S01.E17: Close Encounters

[Netfoot]

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...

 

I'm not going to argue that they had no legal right to search the place.  I will say, that it was a betrayal of trust on Rebecca's part to initiate such a search.  Same as if she'd got a warrant and searched his private home -- lawful but distrustful.  To add insult to injury, Rebecca get's all high and mighty about how Brian betrayed her.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

I try to see things from all points of view, and not just the main protagonist's.  At the end of the Pilot, Rebecca implores Brian to not lie to her, ever.  By implying acceptance and taking the NZT from her, he 'signed that contract'.  Then, in the Pirates episode, when she initially found out he had some non-FBI dispensed NZT, I believe (just going on memory) that she let him know that she would come down hard on him if she caught him with 'illegal' NZT again.

 

So yes, I see the lack of trust angle on one side, but also see the "you promised to never lie or hide things from me" angle on the opposite side as well.

[twoods]

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!!"

Seriously! I wanted him to say "By the way mom, I'm not the only one who smokes pot in this family", look right at Rachel, and walk out. She doesn't deserve Ike either. His dad needs to be decked too. I'm just so mad at everyone and want to give Brian a hug.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

Seriously! I wanted him to say "By the way mom, I'm not the only one who smokes pot in this family", look right at Rachel, and walk out. She doesn't deserve Ike either. His dad needs to be decked too. I'm just so mad at everyone and want to give Brian a hug.

 

I'm surprised by how over the top they had Mom go.  She was let in on the fact the FBI strongly suspected, if not knew, he was on a drug when Rebecca went to their home to talk to his parents (about being a murder suspect), in the Pilot - where Mom herself even admitted to believing he could be doing drugs [but not murder].  And let's not forget said 'drug addict' son has been working at the FBI for months since..... yeah, there's no chance this drug is good for him or used to help people, nope.  No way at all!

 

And then Dad sits there like a total mute while Mom basically disowns him (for awhile).  Brian's family came off in a really bad light here.

 

ETA:  Just rewatched the Pilot, and it was Dad who said he could believe the drugs part, but Mom didn't offer any arguments to refute that claim.

Edited March 11, 2016 by iRarelyWatchTV36

[Hecate7]

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!! 

 

I can't help feeling that in that scene it was somehow revealed why and how Brian was something of a loser before in the first place. His family has a role for him, and that's the role they need him to play.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

I can't help feeling that in that scene it was somehow revealed why and how Brian was something of a loser before in the first place. His family has a role for him, and that's the role they need him to play.

 

Not to mention that in the whole series opener - save for the very end of the hour - they (& the whole family) non-explicitly implied they thought he was a dumb loser.  They love him by God!, but still, hasn't amounted to anything much more than just a dumb drug-using loser.

Edited March 11, 2016 by iRarelyWatchTV36

[sjohnson]

Mom reacted so badly because she thought he was past the drugs. Disappointment of dearest hope is the most crushing, and most apt to trigger anger. She doesn't really get the notion that the drug is the cause of the improvement. That goes against all conventional wisdom and, even worse, against experience. 

 

And Rachel's slowness in bringing her fears to the family are precisely because she knows perfectly well she's no angel herself, and because she takes her loyalty very seriously. But, really people, a man nearly dies on Brian's living room floor, right in front of her! 

 

And if the family doesn't have the right to question Brian's choices and act in response to them by barring them from the house because he's a grown man...well, a grown man doesn't need to speak to his family at all, do they? 

 

Further, Brian's in trouble with NZT and the FBI, and nothing about that has changed. On one level even Brian knows it, and it applies to Rebecca too. He wasn't being truly unfair to Rebecca. Much as she didn't want to admit it to herself, she's FBI and she's using Brian. And Mike and Ike, who've been treated as adversaries by Brian (who as I remember got criticized as a dick for doing so,) are adversaries. We see Ike/Jason trashing his own new relationship to question Rachel about the "undercover agent." 

 

And it is not at all clear that NZT isn't dangerous even without the side effects. Look at Senator Morra. Is he really a poster boy for the goodness of NZT use? I'm still not convinced he isn't being constrained by the other players (who we know do exist, although Brian doesn't!) But prima facie, he's a mass murderer plotting to seize power over everybody! He wasn't like that before NZT. 

 

Or, in the short version, my opinion is that the family isn't all that outrageous...they're just wrong. If you can't forgive family for being wrong, you should give up on friendship too, I think.

[Netfoot]

And if the family doesn't have the right to question Brian's choices...

 

If you believed that a beloved family member was engaged in illegal drug use, would you question his choices when two law enforcement officers were present?

 

Suppose Brian had been immediately arrested, and dragged away to spend 10 years in a federal prison.  Would mommy have felt she'd done the right thing then?

 

This is the FBI we're talking about.  J Edgar.  MLK.  Bobby Kennedy.  Faked evidence.  Secret files.  Not the people you want to trust with family secrets about illicit drug use and rubbing shoulders with shady, wounded characters.

[sjohnson]

^^^Two bodyguards sent by Brian to watch over you and your family, one of whom has "dated" your daughter, not "two law enforcement officers."  People have criticized Brian for being shitty to Mike and Ike, as if they were FBI watching him instead of his bodyguards and friends. Mom was imprudent to say the least, but the mistake she made was not only the same one lots of the audience has made, she made it when she was distraught. Humanly foolish, not detestable in my opinion.

