S01.E19: A Dog's Breakfast

[thewhiteowl]

Brian’s double life unravels when Senator Morra makes contact just as Brian’s placed under 24-hour surveillance by the FBI following his rogue trip to Russia. Also, Mike and Ike tell an already suspicious Rebecca about Brian’s off-book interaction with Morra’s henchman, Sands.

 

 

[Netfoot]

Wow.

 

Anyway, New Rules:

 

1. Cubicle:  Only applies if I agrees to continue to working for you.
2. Observing Swallowing of the Pill:  Won't be necessary; I refuse to take it any more.
3. Random Drug Tests:  Decline to submit.
4. Searching Safe House:  No problem since I won't be living there any more.
5. Monitoring Communications:  Got a warrant?.
6. Curfew:  Decline to comply.
7. 24 Hour Observation:  Try to keep up with me.
8. No discussion of NZT:  Except with NYT...
9. HQ:  Help yourself.
10. Dress Code:  See #1

 

Just don't trust Piper, and I've never trusted Boyle...

 

Didn't I say that Morra might come out of this smelling like a rose?  

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

-  There was something about this episode that made it a little better than the last few.  I can't quite put my finger on it... oh!  I know.  The Finch family was completely absent.  Such a relief to not be stressed out by unwanted characters and their stupidly hurtful melodrama.

 

-  The case in this episode was just filler - just some kibbles & bits really - to space out the main plot.  I do dislike the wife who killed hubby though, she couldn't have at least chopped up some onions to go with that liver when she fed it to the dog!?  Inhumane.

 

-  I know people will give Rebecca crap for having Brian watched and then following him herself, but her reasoning is justified as well as sound.  She doesn't know if Brian is willingly in cahoots with Morra (& Sands) or not.  He's been lying to her about it from the very beginning of the start of their working relationship, by either hiding stuff or giving incorrect answers/statements or just by plain not saying anyting at all.  Maybe a tad bit harsh, but I like how she showed up with a no non-sense approach at Brian's place to get the real story out of him.

 

-  Boyle finally outs himself with the found & kept pill.  Nice to get confirmation that the thought did cross his mind to give to his mom, to allow her one final half a day of 'bliss'.

 

-  So Sands has gone rogue and is now taking NZT, along with his own band of 'soon to be' drug-aided masterminds.  That bodes really well for Brian & the CJC.[/sarcasm so thick it could only be cut with a chainsaw] 

 

-  So, is Piper actually dead, or working with Sands now?  *ominous music*

 

-  I honestly don't know if Morra is a (evil mastermind-level) baddie or not - I still feel like he's super untrustworthy (maybe the 'Sands is rogue!' thing is just a game being played by Morra) - but one thing can be said for the guy; he's got a God complex the size of the galaxy.  Not caring the slightest about Sands and his rogue operation?  Thinking forward and above the Presidency now??  Geezus.  How can you fit through doorways with a head that big?!

Edited March 24, 2016 by iRarelyWatchTV36

[Free]

Didn't I say that Morra might come out of this smelling like a rose?

 

Something has to keep Bradley Cooper as a viable recurring guest star for this series.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

Cooper does a great job as Morra.  He does just enough to keep Brian hooked, while still looking shady as hell.  I like that its impossible to tell if he is an evil mastermind or just a guy who's been on NZT so long that he's become so full of self pride and assurance that it makes him look just plain creepy to an outsider.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

Didn't think of it before now - don't know why it never occurred to me  - but what was with Sands giving Brian the booster shot if he's gone rogue? 

 

Someone mentioned elsewhere, its Piper's completed formula for the enyzme shot and its a test to see if it works or not.  That theory would make a lot of sense, especially if it turns out that she is now working with Sands and the new NZT team.

Edited March 23, 2016 by iRarelyWatchTV36

[Big Mother]

OMG. I/m so confused. who's working with whom? is Rebecca in cahoots with Sands? is Sands in cahoots with Piper? How did Mr. Y. end up tailing Brian AND working for sands? Is Rebecca playing two sides? Things will really come to a head next week, but there was no "next week on" segment.

 

To be honest, the whole 'case of the week' thing didn't interest me at all. I was so tense waiting for the real stuff to start happening.

[MisterGlass]

There is some real suspense here and I'm enjoying it.  I loved Rebecca's resolution to keep her knowledge quiet until she had more.  Once she knew Brian and Sands were in communication she had to be cautious.  I love the trifecta with Mike and Ike, and I'm excited to see where the final confrontation leads us.

 

Sands as independent entity is a scary twist.  Sands still owes Brian for the mission with his son, and I feel like that's a debt he would honor.  I don't think he'd go after Brian directly.  I can see him getting in league with Piper against Morra.

 

Add me to the list of people who find Boyle a bit suspicious.  I liked his moment of confession about the pill, but I don't know.  I feel like there is more to his story that we're not seeing yet.

 

Cleaning out Brian's headquarters and sticking him in a suit and tie felt petty, but denying him any off-clock time is really questionable.

