S01.E22: Finale Part Two!

[thewhiteowl]

Following a stunning betrayal to their team, Brian and the FBI race to stop an NZT-enabled Sands and his associates from orchestrating an international incident. Also, Brian experiences devastating side effects when his NZT immunity starts to wear off.

 

 

[Big Mother]

YIKES... Previously.tv will be down all day tomorrow.. it better be back up by 11 pm so we can sit here and hash out what happened...!!

[thewhiteowl]

Hopefully, it will be up.

[possibilities]

I thought for sure the scene with Piper was a hallucination, but then it seemed like they were saying that in fact it had been real, and now Brian is 100% immune and back at the CJC.

[Big Mother]

Well the forums weren't up in time and I was going crazy! lol!

Anyway this finale was PERFECTION!! I was at the edge of my seat... the actors sold every line of the episode, it was just perfect. I couldn't have dreamed of a better ending. Sadly it was perfect for a series finale. They left some loose ends so there is stuff to pick up next season if we get a renewal - sands, morra, etc. - but with the chase after NZT over, and brian's reliance on the immunity shot over, I wonder what new storylines can even be creatd next season.

I was honestly confused about the whole Canada/Greenland thing and how it all tied in here and how THAT was the big final plan for Sands and NZT, but who cares - it was just incredible.

Too bad I couldn't post immediately after the finale, bc my thoughts were fresh and hot then and I was bursting :D.

[Snarkette]

Deus ex machina. Too happy an ending.

[justcris]

I agree that this finale wrapped everything up a little too neatly, but I get that they didn't (still don't?) know if they were coming back and it does function well as a SERIES finale if that turns out to be the case.

I liked it. I will continue to watch if there is a season 2. 

[sjohnson]

Piper is possibly the new head of the Legion of Whom. Sleeping in a cell with the door open is good for deniability if law enforcement visits. But it seems unlikely that Sands just forgot about Piper in the chaos. NZT has to be good for villains too, even if the show would have us believe it's not good enough to beat Rebecca's lead heroine magic. I thought Sands was the type to have an escape planned just in case even off NZT. But if Piper and the rest got to it first, and she left him behind, then his scurrying down random stairways makes some more sense. Giving Brian the new shot leaves her man in place in CJC. It's not clear that Brian has done much more than switch from Morra to Piper.

 Now for some reason it is quite common for TV/movie scifi to commit to the insane proposition that the future will still be basically the same as today, except with bad taste in clothing and architecture, and the most moral thing in the world is making sure that nothing essential changes. But it doesn't have to be that way. Any scifi show or movie can in principle commit to the fact that the future will be different. Or at least, like The 4400, play with the possibility.

Limitless hasn't raised the stakes in that sense. For almost everyone, NZT is deeply limited by its side effects. Piper's excuse about not having any government take control explains nothing about why she didn't just wait to be rescued; surrender the booster shot to the FBI; arrange for the permanent treatment to be disseminated. Perhaps, as I surmised, its simply because Piper is secretly the Big Bad for season two, the false love to be rejected in favor of true love Rebecca. But it serves the function of keeping the series' fictional world safe from real change.

 

Since this is very likely to be the series finale, I think I would have preferred Brian committing to a course of bringing NZT safely to everyone, without monopolies by either the FBI or by the Legion of Whom (without or with Piper, as may be,) or whoever was pushing NZT and killing people way back in the movie. Or Morra. But that's me I guess. An open ending is better than a cliffhanger, at any rate.

[Netfoot]

I loved the episode.  I'm glad Piper was saved and that Brian was able to stop worrying.  Sad that they will not be able to be together, but nothing preventing an occasional get together/tryst.  

The permanent immunity shot doesn't seem to have been widely disseminated.  Brian may be one of only a very few people who can continue to take NZT without side effects.  This makes him of continued use to the feds, and with NZT on the streets, future cases might come with an interesting twist or two.

We still don't know the disposition of Morra.  He hasn't been arrested, and there may be no grounds for arresting him.  Sands we hear, is critically wounded in an ambulance, and may not make it to hospital.  This almost guarantees that he will he will survive, possibly escape before even getting to hospital, and potentially be the big-bad next season.

Brian and his dad seem to have come to an understanding, if nothing more.