 

But you've made me wonder what his father was thinking, and I'm coming up with, time to get the truth out about where he stands with the FBI. And I'm not so sure that isn't ultimately the wisest decision, no matter how confident Brian was in his ability to finesse everything, even when he was off NZT. 

 

But maybe I'm wrong about how I see Brian's true state. I see him as someone who could have his NZT withheld or criminal charges levied at any moment. It wouldn't be done by Rebecca or even Naz. But the FBI is like the army: Things are ordered by the high command and they happen. With that in minds, Dad's reservations show his genuine concern, not bullying, much less contempt.

[hnygrl]

This tough love thing has to be done with a delicate hand in order to not alienate the loved one for life. The family was really heavy handed about it and did the "intervention" on impulse. In front of Brian's "co-workers."

That I can't forgive. If they were determined to do an intervention and "get to the truth," they should've been more professional about it and waited until Mike and Ike weren't around, everybody wasn't so angry and disappointed, and they had "options" in place.

That they did this in the heat of anger and in front if non-family I can't forgive or forget. Not to mention mom throwing him out of the house, disowning him, and dad just sitting there allowing it to happen. One word from dad and this would've been over. That tells me dad wanted this to happen and used his wife's anger and disgust to let it happen, He KNEW THE TRUTH but let this happen anyway. I can't forgive that. He KNEW,

Brian may forgive them immediately (he's the beaten puppy, longing to be accepted and loved), but I can't see him ever completely trusting his family ever again. He had already stopped going over there as much as he used to. Them doing things this way may have permanently damaged the family dynamic.

 

I can't help but think now....maybe...Rachel was a mole for the parents? Brian wasn't coming around anymore, they never see him, he doesn't call, so they send RACHEL over there to check up on him, make sure he's okay, and report back.

 

And boy howdy did she. I think maybe Rachel will feel betrayed as well since they used what she told them to destroy her brother.
These parents (if this were reality) just effed up the entire family dynamic. I can't imagine their son the doctor being okay with that ambush and banishment either.

 

You know it's a good show when something like this upsets people this viscerally.

[Netfoot]

But the FBI is like the army: Things are ordered by the high command and they happen.

 

This is exactly why Mike & Ike are "law enforcement officers" and not bodyguards, friends, or your sister's love-interest.  They are the cops.  They will jail your ass for a two-buck raise in pay.

 

Consider this: Naz may be everyone's boss and pretty cool with it, all things considered.  But in the greater FBI sphere, she is mid-level at best.  It would only take some big-up in the the bureau to decide the NZT programme would be better under their direction, and Brian could be out, without warning, and with no opportunity to wean himself off the drug.  Is it unreasonable for him to consider his own position separate from the desires of the FBI, including Rebecca "Let me search your place behind your back and seize half your stash" Harris, and Mike & Ike who take advantage of a gigantic family brain-fart and seize the other half of his stash?

 

These people aren't his friends, they are work colleagues at best.  And as for Ms. Harris, well, someone should explain to her that when you ask someone for complete honesty and openness in your relationship, there is an implied promise that you will return same, in kind.  She may not know that at great risk to himself, Brian switched the coat in the evidence room, reducing the degree of threat Rebecca poses to Morra, and possibly saving her life.  But she certainly knows that at more risk to himself, he acquired her father's file and made it available to her.  And that when he uses "illicit" NZT, he isn't out robbing banks, shooting the place up and killing people like her ex-boyfriend.  No, he is out in his spare time, helping other law-enforcement agencies solve crimes, and asking no thanks.  Boy, how evil is that!  Yeh, he sure needs to be busted!

[Hecate7]

Mom reacted so badly because she thought he was past the drugs. Disappointment of dearest hope is the most crushing, and most apt to trigger anger. She doesn't really get the notion that the drug is the cause of the improvement. That goes against all conventional wisdom and, even worse, against experience. 

 

And Rachel's slowness in bringing her fears to the family are precisely because she knows perfectly well she's no angel herself, and because she takes her loyalty very seriously. But, really people, a man nearly dies on Brian's living room floor, right in front of her! 

 

And if the family doesn't have the right to question Brian's choices and act in response to them by barring them from the house because he's a grown man...well, a grown man doesn't need to speak to his family at all, do they? 

 

Certainly not THIS family. What a bunch of idiots. They confront him about drugs in front of his coworkers? Rachel wasn't "slow" to blow the whistle, either. She was actually kind of shockingly fast. She knows that her brother works for the FBI, that what happens around him is sometimes classified, and he specifically told her to NEVER talk about Sands to anyone, and she decides to tell EVERYONE. Not just softly confiding to her mother or father in a weak moment, but rather, making a public announcement to EVERYONE.

 

This is a family dynamic that needed to be ruined. Brian's a good person, so he'll still be there for Rachel when she needs him, and she will need him, make no mistake about that. But what I'd love to see is for him to refuse to let her in the next time she tries to visit to blow off steam or boff his body guard, and for the bong to simply be permanently off-limits to her too. He can be nice about it, too, reminding her that he never knows when a bloody man might stagger in needing help with a classified situation and that he really can't risk traumatizing Rachel again, poor baby, but thanks for calling bye.

