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Holyshoot
May 6, 2010

Tenzarin posted:

Its sad that this is the type of a show they create when the movie about a loser becoming stupid smart was pretty good.

Why are they going with a monster of the week type of deal? Ill try to hang on but limitless intelligence attempting to solve crimes each week over an hour is pretty boring.

Limitless wasn't that great of a movie though. It had potential but fell flat.

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muscles like this!
Jan 17, 2005


Coming up this season Bradley Cooper is back and because he's done filming the latest David O. Russell movie he has a more appropriate haircut.

Holyshoot
May 6, 2010
As long as they keep moving the overarching plot I don't mind bad guy of the week. It's like suits but better and a much better overall plot.

Gonz
Dec 22, 2009

"Jesus, did I say that? Or just think it? Was I talking? Did they hear me?"
Those NZT test subjects sure looked meth'd out after 12 months.

Tenzarin
Jul 24, 2007
.
Taco Defender

Holyshoot posted:

Limitless wasn't that great of a movie though. It had potential but fell flat.

Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man.

Grim
Sep 11, 2003

Grimey Drawer
The guy who only turns up when the main character has come down off NZT for the day and says "I'm totes your boss now go do bad things for me", nobody else believes that poo poo right?

Arcanen
Dec 19, 2005

The most nagging plot elements of the show are the things that have been written to allow the show to exist in the procedural format.

In the movie, it was very strongly implied that Eddie doesn't need NZT anymore; his brain is permanently in an NZT state. Of course, in order to introduce relatability and suspense into the show, Brian can't always be in an NZT state. Nor can everyone be on NZT. So we have the Eddie injection and NZT health issues retcon.

This is all well and good. But it all leads to the question... why doesn't the FBI just get one of its test subjects to investigate and solve the problems associated with NZT, just as Eddie did. Eddie wasn't even particularly smart or educated before taking NZT. Just find a random neuroscience grad student, give them NZT, and bam.

Because plot, that's why. Never a satisfying answer.

Holyshoot
May 6, 2010
More Bradley Cooper. Those eyes are so dreamy :swoon:

spookygonk
Apr 3, 2005
Does not give a damn

Grim posted:

The guy who only turns up when the main character has come down off NZT for the day and says "I'm totes your boss now go do bad things for me", nobody else believes that poo poo right?

"My name's Jared Sands , I'm going to be the Vinnie Jones this series."

Comrade Fakename
Feb 13, 2012


Shakugan posted:

Because plot, that's why. Never a satisfying answer.

Yeah, the fundamental problem with this show is that the main guy's number one goal should be to somehow gain his own supply of NZT and then reverse-engineer the monthly shots. There should be no reason for him to solve more than, say, four crimes before he could get his own NZT and never come back.

But ultimately that plot hole is just something you have to overlook to get a show longer than three episodes.

Super.Jesus
Oct 20, 2011

Comrade Fakename posted:

Yeah, the fundamental problem with this show is that the main guy's number one goal should be to somehow gain his own supply of NZT and then reverse-engineer the monthly shots. There should be no reason for him to solve more than, say, four crimes before he could get his own NZT and never come back.

But ultimately that plot hole is just something you have to overlook to get a show longer than three episodes.

Movie guy was able to do that with a ton of money, private research labs and months of time. No matter how smart NZT makes Brian, he won't be able to synthesize NZT in his basement with a bunch of scraps.

Shakugan posted:


In the movie, it was very strongly implied that Eddie doesn't need NZT anymore; his brain is permanently in an NZT state.

Or that was a bluff and he's just chugging the pills and taking shots, which has the same overall effect.

Also I'm pretty sure the NZT brain damage issues were canon in the movie, at least if you take it more than a few times and then stop taking it. It's like Spice in the Dune universe.

Super.Jesus fucked around with this message at 04:57 on Oct 16, 2015

Vier
Aug 5, 2007


Harddrives :downs:

NowonSA
Jul 19, 2013

I am the sexiest poster in the world!

Comrade Fakename posted:

Yeah, the fundamental problem with this show is that the main guy's number one goal should be to somehow gain his own supply of NZT and then reverse-engineer the monthly shots. There should be no reason for him to solve more than, say, four crimes before he could get his own NZT and never come back.

But ultimately that plot hole is just something you have to overlook to get a show longer than three episodes.

I expect we'll see him attempt to homebrew some NZT and shots at some point, but right now he's pretty regularly under FBI supervision and Eddie is keeping tabs on him to some degree. Given how smart Eddie is, it's reasonable to assume that he's keeping tabs on Bryan in ways we aren't seeing as well (bugging his apartment, hidden cameras, etc.). Like, we won't know that's the case unless the show reveals it, but would anyone really be surprised if Eddie sprung some hidden camera tapes on Bryan during one of their future meetups?