[Big Mother]

....side note: I think Senator Morra would make a great president... Donald Trump and Hillary clinton both terrify me as presidential prospects! LOL

Whoa. I made a huge error and that's why I was so confused by this episode. When Rebecca was tailing brian in the car, with Mike adn Ike, I thought that black dude was Sands!!! That'sw hat happens when you watch on a 7 inch tablet. So now everything's a lot clearer. Rebecca knows nothing. The whole time I was confused, like why is she tailing Brian with Sands of all people. I'll have to re-think the whole episode now in the context of Rebecca and Sands not having crossed paths at all this episode.

[MrWhyt]

I'm a bad man. I laughed my ass off when Stavros stabbed himself and everyone else freaked out.

[sjohnson]

I'm a bad man. I laughed my ass off when Stavros stabbed himself and everyone else freaked out.

That was a much more understandable reaction than mine. I was confused about why Stavros stabbed himself in the right leg after he said his left leg had no feeling.

 

Sands was shown as giving out NZT, which he wouldn't do without the enzyme. In context, i think it's pretty clear it's Piper's enzyme. Whether Piper is dead, under duress by Sands or allied with Sands, is I suppose yet to be revealed. 

 

Morra's niceness, such as it is, is supposed to be compatible with the extra-judicial execution of Piper for merely attempting to assassinate him. I must say I rather disapprove of Piper for that. But I don't think there's any question: Morra is not a nice man. But in the real world government officials and military officers and police rather often kill people for presenting a potential threat, so I guess by Hollywood standards Morra is nevertheless a plausible candidate for white hat. 

 

The most baffling thing, the most out of the blue, hence by mystery novel standards most likely the most significant plot development, is the disappearance of Mr. Y.

Edited March 23, 2016 by sjohnson

[rhys]

That dog was so cute & fluffy. Please tell me it was not a cross between a sheep & poodle.

[Netfoot]

....side note: I think Senator Morra would make a great president... Donald Trump and Hillary clinton both terrify me as presidential prospects! LOL

 

Hillary scares me much more than Donald.  Donald is an asshole.  Hillary is dangerous!

 

I was confused about why Stavros stabbed himself in the right leg after he said his left leg had no feeling.

 

I didn't notice that.  But it does answer the question that has been troubling me:  If his leg has no feeling, why did he holler like a chimp on fire?

[possibilities]

I think "sheepdoodle" indicates that the dog was a cross between a sheepdog and a poodle.

 

I guessed that Mr Y was taken by Sands when he dropped off Piper's bracelet. It's also possible that when Rececca, Mike, and Ike realized Brian was walking around unsupervised, they went to B's apt, found Mr Y, and took him-- I'd have thought they'd check his apartment right away to see what happened to his guard-- but it doesn't seem like they would be stashing him without Naz knowing.

[shapeshifter]

Cooper does a great job as Morra.  He does just enough to keep Brian hooked, while still looking shady as hell.  I like that its impossible to tell if he is an evil mastermind or just a guy who's been on NZT so long that he's become so full of self pride and assurance that it makes him look just plain creepy to an outsider.

Creepy? I was thinking loony tunes.

I was confused about why Stavros stabbed himself in the right leg after he said his left leg had no feeling.

Seriously. Was that line supposed to be edited out?

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

Creepy? I was thinking loony tunes.

 

I'd settle on an agreement that's in the middle ground between the two.

[hnygrl]

I don't get it. What don't I get? This whole damn storyline is seriously pissing me off. What's going ON??? Too many strings to pull, and the FBI is quickly becoming superfluous. Either this show is freaking brilliant, or they've painted themselves into a corner they can't get out of. Now Brian's under arrest? What else can we do to him? Take away everything he loves. Literally. Everything. Then take away his freedom. His family. His job. His pseudo best friend is now his enemy, and sands has gone rogue and either killed his love interest or went into business with her.

Either this show is brilliant, or its circling the drain. It's stressing me out, and I hate watching tv and getting stressed.

Dammit, my lighthearted,funny smart show got real dark, real quick.

And I don't like it. At all. They'd better fix this. Cause right now as things stand a second season would be a mistake.

Edited March 23, 2016 by hnygrl

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

I don't get it. What don't I get? This whole damn storyline is seriously pissing me off. What's going ON??? Too many strings to pull, and the FBI is quickly becoming superfluous. Either this show is freaking brilliant, or they've painted themselves into a corner they can't get out of. Now Brian's under arrest? What else can we do to him? Take away everything he loves. Literally. Everything. Then take away his freedom. His family. His job. His pseudo best friend is now his enemy, and sands has gone rogue and either killed his love interest or went into business with her.

Either this show is brilliant, or its circling the drain. It's stressing me out, and I hate watching tv and getting stressed.

Dammit, my lighthearted,funny smart show got real dark, real quick.

And I don't like it. At all. They'd better fix this. Cause right now as things stand a second season would be a mistake.