 

And if they're going to bar him from the house, then I guess he doesn't need to speak to them, does he? Either barring him from the house is a disciplinary action, in which case it is completely inappropriate, or it's to protect themselves, in which case further communication is inappropriate. I'm glad he's going after Piper--she is the only person who could ever understand what he's going through. Amazing watching everyone just completely bail on him.

Edited March 13, 2016 by Hecate7

[sjohnson]

Brian may forgive them immediately (he's the beaten puppy, longing to be accepted and loved)...

No, Brian is not a beaten puppy. He is a beloved puppy. The drawback to that can be smothering and intrusion, but it's not a beating. But, loving someone doesn't mean loving them wisel, more's the pity. My opinion, of course.

. I'm glad he's going after Piper--she is the only person who could ever understand what he's going through. Amazing watching everyone just completely bail on him.

Piper is a would-be assassin. Which is another result of NZT suggesting Dad's concerns aren't so crazy. By the only way the only ones who bailed on Brian were Rebecca, Mike and Ike, and Mom. Which one did so when they were upset, and which ones did so calmly? Which one is really likely to change their mind?

 

Obviously it's just my opinion, but I don't find the family's reactions unforgivable, being neither malicious nor callous. I just think Mom was too hurt and surprised to think straight. Dad, I think, is really, really worried about the FBI and the drug, and he should be. And for what it's worth, he doesn't seem the kind of husband aprt to demand total obedience from his wife so that the can tell her to shut up. Not sure he should be either.

[Netfoot]

And for what it's worth, he doesn't seem the kind of husband aprt to demand total obedience from his wife so that the can tell her to shut up. Not sure he should be either.

 

He's a lawyer.  He should have been quick to tell her to shut up when she began to accuse her son of criminal activity, and produce hard evidence (in the form of the pills), and all in front of the cops!

Edited March 11, 2016 by Netfoot

[sjohnson]

Well, if we're going to go all lawyer here, Dad wasn't Mom's lawyer. It's not even certain he's Brian's lawyer. But if so, why should Brian's lawyer scream orders to Mrs. Finch to shut up about pills that he thinks Brian obtained from the FBI? 

 

The point for me isn't that Dad was necessarily right, although I think Brian's confidence is misleading him re the FBI's hold on him. I'm not sure he hasn't got a hold on Morra, when all is said and done, It's just that I think it's kind of an overreaction to condemn everybody as nothing but assholes. I feel Brian has some forgiving to do. Even if Dad (in particular) is more or less right, there are better ways. And Mom just flew off the handle as far as I'm concerned. But I'm not feeling the outrage and can't see them as unforgivable.

[Hecate7]

No, Brian is not a beaten puppy. He is a beloved puppy. The drawback to that can be smothering and intrusion, but it's not a beating. But, loving someone doesn't mean loving them wisely, more's the pity. My opinion, of course.

Piper is a would-be assassin. Which is another result of NZT suggesting Dad's concerns aren't so crazy. By the only way the only ones who bailed on Brian were Rebecca, Mike and Ike, and Mom. Which one did so when they were upset, and which ones did so calmly? Which one is really likely to change their mind?

 

He may not be beaten but he is continually scolded and always in the doghouse. He's not a beloved puppy at all. He's the least loved of the three kids and basically considered superfluous. He's a tolerated puppy.

 

They knew he worked for the FBI and that his coworkers were in the room. Add Rachel to the list of people bailing on Brian, because when she decided it was important to expose him and tell his secrets, she did just that.Sure, it's not "unforgivable" except in the sense that she may have just gotten everyone killed by putting Mike, Ike, & Rebecca onto the trail of Sands and Morra. Bygones. But he can forgive her without ever having her over to his place again, and he's going to have to. It's not that big of a deal, though. There are plenty of other people she can smoke pot with, so she'll forget all about this soon. It doesn't matter which ones change their minds--I'm sure they all will. Won't matter, because this encounter created a situation.

 

I'm not outraged. I just think they've encouraged an inferiority complex on his part that would have led to him wasting his life. They'd have been fine with that--they'd have just rolled their eyes at him forever, and tutted behind his back. It's good that the Mom kicked him out. It's painful now, but it's for the best, and it's a very satisfactory situation for now. I love those actors but really, they need to be out of the picture. Kind of like how Sands is with his kid--no contact, but he'll risk his life to rescue him. That's the relationship Brian can have with his family at this point. It will be interesting to see how they reconcile, how long it takes, and what it takes.

Edited March 12, 2016 by Hecate7

[MissLucas]

I love this show for its perfect mix of comedy and drama. As someone above mentioned this is not Chuck.

 

I think this episode was exceptionally well written and the discussion here is proof to that. I felt bad for Brian but at the same point I could understand everybody else. Rebecca is worried because he's lying to her and because she fears his overdosing could weaken his 'immunity'. Rachel was freaked out by the whole experience and confided in Mom (because she did not want to stress out Dad). Mom overreacts and all goes to hell while Dad sticks to his word and says nothing. And while I understood how people reacted there's also plenty of blame to go around. The underlying family dynamic the 'intervention' revealed was really disturbing.

