Limitless: Season 1 (1 Viewer)

Surprisingly, I liked this a lot, but then I liked the movie it's based on so that helped.


The leading man is interesting and believable as both the average guy and the medicated genius, and plugging this scenario into CBS' usual procedural format should continue to prove entertaining.

Same here!

I was pretty surprised with how much I enjoyed this also. I like how they combo'd it with the movie to make this work in the same universe.

Yep, I also enjoyed this.

I thought it was alright. Nice to see Jennifer Carpenter back on the screen after Dexter. The lead character seems well cast.


For me, the series will live or die on how well the writers use the 'ability'. If the usage is somewhat internally consistent and they don't constantly abuse it in a deus ex machina fashion then the series could fit well into the CBS procedural lineup.


- Walter.

I liked the pilot. I am confused about something tho....


The pill can give anyone these powers, but with nasty hangover. The main character can take it without the hangover because of the magic injection? Is that what makes him special? Otherwise I don't know why the FBI doesn't have more agents on the pill.

Scott-S said:

I liked the pilot. I am confused about something tho....


The pill can give anyone these powers, but with nasty hangover. The main character can take it without the hangover because of the magic injection? Is that what makes him special? Otherwise I don't know why the FBI doesn't have more agents on the pill.

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There are bad side effects to taking the pill which causes death and brain damage and that's besides the hangover/sickness that comes when the effects of the pill wear off. That magic injection prevents all of these bad effects.

As Robert said, periodic injections permit an individual to consume NZT-48 with no ill effects. Cooper's character Eddie Morra makes a deal with Finch to supply him with the injections, in return for some form of future assistance which he will soon be in a position to deliver. The show leaves it pretty vague, but one could speculate that Morra (and his big brain) sees potential in Finch's pending relationship with the FBI, and the fact that he is a decent guy and unaffiliated with the government probably doesn't hurt.


- Walter.

Oh yea, I forgot about the pictures of long term users. I guess death is a pretty bad side effect.


Thanks for the replies.

In the film, Cooper's character applied his enhanced intelligence to solve the problem of the side effects and damage that the pill causes.

I thought that he had re-engineered the pill itself though. It seems like the injection is new for the show. Unless I'm remembering it wrong, or perhaps his solution in the film was vague enough that it could have involved the helper injection instead of a new NZT formula.

I thought it was a well-made, well-acted pilot. I've liked Jake McDorman since "Greek" -- it's amazing how many careers that little show jumpstarted -- so it was nice to see him pop up here as the Bradley Cooper surrogate lead. Still, with the crazy amount of good TV on Tuesday nights, I'm not sure it's going to make the cut for me.

Sean Bryan said:

In the film, Cooper's character applied his enhanced intelligence to solve the problem of the side effects and damage that the pill causes.

I thought that he had re-engineered the pill itself though. It seems like the injection is new for the show. Unless I'm remembering it wrong, or perhaps his solution in the film was vague enough that it could have involved the helper injection instead of a new NZT formula.

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Depending on how much we can really trust Cooper's character, it's possible he did re-engineer the pills for himself and then came up with the periodic injection as a means to keep his acolytes dependent on him through a deliberately more imperfect counteragent. I would not be at all surprised if the good senator has multiple other NZT-enhanced people working for him in other strategic positions around the world.

Sounds reasonable. Keeping others dependent on him ensures their loyalty.

Though I'd be concerned about enhanced people wanting to get out from under their dependence on him.

If he figured out a permanent solution, someone else on NZT could as well... if they tried.

But it definitely sets up an interesting dynamic.

Actually, does anyone remember what exactly Cooper told De Niro in the film. Didn't De Niro claim to have control over the production of NZT and Copper told him that he doesn't even need to take it anymore? I only saw it the one time and may not remember correctly, but I kinda had the impression that he redesigned the drug so that the effect was permanent enhancement. He could have been lying though.

Anyone remember specifically what Cooper said, or implied, to De Niro about that in the film?

I like it. But it's not good enough to replace POI IMO.

Sean Bryan said:

Actually, does anyone remember what exactly Cooper told De Niro in the film. Didn't De Niro claim to have control over the production of NZT and Copper told him that he doesn't even need to take it anymore?

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That's what I remember too.

I think if I can find the time this weekend, I'd like to go back and rewatch the film.


On the question of what Cooper told De Niro at the end, there were two alternate endings on the disc (along with the theatrical cut) that I had to watch when I reviewed it, and while I remember Cooper got De Niro's goat in the theatrical version when it appeared De Niro had him over a barrel, I can't remember precisely how he one-upped him. Thus, I really need to watch the movie again. I hope I can find the time.

I did rewatch it tonight. Cooper did tell De Niro that he had refined and purified the drug so that he no longer needed to take it (after De Niro told him he had shut down Cooper's lab producing the pills). But before he said then, he said that he would certainly have had more than one lab turning out pills.


So, I found those statements ambiguous at best; I thought he said that just to pull the plug on De Niro's blackmail, and since De Niro couldn't prove otherwise, he left. (Then he meets his girl at a Chinese restaurant and converses with the waiter in Chinese.)


Maybe the series will make it clearer in the weeks ahead.

Or maybe they ignore the ending of the film and just move forward with how they want the series to play out the pill/injection angle.

Yesterday, I watched the film version of Limitless for the first time. An entertaining film with some plot holes. I think watching the film helps in understanding this series as it goes forward.

Thoroughly enjoyed it. One of the few new shows that I hope to see continue. Several others have already been dumped off my list, some I couldn't even finish they were so bad, "Life in Pieces", "Blood & Oil" for example.

Couldn't sleep, so I caught up with Tueday's episode a few minutes ago. I enjoyed the second episode quite a bit. Humor can go a long ways for me in breaking up the formulaic aspects of procedurals and it worked well in the second episode. Particularly loved the visualization sequences including lip reading and the use of you're fired and Finch's reactions. The series is off to a good start for me if it continues in this vein.


- Walter.