What I’m Watching: Limitless

Limitless: Season 1, Episode 18 “Bezgranichnyy” (B+)

I like these episodes that find Brian out on his own away from the FBI and fully involved in some secret mission with one female who he somehow manages to romance. I liked Piper the first time he met her, and it was great to see the look on her face when she got released from the van and saw a smiling Brian there to greet her. Having most of the episode’s intertitles displayed in Russian was fun, and I love that the fact that Brian managed to get George R.R. Martin on the phone to disclose the ending of “Game of Thrones” to the man in charge was just summarized as a casual and clever solution, one Piper later invoked again when she had to get Brian out of prison. The FBI wasn’t too hot on their trail, fully aware that Brian went to Russia but not able to discern anything beyond that. It’s jarring once again to see Dennis stand up so strongly when he defends his son, blaming Rebecca for manipulating Brian and refusing to let any of his family members be questioned again without the proper legal authorization. That Rachel chose to trust Rebecca and come see her without her father knowing is telling, and of course Brian would call and leave a message for Rebecca that he was coming back just as she stepped away from her phone to learn that Sands was the operative who was at the safehouse in the middle of the night. Much more concerningly, that same shady operative is well aware of the fact that Brian and Piper were together in Russia, which is very troubling for the continued safety of the one person who might be able to free Brian from his alliance with Sands and Morra for good.