Of course, there may not be a "next season."  Which I think would be a great shame.  The writers have proven very capable of giving us an interesting show and I'm sure they could do it again, no matter what the situation may be.  Alas, with Brian and dad reconciled, Brian and Rebecca's friendship reinforced, his position on the CJC team renewed, Jason and Darryl all smiles, Sands in custody and near dead, Morra on the run from the authorities, etc, this would make for a reasonable series finale.  There are a few threads that could be woven into another series, but if that doesn't happen, the winding up has been fairly complete.  But this has been such a great show I'm going to sacrifice a white rooster (virgins unavailable since 1992) in the hope there will be a renewal.  

[holly4755]

Starting backwards

Why Piper would not trust the government, well do any of us trust the government - that was snarky but common answer. Just look at the election

Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Give someone in the government NZT and they will use it against us and them.. Brian seems to be the only person able to take it and not get all  into for himself. 

Was Piper really there or did something else happened, there was a realness to this show with the side affects moving Brian through reality and fantasy. Iguess if it were not real his family would have said something to Brian.

Rebecca's insight to Brian, was sweet, she saw what we see. 

the escape of Sands - went off the rails first at the overheard name in a phone call, then at the capture of the amatuer assasin, who was not on NZT. not sure why they needed an amatuer, that was the not makes sense thing to me. But once they capture him, I guess Sands never figured that he would be given NZT even though it could kill him and he would remember about the smell of the mud. Not even sure how retroactive taking of NZT brings that out.. that is all vague to me., so how sands could not escape with his special powers seems like a bad streak of luck. sort of the McGuffin of this story that you have to have even if it does not make sense just to get the story forward.

the side affects were the most interesting for me, losing three hours of time being the most fascinating one. Sort of self defeating if you lose everything in 3 hours.

I enjoyed the show a lot and dvr'd it so I can watch again and see better what I Like and dislike. 

[iMonrey]

The ending definitely felt rushed and too pat, but if they don't get a second season at least it made a nice series finale with some closure. However, I spent that whole last five or ten minutes - from the moment Brian came home and found Piper talking to his dad - expecting the whole thing to turn out to be a dream or a hallucination, because it felt way too convenient and played out like a fantasy. Which was a sharp contrast to the rest of this intricately written episode. So I'm not exactly sure what they were going for here; I guess if they come back for another season, this last scene could be revealed as Brian's hallucination and then they could push the reset button, but I wouldn't like that either. 

[ae2]

This episode felt like it was being played at 1.25x the normal speed at times.

I'm convinced that Piper will be the big bad guy if we get a season 2. 

[thuganomics85]

At least they solved the biggest mystery yet: Mike's real name!  It is Darrell!  Oh, and if we get another season, it sounds like he and Jason are getting a promotion and will no longer be mere bodyguards!  Yay, Darrell & Jason!

Definitely felt like they were playing it safe at the end, and trying to wrap things up nicely, in case they don't get a second season.  Sands is defeated, Piper is alive, and she not only creates another immunity shot, but a permanent one, so now Brian is free to pop as many NZT pills as he needs, and continue to work with the FBI.  A bit too pat, but I guess I'll take it over a major cliffhanger, when this show can go either way on renewal or cancellation.  And they offered a few hints for a possible second season if they are lucky.  Since they made sure to have Rebecca say "They don't think he will make it" about Sands, I'm wouldn't be surprised if he somehow survives.  I still wouldn't be surprised if there is more to Piper then meets the eye.  And while not shown, Morra was name-dropped enough that he no doubt will continue to play a part on this, depending on where this heading (and how much free time Bradley Cooper has.)

More serious then normal, but I got a kick out of Brian's fantasies with the Legion of Whom meeting in some kind of volcano lair, dressed in silly outfits.  Especially because Colin Salmon played the entire thing dead seriously, that it just made it even more entertaining.  Wish there was more of it.  Not enough Brewster either.  Really wanted to see Jacob Pitts snarking away, dressed in a comic villain outfit.

At least Brian's dad was civil for once and he seems to have some kind of understanding with Brian.  But I still thought Rebecca's concern for him overshadowed all that.  I really have come to enjoy the Brian/Rebecca partnership.