 

I believe what we see from both Brian's family and the CJC is what it is.  Brian's family is having trouble accepting that he actually matters to the outside world, he's not just a screw-up anymore, its a fairly major break from their usual worldview.  With Rebecca and the CJC, she (mostly rightfully, imo) doesn't trust him and now is finally confronting him about it - and doing so in the right way, by going to him and not around him/behind his back [ie, to Naz or higher-ups].

 

I, personally, like the fact that its hard to figure out exactly what's going on with Morra and Sands [& Piper].  It adds a real sense of mystery and suspense to the overall story and myth-arc.  There's only 3 episodes left to this season, so it's kind of a 'sprint to the finish line' now; not only with tying up quite a few threads by the season finale, but also using said finale to spring-board into season 2.

[Big Mother]

i want to know how REbecca tailed Brian all the way to the place Senator Morra was giving his speech, when he managed to shake Mr. Y.'s tail on 3 subway cars.

[sjohnson]

I guessed that Mr Y was taken by Sands when he dropped off Piper's bracelet. It's also possible that when Rececca, Mike, and Ike realized Brian was walking around unsupervised, they went to B's apt, found Mr Y, and took him-- I'd have thought they'd check his apartment right away to see what happened to his guard-- but it doesn't seem like they would be stashing him without Naz knowing.

 

Agree it's terribly unlikely anyone but Sands would take Mr. Y. The interesting thing about that is that it more or less proves Morra's contention Sands has gone rogue. Sands taking out Morra's link to Brian is a move against Morra. 

With Rebecca and the CJC, she (mostly rightfully, imo) doesn't trust him and now is finally confronting him about it - and doing so in the right way, by going to him and not around him/behind his back [ie, to Naz or higher-ups].

Maybe it's just me, but law enforcement reporting to supervisors doesn't strike me as going around a suspect's back. It's not reporting to supervisors that's ethically and legally dubious. Also, having a gun pointed at someone and being ordered to cuff yourself for interrogation doesn't strike me as aboveboard. Brian (and the show) has it bad for Rebecca, so no doubt she will be forgiven. Still, technically this is armed assault. I'm not sure it deserves praise as the morally correct thing to do.

i want to know how REbecca tailed Brian all the way to the place Senator Morra was giving his speech, when he managed to shake Mr. Y.'s tail on 3 subway cars.

I thought Rebecca didn't tail him at all. I thought she guessed that with Morra in town there might be a meeting and went to see if he was there. And she told the others not to follow to increase her chances of catching Brian in the act, so to speak, by adding the element of surprise.

[Netfoot]

I don't get it. What don't I get? This whole damn storyline is seriously pissing me off. What's going ON??? Too many strings to pull, and the FBI is quickly becoming superfluous. Either this show is freaking brilliant, or they've painted themselves into a corner they can't get out of. Now Brian's under arrest? What else can we do to him? Take away everything he loves. Literally. Everything. Then take away his freedom. His family. His job. His pseudo best friend is now his enemy

 

So, I've been saying they treat Brian like a slave.  Now, it seems he is a slave.  Because they couldn't treat an employee that way.

 

Agree it's terribly unlikely anyone but Sands would take Mr. Y. The interesting thing about that is that it more or less proves Morra's contention Sands has gone rogue. Sands taking out Morra's link to Brian is a move against Morra.

 

It is a mistake to assume Mr. Y is Morra's man.  We saw him take Brian to see Sands, not Morra.  And we know that Sands has his own agenda, and is acting on his own. 

[sjohnson]

^^^We also saw Sands earnestly declaring that things would get easier, especially since there would be no more violence. I believe that was Sands was pretending to still be Morra's man while dealing with Brian, therefore relaying Morra's message, especially when Mr. Y was witness. But everything changes after he gets the enzyme. Then Mr. Y doesn't need to be bamboozled, eliminating Mr. Y makes it more difficult for Morra to exploit Brian in the coming struggle with Sands. Also, try as I may, I can't think of a third party who would take Mr. Y, who I suspect is dead. 

 

By the way, the solution to the case depended upon realizing that you can't just print up anything like a miracle. Very sneaky. 

[shapeshifter]

So, I've been saying they treat Brian like a slave.  Now, it seems he is a slave.  Because they couldn't treat an employee that way. 

But they would treat a criminal that way. Wasn't Brian's original status with them "criminal" but they upgraded him because of his value?

[hnygrl]

I was thinking last night when I couldn't sleep because this damn show had me all stressed out (I'm seriously gonna have to start watching on demand the next day if this keeps up) that he was their slave. They bought him, and the biggest threat they hung over his head was not PRISON (that was all Brian's inner voice), but being "sold up the river" to D.C. where they would undoubtedly kill him and slice up his brain to study him.

For a while he was a house slave, beloved and spoiled, but the minute he defied his masters he became a field hand, just there to do the work.

