Bradley Cooper and Robert de Niro starred in the sci-fi thriller Limitless, which got an underrated TV sequel four years later that, unfortunately, flew under the radar. Bradley Cooper is best known for his work in drama and a couple of comedies, such as The Hangover movies, while Robert de Niro is best known for his roles in drama and gangster movies, such as The Godfather Part II and Goodfellas. In 2011, Cooper and De Niro teamed up in Limitless, mixing sci-fi, thriller, and drama.
Directed by Neil Burger, Limitless follows Eddie Morra (Cooper), a struggling writer who is introduced to an experimental drug called NZT-48, which promises to help him overcome his creative block. What the drug does is give the user the ability to use their brain at its full capacity, letting them do, analyze, and see things they normally wouldn’t be able to. However, there are heavy side effects to taking the drug, and powerful people set their eyes on it, dragging Eddie into a lot of trouble. Limitless got a TV sequel four years later, though with some key differences.
Limitless Got A TV Sequel In 2015 With A Different Lead Character
Limitless Starred Jake McDorman
Developed by Craig Sweeney, Limitless takes place four years after the events of the movie (in which, at the end, Eddie was running for the United States Senate and had weaned himself off the drug but retained his abilities), but it doesn’t follow Morra anymore. Instead, the Limitless TV show follows 28-year-old Brian Finch (Jake McDorman), a struggling musician.
Brian is introduced to NZT in a similar way to Eddie in the movie, and with very similar consequences, as Brian’s friend is murdered shortly after. While Brian becomes the FBI’s main suspect, Eddie kidnaps him to offer him access to NZT and the drug to counter the side effects, on the condition that he won’t tell the FBI, but they will be keeping a close eye on him. Parallel to this, the FBI is investigating who created NZT and how to counter the effects, so Brian is offered a consultant position with the Bureau.
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Limitless TV Show Cast & Characters Guide
Limitless was a televsion spinoff of the hit Bradley Cooper movie from 2011. Here’s a cast and character guide for the series.
This way, the FBI can monitor Brian’s use of NZT and its side effects, or more like Brian’s lack of these, as they don’t know he’s getting the enzyme to counter these from Eddie. Limitless follows Brian, Agent Harris (Jennifer Carpenter), and Agent Boyle (Hill Harper) as they solve different cases, while Brian does his best to keep his job, Eddie’s people, and his personal life separate from each other.
Limitless TV Show Improved The Movie In 1 Big Way
Limitless’ TV Show Knew How To Balance Drama & Comedy
As ironic as it sounds, Limitless was limited by the time constraints of the movie, so it could only focus on Eddie’s struggles to get more pills while also getting rid of those going after him, mostly Gennady (Andrew Howard). The show, on the other hand, had a lot more time and space to cover more, which was necessary given everything Brian got involved in from the moment he took his first pill. Brian was not only solving cases, but he was also dealing with Eddie’s henchmen, trying to save his father, and trying his best to live a normal life.
The Limitless TV show had more mystery, action, and drama, but was also able to add comedy.
Thanks to this, the Limitless TV show didn’t follow the same tone as the movie, and, instead, it had more mystery, action, and drama, but was also able to add comedy. This was key to making Limitless an entertaining and engaging TV show, but unfortunately, it was only allowed to stay for one season.
Why Limitless Was Canceled After 1 Season
Limitless TV Show Only Has 22 Episodes
Unfortunately, despite its strengths, Limitless only ran for one season. Although Limitless had a strong start with good ratings, viewership gradually declined, and critics weren’t so welcoming of it. Many critics compared the show to the movie (which is understandable but unfair at the same time), finding that it made its premise even harder to believe, while others praised the charm of the new lead and the show’s comedy.
Limitless holds a 58% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes and an 85% popcornmeter score.
These elements, along with some scheduling issues and failed attempts at finding it a new home for a second season, led to Limitless being canceled too soon. Even worse is that Limitless ended on a cliffhanger, with Eddie going missing and NZT flooding the streets, which would have made a very interesting, different, but still entertaining second season.
