Limitless

I have not seen the movie Limitless, but was aware of the premise. I wasn't really interested in the pilot for the new TV series, but I happened to catch it by luck. I was glad I did.

The show follows a man who hasn't done much with his life. In a temp job, he runs into an old band mate, who sees in him potential and gives him a super pill that unlocks the deepest recesses of his brain (makes him really, really smart). The plot follows him as he is chased by the FBI who want him for murder, while he tries to clear his name.

There's really nothing new to the show that we haven't seen in other shows in the crime procedural genre, but it works. The acting is good. The pacing is good. The possibilities are there for some twists. It sets up a good overarching mystery. Overall, if you like TV dramas like Mentalist and Chuck then you'll like this show.

As an aside, I thought it was WAY better than Minority Report, and that was one I really looked forward to when it was announced. Of the pilots I've seen, Lucifer was better. Player was okay for some silly action fun. Quantico has a better mystery. But Limitless is in the top three.

In my opinion this show proves that serious topics can be approached from a funny angle. The main character, Brian, is a kind hearted highly moral person who also happens to ve extremely goofy; so when it comes to solving cases with the FBI he can be hilarious as well as effective. I loved the show and I'm sad that it didn't get a second season.

How this didn't get renewed for a second season is baffling. There wasn't one episode I didn't like. The main character, Brian, is just great, as are the rest of the actors. It has just the right amount off comedy mixed with some pretty dark stuff too, plus really cool visual effects thrown in. Some shows seem to plod along, episode to episode, without much else really going on, but this isn't one of those shows. lots of really clever stuff and 'how the hell is he going to get out of this one' type scenarios, without it being over the top. I've watched it twice and I'm STILL annoyed it ended!

I love this show because of the premise and the idea that we could all improve our lives by just making smarter choices. It's also fun with a likable protagonist.

Even though I would have loved to see a season two, I can understand why this show was cancelled.

-- The protagonist, Brian is laid back. I get it. He's showing that he's a regular guy the audience can identify with. But ultimately, it undercuts tension for him to be a party dude in a thriller. A show that played this well was Psych.

-- The show is laden with soap opera dramas that linger too much on emotion and don't ultimately change the big story. Whenever the father shows up, for example.

-- Although the show has a high-level story arc, it is fragmented. Without a strong sense of purpose, and momentum, the high-level story can't be gripping. I got the sense that there wasn't a well-mapped-out big idea driving the backstory and mystery, but rather guesswork by the writers.

-- Beyond the high-level story, the procedural nature of the show underserves its premise (an intelligence pill), and the smart cop thing has been done before. It's Sherlock Holmes all over again. It's so repetitive that the show has to keep coming up with unusual crimes and unusual crime-solving methods. But a TV show shouldn't be about the mechanics; it should be about the people. The premise naturally leads to more of a thriller / horror / drama like Breaking Bad or The Man in the High Castle.

-- Plot holes take us out of the show. I get it, a cop show isn't supposed to be realistic. But there are some sloppy twists and turns, choices that don't make sense for the characters or their organizations.

-- The show seemed caught between celebrating the intelligence drug and showcasing the horrors of addiction. You can't do both. It learned more towards the celebrating. I read online that the superpowers coming through a pill-based drug was a major factor in the show not being renewed. It's too close to the implication, "taking cocaine is okay if it makes you productive".

-- Finally, and most fatally, one of the show's heroes is under the thumb of (omitted), and gives in too much, seeming not to be bothered when crimes are committed. A protagonist with moral failures becomes less likable, less easy to root for. There should have been a giant struggle there instead of camaraderie, like in Daredevil and Luke Cage fighting the organized crime trying to blackmail them.

A lot of TV shows have a bumpy first season, for example Star Trek the Next Generation or Veep. I would love to have seen if they could have turned this into a miracle show. And I still love the premise. But I think structurally, there was too much wrong with this. So I can see why they cancelled it.

Having been a savant for movie lines and missing my Mark as a reviewer, I am shocked at the amount of less than stellar reviews. This was one of the few series that kept us coming back to see more. Aside from Heroes, or Breaking Bad, Limitless was a complete shock to have been cancelled. Of course, it's tough to get a great series after a "once in a lifetime" movie, but Jake McDorman was amazing with wit and charisma, and incredible synergy with the talented Jennifer Carpenter. This was such a well written, well acted and directed show, with all strong supporting characters. This had all the potential for at least 2-3 more seasons. Obviously, more creative sub plots would need to be created along with NZT and the hyperacute mind, but a good writer could have taken this far. The 2 lead actors really made it happen. This is one of those shows I can binge every couple years in late fall when the days get short and dark. A great, feel good show.