"Limitless" Recap: "Pilot"

Written by John Edward Betancourt

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

It's going to be an interesting fall T.V. season thanks to the fact we have a couple of shows popping up that happen to be based upon full length features that at first glance...seem like they would not be successful as a weekly serial. Take for example Limitless. This is a show that shares the namesake of the 2011 film that starred Bradley Cooper.  

That movie featured a story that gave us a complete beginning, middle and end for a motion picture and its lead character Eddie Morra so that seemed like that was that. But when I heard Cooper was involved with the development of the show, my interest was piqued. Cooper was also an executive producer on the film, so it must mean something special was happening when it came to the show and as it turns out there was, since last night's "Pilot" episode turned out to be one pleasant, engaging and entertaining surprise. 

Granted, the pilot had its flaws. At times it truly felt like the movie, especially when it came to the murders around NZT that our lead character Brian Finch kept running into. Eddie had the same plot twists happen in his movie, but thankfully, that's where the two characters similarities diverge. For as it turns out, Brian Finch is a vastly different character than his predecessor. Whereas Eddie in the film pretty much had no family and a small circle of friends, Brian is quite the opposite. He is a good guy through and through who simply has no ambition in his life. But he is surrounded by a family that loves him and that gives the show the heart it needs.

In fact this is a show filled to the brim with good guys and I find that to be an interesting choice for the show. After all the film version was bleak in so many ways, filled with some ugly but colorful characters. I'm not saying either version is better than the other, it's just an awesome contrast. No more criminal underworld surrounding our lead, instead we now get the FBI and a chance to do some solid good in the world. It's a cool direction to take the show in and I'm curious to see how NZT will help save the world as Brian uses it to solve crimes.  

But the highlight of the night for me...was the cameo from Bradley Cooper reprising his role as Eddie Morra. Now a successful Senator he shows up to help guide Brian into solving the crime and put him on a better path, one free of the side effects of NZT. What made this work so well was that it was not a passing of the torch moment, it's obvious Eddie plays a role in the tale as well and that's what finally sold me on this pilot and quite frankly this series. This isn't some cheap knockoff of the movie to make some more money, it's a world being built, one where NZT changes men's lives and judging from Eddie's talk with Brian, there's going to be a bigger plot and mystery at work here and I can't wait to see where all of this is going. Until next time. 

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