Also, if he tries to set himself up permanently as an off-the-grid NZT user he knows he's putting his family at risk. The FBI would make their lives a lot more complicated, and for all he knows Eddie would straight up kill them and send a secret hit squad on his heels.

With a show like this I can't imagine we don't at some point see him having access to his own secret stash of pills somehow, but he's going to have to hide those suckers incredibly well.

FetusSlapper
Jan 6, 2005

by exmarx

Vier posted:


Harddrives :downs:

Can't be hard drivin without no power supply-in.

Pikehead
Dec 3, 2006

Looking for WMDs, PM if you have A+ grade stuff
Fun Shoe

NowonSA posted:

I expect we'll see him attempt to homebrew some NZT and shots at some point, but right now he's pretty regularly under FBI supervision and Eddie is keeping tabs on him to some degree. Given how smart Eddie is, it's reasonable to assume that he's keeping tabs on Bryan in ways we aren't seeing as well (bugging his apartment, hidden cameras, etc.). Like, we won't know that's the case unless the show reveals it, but would anyone really be surprised if Eddie sprung some hidden camera tapes on Bryan during one of their future meetups?

Also, if he tries to set himself up permanently as an off-the-grid NZT user he knows he's putting his family at risk. The FBI would make their lives a lot more complicated, and for all he knows Eddie would straight up kill them and send a secret hit squad on his heels.

With a show like this I can't imagine we don't at some point see him having access to his own secret stash of pills somehow, but he's going to have to hide those suckers incredibly well.

Eddie (or someone like him) has already cracked his and I think his family's computer - notice the crashing/blackouts when he attempts to google Eddie Morra Senator (or something to do with NZT, can't remember which).

Tenzarin
Jul 24, 2007
.
Taco Defender

Shakugan posted:

The most nagging plot elements of the show are the things that have been written to allow the show to exist in the procedural format.

In the movie, it was very strongly implied that Eddie doesn't need NZT anymore; his brain is permanently in an NZT state. Of course, in order to introduce relatability and suspense into the show, Brian can't always be in an NZT state. Nor can everyone be on NZT. So we have the Eddie injection and NZT health issues retcon.

This is all well and good. But it all leads to the question... why doesn't the FBI just get one of its test subjects to investigate and solve the problems associated with NZT, just as Eddie did. Eddie wasn't even particularly smart or educated before taking NZT. Just find a random neuroscience grad student, give them NZT, and bam.

Because plot, that's why. Never a satisfying answer.

In the movie, he never explains how hes off it, it was really left open to how he was still on it.

They cant get someone else because it will kill them if they get off NZT, this was pretty much covered in the entire movie.

The only bad part that isn't making it watchable is the loving monster of the week format. The over an hour crime solving just isn't doing it for me.

WarLocke
Jun 6, 2004

You are being watched. :allears:

Tenzarin posted:

In the movie, he never explains how hes off it, it was really left open to how he was still on it.

It's not explicitly explained, but it's very heavily implied.

IIRC FBI guy is talking to Morra and is like "we're onto your production labs and shutting them down" and Eddie is like "Cool, whatever, don't need them anymore anyway :smug:"

I remember quite clearly getting the vibe that Eddie had reverse-engineered the pill and made a permanent treatment coming across as the implication of that scene.

Kin
Nov 4, 2003

Sometimes, in a city this dirty, you need a real hero.

Tenzarin posted:

The only bad part that isn't making it watchable is the loving monster of the week format. The over an hour crime solving just isn't doing it for me.

Yeah this, like Minority Report, is being ruined by the procedural format that every 'new' story type has been wrapped around.

Just take a look at anything that's generally critically acclaimed and it is either completely anti-procedural or started off procedural before launching into large story-ark territory.

The only thing that'll stop this from being a massive chore to watch is if they quickly segue into much bigger stories instead of crime of the week poo poo.

Arcanen
Dec 19, 2005

Tenzarin posted:

They cant get someone else because it will kill them if they get off NZT, this was pretty much covered in the entire movie.

Right, after 12 months. That's plenty of time to do what Eddie did. Give someone with the right background NZT and the required resources, and they'd have no troubles.

Super.Jesus
Oct 20, 2011

Shakugan posted:

Right, after 12 months. That's plenty of time to do what Eddie did. Give someone with the right background NZT and the required resources, and they'd have no troubles.

