# Limitless (2015)

> A struggling New York writer uses a mysterious neuroenhancing pill and becomes an FBI informant with a senator's secrets to uncover.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/55708

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 22
- Episode runtime: 45 min
- Status: Canceled
- Genres: drama, crime, science fiction
- Created by: Craig Sweeny
- Network: CBS
- Cast: Jake McDorman, Jennifer Carpenter, Desmond Harrington, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Bradley Cooper, Hill Harper, Ron Rifkin, Blair Brown
- TMDB rating: 7.6/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4422836/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: mild
- Tone: breezy, brisk, paranoid, playful

## What critics say

Critics and viewers found the brain-enhancing premise and Jake McDorman's lead engaging, but judged the series a lighter, more formulaic procedural than its source film.

## Synopsis

Limitless is a US network crime drama created by Craig Sweeny for CBS, airing a single season of twenty-two episodes. Struggling writer Brian Finch takes NZT-48, an experimental pill that unlocks nearly total recall and focus, and finds himself working with FBI agent Rebecca Harris on cases that demand his new abilities. Each episode builds around a crime that needs his instant pattern recognition, while the pill's mysterious origins and unpredictable side effects threaten to undo him. Shadowing the investigations is the ambitious senator Edward Morra, whose motives are never quite clear. The show mixes procedural case-of-the-week structure with a serialized conspiracy thread. Its tone is brisk and glossy, with playful energy in the scenes of Brian's sharpened mind and a steady undercurrent of paranoia. Viewers who enjoy clever genius leads, federal investigations and tangled political webs will find familiar pleasures here. The series was canceled after one season, leaving its central conspiracy unresolved.

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