S01.E17: Close Encounters

[thewhiteowl]

Brian and Rebecca are placed under quarantine by the CDC after being exposed to an unknown substance after investigating a citywide blackout. Also, trust issues arise after Rebecca catches Brian using his secret stash of NZT.

 

 

[Netfoot]

I love this show, but I'm starting to get annoyed with it.  

 

What is it that makes everyone think that they are entitled to give Brian a hard time?  He's a grown man.  He isn't allowed to keep secrets from his mommy?!??  He has a highly classified job, working for the top law-enforcement agency in the country, and it involves taking NZT and not telling his family or anyone else, about it. What is it with them that they feel they have a right to demand an explanation from him?

 

His sister steals his pills and blabs about Sands getting medical attention.  Why isn't that breach of confidentiality recognized for what it is?  Does she expect that Brian will ever trust her with anything, ever again?

 

Rebecca insists that Brian always be straight with her.  That "Never lie to me!" crap only deserves only one answer:  "Never!  Unless it suits me."  She isn't exactly in Brian's corner 100%, is she?  The Bureau will always win with her.  She demands honesty, but is searching his place and trashing his stuff behind his back an example of her showing Brian the type of honesty she expects?  Does she remember the limb Brian went out on for her, with her father's file?  But she isn't about to cut him any slack in return.

 

I've said several times in the past that Brian is not a slave.  He has a private life.  He is allowed to go out at night and help cops solve crimes (or do anything else) if he wants to.    Only, it appears I'm wrong.  In truth, it appears Brian has less rights than a pet dog.  Brian is correct.  The FBI doesn't care about keeping him safe.  They care about keeping him useful!  They give him NZT when they need his brain, but bitch about him being in possession of the very same NZT when it suits them to?  

 

I think he's doing the right thing, here.  Tell the family to get stuffed, tell Rebecca to get stuffed, tell the FBI and Morra to get stuffed, and go backpacking to Nepaul.  

[Big Mother]

OHMYGOSH. THIS IS THE BEST.FREAKING.SHOW. EVER. I'm just speechless. This show is everything that is right and good about procedural serial crime drama with a twist. Everything was just spiraling, spiraling down. He lost his Rebecca. He lost his family. So now he's defecting to... Sands? And to that mystery girl who faked her death? - that part's awesome.

 

what did Naz just say in next week's preview? "I want him home so I can shoot him!" OMG.

 

This show goes to places and pushes envelopes like yesterday's business, and IT'S GREAT.

 

And btw, I believe i just read somewhere that it's been renewed. I'm jumping up and down.

 

LIMITLESS LOOOOVE.

[Free]

What is it that makes everyone think that they are entitled to give Brian a hard time?  He's a grown man.  He isn't allowed to keep secrets from his mommy?!??  He has a highly classified job, working for the top law-enforcement agency in the country, and it involves taking NZT and not telling his family or anyone else, about it. What is it with them that they feel they have a right to demand an explanation from him?

 

This part is getting annoying too.

[Whodunnit]

Apparently Brian's paranoia is quite healthy. He really can't trust anyone. Both his sister and his handler illegally searched his apartment. Then his sister spills the beans to his mother who flies off the handle over his "drug use" and "secrets" and treats him not like an adult with a good job (which by its very nature requires secrecy) but like a toddler in front of two men that work for the organization she just vilified, and then accidentally informed them of something he did off the clock. IRL that would get him fired.

Edited March 9, 2016 by Whodunnit

[Whodunnit]

The drug he is using is not actually illegal. It may be unhealthy for him to take, but that is his choice. He is an adult. An adult who is working with an organization that requires him to keep secrets as part of his job. Mommy has no security clearance. His sister has no security clearance. His dad seems to be the only one who grasps the concept of security clearance, and is the only one who knows a little about the drug.

[Richness]

That was not the quirky, fun show that I've grown to love. It felt like one of those "very special" episodes of comedies that derails the usual mirth for a overly dramatic conflict. Did not like it at all.

[Netfoot]

And btw, I believe i just read somewhere that it's been renewed. I'm jumping up and down.

 

If only I could find confirmation of this, I'd be jumping up and down as well.  But despite googling....  nothing.  :-(

 

(Emoticons should be OK in this forum, seeing as I can't make little plasticine figures...  Right?)

 

That was not the quirky, fun show that I've grown to love.

 

One of the things I like about the show is, despite the humour injected by Brian, it is still a serious show.  No, Limitless is NOT Chuck.

[KaveDweller]

I love this show, but I'm starting to get annoyed with it.  

