After an intriguing, although at times, complete-movie-rehash-led pilot, episode 2 of Limitless kicks things up a notch…
Firstly, we get more insight into the operations of the FBI and how Finch (Jake McDorman) fits in. Having been poked and prodded like cattle by the officials, he finds himself given a desk job. Not allowed out in the field, he is instructed instead to learn Farsi, which unsurprisingly by this point, doesn’t take him long.
Desperate for something to do, he starts investigating Stephen Fisher who has been involved in a suspicious car accident and yet again, he quickly deduces all that has happened. Agent Harris still refuses to let him in the field and so – what else? – he stages a break out, making a quick stop in Atlantic City (as you do) before turning up at the crime scene, model bombs like the one placed on Fisher’s car in hand. The only upside to the whole thing is that, through Finch’s models, they can connect the Fisher bombing to several others contracted to someone going by the name of Taurus. The downside? Once the agents repair the damage he did to the wall during his break-out, Finch is back at the desk he started on.
Coming down off his NZT induced high, he’s finally allowed out to visit his father who has undergone his much needed liver transplant (wow, I wish our health service was that efficient!) The scenes of the two of them together, the guilt of having lied to his family weighing heavily on Finch, are quite touching, but even said guilt isn’t enough to stop him from doubting the agreement he’s made with Morra (Bradley Cooper) and, rather belatedly, he starts to think about how often he needs the ‘special shots’. Little late dude…
Now I don’t know about you, but if I were to make an agreement with someone, I’d do my research first. Finch however, acts first and does the sensible thing later. Jumping onto Google (not literally, of course), he searches for “Senator Edward Morra NZT”, only for his computer to glitch and switch off. A second attempt to dig up any information at his dad’s house fails; this time even more spectacularly, as not only does the computer get fucked up, the entire house loses power.
Anyone else a little freaked out by this yet? Is Morra a God or what?!
Back in the FBI offices, Finch nonchalantly drops the fact he’s figured out who has been behind the bombings. Darren Cullen (aww, I was so hoping for Edward..tsk tsk), is a security expert who enjoys restoring vintage cars. A visit to his garage reveals a Porsche filled with bomb-making tools and ingredients. Straight forward you might think – but then comes the twist. Cullen didn’t kill Fisher, the chip he planted never went off like it should and instead, an autopsy suggests Fisher crashed the car himself after suffering a stroke.
I’m no medical expert but I’m pretty sure most people in their mid to late twenties don’t drop dead of sudden strokes, and evidently Finch has the same opinion as he goes off to do some more secret investigative work, starting by breaking into Agent Harris’ apartment and – what do you know – in a flash, he’s piecing the whole story together.
So what’s the deal? Fisher is one of several young men to die having developed flu-like symptoms and then suffered a stroke. What’s even more unusual is that all those who have died have a connection to Genghis Khan; one way or another, they’re all related to him, distantly at least. So have their deaths been caused by a virus targeting those of a certain descent? Sure as hell looks that way…
It is also revealed that the victims all visited the same coffee shop, Young Molly’s and a look at CCTV reveals a man spraying coffee cups with aerosol. The target of said cups? Not the men, but a woman. Further research shows the Khan marker only manifests itself in men and so the FBI follow the woman to the intended target – her lover. As the FBI arrive, he’s in the throes of a stroke, but pulls through. A little digging uncovers the fact he was the swing vote on a committee wanting to direct research money towards biological weapons (really, isn’t the world dangerous enough?) Unable to uncover enough evidence to bring the man down, they reluctantly hand over the case files to Finch who susses the whole thing out.
His reward is a promotion of sorts – his own FBI badge, and feeling better about his situation, he visits his dad, planning to come clean about everything and wanting to ask him to take on a case and help him. Unfortunately, said request is interrupted by the arrival of his father’s nurse, a specialist in handcuffing patients to beds. It’s no surprise to find out at this point that she works for Morra, but the threat she delivers, is menacing to say the least – whisper even one word about NZT and your father’s a dead man. Eeek!
It’s there where we’re all left (not literally) hanging. I for one am feeling a tad edgy and praying to God Finch finds a way to get his father out of the mess he’s created…but something tells me it’ll be a few episodes yet before any of us find out if he’s successful. Until next time guys, hit me up with your thoughts in the comments!
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