A satisfying enough ending, but I hope this show sticks around.  I am still surprised over how much I enjoyed, especially since I wasn't completely wild about the film.  But this being CBS, I have no idea which way they will go.

[Free]

Definitely a nice wrap up ether way, it was too neat, but better than the alternative cliffhanger just in case.

[iMonrey]

Quote

More serious then normal, but I got a kick out of Brian's fantasies with the Legion of Whom meeting in some kind of volcano lair, dressed in silly outfits. 

I especially love the Canadian with the Maple Leaf on his chest and the requisite "Eh" in his dialogue. I even enjoyed the later fantasy of Super Brian in his costume. This show does such an amazing job of incorporating tongue-in-cheek moments even into the most serious scenes. This was definitely a pivotal episode that didn't really call for levity and yet the bits they managed to work in didn't feel inauthentic. 

[AudienceofOne]

I've been convinced since Piper's kidnapping that she's secretly Legion of Whom but I guess I was wrong? Maybe it's the cynical air the actor gives the character or maybe it was the taunting of Brian with the bracelet, but I was convinced until the final scene she was going to be revealed as the new head of the Legion of Whom. And then, not so much. Because when she gave only Brian the permanent immunity booster I totally got it. She believes (and so do we!) that only Brian is worthy of NZT. He's the only one who can take it and be 100% motivated to make the world better by helping people rather than by becoming a megalomaniac.

Or maybe I'm right but only prematurely? There's no way she didn't give it to herself so it's possible that permanent use of NZT might make her the supervillian. We already know she doesn't share Brian's "emotional and moral maturity".

This finale didn't blow me away, I admit. They tried to do too much and there were a few moments when important things happened that were exposited away. It slowed down the momentum and then the final scene felt tacked on. Still, I prefer it when shows wrap things up at the end of a season. I hate cliffhangers.

[Netfoot]

20 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Especially because Colin Salmon played the entire thing dead seriously, that it just made it even more entertaining.

Can't help but wonder how many takes it took to shoot those scenes with a straight face...

[Lee4U]

I love this show and if it is the end, I am quite satisfied with the ending they gave us - yeah, it was all rather neat and happy but I'm good with that.  But, still hoping it will be renewed --- I did love the many different kinds of visuals going on in this episode.  The father finally seemed like a decent human to me.  And, I loved the wrap up at the end even though it really seems to indicate they feel they won't be back.

How does crud like Rosewood and other stuff get renewed and something well-acted, creative like this not?  Still hoping though....

[hnygrl]

It was so GOOD!!!! I loved this ending! Where's the Mom though? It's good his dad finally gets it but it irritates me no end that it took PIPER talking to him for him to get it. Geeze, way to believe you son when he tells you the exact same thing dad...Sorry folks STILL don't like dad. I do love that Mike/Ike and the gang are back together again, and in my mind I predicted that Brian's being permanently immune to NZT was the only way he'd be back in the CJC.

Lord, I know you're listening. With all the inappropriately sexual or violent shows out there getting renewed season after season, couldn't you just please Sir drop a bug in the CBS folks' ears and let them renew this show? It's so GOOD. So funny without being inapproriate, overtly sexual, or darkly violent and bloody. It's a show your kids can watch and get without your having to worry that it's too old for them or too (whatever) for them.

Thanks and Amen.

[Anela]

2 hours ago, hnygrl said:

 

Lord, I know you're listening. With all the inappropriately sexual or violent shows out there getting renewed season after season, couldn't you just please Sir drop a bug in the CBS folks' ears and let them renew this show? It's so GOOD. So funny without being inapproriate, overtly sexual, or darkly violent and bloody. It's a show your kids can watch and get without your having to worry that it's too old for them or too (whatever) for them.

Thanks and Amen.

I was just thinking the same thing. I want this show to be renewed, it's so refreshing compared to everything else out there. 

 

Darrell, LOL. I'm glad they ended with the video, rather than Piper disappearing again. I also expected her to be revealed as the real "big bad", and can see them going there if there is a season two. 

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

Maybe it was being handcuffed with not knowing if the series would be picked up for a 2nd season, but I felt like this first season wrapped up a little too neatly.   Permanent cure/prevention from side-effects, job back /w a new squad, etc.  Hopefully they can come up with new ways to make taking NZT not safe to take on frequent habitual basis, even with a never-runs-out immunity.