 

What is it that makes everyone think that they are entitled to give Brian a hard time?  He's a grown man.  He isn't allowed to keep secrets from his mommy?!??  He has a highly classified job, working for the top law-enforcement agency in the country, and it involves taking NZT and not telling his family or anyone else, about it. What is it with them that they feel they have a right to demand an explanation from him?

 

His sister steals his pills and blabs about Sands getting medical attention.  Why isn't that breach of confidentiality recognized for what it is?  Does she expect that Brian will ever trust her with anything, ever again?

 

Rebecca insists that Brian always be straight with her.  That "Never lie to me!" crap only deserves only one answer:  "Never!  Unless it suits me."  She isn't exactly in Brian's corner 100%, is she?  The Bureau will always win with her.  She demands honesty, but is searching his place and trashing his stuff behind his back an example of her showing Brian the type of honesty she expects?  Does she remember the limb Brian went out on for her, with her father's file?  But she isn't about to cut him any slack in return.

 

I've said several times in the past that Brian is not a slave.  He has a private life.  He is allowed to go out at night and help cops solve crimes (or do anything else) if he wants to.    Only, it appears I'm wrong.  In truth, it appears Brian has less rights than a pet dog.  Brian is correct.  The FBI doesn't care about keeping him safe.  They care about keeping him useful!  They give him NZT when they need his brain, but bitch about him being in possession of the very same NZT when it suits them to?  

 

I think he's doing the right thing, here.  Tell the family to get stuffed, tell Rebecca to get stuffed, tell the FBI and Morra to get stuffed, and go backpacking to Nepaul.  

 

Yeah, I was pretty annoyed at everyone in this episode too.

 

I really think the sister should have confronted Brian before going to the mom. She saw that the drug turned Brian into a surgeon so she must know it's related to why he's with the FBI. Did it occur to her that it's not necessary a bad thing? I can see her being worried, but it's not cool that she just went right to their mom (while Mike and Ike were present) instead of just asking him. Especially when she's had no problem getting high with him on several occasions. Also, some people take drugs as medications, and they are allowed to keep that private. It's not the same as being an addict. And okay, that's not the case here, but for all the sister or mother knew it could have been.  It was pretty terrible of the mother to act like he's doing something terrible just because he can't tell her everything. I felt really bad for Brian when she was yelling at him.

 

I kind of get Rebecca's position a bit more because Brian isn't supposed to be taking NZT off the clock and she's kind of responsible for him. And Brian has been working with Sands behind her back. But she should have given him more of a chance to explain before not wanting to work with him any more.

 

But Brian, next time don't hide all your pills in one place. I guess he wasn't on NZT when he did that.

[Big Mother]

I was very surprised why Brian didnt simply say to his parents that it was classified information. And how he did not RIP into Rachel for spilling the beans about Sands. He acted like a cornered puppy.

 

That being said, he handled a lot of things very poorly. He should NOT have left Rachel at his house, unsupervised, while he went around about town with Sands. His stash of NZT shouldve been hidden way better. And he shouldve invited over Rachel again and sworn her to secrecy a lot harder. He gave Rachel too much credit.

 

I'm kind of shocked he decided to defect and go over to sands (and Piper). But he feels really betrayed by the people closest to him. (I can also understand Rebecca's suspicion. Brian acts shady a lot of the time, she knows he's hiding stuff from her, and she feels guilty/responsible for roping him into the NZT addiction, esp with her hangups on NZT wrt her father. It makes me sad though to see how they've drifted apart. They were so sweet in the first half of the season.)

[KaveDweller]

If only I could find confirmation of this, I'd be jumping up and down as well.  But despite googling....  nothing.  :-(

 

It hasn't been renewed, but according to TVByTheNumbers, Les Moonves said that he thinks CBS will be renewing all their new shows. So sort of confirmation?

[sjohnson]

The scene with Jason/Ike dropping his romance to act in his role as the FBI's eyes on Brian was very nicely acted I thought. His pain and her dismay came across very clearly I thought. 

 

I hope Dad pulls the trigger on her reserve plan for a conservatorship. He might be Brian's only legal protection against the FBI, which still has armed assault/bank robbery and drug charges to hang over his head. The FBI thought they also had the threat of withholding NZT, which is one reason wny everyone is so dismayed at the spares. 

 

As to why Brian being given a hard time by his mother...a grown man who does something his mother disapproves of shouldn't whine if she doesn't want him in her house any more. It's not like he needs her. Except that Brian wasn't truly independent until NZT. 

 

As for Rachel's betrayal...a man nearly died in front of her. She consoled herself with Ike in the event, but no, it is not perfectly clear to me that a sister is required to follow a brother's orders. She too is grown. The situation was genuinely frightening, and pulling out little pills is frightening too. 