And sjohnson,  you're right. A good agent reports to her supervisor. She doesn't leave her BOSS in the dark. Rebecca, in her own way, has gone rogue as well. She wants to KNOW stuff and she seems to be willing to DO stuff to get what she wants. When you think about it, using Mike & Ike and tailing Brian off-book and purposely keeping the BOSS out of the loop is criminal.

 

Ah this SHOW. I can't decide if I love it or hate it lately. The last 4 episodes have gotten so dark.

 

I remember my very first post in this thread after watching the Pilot. I said that if they wanted a second season, they were gonna have to make Brian go Rogue.

 

Am I a prophet?

[atomationage]

I thought this episode was poorly written, with Smacking My Head plot holes substituting for exposition.  Before, I was wondering why Boyle just didn't give the NZT pill he found to Brian.  He knows Brian is a good guy who only wants to do good.  Now they're saying he wanted to give it to his mother, when he's afraid of it for himself?  Huh?  There are also disconnnections in the series that have never been explained.  People are left in the dark about something for no discernible reason.   Why is Rebecca keeping Boyle out of the loop, but not Mike and Ike?  It makes no sense to me.  People who have been nice to Brian all along suddenly turn nasty.   Why doesn't Brian just tell Rebecca whats going on?   He wants to keep Morra's involvement a secret, when he knows that Rebecca already knows about it.  Oh well!  I started watching because Jennifer Carpenter is in it.  Then I didn't like the pilot episode, and gave up for a while.  Then they came up with very good episodes.  Now, for me,  they're back to where they were at the beginning.   I like the episodes where Brian is having fun.  I doubt the next ones will be fun.  I hope they don't get renewed.  If they do, I hope they get better writers or more consistent writing.

Edited March 23, 2016 by atomationage

[iMonrey]

 

Either this show is brilliant, or its circling the drain.

 

I'm leaning towards brilliant, but I'm afraid the story is moving a little too fast and becoming overly complicated. Mind you - I appreciate the effort to make this show more than a simple case of the week kind of procedural, but it's not the kind of thing new viewers can pick up on quickly. Thankfully the ratings were up a little last night, so that's a good sign. 

 

I liked the fact that Brian reassured the audience no harm came to the sheepdoodle. Cute doggie! Did you catch the part where they were first interviewing the wife and the dog did something with his paws almost as if he were waving at Brian?

 

I'm confused about what Naz and the rest of the FBI (except for Rebecca, Mike and Ike) think Brian was doing in Russia and why they would let him continue working there and continue giving him NZT. What was his cover story? Surely he didn't say he went there to find Piper.

[Netfoot]

So, what did Rebecca do with the NZT pill she got from Boyle?  Did she hand it in?  Or might we see her take it in the near future?  That might be interesting!

[hnygrl]

If I recall correctly, he TRIED giving it to her but she refused to take it.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

I've always seen things a little bit different....

 

Has Rebecca done the wrong thing by not going to Naz?  Maybe - ok, yes definitely, from a 'rulebook' standpoint.  But its obviously this show is more about the interpersonal relationships than being technically and fanatically correct about rules.  It also puts a bold highlight on how she sees Brian as a friend more than a co-worker, by using this approach.  I further believe that she won't intentionally hurt Brian re: the gun & cuffs, its just a visual scare tactic to make sure to him that she isn't just there for half-truths or misdirections to answers she feels that its imperative to know.

Edited March 23, 2016 by iRarelyWatchTV36

[JasmineFlower]

Really starting to hate Rebecca. She's gone rogue (don't convince yourself of anything else - she's running an off book opp with zero authority to do and is using FBI resources to do so), is manipulative, has the nerve to get apologies from two guys she should be apologizing to, and I'm supposed to what? Root for her? Why? I don't know what the writers are thinking here. I don't think they actually want me to think of Rebecca as a villain, but I won't ever see her as truly good ever again. It feels like they went out on a very risky limb with her. I guess we'll see if it pays off, but I'm wondering if there's any way to redeem her character to the point the place she was before in viewers' minds. Have to agree with this show is either brilliant or circling the drain. Feels like they are steadily heading into territory they can't come back from if they didn't already cross that line.

 

Not at all liking that Brian is being treating as a prisoner and FBI is using him unchecked. It doesn't feel right that his personal liberty is being taken away when he's not with FBI as a condition of parole.

 

Didn't see the Sands move coming, but I like it. And I was never invested in Piper. That felt forced from the start, presenting me crazy from every angle and then trying to sell her as a viable love interest had many missteps.

Edited March 23, 2016 by JasmineFlower

[Netfoot]

Not at all liking that Brian is being treating as a prisoner and FBI is using him unchecked. It doesn't feel right that his personal liberty is being taken away when he's not with FBI as a condition of parole.

 

Brian walked into a bank, snatched the guard's gun, and declared that he was robbing the bank.  He instructed the cashier to trigger the silent alarm, and call the FBI. When the first FBI agent (Rebecca) got there, he took her downstairs, and showed her the blood-stained NZT pills that proved Adam HoneyCutt killed Eli Whitford thereby clearing his name of the wrongful accusation of murder.  Then, he promptly surrendered to Rebecca.  At no time did he attempt to steal anything, or hurt anyone.