This is why Eddie doesn't want Bryan to talk about the mere existence of ''the shot''.

If the FBI learns that there's a way to get around NZT's effects, it becomes logical to look for it. But if you don't know it exists, condemning a poor researcher to a terrible death just for a shot at a breakthrough makes no sense. Would you risk your entire life for something that could be fluke?

Comrade Fakename
Feb 13, 2012


I just saw the movie again a few days ago and Eddie Mora pretty explicitly tells Robert DeNiro (forgot he was in it!) that he's not on NZT any more and that his brain has been rewired into basically being on NZT permanently.

Tenzarin
Jul 24, 2007
.
Taco Defender

Comrade Fakename posted:

I just saw the movie again a few days ago and Eddie Mora pretty explicitly tells Robert DeNiro (forgot he was in it!) that he's not on NZT any more and that his brain has been rewired into basically being on NZT permanently.

He just says hes off it, then he speaks Chinese Mandarin right before the credits.

Man how did he learn Mandarin they never showed us! Do you think the super intelligent person could be lying to us?

WarLocke posted:

I remember quite clearly getting the vibe that Eddie had reverse-engineered the pill and made a permanent treatment coming across as the implication of that scene.

If you thought this, how is knowing it was just a shot that let him keep taking nzt not acceptable?

Kin posted:

Yeah this, like Minority Report, is being ruined by the procedural format that every 'new' story type has been wrapped around.

I was really hoping it would go off into a story ark, with him having a supply of pills.

Tenzarin fucked around with this message at 22:56 on Oct 16, 2015

Rurutia
Jun 11, 2009
It's also possible that he didn't want to give the guy his permanent NZT solution so that the guy had an incentive to work with Morra.

Tenzarin
Jul 24, 2007
.
Taco Defender

Rurutia posted:

It's also possible that he didn't want to give the guy his permanent NZT solution so that the guy had an incentive to work with Morra.

The possibilities, they are..... limitless.

Comrade Fakename
Feb 13, 2012


Tenzarin posted:

He just says hes off it, then he speaks Chinese Mandarin right before the credits.

Man how did he learn Mandarin they never showed us! Do you think the super intelligent person could be lying to us?

No, what happens is (this is a little in-depth so spoilers for the Limitless movie, I guess) De Niro approaches Morra, who's now running for the Senate. He now runs the corporation that produces NZT, tells Morra that he found the lab he had producing the drug himself and shut it down. He then implies that Morra is now under his thumb as he controls the supply. Morra appears to go along with this, but as De Niro is leaving, he informs him that not only did he have more than one lab, but that he isn't even taking NZT any more anyway, and that the drug had permanently rewired his brain. He then demonstrates his abilities by predicting a car crash in front of them. De Niro appears to accept this and leaves.

The final scene of the film is Morra meeting his ex-girlfriend for dinner, who earlier in the movie had informed she didn't want to be with him while he is still on NZT. She looks disappointed when Morra speaks Mandarin as it implies that the drug had changed him permanently.


Now, it's possible that he just lied to De Niro, and it was all just a bluff. But there's nothing in the film that really suggests that, and the final scene doesn't really make sense if he isn't off of NZT, as his girlfriend made it clear that she wouldn't be with him until he stopped taking it.

WarLocke
Jun 6, 2004

You are being watched. :allears:
Yeah. I haven't been able to watch the show yet, and while I can kind of get behind a bit of a retcon to explain why everyone isn't on NZT permanently, it was definitely not a thing that was ever in the movie. Originally Morra was simply permanently on it/rewired, full stop.

ad090
Oct 4, 2013

claws for alarm
It's most likely a retcon so they can better transition the plot into a procedural tv show. Saying that if it's not a departure from the movie, Brian is heavily monitored by both the FBI and Morra's people so starting his own NZT factory might be a bit hard atm. He only gets one 12 hour pill a day, where as Morra seemingly is on it 24/7 for many months at the end of the movie. Morra could have done something else to himself so that he personally doesn't need to take the pill anymore, sharing that info with others would lose him his leverage over however many NZT users he has stationed in other key government agencies, corporations, etc. It's probably a retcon.

ad090 fucked around with this message at 00:01 on Oct 18, 2015

Tenzarin
Jul 24, 2007
.
Taco Defender

Comrade Fakename posted:

No, what happens is (this is a little in-depth so spoilers for the Limitless movie, I guess) De Niro approaches Morra, who's now running for the Senate. He now runs the corporation that produces NZT, tells Morra that he found the lab he had producing the drug himself and shut it down. He then implies that Morra is now under his thumb as he controls the supply. Morra appears to go along with this, but as De Niro is leaving, he informs him that not only did he have more than one lab, but that he isn't even taking NZT any more anyway, and that the drug had permanently rewired his brain. He then demonstrates his abilities by predicting a car crash in front of them. De Niro appears to accept this and leaves.