 

Running to Piper? How intriguing.

[Big Mother]

And on Tvline.com's renewal scorecard, it's a 'safe bet', which isn't as great as a 'sure thing', but I hope it's gonna get renewed. I guess I jumpe d the gun a bit?

[Big Mother]

Hmmm, one more thing: how is Brian gonna get his supply of NZt now? From Eddie morra? And what is his point in continuing to take the NZT if he's not working for the FBI anymore? Will Sands/Morra be disappointed that he ran away from the FBI? THey wanted him in the FBI as a mole - to what end, I don't yet know. I'm so curious what'll happen in the next episode.

Oh, wait, my own question is answered - Piper has both NZT *and* an antidote. He doesnt need Morra anymore.

[Whodunnit]

Ah, the sisters' attitude makes more sense to me now. I admit I hadn't watched the previous episode.

As with the handler, I know that the trust issues go back and forth as Brian has acted shady before.

[Netfoot]

He might be Brian's only legal protection against the FBI, which still has armed assault/bank robbery and drug charges to hang over his head. 

 

He can call up Sands and ask for one NZT pill, with which he will blow any case against him clean out of the water.  The bank robbery was a ruse to get the police/authorities to intervene.  What drug charges?  Some recreational herb?  Wrist-slap.  NZT usage?  Not on the drug schedule, and if they got to lock him up for possession, they got to lock up the entire FBI for being his dealer/supplier.  Any other charges?  "Sorry, your Honor, but it was the stress of being blackmailed by the FBI into taking a drug believed by them to be deadly.  I shouldn't be locked up for that, Judge.  In fact, I should be suing the FBI for $5.6 x 10²³ Billion!  If only I had a good lawyer. Where's my Dad?"

[Irlandesa]

And on Tvline.com's renewal scorecard, it's a 'safe bet', which isn't as great as a 'sure thing', but I hope it's gonna get renewed. I guess I jumpe d the gun a bit?

I really don't think they update that list very often.  TVbythenumbers downgraded Limitless to tossup.  Grim Reaper has it more likely to be renewed.  While what Les Moonves said is promising, I'll be nervous until they actually renew it. 

 

When I read the episode description, I thought it'd be a bottle episode and was looking forward to it.  Unfortunately, they weren't locked in the room long enough.  I do think his sister overstepped but I'm willing to cut Rebecca some slack. He is lying to her.  And he is keeping the truth about who killed her father from her.  They both have their reasons for not completely being open yet wanting the whole truth. 

[Actionmage]

As for Rachel's betrayal...a man nearly died in front of her. She consoled herself with Ike in the event, but no, it is not perfectly clear to me that a sister is required to follow a brother's orders. She too is grown. The situation was genuinely frightening, and pulling out little pills is frightening too.

 

All Rachel needed to do was the 'What If' exercise: 'What if I  was in Brian's position ( obviously taking a drug where I can perform , at minimum, meatball surgery in my house with McGuyvered  implements)?  If I asked Brian to never tell another soul and that the work I was doing was on an undercover agent, would I want my brother to go looking around my house and search for more of that drug and then take a couple of samples? Also,him not tell me that he took the samples? Then go to Mom, who may not be thrilled with this news?'  If her answer is still yes, then she has smoked something worse than a bit of MJ and something definitely worse than NZT.

 

Just because in the past Brian was a screw-up, none of his family will give him space to prove now that he is an adult. Adults don't have to do what their parents say. If said adult works for the FBI, then he doesn't have to say what classified work he's doing, as it would be un-adult and get his ass fired in an eye blink.  Yet Mom thinks she can pull the "Tough Love" speech like he's some gutter junkie who's going down for the last swish around the drain? Eff that noise. ( Kudos to Blair Brown for making me really dispise the moral twaddle she was pushing.)  I did think that Brian's dad took the easy way out and passive-aggressively let his anger at Brian's current path  get vocalized by Mom. Dad could have quietly told Mom that  while he doesn't know much, for her to leave it alone and just give him back the pills. That the Bureau knows and condones the drug, which isn't illegal. ( I really hope Mom doesn't drink anything stronger than ginger ale.)

 

I was more understanding of Rebecca's reaction, like others have noted.  Still, for someone demanding total honesty, she seems to be very pick-and-choose about when it applies to her.  Part of me wanted Brian to get super honest and dangle that he knew who killed her father, but that would just be burning bridges.

 

Mike & Ike are so cool. How does no one else seem to realize they are very good agents? They gripe, but they are doing well under the circumstances. Mike is super-stressed, yet doesn't even feel comfortable leaving for another posting without someone at least as good as Ike and himself. They are so underrated.