I have to admit to feeling a slight letdown with Finale: Part Two!! after the crazy build-up from Part One!.   Just seemed like all the drama and fervor was spent on the first half of the finale and the last part was mostly just another episode, with slightly more important plot.  Aside from Brain's suffering side-effects and not knowing about Piper, there wasn't much to really bring home just what was at stake.  The "Legion of Whom"s big plan was crashing a shipping trade stock?  I'm sure there was a lot more involved, but that's all I got out of it.

But that doesn't change the fact that I loved the show as a whole and want it back next season.  Please CBS.  Please. 

[atomationage]

I thought it was a nice episode, but not the best by any means.  I'm fine either way with renewal or not.  I thought I saw "Boyle" laughing at one point in the lab siege.  They shouldn't show McDorman in profile.   I'll re-watch some of my favorite episodes when I get a chance.   It was a good series that started out with a middling pilot episode, and  poor scheduling.

A series really has to start off with a good pilot to hook people in. I just binged the entire second season of American Crime, after not being able to get through the first episode for so long.  

Edited April 28, 2016 by atomationage

[MisterGlass]

Yay, the forum is back!

My reaction was similar to the one many of you expressed.  It was just too quick and tidy.  It didn't feel like they let the emotional beats resonate the way that the series usually does.  That said, it wasn't bad, and it makes sense if we get sad renewal news.  There were good moments.  Rebecca's concern for Brian was good to see, as was Brian being honest about the side effects.  The Legion of Whom volcano meeting was good and not overplayed.  And best of all, Mike finally got to say his name.  He looked so happy!

On 4/27/2016 at 9:48 AM, possibilities said:

I thought for sure the scene with Piper was a hallucination, but then it seemed like they were saying that in fact it had been real, and now Brian is 100% immune and back at the CJC.

Has anyone seen Brazil? 

Spoiler

The way the scene with Piper was lit and the way they blazed through the moment made me think of the 'love conquers all' hallucination near the end of the movie, before the reveal that the main character is still strapped down in the torture room.

On 4/27/2016 at 11:25 AM, sjohnson said:

Piper is possibly the new head of the Legion of Whom.

That would make sense to me.  She was always a little on the driven side on NZT, and she acted oddly in this.

[Driad]

Quote

Has anyone seen Brazil?

I did, years ago.  I would pay actual money for a DVD of Brazil guaranteed to have the original ending.

[Ottis]

The one thing that threw me was, why did neither Piper nor Brian's dad immediately text Brian when she arrived there safely? Brian spends all that time thinking she is dead/gone for no reason. The weird way they underplayed that, and then had the dad seem so nonplussed about it ("Bet you're glad to see Piper - she isn't dead after all! And BTW, now I get it") made me think it was a hallucination. But it wasn't played as one.

Everything else I could fan wank. And it did play as a potential "happy ever after" if the series isn't renewed. I hope it comes back. We've really enjoyed it.

[thewhiteowl]

I enjoyed it. They wrapped stuff up fairly well but left a few things open just in case. I do hope for renewal.

[snarktini]

33 minutes ago, Ottis said:

The one thing that threw me was, why did neither Piper nor Brian's dad immediately text Brian when she arrived there safely? Brian spends all that time thinking she is dead/gone for no reason. The weird way they underplayed that, and then had the dad seem so nonplussed about it ("Bet you're glad to see Piper - she isn't dead after all! And BTW, now I get it") made me think it was a hallucination. But it wasn't played as one.

Everything else I could fan wank. And it did play as a potential "happy ever after" if the series isn't renewed. I hope it comes back. We've really enjoyed it.

Totally agree. That's why I assumed it was a hallucination initially, too. It didn't make any sense to have walk in to find Piper and Dad having a grand old time. Even if they didn't know he assumed she was dead, Dad knows he's been looking for her desperately.

I believe Piper was cooperating with the Legion of Whom and/or is gray at best. She didn't "escape". I could see her being the Big Bad.

Edited April 29, 2016 by snarktini

[Netfoot]

Just now, snarktini said:

I could see her being the Big Bad.

Maybe, but I don't want her to be.  Because I don't want Brian to be unhappy.

