Dave’s 3-Word Review:
Sequel and Reboot
Alright guys, as you know, TV has officially started for the fall, and the next TV show I’ll be talking about is Limitless, another TV show based off of a movie, and just like Minority Report, it takes place after the events of the film…but also tries to be its own thing at the same time so that you don’t necessarily need to watch the movie. Weirdly enough, out of these two shows, the one I wanted to see more was Minority Report, and the one I ended up liking better was Limitless. Hey, it’s your own fault. Tom Cruise didn’t show up in your show while Bradley Cooper showed up in this one, so…
If you have seen the movie, then you’ve at least seen the first episode of this show – it’s follows an extremely similar story to get you familiarized with the affects of the super drug, NZT. NZT is a drug that affects your brain in a special way, it basically allows you to be completely aware of every memory, every sensation, and allows you to learn at an incredibly fast rate. What the movie explained as using 100% of your brain opposed to 10%, this show just simplified it by saying what the drug does instead – which is a lot less tacky than what the movie tried to do. Anyways, the main lead, Brian (ha…I see what you did there…Brain…Brian) – gets mixed up in this world of drugs, and the FBI is after him. He just needs to take enough drugs to prove his innocence and to help his father…in the first episode.
Initial Verdict: One More to Make Sure.
Explanation: You can tell that because the events of this episode happened so quickly that after the first episode, we’ll be back to yet another procedural cop drama. You heard me, another one. It’s the year of procedural cop dramas, and I’m not really sure what the pull is. The first episode didn’t really need the FBI if you think about it, the show is simply about the drug NZT – but there’s just something about the world of TV entertainment that needs that cop drama nonesense that we already have enough of.
I did like the show, and I definitely like the characters. Brian felt just right, similar to Bradley Cooper’s own character and quite honestly, persona and even voice. The FBI agent was played by none other than Debra Morgan from Dexter. I know she has some huge talent as well. Then there is Brian’s father, played by Bradley Cooper’s co-star from Alias, Mr. Sloan. And of course, Bradley Cooper’s character’s return. I thought he’d just be a side character we’d see once or twice, but they way he was introduced gave me the idea that we might see more of him than I initially thought…which is pretty awesome. However, I did have some concerns.
First and foremost…was the procedural cop drama thing necessary? I can’t call a final verdict if I haven’t seen how the show will ultimately work from now on. Also, it was a little heavy on the narration from Brian. I get it, there was a lot of ground to cover, and you needed narration for that…or something. I get it, but there was just – a lot of it. It can honestly go either way. The next episode could be amazing and give us a good idea of where the show is heading, or I might be convinced at that point to skip the thing entirely. Who knows? I guess I’ll see you folks next week!
Final Verdict: Watch It.
Explanation: I knew I liked it last week, but I also could tell it was going into a more procedural cop drama direction as well…which I found really annoying. I thought it was a bad choice, but it could still be good…and thankfully, it was. This week gave us a better idea of how the show would work once he’s working with the FBI, and it’s actually not that bad. You like the characters and the concept, plus there’s a little bit of story behind it to keep you intrigued as well. All around, I think they dodged a bullet, and I’ll be happy to keep watching. I just hope they make me proud by continuing the good work!
Dave Examines TV 