 

I just hope that Brian can find just the right way to clear a way back for him and on better terms, if that is what he is working towards. Naz might be reasonable once she calms down.

[Izeinwinter]

Rebecca demand for honesty is simple self-defense, and keeping the handler role doable - Brian is hopped up on mind altering substances that make him very smart, if she doesn't run a zero-tolerance policy for deception, she's screwed, because without that, she can't be certain about anything at all. He's clever enough that if he's lying to her, having any idea about what the hell is actually going on, who he is, or what they are doing becomes a very dubious proposition. 

 

And she offered, and came through on a fairly extreme level of taking his side in return. Brian is the one that broke that bargain, and she didn't guilt trip him, she simply quit, which is the only sane move open to her. Not the only move, I mean, she could take NTZ herself to try and figure out what is going on, but... the only sane move. 

 

That said.. The plot moved on! I can't believe that happened! Brian just declared War on the senator! Piper will be back on my screen. 

 

There is an imaginary little me doing a happydance on top of my head right now, that's how excited I am about this. 

[twoods]

Poor Brian. He got dumped on this episode. I wish Brian screamed at his mom that him being on this drug indirectly saved his dad's life. I was never a fan of Rachel and today confirmed it. I understand she was worried, but give your brother a heads up for this massacre.

That Rebecca/Brian fight was heartbreaking. If Boyle dumped him as well I probably would have lost it. All those character interactions with the FBI and Brian (and Sands) is what makes this show so awesome.

Piper next week! Can't wait. I really hope Sands didn't directly kill Rebecca's dad and it was his partner.

[turnitwayup]

This ep should've been called Everybody's Disappointed in Brian. No wonder Brian feels alone when everyone doesn't trust him. I did like the Mike and Ike's subplot of Ike's texts to Rachel and Ike's awkwardness to the Finches. I wonder if we'll ever see that detective again. He seemed to appreciate Brian and Brian could probably use a friend in the NYPD too.

 

Was the shop where Rebecca found Brian on the corner Abe's Antiques from Forever? The outside looked really familiar.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

(first time poster to this forum, but have binge-watched all the 1st season (to date) episodes and apologies if this gets overly long, but here are some of my views & ideas about the show to date & tonight's episode;)

 

Am I the only one who thinks the biggest reason that Rebecca reacted so strongly to Brian lying about having/taking non-FBI issued NZT is based off concern for his well-being?  She doesn't know about his immunization-by-enzyme-shots, therefore maybe she thinks that taking extra NZT will nullify whatever causes his immunity to it, or cause some other side effects.  Plus the fact that while popping the extra NZT, he's up all night wondering around the city without protection to solve 'everyday' crimes, then coming in to the CJC early the next day.  To me, its less about "because I'm the FBI and the FBI says so!" and more about caring about him, and his health.  Want to echo the agreements about it being so nice about them letting Rebecca be smart all on her own [Morra investigation].

 

Going with the previous thoughts, I don't know what they are ultimately going to do with the relationship between Brian and Rebecca - if the show gets another season(s) - and considering the chemistry they have with each other, I would be fine with whichever way they go, be it keeping them platonic or turning it romantic.  But I do want to say that if they are not planning to go the romantic route, at some point in time, they sure are throwing out misleading hints;

• Rebecca's reaction to Brian figuring it out about her and Casey  [why should she really care?  he's just a CI she has to work with & he wouldn't have ratted her out]
• Rebecca's reaction to the Brian/Ava interactions in the Pirates episode
• poster of Rebecca on the wall behind the bed in Brian's subconscious 'bedroom'  [won't speak for anyone else, but I can't imagine ever having a poster of my sister on a wall by my bed (if that is where they plan on going with it, a brother/sister platonic partnership)]
• Rebecca's (over)reaction to mistaking what they were asking in the after-action interviews about Brian "looking fine, good" in a tux, then her reaction to learning Brian 'hooked up' with Lucy Church & then watching them at the end of the episode

Comes off as a bit more than platonic to me - more so on Rebecca's end, currently - or at least planting the seeds for a growing storyline in the future.  YMMV.

 

What I like most about Limitless is that with most shows, you can only pick (maybe) a small handful of people you like, but here, just about everyone who's not a criminal or Morra/Sands, I like a lot.  Mike & Ike, cmon, they're my boys!  And until we find out more about Morra & Sands, who knows?  Just maybe they end up becoming somewhat likable too, or at least partially sympathetic.  Yes, quite a few characters are cliches, but the show keeps it fresh & easy to overlook with its overall presentation.  That being the constant mix of comedy/drama/intrigue/sci-fi in every new hour.