The final scene of the film is Morra meeting his ex-girlfriend for dinner, who earlier in the movie had informed she didn't want to be with him while he is still on NZT. She looks disappointed when Morra speaks Mandarin as it implies that the drug had changed him permanently.


Now, it's possible that he just lied to De Niro, and it was all just a bluff. But there's nothing in the film that really suggests that, and the final scene doesn't really make sense if he isn't off of NZT, as his girlfriend made it clear that she wouldn't be with him until he stopped taking it.

if it matters so much why watch the show? sounds like its giving you a headache. lol

WarLocke
Jun 6, 2004

You are being watched. :allears:
After catching the first four episodes I am really digging this show. The main dude really sells being a regular loser when off of NZT, and the chemistry between Brian and Rebecca is pretty good.

I think the pacing has been pretty good so far, only the second episode was arc-free (but it was also setting up the FBI and Brian's place in it), all the other ones were pretty heavily on over-arcing plot stuff. I hope they can keep up this pace and not resort of mystery-of-the-week crap.

Accretionist
Nov 7, 2012
I BELIEVE IN STUPID CONSPIRACY THEORIES
He seemed quick to believe Sans about being Morra's man.

WarLocke
Jun 6, 2004

You are being watched. :allears:

Accretionist posted:

He seemed quick to believe Sans about being Morra's man.

Well when Morra basically tells you he is going to be watching you, then your computers gently caress up when trying to Google him (repeatedly, wtf dude even off NZT you should be able to put that together after the first time), then your dad's nurse turns out to be Morra's personal one and gives you a thinly-veiled threat out in the open, then when some random dude comes up and says he's with Morra him being a completely other dude trying to capitalize on the situation after somehow finding out about it actually seems like the less likely thing. To me at least.

Was it Sans? I thought it was Sands?

Arcanen
Dec 19, 2005

Accretionist posted:

He seemed quick to believe Sans about being Morra's man.

Yeah, he's not Morra's man. He's Oliver Queen's!

Party Plane Jones
Jul 1, 2007

by Reene
Fun Shoe
Quinn from Dexter guest starred on Limitless this week as the FBI SWAT team guy and he still looks like warmed over death.

blue squares
Sep 28, 2007

Party Plane Jones posted:

Quinn from Dexter guest starred on Limitless this week as the FBI SWAT team guy and he still looks like warmed over death.

Yeah I kept expecting him to turn out to be a bad guy

Dead Snoopy
Mar 23, 2005
That bastard did put Gotham at risk once so yeah, I feel ya.

Digital Jedi
May 28, 2007

Fallen Rib

blue squares posted:

Yeah I kept expecting him to turn out to be a bad guy

Thought that the whole time.

Also figured Brian would tell her about her father. Which I don't really have a problem with. Helps keep NZT Brain and regular Brian a bit more separate from each other.

Sober
Nov 19, 2011

First touch: Life.
Second touch: Dead again. Forever.

Party Plane Jones posted:

Quinn from Dexter guest starred on Limitless this week as the FBI SWAT team guy and he still looks like warmed over death.
I swear everytime I see Desmond Harrington he's gotten even more skinnier or gaunt or something. What is up with that.

I remembered I watched the pilot for Astronaut Wives' Club and that dude barely fit into his dress shirts.

Stabbey_the_Clown
Sep 21, 2002

Are... are you quite sure you really want to say that?
Taco Defender
This was a pretty good episode. This series is turning out a lot better than I would have expected from the premise.

Yeah, the rookie agent/consultant guy learning the dirty side of dealing with CI's and losing someone who they connected with is pretty common, but this was handled pretty well, and this was solid character development.

WarLocke
Jun 6, 2004

You are being watched. :allears:

Stabbey_the_Clown posted:

This was a pretty good episode. This series is turning out a lot better than I would have expected from the premise.

Yeah, I am really liking the Brian/NZT Brian divide. It'll be interesting to see if they keep working at cross-purposes in the future.

Sands' reaction at his effigy was pretty great too.

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Arcanen
Dec 19, 2005

WarLocke posted:

Yeah, I am really liking the Brian/NZT Brian divide. It'll be interesting to see if they keep working at cross-purposes in the future.

I think it's a good response to "crime solving is boring when it's NZT Brian vs. regular people", to have the aspect of Brian vs NZT Brian.

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