 

The only minor quibble I had was Ike and Mike not immediately informing the FBI that Brian had hidden NZT (and yes, why was nobody worrying where that was coming from?) and then dragging him back to the CJC to talk about the bleeding agent in his home. Instead they bring him home, give him an opportunity to get back the NZT, and then start their own investigation (the timeline here was a bit wonky) leaving the CJC in the dark about the shenanigans at casa Finch.

Edited March 12, 2016 by MissLucas

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

While we're discussing the way his family treats Brian, I want to bring up his Dad returning the box of things that Brian made for him over the course of his childhood.  I forget exactly which episode and exactly which reasoning he used for it (my apologies), but the general tone and hint was that he didn't feel that Brian loved or respected him enough to hold on to those things.

 

I mean, who does that!?  What kind of parent spitefully spits in his kid's face just because said kid works for a federal agency and because so, can't disclose every little thing about his life?  Hell, Dad could have thrown that stuff out and maybe told him regretfully about it later, and it would have a much less hurtful and harmful impact.  I guess I can see it somewhat, I mean it's not like Brian blackmailed the FBI into getting his dad a new kidney in time for a transplant to save his life a few months ago.......... oh wait.

 

Between that and this last episode's family troubles, I almost wonder if we (the audience) are supposed to feel revulsion towards his family.  'Cause if I was Brian, when Mom told him he wasn't allowed back in the house, I would have told her "gladly, and don't bother calling if you need help from me or the FBI."

[hnygrl]

You know? There's a wee bit of storyline continuity errors going on here. Brian alledgedly (in this episode) had five extra NZT tablets. Took one, then had four. Two got stolen by Rebecca, then had two. But in reality he should've had any left to find.

 

In The Black Ops one, he took one - four left

In the Pirates one he took one - three left (when Rebecca discovered he had extra. BECAUSE HE TOOK ONE IN FRONT OF HER)

In the Sands one he took one - two left. Then sometime after this, his sister steals those two.

So in reality, there should have been nothing for Rebecca to find. And he should've been seriously panicked because his last two NZT Pills weren't in the Album covers he left them in. Call Rachel. You been through my stuff? That's when the "intervention" should've happened.

 

Then suddenly in this episode he had FIVE??????? WHERE HE GET THE OTHER THREE FROM????

 

That pulled my right out of the story and I didn't get back into it till "the fight"

Missed the whole working with the NYPD part because of that. I hate it when show runners ignore continuity for the ske of the storyline.

Dammit, there shouldn't have been ANY NZT for Rebecca to find!

Edited March 12, 2016 by hnygrl

[kili]

We see Ike/Jason trashing his own new relationship to question Rachel about the "undercover agent."

That's precisely why Ike shouldn't be having a relationship with the sister of the person he is assigned to watch/guard. I like Ike, but that was neither professional nor ethical for him to do. Besides, once she finds out that every day Ike hands her brother the pill that frightens her so much, she might want even less to do with him.

 

I thought it was interesting that Brian's brother was actually pretty nice to him in this episode. In the past, he's the one who has been the most frustrated with Brian's loserdom and the free ride he gets from his parents. He seemed the most doubtful about Brian. Now that Brian has a good job and keeping it, his brother seemed happy for him and happy to have his help.

 

Unlike the rest of his entitled relatives who can't accept he's changed and can't tell them all his secrets. If you are doing classified work, you can't tell your family about it. Respect your relative enough to accept that. Obviously, he is working for the FBI - you have two FBI agents who work with him in your house. 

 

And his sister has completely betrayed all his trust - she searched his apartment, reported things to his parents and banged his bodyguard in his (Brian's) bed. 

 

I think they kind of wanted us to think the reason Rebecca's train was delayed was because Brian stepped in front of a train. He lost his entire support network in this episode.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

You know? There's a wee bit of storyline continuity errors going on here. Brian alledgedly (in this episode) had five extra NZT tablets. Took one, then had four. Two got stolen by Rebecca, then had two. But in reality he should've had any left to find.

 

In The Black Ops one, he took one - four left

In the Pirates one he took one - three left (when Rebecca discovered he had extra. BECAUSE HE TOOK ONE IN FRONT OF HER)

In the Sands one he took one - two left. Then sometime after this, his sister steals those two.

So in reality, there should have been nothing for Rebecca to find. And he should've been seriously panicked because his last two NZT Pills weren't in the Album covers he left them in. Call Rachel. You been through my stuff? That's when the "intervention" should've happened.

 

Then suddenly in this episode he had FIVE??????? WHERE HE GET THE OTHER THREE FROM????

 

That pulled my right out of the story and I didn't get back into it till "the fight"

Missed the whole working with the NYPD part because of that. I hate it when show runners ignore continuity for the ske of the storyline.

Dammit, there shouldn't have been ANY NZT for Rebecca to find!

 

You're gonna make me think, aren't you?  Dammit, where's my NZT when I need it!  :P

 

-  In BFBO, I think the only NZT he took was supplied by the CIA, if I recall correctly.  So that still leaves all original 5 left in his reserve.

-  In the Pirates ep, he took the one pill, down to 4

-  In TAoEM, he gained two or three pills in the little gun case given him to deal with Piper, so that's 6 or 7 (or 5 or 6, if he took one during that time)

-  In S,AoM, he took the one [or was it two of them total?  can't remember for sure], so down to either 4, 5, or 6  [must have been 4 (or 5), considering..............]