 

That is the crime the FBI is holding over his head?  I could talk my way out of that in 3 minutes in any court in the land, and I don't take NZT!  

 

The problem is the FBI treats Brian as if he has no option but to do exactly what they say, whatever that might be.  I don't believe that is the case.  In practice, rather than being subject to their every whim, Brian should be able to write his own ticket.  His options are somewhat curtailed by Morra, but the FBI don't know that!

[sjohnson]

As to any court trial on charges of attempted bank robbery, armed assault, obstruction of justice, etc. I'm afraid I firmly believe that if the prosecution started talking "National Security" and "terrorism" in connection with NZT, Brian would be convicted. And that forgets the popular option of Guantanamo. The government can not only kill a US citizen at executive order (Anwar al-Awlaki) and be applauded, it can kill his sixteen year old son who wasn't even accused of anything. If children of leaders are "Legitimate Targets," surely the user of a subversive drug can be viewed as deserving firm treatment by the FBI.

 

I've always felt Brian was in deep trouble. Looking at Morra's sublime confidence in the face of Sands' defection, I see a parallel with Brian's sublime confidence in the face of the FBI. I guess that's why I didn't just see Dad's reaction as him being an asshole, but him being a realist.

[possibilities]

Boyle wanted to give the pill to his mom because she has nothing to lose. Her Alzheimers is very advanced. He didn't do it, but I think it made perfect sense form a character angle, that he would think that in her case it was a greater good, even if he isn't comfortable messing around with it for himself.

 

I don't understand what Rebecca is supposed to be apologizing for. She has stuck her neck out for Brian a lot, asking only that he not lie to her. She found out he was lying, confronted him about it, and then he kept lying and evading, so she backed away. Now she's doing what she can to find out what's going on, before coming to moral conclusions about whether his lying was motivated by bad or good reasons. I think she's still going way out on a limb for him. Yes, it's bad to point your gun at someone. But right now, Rebecca is a much better gamble for Brian than the FBI in general. She is giving him one more time to come clean with her.

 

The FBI keeps him around despite his rule breaking because they think he is the only person on the planet who can take NZT without side effects. They supposedly want to study him, as well as capitalize on his crime-solving abilities. I agree they are treating him like a prisoner, not an employee. His original deal with them was basically a plea bargain: you help us, we don't send up the chain for prosecution. Whether he could win in court on the bank robbery charges is irrelevant, because he took the deal. They don't know it's because of Morra, but by now they also suspect him of selling secrets to the Russians. He would have a much harder time making a case in public about how innocent he is, now that he's got the additional suspicion of being a spy.

 

Whether Rebecca, Mike, Ike, or anyone else should be investigating Brian without reporting to Naz is a valid question, but Naz did give Rebecca the OK to "go on vacation and investigate privately." That Rebecca stayed in town instead doesn't to me rescind the general approval for looking into things.

 

I think Rebecca is working with Mike and Ike because they came to her with info. She's not confiding in Boyle because she's trying to keep the investigation small, among only those who already know something, to prevent it leaking or getting too far out. She doesn't know if she can trust Boyle, or what his priorities are, so she can't involve him, even though she clearly appreciated his outreach to her and wants to be able to come clean. She just doesn't know what they're dealing with yet, and she wants to be sure before she decides what the best course of action is. Also, the last time they asked Boyle to help, he shot Casey dead. She's being cautious.

 

I like that the show is intricate. It gives my brain something to gnaw on, and it keeps me from seeing 23 steps ahead of the plot which often happens with tv that is one dimensional and too predictable. The people are a little bit unpredictable, just like in life. So far I think they have a good mix, for me anyway, of humor and seriousness. And they do raise ethical questions and challenge both the characters and the viewers with moral confusion. Most of the time, there's a lot of grey area in the story, and you can understand why people do what they do, even if you decide it's wrong, or you wish they had done something else. I really enjoy that. It's unsettling, but in a good way, I think.

[MisterGlass]

I like your write up, possibilities.  I agree that Rebecca has tacit approval from Naz to handle Brian as she sees fit, and beyond that, Rebecca isn't a junior agent.  She has always seemed to have a level of autonomy, and authority over agents like Mike and Ike.  I think the reason the three of them trust each other most at this moment is because they all want justice, and while they are suspicious of Brian, they are not ready to jump to the conclusion that he's a traitor.

 

 

As to any court trial on charges of attempted bank robbery, armed assault, obstruction of justice, etc. I'm afraid I firmly believe that if the prosecution started talking "National Security" and "terrorism" in connection with NZT, Brian would be convicted.

 

I think at the very least that Brian is open to a charge of inciting a panic, in the line of calling in fake threat.

 

 

But I don't think there's any question: Morra is not a nice man.

