Wonder drug produces ‘Limitless’ feel-good scenarios

WITH recurring guest Bradley Cooper (left)

A spin-off of the 2011 science fiction thriller starring Bradley Cooper, “Limitless” is a TV series about an ordinary guy who fully accesses his brain’s capabilities with the help of a mysterious drug.

NZT, known only to a few users and government agencies, makes 20-something aspiring musician Brian Finch (Jake McDorman) supersmart, enabling him to multitask, quickly learn special skills, and solve cases that have confounded the most analytical investigators. But he’s only hyper-intelligent as long as the dose is effective—and NZT has its damaging side effects!

In the seminal film, Eddie Morra (Cooper) also used the drug, and likewise took advantage of its mind-enhancing properties. Eddie, now a senator, is a recurring character who sees Brian’s potential for good. The latter is given a serum that allows him to take his pills regularly, sans reaction.

Brian’s drug use benefits his sick father, helping him figure out a medical condition. The instant genius is later tapped by the FBI as a consultant, and the bureau eventually provides him his supply of the brain-enhancer, puzzled by his immunity to its harmful effects.

An FBI agent, Rebecca Harris (“Dexter’s” Jennifer Carpenter), takes him under her wing, seeing in him symptoms similar to those of her father, whom she suspected of using NZT before his death.

JAKE McDorman plays an FBI consultant

Executively produced by Cooper and frequent collaborators Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman (“Star Trek,” etc.), “Limitless” is a procedural show—but, despite that, it’s a snappily paced one. For something that often deals with complex crimes, it’s still mainly a feel-good show, and there’s still proper drama when it centers on Brian’s more personal troubles.

His crime-solving is often aided by techniques such as animation and other digital trickeries, not to mention the protagonist’s oft-jokey but clever narration. It fully utilizes its comedic bent in the ninth episode, “Headquarters!”—where Brian assembles a select group of experienced agents and tasks them with capturing the FBI’s most wanted criminals.

Charismatic lead actor McDorman has matured nicely—he was in the teen comedy “Aquamarine” and the college-themed series “Greek”—and he’s believable as both smart aleck-y do-gooder and sneaky charmer.

And with consistently smart writing and an endearing ensemble rapport, “Limitless” is a show that can be counted as escapist—and often a euphoric one, at that.

(The show airs on RTL CBS Entertainment, Wednesdays at 9 p.m.)