-  He took at least two in this last episode [1 at the beginning while out helping solve street crimes + the 1 with Rebecca], so that left him with the 2 that Rachel found and stole, but he ended up stealing back from Ike (or Mike), thus set out for wherever with those 2 pills

 

I think I'm somewhere close there, but without rewatching again to fact check, can't be 120% sure.

Edited March 12, 2016 by iRarelyWatchTV36

[bros402]

You're gonna make me think, aren't you?  Dammit, where's my NZT when I need it!  :P

 

-  In BFBO, I think the only NZT he took was supplied by the CIA, if I recall correctly.  So that still leaves all original 5 left in his reserve.

-  In the Pirates ep, he took the one pill, down to 4

-  In TAoEM, he gained two or three pills in the tiny gun suitcase given him to deal with Piper, so that's 6 or 7 (or 5 or 6, if he took one during that time)

-  In S,AoM, he took the one [or was it two of them total?  can't remember for sure], so down to either 4, 5, or 6  [must have been 4 (or 5), considering..............]

-  He took at least two in this last episode [1 at the beginning while out helping solve street crimes + the 1 with Rebecca], so that left him with the 2 that Rachel found and stole, but he ended stealing back from Ike (or Mike), thus set out for wherever with those 2 pills

 

I think I'm somewhere close there, but without rewatching again to fact check, can't be 120% sure.

 

In Black Op, he had the one in his pocket that he gave to the guy at the end.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

In Black Op, he had the one in his pocket that he gave to the guy at the end.

 

Ok, so if that was from his own personal stash, it must have been 3 (or 4) that came with the gun [that was to be used to kill Piper].

[sjohnson]

That's precisely why Ike shouldn't be having a relationship with the sister of the person he is assigned to watch/guard. I like Ike, but that was neither professional nor ethical for him to do. Besides, once she finds out that every day Ike hands her brother the pill that frightens her so much, she might want even less to do with him...

 

Unlike the rest of his entitled relatives who can't accept he's changed and can't tell them all his secrets. If you are doing classified work, you can't tell your family about it. Respect your relative enough to accept that. Obviously, he is working for the FBI - you have two FBI agents who work with him in your house. ..

 

Since Brian is the target, an agent insinuating himself into an even more advantageous position is initiative, not lack of ethics. But apparently, judging from the reactions I'm the only one who sees the FBI as a forced gig for Brian. 

 

Like expecting Dad to know that the pills Rachel produced were contraband instead of FBI issue, expecting the family to really get how Brian had changed when he's been keeping everything so hush-hush is a little bit demanding I think. 

[kili]

Since Brian is the target, an agent insinuating himself into an even more advantageous position is initiative, not lack of ethics.

Ike isn't pimping himself out to get more intel on a target. He just wanted to bang the sister of the guy he's supposed to be protecting. Since Brian is a target, I don't have sympathy for Ike that his relationship might take a hit because he's got to now pump that sister for details. That's why having a real relationship with a relative of a target is a bad idea.

 

expecting the family to really get how Brian had changed when he's been keeping everything so hush-hush is a little bit demanding I think

Brian has what is clearly an important job. He's got a great apartment and is for once in his life, being responsible. That's like the exact opposite of being a drug addict. If he had lost his job, lost his apartment and was being irresponsible and then it was revealed he was on drugs, I can see the family freak out. But since his life seems more together, why not give him a chance to explain or accept that he cannot.

 

The family demanding to know classified material is sadly realistic.  In the real world, some people totally respect that people can't talk about classified material. Other people get offended like you are specifically dissing them by not telling them - like you don't trust them. It's classified for a reason. Want to know the information? Get a security clearance for the information. It's not personal and it's not a judgment call.  The person with the classified information promised not to reveal it to people not cleared - it's that simple. If everybody gets to make a judgment call on who in their personal life they tell, the information will soon be everywhere.

Edited March 12, 2016 by kili

[Clanstarling]

My sense is that while the FBI is/was a forced gig, Brian actually likes it, enjoys helping (as evidenced in his "down time" use of NZT), and IIRC has expressed that to his family more than once. As he becomes the world's smartest man when he takes NZT, if he wanted to get himself out of the hold they have on him, he could.

On the other hand, the other forced gig is with Morra, who has actively threatened his family. This is the one that he struggles with, and his family knows nothing about that. Which is, in a way, a pity - if they knew he was protecting them, maybe they'd think differently. (OTOH, his sister knew he was protecting her secrets, and that made no difference)

My objection about the family's behavior is not so much that they confronted Brian (though his sister's actions were a betrayal I personally would never forgive. BTW, I'm confused about the timeline - did she search the apartment before or after screwing Ike?), but that they confronted him in the presence of the FBI. As far as I'm concerned, family shit doesn't get spread in front of outsiders - particularly outsiders who have an interest in the topic.

[Netfoot]

My objection about the family's behavior is not so much that they confronted Brian (though his sister's actions were a betrayal I personally would never forgive. BTW, I'm confused about the timeline - did she search the apartment before or after screwing Ike?), but that they confronted him in the presence of the FBI. As far as I'm concerned, family shit doesn't get spread in front of outsiders - particularly outsiders who have an interest in the topic.