 

I don't think Morra thinks in those terms any more.  He is an authority unto himself (red flag!).  He seemed surprised when Brian was speaking to him, but completely unalarmed, like Sands's defection and the news that Piper is alive are just ripples that are insignificant to his overall strategy.  I find the performance really interesting.

 

I was a little surprised that he gave Brian a pill at the end of that.  It made me wonder if it wasn't the usual NZT, but Brian didn't seem to notice a difference.

 

 

I think "sheepdoodle" indicates that the dog was a cross between a sheepdog and a poodle.

 

I googled it, and you're right.  It is a designer hybrid and not a recognized breed.  And based on the search results there are a bizarre assortment of breeds that are bred with poodles. 

[JasmineFlower]

Brian walked into a bank, snatched the guard's gun, and declared that he was robbing the bank.  He instructed the cashier to trigger the silent alarm, and call the FBI. When the first FBI agent (Rebecca) got there, he took her downstairs, and showed her the blood-stained NZT pills that proved Adam HoneyCutt killed Eli Whitford thereby clearing his name of the wrongful accusation of murder.  Then, he promptly surrendered to Rebecca.  At no time did he attempt to steal anything, or hurt anyone.

 

That is the crime the FBI is holding over his head?  I could talk my way out of that in 3 minutes in any court in the land, and I don't take NZT!  

 

The problem is the FBI treats Brian as if he has no option but to do exactly what they say, whatever that might be.  I don't believe that is the case.  In practice, rather than being subject to their every whim, Brian should be able to write his own ticket.  His options are somewhat curtailed by Morra, but the FBI don't know that!

 

I think you misunderstood what I wrote since this was in reply to my earlier comment. I believe we are of the same mind. I said I didn't at all like that the FBI is acting as if Brian is rightfully their property, that they have taken away his liberty as if he is a convicted prisoner and they are lawfully entitled to set drastic limits on his every waking moment.

[Netfoot]

I think you misunderstood what I wrote since this was in reply to my earlier comment. I believe we are of the same mind. I said I didn't at all like that the FBI is acting as if Brian is rightfully their property, that they have taken away his liberty as if he is a convicted prisoner and they are lawfully entitled to set drastic limits on his every waking moment.

 

I was agreeing with your remark, and saying why.  I don't understand why some seem to think Brian has no rights at all.  Then I see comments like this:

 

...while they are suspicious of Brian, they are not ready to jump to the conclusion that he's a traitor.

 

Brian is under suspicion of being a traitor to his country now?  Because he went on vacation in Russia?  Who is running the FBI these days?  Joe McCarthy?

 

It's strange that in a show about super-intelligence being available in tablet form, the most unbelievable thing in this show, is that the FBI is treating Brian like a chattel, and many viewers think that's just fine!  

[Hecate7]

So, I've been saying they treat Brian like a slave.  Now, it seems he is a slave.  Because they couldn't treat an employee that way.

 

 

It is a mistake to assume Mr. Y is Morra's man.  We saw him take Brian to see Sands, not Morra.  And we know that Sands has his own agenda, and is acting on his own. 

 

 

He's a prisoner, which is pretty much the same thing as a slave. He's working for the FBI in return for not going to prison. Which, after tonight, it looks like might not be true anymore. Looks like Rebecca's taking him to jail.

 

Apparently they DO think he's a traitor to his country. Or perhaps they just think there's no point in having him work for the FBI anymore instead of going to jail. I thought Rebecca's 180 was a little too easy. She is no friend of Brian's--she's been putting that on for everyone else's benefit, ever since Brian disappeared. His family was right not to talk to her. I am not fond of the Dad, but I think he does have everybody's number.

Edited March 24, 2016 by Hecate7

[Hecate7]

I've always seen things a little bit different....

 

Has Rebecca done the wrong thing by not going to Naz?  Maybe - ok, yes definitely, from a 'rulebook' standpoint.  But its obviously this show is more about the interpersonal relationships than being technically and fanatically correct about rules.  It also puts a bold highlight on how she sees Brian as a friend more than a co-worker, by using this approach.  I further believe that she won't intentionally hurt Brian re: the gun & cuffs, its just a visual scare tactic to make sure to him that she isn't just there for half-truths or misdirections to answers she feels that its imperative to know.

 

 

So, she's unprofessional, manipulative, and ridiculously entitled?

 

Rebecca USED to think of Brian as a friend, and I think she had a crush. But that is OVER. He has talked to Sands and said nothing to her about it. She knows all about Morra now. She's over it. Rebecca and Brian might be endgame, but they aren't anything at the moment. She's pretending to see him as a friend in order to get her FBI buddies to assist her rogue spying on Brian without involving Naz. Looks like right now, she doesn't care what happened in Russia, doesn't care about where the NZT comes from or what happens with it, doesn't care about Brian in any way at all except as a way of maybe getting to Sands. If Brian gets hurt or killed on the way or as a result of it, I don't think it will bother her. She is no longer the Rebecca from Episode 1, and it's a long way til endgame, I think.