[snarktini]

I hear you, @Netfoot. I don't want Brian to be unhappy either! If we get more, I'd prefer they write her in some way that doesn't break his heart. I like the show when Brian can be his goofy, brainstorming, crafty self and isn't weighed down by angst.

He's put her on such a pedestal, though, I fear the worst.

[iMonrey]

Quote

The one thing that threw me was, why did neither Piper nor Brian's dad immediately text Brian when she arrived there safely? Brian spends all that time thinking she is dead/gone for no reason. The weird way they underplayed that, and then had the dad seem so nonplussed about it ("Bet you're glad to see Piper - she isn't dead after all! And BTW, now I get it") made me think it was a hallucination. But it wasn't played as one.

Definitely thought it was going to be a hallucination. Still not convinced it wasn't. The whole ending felt like something that was written very quickly and sloppily because they panicked and decided they needed some kind of series finale. Either that or they meant to reveal it as a hallucination and then cut that part out, hedging their bets against cancellation.

I could see a potential Season 2 starting with Brian in the hospital, in a coma, and reliving the last five minutes of this season, proving it was in fact all in his head. 

Quote

A series really has to start off with a good pilot to hook people in.

It really does. TV shows just don't have time to build audiences anymore; if they don't hook them on Day 1 they're usually doomed. Although this show did pretty well at first and then ratings began to slide throughout the season, so constantly bumping it definitely hurt it too.

The networks really need to go old-school and rerun these shows during the summer. They just don't do that anymore, and in the "olden days" that was the way a lot of people discovered new shows after missing them during the regular season. A complete re-run with heavy promotion could help this show considerably, along with word of mouth. It's such a smart show.

[hnygrl]

I got a little confused on the Piper issue as well. I also thought it would turn out to be a hallucination.

I read in more than one interview with the writers/show runners that yes, Brian is Definitely DONE with the FBI.

But there he is, in the CJC, and permanently immune.

I think we may be in for a little surprise should this show get a second season. I so see it opening with him on his face on his parents' front porch, or still in the car w/Rebecca. All those interviews saying he was done w/the FBI and this ending...think maybe it IS the end after all?

God I hope not. I love this show.

[possibilities]

I actually was worried that even if the whole thing wasn't a hallucination, whatever the shot was that it was NOT an immunity shot, but was actually going to kill Brian. I figured they wouldn't kill him for real, even if they got cancelled, because the show just isn't that gloomy. But I felt sure there was a catch-- and I still do think so; either it has to be a hallucination, or there's something with the shot that's not as much of a miracle as promised.

It really was weird to see Brian's dad all sunshiney, and that no one tried to tell Brian Piper was there-- the whole end of the episode is total wish-fulfillment for Brian, both in that scene and in the afterwards, with the team all re-assembled. Everyone from Rebecca to his dad to Piper to everyone at the CJC is all love and actually fighting to be on HIS team?

Also, they shot all that stuff in soft-focus. The show has pretty consistently used camera effects to convey regular reality vs nzt-enhanced reality vs flashbacks, etc. Soft-focus happily ever after too good to be true lens is probably at minimum hallucinating-Brian, and not the reality, but I suppose we won't know for sure just how much is fake vs real, and in what ways, unless/until the new season.

[hacerry]

Wow. I love reading smart people's comments. They're so ... smart... and insightful!

I, too, knew the ending was wonky, probably on purpose to go either way: happy ending because of a cancellation, or possibly trickery in the case of a new season. This is nothing new for us Chuck fans, who had one of those double-possibility season endings for THREE seasons... as we shoved so much name-brand sandwiches in our mouths. LOL

And now I'm off to an off-topic thread...

[AudienceofOne]

3 hours ago, possibilities said:

It really was weird to see Brian's dad all sunshiney, and that no one tried to tell Brian Piper was there-- the whole end of the episode is total wish-fulfillment for Brian, both in that scene and in the afterwards, with the team all re-assembled. Everyone from Rebecca to his dad to Piper to everyone at the CJC is all love and actually fighting to be on HIS team?

So... I haven't put this in here before. But I've been flirting for the last couple of episodes with Brian's father being evil in some way. I don't know if he was always involved or if he dug too deeply when Brian became involved and got caught up in it. Maybe he thought Morra was the threat and threw in with the Legion of Whom to oppose him? I'm not sure because it's nothing more than a feeling. But when Brian walked in to find Piper and his father joking like old friends I thought there was going to be a reveal that they knew each other because they're both Legion of Whom.