 

100%.

 

Brian's bong-buddy Rachel could have pulled Brian aside and said "What's with those pills of yours?"  Instead she ran to Mommy.  The relationship she and Brian had, this was an outright betrayal of trust.  A brother and sister must be able to share secrets and know that the other will not blab to the parents.

 

Then, Mommy blabbed her entire suspicious rant, right in front of two FBI soldiers.  Brian having and taking NZT was entirely above board.  Taking NZT is his job at the FBI, and they provide him with the pills.  The only thing offside, was his possession of a few extra pills.  But Mommy didn't know that.  As far as she knew, he was a drug-abuser whose job (the best job he's ever had) would be immediately imperiled by the knowledge that Brian was using.  Not to mention that Mike & Ike were in a position to arrest Brian for drug possession, and throw him in jail.  What on earth could have persuaded her that was a good idea?  And not only did she broach the subject in front of Law Enforcement, she hardly gave Brian any chance to answer.  And again, he might not have been comfortable answering in front of Mike & Ike, who are not family nor even friends, really.  So, Mommy bursts a blood-vessel, and throws him out of the house.

 

And Daddy sits there with his big, fat mouth zipped up.  He knew (as a lawyer) the danger that Brian was being placed in, and he new that Brian's NZT-use was not only perfectly legal and sanctioned by the FBI, but required of Brian, by them.

 

So, I'd say Brian was royally screwed by the entire family, each one separately, as well as all together.  And Rebecca stuck it to him as well.  While she was not family, nor, as has now been revealed, any sort of true friend.  But poor Brian took a beating in this episode, and I can't think of anyone he might turn to for some support.   Nobody at the FBI.  Certainly not Morra/Sands.  I guess Piper is the only person left in the Limitless universe for him to turn to.

 

Worst part is, I just know that Brian will end up apologizing to Rebecca, and the entire family.

[sjohnson]

Evidently people feel differently. Feelings aren't acts of will. But I do want to point out that all the family really, truly knows, except for Dad, is that Brian hasn't needed money in a while, and has a nice apartment. The family values material success and ambition, but they have other values I believe. So I think they would rate all that pretty low if they were afraid of ill-gotten gains, something associated with drugs. And it was Brian if I remember correctly who asked Dad to keep it secret. Which come to think of it was yet another reason for Dad to keep silent. 

 

I really think Mom is going to do a big apology (as she should,) because she'll cool down and realize what she did. But Brian will apologize to Rebecca (as he shouldn't I think,) because. 

[Izeinwinter]

I'm one hundred percent on Rebecca's side in this. Her job as handler is quite impossible if she lets Brian lie to her. And so she quit that assignment.

It was the correct thing to do, and she did it with lots more grace than anyone else showed in this episode, including Brian. 

 

The family had what amounts to a war-on-drugs-propaganda related meltdown,

but mostly, I'm concerned the lot of them are going to be hostages or dead very shortly. 

[Netfoot]

I do want to point out that all the family really, truly knows, except for Dad, is that Brian hasn't needed money in a while, and has a nice apartment. 

 

They also know he works for the FBI, and in a position where he has two agents at his beck-and-call.  They can assume that the FBI (an agency that is renowned for it's background checks) wouldn't employ him if he was a drugged-out stoner.  

 

As for Rebecca, yes she has a job to do, but she was fine being the recipient of a little off-book action on Brian's part.  I think she could have cut him enough slack as to at least talk to him first, before sending the goon-squad in to bust up his place.  

[MissLucas]

 And it was Brian if I remember correctly who asked Dad to keep it secret. Which come to think of it was yet another reason for Dad to keep silent.

That's why I give Dad a pass here - he did exactly what Brian had asked him to do and kept the secret. He may have tried to stop Mom from going on a full rampage in front of the FBI guys but that may have raised even more questions.* If Ike and Mike figured out that Dad knows what's going on then Brian would have been in trouble with the FBI too. Dad was in no position to know that had already happened because Brian was not supposed to have a stash of NZT.

 

*Let's not forget Dad never wanted Mike and Ike in the house but was overruled by Mom and Rebecca. Him insisting once again that they leave may have caused more raised eyebrows than it did before.

[sjohnson]

Whether or not you agree Rebecca was in an impossible situation as his handler, nobody owes a handler an apology. Apologies are for friends. Brian I think will apologize to Rebecca because Hollywood ships leads. (CBS is old folks and unimaginative so Elementary can't be an exception, right?) 

 

Speaking of working for the FBI, Black Mass, about Whitey Bulger and his FBI handler, is just out in DVD.

[Clanstarling]

Although I like Rebecca very much, as Brian's handler, she has power over him. Extracting a promise of honesty from him isn't really worth all that much. Did she expect him to say "Oh, nope. Can't promise I won't lie?" They are not equals. Brian works for the FBI because he's been forced to. The fact that he seems to like it, and definitely likes Rebecca, doesn't change the fact of the disparity in their positions.

I find it interesting that the two women who had the most power over Brian - excepting Naz who has a more distant relationship - dealt with their disappointment and/or fear by punishing him with their withdrawal. How very controlling of them.

[twoods]

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.

