Limitless

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.

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.

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.

I'm not understanding the hate this show is getting. I get that the show probably didn't go where a lot of people thought it would, being a sort of continuation of the 2011 movie "Limitless" but honestly, the way people seem to think it should of gone is boring in my opinion. Every show out there seems to be full of heavy content and really dark, and this show, while still having some heavy themes, is like watching the show equivalent of a rainbow. And I love that! It's light, it's funny, it's well-cast (despite what people say about the lead, who, IMO, is the best part of the show) and it doesn't need to go in a darker, more intricate direction. I mean, also consider that as I write this, the season is only half done, and there's plenty time for more political intrigue or whatever people seem to think this show is lacking. But in my opinion it's a good show as it is now: it's refreshing. It's similar to a cop show, but it is unique because it's not about a cop, it's about a guy effectively functioning as a human Guinea pig for cops. It's a different perspective. It's about how his job, and the drug, affect his life.

It's not a Netflix show or an HBO show so don't go in expecting something like House of Cards... it's great for what it is, and that is a sometimes cheesy network show. I love this show and it's my favorite on TV right now, it makes me happy, and it's nice to watch after a long day. I don't know why people were expecting some sort of break out crime drama rated MA because if you recall the film that this show gets its premise from was mediocre at best. There's nothing wrong with this show that can't be summed up by saying that it's not your cup of tea. If you like happy, funny shows, with realistic and dimensional characters and quick-witted scripts, then you'll like this show.

I binge watched this awesome series, and I want season 2 now :) Its an amazing, fun-filled series with a non nonsense approach mixing comedy and thrill together so effortlessly. Loved Brian, Rebca's character the MOST, but all characters were so well cast. PLEASE bring season 2. I am a big fan of blindspot and this on crvd its niche out in balancing thrill and comedy very well :)