TOO past because the ratings aren't horrible, but the critics seem to be processing it simply as part of the CBS procedural block.  Maybe the situation is akin to that of Person of Interest... except Person of Interest didn't start sidelining into wild creativity until much further into it's run (second season, bare minimum) than this show (which started pretty much right after the Pilot).

Wow, I just realized both Person of Interest and Limitless have people named "Finch".