Thank you! I was wondering why he looked so familiar. Now I have the Sister Sister theme song in my head. Glad he wasn't the obvious killer.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

Although I like Rebecca very much, as Brian's handler, she has power over him. Extracting a promise of honesty from him isn't really worth all that much. Did she expect him to say "Oh, nope. Can't promise I won't lie?" They are not equals. Brian works for the FBI because he's been forced to. The fact that he seems to like it, and definitely likes Rebecca, doesn't change the fact of the disparity in their positions.

I find it interesting that the two women who had the most power over Brian - excepting Naz who has a more distant relationship - dealt with their disappointment and/or fear by punishing him with their withdrawal. How very controlling of them.

 

I see you're point, but I can't help but wonder if part of Rebecca feels that she is the problem, thus disengaging.  Maybe she thinks she made a mistake by becoming too friendly with Brian, too soon, and that clouds her judgement of the situation.  Maybe she knows as his handler she should know everything and dictating his life as an FBI asset, but since she sees him as more than just a 'tool' to be used for work purposes, she can't be properly impartial to handling him effectively.

 

Because I was big fan of Chuck (despite the final season), I feel like there are quite a few directly-mirrored elements between it and this show.  I think Rebecca, like that other show's female agent (later in its S1), has already pretty much lost her [true] sense of objectivity in regards to her asset and it impairs her ability to do the job as its supposed to be done.  Rebecca is seeing that and thinks she's doing the right thing, removing herself from the equation for someone who won't be blinded by loyalty to Brian and not the job.  This is all conjecture, as they will remain the way they have been all along, but if it were to be the case from now on, that doesn't mean that Brian & Rebecca can't or won't be 'friends' still - there's still the NZT + her dad, after all - but not in the same way it was.

 

Just my view and take on things; YMMV.

Edited March 12, 2016 by iRarelyWatchTV36

[Clanstarling]

I see you're point, but I can't help but wonder if part of Rebecca feels that she is the problem, thus disengaging.  Maybe she thinks she made a mistake by becoming too friendly with Brian, too soon, and that clouds her judgement of the situation.  Maybe she knows as his handler she should know everything and dictating his life as an FBI asset, but since she sees him as more than just a 'tool' to be used for work purposes, she can't be properly impartial to handling him effectively.

 

Because I was big fan of Chuck (despite the final season), I feel like there are quite a few directly-mirrored elements between it and this show.  I think Rebecca, like that other show's female agent (later in its S1), has already pretty much lost her [true] sense of objectivity in regards to her asset and it impairs her ability to do the job as its supposed to be done.  Rebecca is seeing that and thinks she's doing the right thing, removing herself from the equation for someone who won't be blinded by loyalty to Brian and not the job.  This is all conjecture, as they will remain the way they have been all along, but if it were to be the case from now on, that doesn't mean that Brian & Rebecca can't or won't be 'friends' still - there's still the NZT + her dad, after all - but not in the same way it was.

 

Just my view and take on things; YMMV.

You make valid points. I do agree that Rebecca is responding to him more than simply as an asset, which does complicate her reactions quite a bit.

Which is partly the beauty of this show, as nothing is really cut and dried with each character, not even Sands at this point.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

You make valid points. I do agree that Rebecca is responding to him more than simply as an asset, which does complicate her reactions quite a bit.

Which is partly the beauty of this show, as nothing is really cut and dried with each character, not even Sands at this point.

 

Very true, and I agree.  A big part of a good-or-great show is being drawn in by all characters while watching the episodes & plot play out, not just the main protagonist. 

 

Brian is who Brian is, that hasn't changed much (if any)... however with just about everyone else involved, we got initial impressions of them and thought this or that about them, but as the season (& series) has progressed, the 'onion keeps peeling away' and we're getting a 'look behind the curtain' to each of them.  Some look about the same as originally labeled them as, some look a little better as the onion peels away, and the rest look not quite as morally or intellectually attractive as initial impressions indicated.

[Big Mother]

I might be wrong, but I think Brian currently has 0 NZT's. I didnt see him get his stash back from Ike and Mike. Did I miss it?

[Hecate7]

I'm one hundred percent on Rebecca's side in this. Her job as handler is quite impossible if she lets Brian lie to her. And so she quit that assignment.

It was the correct thing to do, and she did it with lots more grace than anyone else showed in this episode, including Brian. 

 

The family had what amounts to a war-on-drugs-propaganda related meltdown,

but mostly, I'm concerned the lot of them are going to be hostages or dead very shortly. 

 

Obviously they will be, and it will be Rachel's fault entirely when they are. But Brian will save them, and then, group hug! Everybody will say something proving that the experience didn't change them in the slightest, and all will end happily, I think. I hope. It's that kind of show. I still hope he changes his boundaries with Rachel. She should never have had access to his place in the first place. Maybe she's a counter-agent?

 

Has the actress playing Rebecca gotten a better offer or something? Because really professionally she did the right thing to withdraw as his handler, because she has too many personal feelings on the line here.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

I might be wrong, but I think Brian currently has 0 NZT's. I didnt see him get his stash back from Ike and Mike. Did I miss it?

 

There's a quick scene towards the very end, between the big family confrontation and the very end, where they show a quick flash of Brian's pick-pocketing skills of getting the pills back from whichever one had it in their pocket.  Or, at least, I am imagining remembering that happening.