A lot of his father's paternalistic behaviour this season could be explained by him being a part of the conspiracy at some level. Especially his "oh yeah, Piper's totes dead son, give it up" speech from last episode (which I just thought was weird). Of course, his behaviour could also be explained by him being a massively paternalistic douchbag so there's that too.

And that scene could have played like that because his Dad and Piper wanted to surprise him when he got home. Also, if his Dad had text him that Piper was alive, he would have told Rebecca she was there and Piper does say she didn't want the FBI to find her. But he seemed far too comfortable with Piper being in his home for me.

So, yeah, both explanations explain that scene. I think I just talked myself into the theory and then back out again.

Edited April 29, 2016 by AudienceofOne

[Snarkette]

The strength of this show has been its realism about addiction and undercurrent of darkness that offsets the wish fulfillment. If they had revealed that Brian was institutionalized at the very last second, I would have been overjoyed with the Happy Piper ending that was just an hallucination. As is, it felt hokey and saccharine and pat.

What's great about limitless has been its dark undercurrent. This ending? Kind of ruined that for me.

[MisterGlass]

iMonrey, possibilities, et al., I like the interpretation that it was actually a hallucination.  Snarkette, you're right, that would be much more in keeping with the tone of the show.  That feels like something fascinating to come back from at the beginning of a new season, and a good twist on the dangers of NZT.  Since the NZT supply is about to dry up, what about all the people who have been binging it in the last few weeks?  That could even be too dark for this show.

23 hours ago, Driad said:

I did, years ago.  I would pay actual money for a DVD of Brazil guaranteed to have the original ending.

Terry Gilliam gets the last laugh on DVD.

[Ottis]

6 hours ago, AudienceofOne said:

So... I haven't put this in here before. But I've been flirting for the last couple of episodes with Brian's father being evil in some way. I don't know if he was always involved or if he dug too deeply when Brian became involved and got caught up in it. Maybe he thought Morra was the threat and threw in with the Legion of Whom to oppose him? I'm not sure because it's nothing more than a feeling. But when Brian walked in to find Piper and his father joking like old friends I thought there was going to be a reveal that they knew each other because they're both Legion of Whom.

A lot of his father's paternalistic behaviour this season could be explained by him being a part of the conspiracy at some level. Especially his "oh yeah, Piper's totes dead son, give it up" speech from last episode (which I just thought was weird). Of course, his behaviour could also be explained by him being a massively paternalistic douchbag so there's that too.

And that scene could have played like that because his Dad and Piper wanted to surprise him when he got home. Also, if his Dad had text him that Piper was alive, he would have told Rebecca she was there and Piper does say she didn't want the FBI to find her. But he seemed far too comfortable with Piper being in his home for me.

So, yeah, both explanations explain that scene. I think I just talked myself into the theory and then back out again.

No way do Piper and Brian's dad not text him just to surprise him. That makes no sense. They know how upset he was. Why make him suffer for a surprise?

I thought about Piper not wanting to alert the FBI, and that is possible. But she doesn't know Brian is with anyone and she has already shown she can contact him anonymously, so... nah.

[Clanstarling]

The more I think about it (and read the forum), the more I believe the ending was an hallucination all around. It was too good to be true, and the notes that were off seem like they might be hints that things are not as they seem.

I'd be happy enough if it turned out I was wrong. Super special agent Brian works for me.

[theatremouse]

They certainly used the universal lighting technique for dream sequence/hallucination. So if it were meant to be ambiguous, I have to believe it's because they wanted to be able to go either way given the potential cancellation.

[AudienceofOne]

Either that or they're currently reading these forums going, "An hallucination? That's AWESOME. Let's do that for Season 2."

[Teitr Styrr]

I so late watching this, but I just did, and I just need to say I love this show!  And, I just LOVED Brian and Rebecca's relationship, and talk in the car before he got his super shot. Loved the ending montage too.  Ok, now I'm gonna read the thread.

[iMonrey]

Quote

I read in more than one interview with the writers/show runners that yes, Brian is Definitely DONE with the FBI.

I saw several of those myself but they were all published after Part 1 and before Part 2 aired.