 

It will be a real shame if this series doesn't get a chance at a 2nd season.  A show this consistently good deserves it.  I started watching because of actor names I either recognized or knew, but almost immediately was hooked.  While sometimes it seems a bit too whimsical, they just make it work.  That FerrisBueller'sDayOff riff episode was fantastic.  And I like the occasional 'darker' episodes, if nothing more than for a change of pace.  I do wonder about their overall series and seasonal mytharcs, though.  They steam-rolled through letting Rebecca find out about her dad really early on and then later being very suspicious of Morra, investigating him/NZT & its only just now getting into the last third of the first season.  I'm in for the long haul, are you CBS?

[mommalib]

I didn't care for the sister, the mother or Rebecca in this episode. Felt bad for Brian.

[sjohnson]

He can call up Sands and ask for one NZT pill, with which he will blow any case against him clean out of the water.  The bank robbery was a ruse to get the police/authorities to intervene.  What drug charges?  Some recreational herb?  Wrist-slap.  NZT usage?  Not on the drug schedule, and if they got to lock him up for possession, they got to lock up the entire FBI for being his dealer/supplier.  Any other charges?  "Sorry, your Honor, but it was the stress of being blackmailed by the FBI into taking a drug believed by them to be deadly.  I shouldn't be locked up for that, Judge.  In fact, I should be suing the FBI for $5.6 x 10²³ Billion!  If only I had a good lawyer. Where's my Dad?"

Why would Sands/Morra do that? How could Sands do that? A pill can make Brian reason better, but how can it make the law, the judge and the prosecutor reason better, unless they take it too?

 

My belief is that good intentions don't count in a court until the prosecutor agrees. The incident in the bank was a criminal act.. Patty Hearst did time, despite a strong case for outright coercion. Brian's just funning defense wont' fly as far as I can tell from that precedent.

 

The FBI sure thinks it has the right to arrrest people for stealing NZT.  How they rationalize it, whether it's listed as a controlled substance or not, or if it is restricted as a poison (which it is without the enzyme,) they were able to treat Casey and friends as felons. That's why Casey got so desperate. The dude that murdered his wife's lover would have gone up for that. But the others could have walked away except that they were in trouble for the NZT. 

 

 

Quite correct that Brian has no legal exposure on the pills the FBI gave him and took as directed. It's the other one's he has the problem with.

Edited March 9, 2016 by sjohnson

[Netfoot]

A pill can make Brian reason better, but how can it make the law, the judge and the prosecutor reason better, unless they take it too?

 

Justice gets done with bone-headed judges and prosecutors IRL, so I don't think that's an issue.  Brian used NZT to become sufficiently knowledgeable in medicine, that he saved his father's life when all the doctors were watching him circle the drain.  I'm sure he can come up with a compelling case for his own defense.

 

The FBI sure thinks it has the right to arrrest people for stealing NZT.  How they rationalize it, whether it's listed as a controlled substance or not, or if it is restricted as a poison (which it is without the enzyme,) they were able to treat Casey and friends as felons. That's why Casey got so desperate. The dude that murdered his wife's lover would have gone up for that. But the others could have walked away except that they were in trouble for the NZT.

 

Because Casey & Co. stole the NZT from the FBI.  Brian's spare NZT was not stolen from the FBI, and they'd have a hard time proving that it was.  Don't forget, Brian had NZT exposure before the FBI began to provide it.  It shouldn't be hard to persuade the courts that the extra NZT tablets did not originate with the FBI!

Edited March 9, 2016 by Netfoot

[Myrrhine]

I was also really irritated with Brian's family. I thought they were way out of line and super condescending. If your son who works for the FBI says he can't tell you everything but... Maybe you should let him finish since he's about to tell you some things are classified. And the sister spilling about the undercover agent is a real betrayal too. She referred to him as an undercover agent, so she apparently felt it was cool to tell her mom what she thought were Brian's work related secrets.

Rebecca I can understand a little better.

[iMonrey]

 

I kind of get Rebecca's position a bit more because Brian isn't supposed to be taking NZT off the clock and she's kind of responsible for him. And Brian has been working with Sands behind her back. But she should have given him more of a chance to explain before not wanting to work with him any more.

 

I also seem to recall someone saying the FBI had pretty much cleaned up all the NZT supply still out on the street, so if I were Rebecca, my first concern wouldn't be the fact that Brian is lying, but rather to question him about where he got the extra NZT. Unless she thought he was somehow stockpiling the pills the FBI is giving him, but since she works with him on a daily basis she should know that can't be the case. That's the most surprising thing to me about this episode - nobody - Rebecca, Mike, Ike, or Boyle (if he knows why Rebecca dropped him) asked Brian where he got the extra pills. You'd think that'd be the first thing they'd ask him.

