In the latest episode of Limitless, we witness Brian grappling with the boundaries of what he can achieve on NZT, both while under the influence of the pill and while being manipulated by others. I appreciate the direction the show is taking, as it delves into aspects that a two-hour movie simply couldn’t cover.
Plot Twists and Unanswered Questions
In this episode, we see Brian forming a bond with Chris, the brother of a potential terrorist, and extracting information from him to aid in the case. In an attempt to apprehend the criminal, Rebecca’s FBI boss morphs into a stereotypical authoritarian figure, laying down the law. Although the FBI eventually captures the brother, Brian loses Chris when one of the leaders circles back in the park.
The secondary plot, which will carry over into the next episode, revolves around Brian’s knowledge of Rebecca’s father’s NZT usage and his dilemma over what to do with this information. He’s aware that he can’t outright tell her, or he’ll face arrest. It’s intriguing to watch him try to pry some information out of Sands, even though it doesn’t quite work out. In the end, he goes to Rebecca’s apartment and hands her a copy of the file.
This episode leaves us with several lingering questions. If Rebecca looks at the file, she’ll undoubtedly ask Brian about it. What will her next move be? Will Sands or one of Morra’s other henchmen discover that Brian has given her the file? Morra seems to have eyes everywhere, as evidenced by the previous episode, “Page 44m,” when a random jogger, rather than Sands, shows up for the dummy thumb drive. In this episode, we learn that Brian’s NZT use is somewhat of a secret. Brian’s trainer, who also happens to be Rebecca’s boyfriend (though they haven’t quite reached the “HR forms” stage), is in the dark. He persistently questions both Brian and Rebecca about it, but they both deflect his inquiries. Who else in the FBI is unaware?
NZT’s Limitations and Human Emotion
The crux of the episode deals with the extent of Brian’s capabilities on NZT, or rather, the limitations he faces. When we first see him in the episode, he’s in the van, being instructed to stay put. At first, it’s quite literal what he can’t do with the pill, as Brian always leaves him videos with dolls and pie charts to explain everything. He even remarks that it’s as if the guy in the video is addressing someone else. He repeatedly mentions, both on the tape and in the voice-over, that he contemplates all the options while on the pill; when he’s off it, he becomes highly emotional. However, after Chris’s death, he admits, “There just had to be a way to do both. I just didn’t think it through, even on NZT.” Unfortunately, he can’t. Brian can’t control people’s emotions, whether it’s the witness who died or Sands when pressed for information about Rebecca’s father, and it seems he’s finally coming to terms with that.
Limitless currently has an early Castle-esque vibe. In the beginning of that show, a best-selling novelist and a cop were paired up, and the writer would always be told to stay in the car or remain outside. He always found some reason to go inside, whether checking out his hair or just trying to get out of the car, and he would always interfere with the criminal. Brian was given the same directive in last night’s Limitless. He was told not to go anywhere, but he had to use the bathroom and just happened to bump into the guy the FBI was after. I was a big fan of Castle when it first premiered, and I’m quickly warming up to Limitless as well.
[Photo credit: Michael Parmelee/CBS]
Follow Us