 

ETA:  Just checked it, and at about the 42:40 mark of the episode, he's seen picking up the pills off the kitchen counter in his apartment, then immediately flashbacks to putting a hand on Mike's shoulder & leaning into to talk softly to him, while lifting the pills out of Mike's jacket pocket.  Back to real time, as he stuffs the pills in his own pocket, the "Spare NZT Pills" counter clicks from 0 up to 2.

Edited March 14, 2016 by iRarelyWatchTV36

[Hecate7]

I find it interesting that the two women who had the most power over Brian - excepting Naz who has a more distant relationship - dealt with their disappointment and/or fear by punishing him with their withdrawal. How very controlling of them.

 

 

Disengaging isn't controlling. He's free to do whatever he wants, just not with them. It's perhaps the least controlling thing they could possibly do. Controlling would be staying engaged and dictating terms. They both did exactly what the books say you must do with an addict. You can't control what he does. All you can control, is what you do, and what you must do for your own safety is have nothing to do with him.

[MisterGlass]

I think it was appropriate for Rebecca to take a step back.  She is trying to protect herself and Brian by setting limits.  Brian and his actions are to an extent his handler's responsibility, and they are past the point of objectivity in their relationship.  She knows Brian is keeping things secret; Brian has been deflecting for several episodes, and he is a terrible liar.  A status quo that keeps her in the dark and gives the control to an asset who isn't a sworn agent is potentially dangerous.  And Rebecca knows how quickly things can turn when someone is on NZT.

 

As for his mother's reaction, I wonder how much of it had to do with the story of Sands showing up bleeding on Brian's doorstep as the drug use.  This brings home the idea that he's in real danger in this job and using some kind shady substance.

 

Mike and Ike are quickly becoming a favorite buddy cop duo for both comedy and drama.  I like that they followed up on the story about Sands with Rachel, and I'm curious where their investigation will lead.  Despite the adversarial interactions with Brian, they've warmed to him quite a bit.

 

 

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

 

Piper doesn't have the antidote yet.  She's been trying to synthesize it.

[Clanstarling]

Disengaging isn't controlling. He's free to do whatever he wants, just not with them. It's perhaps the least controlling thing they could possibly do. Controlling would be staying engaged and dictating terms. They both did exactly what the books say you must do with an addict. You can't control what he does. All you can control, is what you do, and what you must do for your own safety is have nothing to do with him.

I can't disagree that this can be true, especially with addicts. However, my experience with that tactic has been with someone who detached until those he detached from came groveling for forgiveness, and were then let back into his good graces (drugs/addiction had nothing to do with anything in these cases) So my perspective, and reaction, is different. As with most things, there are many ways to view the same actions. Which is what's so interesting in the forums.

[Izeinwinter]

 

Piper doesn't have the antidote yet.  She's been trying to synthesize it.

The timeline is a bit unclear, but given that it has been a while, and the promo shows her *not being dead* and clearly still boosted, I would say that she has succeeded. 

Edited March 13, 2016 by Izeinwinter

[Hecate7]

The timeline is a bit unclear, but given that it has been a while, and the promo shows her *not being dead* and clearly still boosted, I would say that she has succeeded. 

 

Good point.

[sjohnson]

Seeing characters as children conflicts with seeing how cool they are, I think. I've concluded this is why so many, many TV shows somehow take family out of the series on one excuse or another. And the most common alternative is to make them adversarial, which does happen, but isn't the rule, like it is on TV. Very few programs tackle real families. The cost of the actors is one aspect I suppose. But strangely enough very few complain about a cheap production that seems to make the lead a product of spontaneous generation.

[Actionmage]

I do wonder what the brother will think. He gave Brian a head's up on the brewing Hurricane Mom and advocated leaving right then.  Will he just go along with the family line, after he's had it "explained" to him?  Will he have some harshness for Rachel about tattling on a grown man? Maybe a 'you could have come to me because I am a doctor'?

 

Which leads me to another thought: is this how they pare down family, but have more medical insight into how to help Brian? His brother, maybe in conjunction with Dad, help Brian figure out how to keep everyone safe? Or at least, the NZT side? 

[kili]

Maybe a 'you could have come to me because I am a doctor'?

Being a doctor he might also understand that there are some jobs (like being a doctor) where you aren't supposed to tell your family all the details about what happens at work and family should accept that. You would think that a family of a lawyer and a doctor might have crossed that bridge of work secrets before.

[shapeshifter]

I still hope he changes his boundaries with Rachel. She should never have had access to his place in the first place. Maybe she's a counter-agent?

Or something. I've missed a couple of episodes, including the introduction of her character, but they kept zooming in on her making all kinds of sorry looks during the family meeting.

[Hecate7]

I don't think the brother is going to be all that important. Brian didn't need him much to cure their Dad. I think Brian's past needing his help at all, but it would be cool if I'm wrong. What I think is going on there, is that med students pretty much HAVE to take speed because they don't get to sleep. They pretty much have to take pills to regulate their sleeping schedules as interns, too, because they're on an impossible schedule. At the same time, they'll be fired if anyone finds out how they manage to stay awake 16 straight hours, sleep 2, and come back for another 16. Like it's all that mysterious.