Edited March 24, 2016 by Hecate7

[shapeshifter]

I don't understand what Rebecca is supposed to be apologizing for. She has stuck her neck out for Brian a lot, asking only that he not lie to her. She found out he was lying, confronted him about it, and then he kept lying and evading, so she backed away. Now she's doing what she can to find out what's going on, before coming to moral conclusions about whether his lying was motivated by bad or good reasons. I think she's still going way out on a limb for him. Yes, it's bad to point your gun at someone. But right now, Rebecca is a much better gamble for Brian than the FBI in general. She is giving him one more time to come clean with her.

The problem is and has been that Brian was given an offer of go to jail or do these things, one of which was not lying. You would think the FBI would know that the odds are that he will say yes even if it means no, but then the CIA still thinks people will tell the truth when tortured, so we shouldn't be surprised. Rebecca could be considered a more highly evolved fibbie given the part I bolded above.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

So, she's unprofessional, manipulative, and ridiculously entitled?

 

Rebecca USED to think of Brian as a friend, and I think she had a crush. But that is OVER. He has talked to Sands and said nothing to her about it. She knows all about Morra now. She's over it. Rebecca and Brian might be endgame, but they aren't anything at the moment. She's pretending to see him as a friend in order to get her FBI buddies to assist her rogue spying on Brian without involving Naz. Looks like right now, she doesn't care what happened in Russia, doesn't care about where the NZT comes from or what happens with it, doesn't care about Brian in any way at all except as a way of maybe getting to Sands. If Brian gets hurt or killed on the way or as a result of it, I don't think it will bother her. She is no longer the Rebecca from Episode 1, and it's a long way til endgame, I think.

 

Ok, taking a step back..........

 

While I do think Brian/Rebecca is the most likely endgame the writers/show-runners have in mind - its the way TV shows usually do it, at least - I never once said or implied anything between the two romantically in the post you quoted.  I believe I said friend - and meant it as just that - not even hinting at a brewing romantic interest or other such thing between the two currently (that won't happen [concretely] for a while, if it does).  If I implied it accidentally, my fault, but certainly through no intent on my part.

 

Like I always say, I see things differently.  I don't think Rebecca is 'acting' with Brian, and never has.  She continually gave him the benefit of the doubt, until it just got too hard to keep doing that, and he just kept abusing that privilege.  And even now, she's not doing the right thing (in the rulebook) while still trying to protect him, in some way, by doing this on her own and not going to Naz and/or Naz' FBI bosses.   Using him?  Not really, imo, but if so, its no more than he's used her over the course of the season.  And Rebecca wouldn't care about Brian's welfare on her way to bringing down Sands/Morra??  We'll just have to agree to disagree on that one.

[Hecate7]

I don't think Rebecca is 'acting' with Brian, and never has.  She continually gave him the benefit of the doubt, until it just got too hard to keep doing that, and he just kept abusing that privilege.  And even now, she's not doing the right thing (in the rulebook) while still trying to protect him, in some way, by doing this on her own and not going to Naz and/or Naz' FBI bosses.   Using him?  Not really, imo, but if so, its no more than he's used her over the course of the season.  And Rebecca wouldn't care about Brian's welfare on her way to bringing down Sands/Morra??  We'll just have to agree to disagree on that one.

 

 

I don't think she was ever acting before, but I think she has been ever since she verified that Sands was the agent Brian performed clandestine emergency surgery on. You could hear the shift in her voice as she went from really caring about Brian to pretending to really care about Brian because it would get everyone else to do what she wanted. Playing on the fact that everyone else still kind of likes Brian. She hasn't shared with any of them what she's doing, or why, and surely she owes them at least as much honesty as Brian owed her.

 

Now that she can't give him the benefit of the doubt, she has gotten a little creepy to watch, because the friendship isn't genuine at all right now. Her refusal to go to Naz or follow the rules in her pursuit of Sands, isn't out of any desire to protect Brian. You don't cuff someone you are trying to protect. You cuff a prisoner so they can't help themselves or get away. Rebecca used to care about protecting Brian. She probably will again before the show is over, but I don't think she does right now. Right now she's only concerned with using Brian to avenge her father.

[Netfoot]

The problem is and has been that Brian was given an offer of go to jail or do these things, one of which was not lying.

 

Let us not simplify.  The offer of not going to jail for using unconventional methods to prove that he was innocent of the murder that the FBI wrongfully accused him of, and incidentally identifying the real murderer.  Do the FBI think they hold some sort of ethical high ground which justifies them extorting Brian's cooperation with a life-threatening trial of a dangerous drug?  Do they believe that promises of truthfulness so extorted are actually binding?  

[possibilities]

I think the agreement not to lie was an agreement between Rebecca and Brian personally, because of their friendship. When Brian no longer honored it, Rebecca stopped trusting him and felt he had violated their personal bond. So now she's acting as an agent, investigating him and handling him not as a partner or a friend but as someone who needs to be forced to come clean.