 

I agree the intervention scene with the family was bullshit. They don't know what Brian does but they know he's got two armed stooges who just rounded up all their children and delivered them home and were tasked with staying there and guarding them, so presumably they know Brian is pretty damn important. Why, and what exactly he does for the FBI, is none of their stinking business.

[possibilities]

I love this show. I love that it's both whimsical (sometimes) and dead serious (other times). I love the look of the show, and the character depth, and the moral complexity.

 

Brian cares about his family and in my view kind of abuses the privileges of his job by sending his bodyguards to rescue relatives from a blackout everyone else in the city is just plain having to deal with. His family happily accepts the intervention, then rakes him over the coals in front of said bodyguards, for things that they believe have to do with his job.

 

Brian thinks he is protecting Rebecca, at the same time as she thinks she is protecting Brian. They both feel like they can't 100% trust each other, even though there is no one they trust more. She feels betrayed by his secrecy, and he feels guilty for her feeling betrayed, even though he's actually the person juggling the most dangers solo and he's gone way out on a limb for her in the past (which she knows about). But I get how she feels she has to draw a line somewhere. I hate being lied to, and she's let a lot of things go. Brian was out and about overnight, and basically blew his own cover-- if he had taken NZT but stayed off the radar, this never would have happened. But he was indulging himself, and word got back to Rebecca. She really couldn't cover it up for him, so what was she going to do? I think Brian was trying to get caught, because he really wants to end the situation that has him caught between two masters, and at some level he was throwing caution to the wind to cause a crisis point.

 

I loved the new cop he helped. I don't even know why. I guess because he wasn't hostile and defensive, and just appreciated the help. That's the point, right? Solving the case, not proving your ego. Watching Brian work should be like watching Olympic athletes perform, not something to make you feel bad, but something to be inspired by and think is cool.

 

I love Mike and Ike because they have their personal feelings about things, but they are also serious about their jobs and able to put that first. Really great to see people act like adults, especially when no one else around them is.

[roomtorome]

The sister and the mother - double whammy of over-entitled family members to say nothing of the sister being a snoop and a snitch - to his parents!  

 

I want to believe it will be renewed but I don't believe anything network people say this early on - BUT doesn't Bradley Cooper having something to do with this show? I wonder if, somehow, his involvement would matter to a renewal if it is on the cusp of yes/no - maybe promising (which I hope not because I don't like him at all) to do more appearances - who knows.

 

There is a wonderful abundance of terrific talent in this show and the premise overall is just intriguing and fun and so I can get past these overly dramatic episodes - they have done a few so far - Nothing is perfect....but, I still love it and whatever happens to it, the lead actor has proven comedic and dramatic chops and will likely be swiftly scooped up for other work soon enough

[Canada]

I'm so glad I'm not the only one who really disliked Brian's family during this episode.  They were just awful!  He's a grown man, leave him alone.  Don't talk to him like he's five and don't tattletale!! 

[justcris]

Well then, everything is falling apart and it's glorious! 

I so love this show, add me to the list of people hoping for a renewal.

[KaveDweller]

As for Rachel's betrayal...a man nearly died in front of her. She consoled herself with Ike in the event, but no, it is not perfectly clear to me that a sister is required to follow a brother's orders. She too is grown. The situation was genuinely frightening, and pulling out little pills is frightening too. 

 

She's certainly not required to follow his orders, but I think she should have gone to him first and said, "what's up with these pills, I'm worried about you." She just gave Brian the impression things were totally fine and she was going to keep his secret about Sands if she wasn't.

[hnygrl]

Oh Brian Brian Brian....He loves hard and is so damn loyal, even when he shouldn't be. He's so loving and respectful of his family, all of them, that he allows them to treat him like a "retarded step child" who can't wipe his own behind. He's so used to being the loser of the family...and what's worse, these people can't see what's right in front of them: A really great man who loves hard and loves truly. All they see is the 12 year old screw up. His sister claims he's using drugs and his mother believes her? Without question? Damn mom, way to nourish and cherish your child...And dad.

Go ahead, take the coward's way out. All dad had to say was "enough.  Brian's not a drug addict. The pills aren't illegal. He's working for the FBI and the work he does is top secret and none of our business. Rachel, you need to apologize to your brother."

But nooooo "I want him to be humiliated so I'm staying out of it. Maybe his mother's shaming him in front of his co-workers will make him quit and come home. Oh wait...she just threw him out the house. Well damn"

Right now. Today. (Tuesday it might change, but today) I kinda hate the lot of them. He get's crapped on all day, all night, and still he works to save people and keep the world safe. All he wants is a hug from someone he KNOWS really loves him to take away the stink of this crap-filled day and he gets crapped on even more by those who should know better.

