Limitless Season 1

DVD Wholesale Quick Overview:

++++Warning, this will contain minor spoilers from the movie and hints, but no major giveaways from the show++++++

Limitless was a continuation of the 2011 movie of the same name, which starred Bradley Cooper as Eddie Morra (a character Cooper would reprise in cameo appearances throughout the season) a down on his luck writer who discovered a neuro-enhancing drug called NZT, which put him in line to become a senator by the end of the movie. The movie was kind of based on the myth that people can only use 10% of their brain power (which the show actually calls out as a myth) and NZT allows users to access their entire brain function at will. The show picks up 4 years later with Morra indeed being Senator Edward Morra, who has presidential aspirations. Unlike the ending to the movie which showed him being off of NZT but still being able to take advantage of its uses, he remained on it, got it off the streets (for the most part) and has become a very powerful figure. He also discovered how to avoid the side effects of the drug (which are more consequential in the show than they were in the movie).

The show however, centers around the character of Brian Finch (played by Jake McDorman) who, like the character of Morra, is kind of a down on his luck loser, but a much different person than Morra. He comes across NZT and ends up working as a consultant with the NY division of the FBI with Jennifer Carpenter’s character, Rebecca Harris, acting as his handler. Her partner Boyle, played by Hill Harper plays the straight man to Finch’s anti-establishment character. The remainder of the cast is made up of various character actors and actresses, as well as Ron Rifkin and Blair Brown, who play Brian’s parents, Colin Salmon as Jarrod Sands who is a former MI6 officer and heavy for Senator Morra, and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as FBI Special Agent in Charge Naz Pouran.

The show is a pretty good mix of case-of-the-week serialized drama with a bit of action and quirky/offbeat comedy mixed in. There is also a larger story arc throughout the season that pretty much centers on whether Morra is a good guy or a bad guy, which I think would have worked better if Bradley Cooper was more of an on-screen presence (he mostly served as an executive producer for the show). I think the show did a very good job making the Finch character different from Morra, so it was not just a rehash of the movie storyline, but I think it hurt the show a lot, and ultimately probably lead to its cancellation to not have a more well-known actor in that role, despite how great Jake McDorman was. I think people had the impression from the promos that Cooper would be more involved in the show as a character than he was, and without that, it did not bring in the kind of ratings that CBS was expecting of it. I think had it started out in the time slot as the lead into Hawaii Five-O on Friday night (that is currently occupied by the McGuyver reboot) it would have done well enough to get picked up for a second season, which the show did enough to set up by the end of the first season. Given that it was a bubble show going into the offseason, the writers did end the season in a way that it also made for a satisfying series finale, which it ended up being, and not ending on a huge cliffhanger.

For those who get the discs, the show was released only on DVD. The lack of a Blu Ray release really sucks for those of us who prefer that medium given all the great visuals and special effects the show employed to convey what being on NZT was like. There is about 50 minutes worth of behind the scenes and making of material, including a 17 feature on the adaptation of the movie into the tv show, a gag reel, and a commentary track on one episode with Hill Harper and the series creator. Good for what is there, and makes it worth picking up for a fan of the series.

Overall it was a well-written and well-acted show. It did not fit neatly into any one genre and was a little bit out there with the brand of comedy it did employ. It will probably leave you a bit empty if you really do love the show knowing that there would be nothing more beyond that seaason. But, the season came to a satisfying enough conclusion it is enjoyable even if you will be left a bit mad that a great show got canceled long before it should have.

– Mike S.

Oh my word. Such a fab, fab show. So disappointed CBS decided to cancel. So hoping Amazon picks it up. It is the BOMB! Super cast, excellent writing and fun and engaging plot lines. Brian’s character is flawed.. like all of us but filled with such hear and moral fiber you just can’t help but love him.

Also loved the references to Ferris Bueller, James Bond, Office Space and more. Excellent show.

-Ana Maria Abba

It’s truly a shame that this show did not get past season one. Every actor/actress in it did a great job. The writers made it interesting, and the production values were high. So hard to understand why these worthless people in network management cancel great shows, but this they did to Limitless after season one. The acting was primo, or is that preemo, (?) and the directing, writing, costuming, lighting, casting, etc., etc., — all these were too – and it was fun and interesting, plus a good extension from the source material. So strange that excellent shows get cancelled due to broadcast audiences. Who the heck watches broadcast tv? Well, I mean, who under 55? Anyway, this is a show that should have had one more season – but, network hacks killed it. However, it is a kinda fun show. Not as intellectually interesting as the book or the Limitless movie, but then, tv never is. But it was a fun romp, and another season could have opened many possibilities. This show is worth watching – but watch the movie first for sure. If you don’t watch the movie first (Limitless, 2011), then you’ll not enjoy this as much. Good luck!

– alistairville

DVD Wholesale Main Features :   

Format: AC-3, Box set, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Language: English
Subtitles: English
Number of discs: 6
Rated: Unrated – Not Rated
Studio: Paramount
DVD Release Date: September 6, 2016
ASIN: B01DBXZRFU