 

But in general, I think there are a lot of jobs where if you are caught lying to your superiors, you do have pretty negative consequences. Usually it would be firing, not 24/7 surveillance, but this is the FBI; they have security concerns and can't just let a rogue team member go and then forget about it. I would think in real life whatever they do to FBI agents who go off the reservation is similar to what happens in the army if a soldier goes AWOL. Brian is basically in that situation now.

 

And yes, also, going to Russia without letting anyone know where he was going, just taking off like that with no warning, is a perfectly reasonable thing for the FBI to get suspicious about. I mean, Rebecca asked for time off when she wanted to go after him, she didn't just disappear in the middle of the week with no warning. I would certainly fire any employee of mine who just didn't show up, and was later found to have taken an unscheduled vacation. And in fact Brian did get drunk and disclose lots of info he should not have. And he did meet both with criminals and with foreign government officials. If any other agent did that, I'm quite certain they'd be in a lot of trouble.

 

Until now, they did let Brian have a lot of freedom. They are only watching him now because he's demonstrated that he's gone at best a little nuts, and at worst is committing treason. It's not an unreasonable fear for the FBI to have about anyone who works for them who is acting the way he is.

 

We don't know what would have happened if he had asked for time off, or tried to quit, instead of taking off the way he did. He seemed to like the job until everything blew up a couple of episodes ago. Until now they were not treating him like a captive (they did at first but they loosened up a lot over time) and he was perfectly happy working there. His unhappiness was actually more about Morra and Sands than about the FBI until this week.

[Netfoot]

But in general, I think there are a lot of jobs where if you are caught lying to your superiors, you do have pretty negative consequences. Usually it would be firing, not 24/7 surveillance, but this is the FBI; they have security concerns and can't just let a rogue team member go and then forget about it. I would think in real life whatever they do to FBI agents who go off the reservation is similar to what happens in the army if a soldier goes AWOL. Brian is basically in that situation now.

 

A well-thought out argument completely invalidated by the fact that Brian doesn't have a job in any usual sense of the word.  In a job, you have rights under the labor laws, and most specifically, the right to tell your boss to get stuffed, and to quit.

 

I think Brian's status is more like Prisoner of War.  As such, it would be normal for him to do everything he can to escape, and in the mean time, to be as disruptive to his captors as he possibly can.  The fact that he has been hugely cooperative, to the extent of even assisting Law Enforcement in his spare time, should be strong evidence that he is not a bad-guy at heart, and not a traitor to his country.  Yet he is treated to ever increasingly draconian restrictions with every episode.  Along with increasing expectations of honesty and openness which, as far as I'm concerned, they have no right to expect.

[shapeshifter]

Let us not simplify.  The offer of not going to jail for using unconventional methods to prove that he was innocent of the murder that the FBI wrongfully accused him of, and incidentally identifying the real murderer.  Do the FBI think they hold some sort of ethical high ground which justifies them extorting Brian's cooperation with a life-threatening trial of a dangerous drug?  Do they believe that promises of truthfulness so extorted are actually binding?

Seems like it to me.

[Hecate7]

Funny, and sad: he didn't want out when his father wanted him out, but I think he wants out now.

[Netfoot]

Seems like it to me.

 

Who would have expected the show to give us such a realistic portrayal of the FBI?

[shapeshifter]

Who would have expected the show to give us such a realistic portrayal of the FBI?

Hopefully it's not so realistic, but may be...

[atomationage]

 

Brian is under suspicion of being a traitor to his country now?  Because he went on vacation in Russia?  Who is running the FBI these days?  Joe McCarthy?

 

IKR!  Brian has been an excellent employee for the FBI, and would have cleared the Ten Most Wanted List if they hadn't stopped him.  He also exposed that profiler who got it all wrong, and was profiting from a book he wrote.   They didn't protect him from the mad dogs of the CIA, and he extricated himself from that situation.  Also, no one there knows that he is not immune to the side effects of NZT, and has to get a booster shot.  All he has to do is tell Rebecca that.  It's a plot device that has worn thin.  Why does Morra's involvement have to be a secret anyway?  I watched the movie after I started watching the series, and one thing I rememeber  was that even the bad guy that was bothering Morra for NZT decided that he could do something better than being a petty thug. 

 

I like Brian's dad, but the rest of his family are jerks.  

Edited March 24, 2016 by atomationage

[Actionmage]

I like that the show is intricate. It gives my brain something to gnaw on, and it keeps me from seeing 23 steps ahead of the plot which often happens with tv that is one dimensional and too predictable. .... I really enjoy that. It's unsettling, but in a good way, I think.

 

ITA.

 

A well-thought out argument completely invalidated by the fact that Brian doesn't have a job in any usual sense of the word.  In a job, you have rights under the labor laws, and most specifically, the right to tell your boss to get stuffed, and to quit.

 

This? I agree with as well. No matter the gilding, Brian lives in an FBI-monitored cage. He is a prisoner. I'm just not sure that it's closer to internment or regular incarceration.