Except for that note (I'm going to fix everything I messed up, I promise. YOU DIDN'T MESS UP BRIAN, THEY messed YOU up!), I was really happy to see him leave, and really relieved to see he had that huge stack of cash. I guess he hid THAT while he was on NZT huh?

 

Oh Brian....my heart breaks for you.

 

DAMN I love this show!!!! They've GOT to renew it, They just HAVE to!!!! How do we start a campaign to get the show noticed?

It's quickly becoming my new obsession...

[Latverian Diplomat]

Two things I learned because this show made me google them:

 

The "pea soup" emoji is actually green tea.

 

There are bacteria that feed on electricity, but I doubt they could suck up huge amounts of high voltage alternating current like that. I'd guess it would be like drinking from a firehose for them.

[Snarkette]

Oh Limitless, you break my heart, you change things up. I loved this ep.

[snarktini]

Doesn't 2 pills seem like a small quantity for Rebecca to accuse him of addict-style hoarding?

 

When Brian told his sister not to say anything, at the time I felt like he needed to say more than that. Something like "Look, my work for the FBI is a secret. There's a lot here I can't explain, and I don't want to scare you. But it could put me and you and our family in physical danger you ever reveal any of this." Maybe he thought being so explicit would draw too much attention, but I think she could have legit not understood how serious it was (even though dude dying might have tipped her off). Between a sister and her loser brother, this could have sounded like something he was hiding, rather than something that must be legitimately hidden.

 

If my brother ever did something like that to me, not sure I could get past it. And I would sure as hell talk to him instead of going to Mom.

[thuganomics85]

Damn, that got dark and depressing real fast.

 

Glad I wasn't the only one that kind of got annoyed with his family.  I mean, yes, I can always understand why they would be concern for him, but they really don't have any idea how much good work he has done with NZT.  And they really have no idea what he has had to do to keep them out of harms way, thanks to Sands and Morra having his number.  And, yes, at the end of the day, he's a grown-ass man.  He knows the risks of NZT, but he keeps doing it because it helps solves case and, yes, he probably does enjoy the benefits of being brilliant.  But that's still his decision, and his parents acting all outrage was an overkill.  And then Rachel ratting him out like that.  I certainly hope she doesn't expect him to ever confine in her again.

 

I understood Rebecca a bit more, since Brian was acting cagey enough to make her suspicious.  It still was probably a bit much to actually send an agent into his safe house (and two pills does seem light for an addict.  If he had stacks of them, that would be more concerning), but I could understand her reasonings better.  The fight between Brian and Rebecca was really well-done, and both Jake McDorman and Jennifer Carpenter were great (and heartbreaking) in that scene.

 

Mike & Ike/Jason continue to be the best.  

 

I did enjoy Boyle actually having fun with being Brian's handler for a bit.

 

Brian on the lamb is certainly going to take the show in a new direction, I have to think.

 

On a funnier note, I always like when they have the characters actually reading the texts out loud; especially them actually saying what the emojis are.  I don't think I will ever tire of that.

[Netfoot]

Brian on the lamb is certainly going to take the show in a new direction, I have to think.

 

Brian without NZT will make for a whole different show, all right!  I just hope the new direction retains the perfect blend of whacky humour and seriousness that makes the show great.  And may Brian return safely to the home fold before too long.  

[sjohnson]

The show has gotten rather cagey about NZT withdrawal, a cheat to keep the tone lighter I think. 

 

As near as I can make out, Piper is a lot dodgier than Brian realizes. Intelligence rarely trumps sex, though. Love isn't blind , it's too horny to care.

[Clanstarling]

I agree the intervention scene with the family was bullshit. They don't know what Brian does but they know he's got two armed stooges who just rounded up all their children and delivered them home and were tasked with staying there and guarding them, so presumably they know Brian is pretty damn important. Why, and what exactly he does for the FBI, is none of their stinking business.

Amen. I can understand being worried, understand that once a screw-up it takes a long time to change the knee jerk opinion, but to take him down without letting him get a word in edgewise, and with the FBI in visual and ear shot distance, is just too ridiculous. If it were my sibling, I'd never trust her again. Ever. Her breach of trust, was IMO, far greater than Brian's when it came to Rebecca.  Brian has kept Rachel's secrets - even when being slammed by the family. How would they like it if he told them about her drug use, and screwing an FBI guy she barely met?

 

I didn't watch the previews, I only hung on long enough to know there were going to be previews - because it felt like a season finale to me.

