Limitless: Season 1 - Open your Mind

Limitless was mostly an adaptation, but partly a continuation of the movie of the same name starring Bradley Cooper. Like the movie, the premise of the series is based on the myth that humans only access 10 percent of their brain's power which can be expanded by taking a nootropic drug called NZT-48, which unlocks the full potential of the human mind. Jake McDorman, who up to this point in his career played character parts in either guest starring or recurring roles on series like Shameless and House, had been a series lead in a few short-lived relatively unknown shows, as well as having a few movie credits under his belt, plays Brian Finch, a 28-year old writer who has to take odd jobs to keep himself afloat. He is mainly a slacker with little direction in his life. He is given NZT and for 12 hours becomes incredibly smart, with perfect recall, and is able to solve any problem. In the pilot, he becomes the suspect in a murder investigation and uses NZT to figure out who the real murderer is. Cooper reprises his role from the movie, Eddie Mora, as a recurring character, who is a senator with presidential aspirations. He provides Brian with a shot that counteracts the devastating side effects of NZT, and Brian ends up becoming a consultant for the FBI working with Special Agent Rebecca Harris (played by Dexter's Jennifer Carpenter, in her first big role after Dexter ended) and Special Agent Spelman Boyle (played by Hill Harper) who is less than enthused to have Brian as a consultant. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio plays FBI Special Agent in Charge Nasreen "Naz" Poura, who assigns missions to the team.The series is definitely a bit uneven, and it took a while to really find its footing. Early in the season, episodes included more of Brian's family, played by Ron Rifkin (of Alias) as Brian's father, Blair Brown (from Fringe) as Brian's mother, and Megan Guinan as Brian's sister, Rachel. About halfway through the season, the series shifted to focusing a lot less on Brian's personal life (mainly because of the backlash from viewers over the recreational use of marijuana by Brian and Rachel) and focused almost exclusively on the FBI cases. Cooper made a handful of appearances throughout the season but did not have as large a role in the show as the previews for the series made it seem, I think the fact that Cooper did not have a larger part in the show ultimately hurt the show in the long run.For those who get the DVD set (the series only got a DVD physical media release), the extras include series promos, a handful of behind-the-scenes featurettes, a commentary track on the episode Headquarters!, and a gag reel. A decent amount for a series that only lasted one season.Overall, the series is very good, despite the rougher start when the series was trying to figure out if it wanted to be a straight drama or more of a blended drama and comedy. It was mostly a case-of-the-week procedural crime drama but also had some serial storylines. The acting was great, especially once a single tone was picked, and all of the characters (even the ancillary ones) were given good material to work with. The series, thankfully, does not end on a total cliffhanger, but it ended in a way that was definitely setting up a second season that would ultimately never come. So, if you watch it and get into it, you may be disappointed that not everything gets resolved by the end. That said, it is still a very good series that is worth watching.

My Favorite TV Show Ever!

This series is based on the movie Limitless, in which a dangerous, highly effective "smart drug" has been invented, but is not yet a matter of public knowledge or in general use. The series is set in the same world as the movie, and is set in New York a few years after those events. The connections between the movie and the series are meant to be explicit, with Eddie Morra from the movie introduced as a relevant character in the series, and Bradley Cooper reprising the role in several episodes. The writing does well in establishing a continuity with the movie, and some of the same cinematic devices are used, though the series is not highly derivative in terms of plot or tone, apart from the pilot. The movie was itself based on The Dark Fields by Alan Glynn, but I haven't read it.The series has the usual first season experimentalism where writers and actors are figuring out what works, but since the series only lasted one season, the result is a single season arc with a large range. This mostly worked to its advantage, possibly by accident. Particular episodes run from too silly to too serious, with an overall impression of having mostly upbeat individual stories about likable characters with an ongoing underlying tension from a conspiracy thriller story arc. The performance is highly entertaining, but whether that was the cast, direction, writing, editing, or something else, is something I can't tell.It works as a single season in that it doesn't have a cliffhanger ending or build up major expectations that remain unresolved. It was obviously intended to continue, and has a promising set up for a second season with ongoing plot and character threads to follow, but as a stand-alone package it isn't frustratingly incomplete. I think of it as an eccentric, very long mini-series, and I've enjoyed watching it more than once.

arrived on time and plays great

You get an entire season of this show, which makes it a great entertainment bargain. Each episode was fun and entertaining, and I only wish there was going to be another season! Quality visuals and lots of Bonus Features as well.

Little annoyed it won't play on the comp , so I have to use the Blu-ray or dvd and a tv

The item was delivered very quickly.

I agree with many of the reviewers here, that this show ended WAY too soon. I LOVED this show. It had everything that a motion picture art form offers: drama, thrills, suspense, romance, comedy, action, thought provoking plots, etc. All the actors are well cast, and perfect for their parts. Don't shy away, just because season 1 is the only season. They did ended the series well. Important plot lines are wrapped up nicely. There was closure, and the possibility of new adventures. However, it is not to be. There will not be another PERFECT SHOW, with a PERFECT CAST for sometime.For those who are resolution snobs, like me, who prefer to have an HD version of the show, but finds this "DVD" offering to be lacking. And, no Blu-ray copies to be found. I have GOOD NEWS! This DVD set, while only 720p, also provides an HD (1080p) digital copy of the show, via a streaming service. No, it's not Amazon Prime, they sell this show for $35. So get yours, before someone realizes and repackage it WITHOUT the HD digital version!