Spoilers Limitless - TV Series

[Commander Richard]

In 2011, Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro starred in a movie called Limitless (which was based on a book called The Dark Fields). It's about an aspiring novelist who was going nowhere in life until he took a pill which enhanced his brain power, making him smarter and more resourceful. Now, this fall, we're getting a series. It's actually a continuation that follows a new character who also took this wonder drug and apparently ends up helping the FBI. It will air on CBS and starts on September 22nd. The pilot was screened at the recent San Diego Comic Con and was well received according to reports. A more detailed review full of spoilers can be found here.

Check out the trailer below and if you haven't already, check out the movie itself before the show starts. It's an interesting story that doesn't have a clichéd ending (watch the movie trailer here). If you've already seen the movie, watch it again. Bradley Cooper is one of the show's exectutive producers and will have a recurring role as his movie character when his schedule permits (he did say on Howard Stern that he'd do television if it was good).

Promo​

 

[Tom Hendricks]

A friend saw it and he is raving about it. So while I have not seen the movie, I will watch the TV show based on his recommendation.

 

[Borgminister]

The writing better be GOOD.

Nice to see Dexter's sis!

 

[Venardhi]

Tom, watch the movie. It is well worth seeing. I'm more interested in this show than most anything else this coming season so far.

 

[Christopher]

Odd... I remember the reviews of the movie being lukewarm at best, but it's at 70% on Rotten Tomatoes. And the series is getting very strong buzz. I'm uneasy with the drug themes, but I suppose it's worth a look.

Meanwhile, Minority Report is at 90% on RT, yet its upcoming TV adaptation is getting very poor buzz. That was the one I was hoping would be good.

 

[Gaith]

Odd... I remember the reviews of the movie being lukewarm at best, but it's at 70% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Which only means the majority of critics liked it at least a bit more than they didn't. Its Metacritic score is a yellow 59.

 

[auntiehill]

I really enjoyed the film, particularly the premise and Cooper's performance. The film itself is not great, due to some "over-directed" effects & action sequences, and the last 20 minutes are far too rushed. It's not a great film but the first half is extremely good and the ideas expressed in the story are very intriguing. So, I can see why many critics were fairly "meh" about it, because I can certainly see the flaws.

However, Cooper was excellent in the film and his character was fascinating, so that alone makes me want to see this series. I'm not entirely sure how they can extend the film into a series, but I'll definitely give it a look.

 

[Admiral2]

I thought the film was pointless. The author didn't do a single thing in that movie that he couldn't have done without the pill if he'd just paid better attention and applied himself more. The first time he takes the pill he accomplishes the huge miracles of cleaning his apartment and finishing his book on deadline. so cleanliness and honoring commitments are superpowers that can only be achieved by pill-popping?

And now there's a series? And the new guy takes a pill and solves crimes? Aren't there like a bajillion TV detectives now that can do that without the pill?

Pass, thanks...

 

[Venardhi]

A lot of people could do great things with infinite mental energy, motivation, attention, etc. etc. It is wish fulfillment for struggling unproductive artists and writers and perennial underachievers everywhere.

 

[Christopher]

A lot of people could do great things with infinite mental energy, motivation, attention, etc. etc. It is wish fulfillment for struggling unproductive artists and writers and perennial underachievers everywhere.

So, basically, ultra-coffee?

 

[DonIago]

Recently saw the film, and I'd say it was an interesting concept but handled in a somewhat pedestrian manner, though I liked the more extravagant effects sequences.

I could see how a TV series could have potential, but "enhanced guy helps the FBI solve crimes" would be a waste in my opinion.

One point that wasn't entirely clear to me in the film (and I'm not sure whether it was meant to be, to be fair), was how much of Cooper's character's moral ambiguity was a result of the pill and how much of it was either always there or latently always there.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

One caveat, though: If a show named Limitless is ever cancelled, it's violated its own premise.

 

[Venardhi]

A lot of people could do great things with infinite mental energy, motivation, attention, etc. etc. It is wish fulfillment for struggling unproductive artists and writers and perennial underachievers everywhere.

So, basically, ultra-coffee?

The premise of the pill is that it makes you the best that you can be. It helps you make connections you wouldn't otherwise make, but otherwise it just turns your natural intelligence/talent/memory up to 11 and gives you the processing power to use it all.

 

[Christopher]

So, basically, ultra-coffee.

 

[DWF]

The good thing about the trailer for thw show is that is shows the consequences good and bad about using the pill. While it can increase your intelligence it can also kill you, something that was overlooked in the movie. It was hard at times to root for Cooper's character in the movie but that might change with the main character on the show. And it is nice to see a character gettting out of a situation using only his brain.

 

[sojourner]

So, basically, ultra-coffee.

They don't use the term outright, but it's basically another play on the "we only use %10 of the brain" trope.

 

[DWF]

So, basically, ultra-coffee.

They don't use the term outright, but it's basically another play on the "we only use %10 of the brain" trope.

Truthfully I didn't get that impression from the movie, it seemed more likely the brain on the drug was just better organized.

 

[Venardhi]

So, basically, ultra-coffee.

They don't use the term outright, but it's basically another play on the "we only use %10 of the brain" trope.

Truthfully I didn't get that impression from the movie, it seemed more likely the brain on the drug was just better organized.

Yeah. Better organized, better able to make connections between parts that are rarely used in tandem, more efficient at breaking out of unproductive thought patterns, better recollection, etc.

 

[sojourner]

Think you're forgetting that almost superhuman timing and coordination. For example when the girlfriend took it to escape her pursuer.

 

[Venardhi]

What exactly was superhuman about that? Nothing anyone did on the pill was beyond the realm of normal human potential.