Edited March 10, 2016 by clanstarling

[Big Mother]

One thing escapes me - why did brian send out mike and ike to sit in his parents' house with rachel until the lights came back on in NY? What was the scary urgency of that? Transporting them I can understand, but why sit there the whole time?

[possibilities]

I thought it was because he was trying to get out from under surveillance for the day.

[hnygrl]

Partially to get out from under surveillance, and partially to ensure his family's safety. If the FBI are there, watching over them, then he knows his family is safe. And bonus, nobody's breathing down his...oh crap...there's Rebecca....

[sjohnson]

I thought Brian didn't want Mike and Ike to overhear too revealing a conversation between him and Rebecca. 

[Actionmage]

In my anger at the betrayal and lack of faith in Brian, I was delighted to see Tim Reid as a scientist! He still looks good and his voice is still velvet.

Edited March 10, 2016 by Actionmage

[BooBear]

I didn't watch the previews, I only hung on long enough to know there were going to be previews - because it felt like a season finale to me.

Maybe this was one of those shows that *could* have been the end if the network didn't order more. Though I can relate to being the F** up of the family because despite the fact that it is in no relation to reality my family has to keep me in that box or they can't have their family identities.  So I think Brian's family will have to be dragged kicking and screaming by outsiders to change their internal dynamic. That said, I don't like seeing it and I do think it drags down the show. Brian unloaded on Rebecca but I think he should have on his family. Plus I am not sure they add anything to the show. I am at my most happy when his family isn't around.

Otherwise I didn't love this episode. It was kind of a trumped up problem for Brian to solve that didn't seem important enough or in need of his brilliance.

[AudienceofOne]

IRL that would get him fired.

 

In real life that would get him arrested. Although I doubt they could make the charges stick.

 

DAMN I love this show!!!! They've GOT to renew it, They just HAVE to!!!! How do we start a campaign to get the show noticed?

It's quickly becoming my new obsession...

 

 

The easiest thing is a Twitter campaign. Get everyone to get online when it's airing and tweet under hashtag #limitless or #limitlesstv. You can't change the ratings but you can change the 'buzz'. There are a lot of low-rating shows out there at the moment so the networks have to renew something that's not performing. They're going to choose that by social media excitement. That shows there's an audience out there that will DVR it or stream it or buy the DVDs even if they're not watching when it airs.

 

And maybe if Twitter lights up, they'll stop with the stupid scheduling that's driving casual viewers away.

 

This show has turned into a fantastic piece of innovative TV. It deserves a second season.

[JasmineFlower]

I'm so sick of all of Brian's family. They need to ditch them all next season instead of trying to find ways to include them just because of who they were able to cast in those roles. This is getting ridiculous how they think they are entitled to knowledge about every facet of his life. And the sister seemed tolerable, but clearly she's as bad as the parents and needs to be nixed as well. I mean, what about Brian's life seems so casual that you go run and share with your mommy?

 

And Rebecca. I think it's ridiculous she's still alive, literally the only one who suspects something about the Senator that hasn't been killed who isn't under his thumb in some way. But this was definitely just ridiculous. Not just questioning Brian repeatedly, but sent a team to turn over his entire apartment to look for things and she expects to be trusted? And now she's shocked he's gone? And really HATED the writing here, were Brian is apologizing to Rebecca and all the "you've given me more than I've given you" crap.

 

Still like this show but they have got to correct some of these things for next season. I really think Christina Vidal is the perfect replacement for Rebecca because it's very inconsistent that Rebecca's alive, but whatever that's unlikely to happen. But they'll have to rehab that relationship and at the same time, not have her be so judgmental and two-faced. She keeps saying they made promises to each other as if it's an equal partnership. Her act of betrayal is not easily fixed and shouldn't be framed as Brian making up for whatever conveniently pisses her off, cause she sure as heck didn't mind the access he got her to her dad's file.

[Netfoot]

And really HATED the writing here, were Brian is apologizing to Rebecca and all the "you've given me more than I've given you" crap.

 

Got to say I agree with this.  Brian should never have apologized for the way he was treated.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

I agree that it could be considered 'back-stabbing' to send the FBI to his place to search for NZT, however;  its an FBI-owned safe house - its their property to do whatever they want there - and also, consider me less cynical (I guess), but I doubt Rebecca gave the go-ahead or discretion to destroy the place while doing so, or not cleaning up afterwards.

 

The family, though.  Sister Rachel is a gigantic hypocrite.  "Mom, Brian's taking drugs!  But let's totally gloss over the fact that I regularly go over there to smoke his bong with him;  he's doing drugs!!"