CBS debuted one of its latest dramas, based on the 2011 movie of the same name, Limitless. The concept of the movie is that a man, Eddie, ends up taking a drug, NZT, that enables him to use 100% of his brain ‘without adverse side effects’- that is, until there are side effects. And a mob is after him.
The show opens with the protagonist, Brian, running through a NYC subway station while a group of men chase him. He manages to lose them, only to be found by one. He jumps into the tracks and starts his attempt to outrun a train. Time stops so he can explain who he is- and he’s not done anything wrong… to earn this, anyway. Back in the day, he had a great band and was ready to be a rockstar and have his life together, but things fall apart, like life always does. He explains his now-solo musical plans after the fact, and his family isn’t thrilled with it. They’re about to clear out when his father collapses, and it’s soon to happen three other times. Doctors don’t seem to know what’s going on. A short time later, he volunteers to move home to his hospitalized father to be around, but his father says no- and Brian can tell he’s not being nasty when he denies him- just being truthful because he wouldn’t help much.
Later again, Brian settles into an office job. His former bandmate, Eli arrives to check on him, and it’s revealed he’s the big boss of the company. Eli takes him to lunch to catch up. They talk music and Brian admits he’s not been able to put anything together. Brian expresses fear about his father. Eli says he can help… and hands over a pill, calling it a neuro enhancer (but better). With some prodding, he talks Brian into taking it. He returns to work and everything seems okay, and then all of the effects hit.
In the process, he remembers seeing one of the coworkers whose file he’s sorting- and he’s involved in a date rape case. He goes to handle that, and finishes two weeks worth of work in two hours. On top of that, after hearing his manager’s relationship troubles, he encourages her to dump her beau, and mentions she’s getting a promotion soon, and can be the CEO someday. He leaves for the day and embraces the trip. Suddenly he has super skills with guitar, he’s newly a chess master, and gives career advice to others. He realizes he can diagnose his father, too. He goes to his parents’ house to check out medical textbooks and reads up. He finds out whatever his father has runs in the family.
The next day, he has the mother of all hangovers and withdrawals combined, and reports on what his father has, Hemochromatosis. He says there’s testing, and his father should go for testing. A few minutes later, his mother calls him to confirm he was right, but his father needs a liver transplant, which will be “hard to come by.” He figures taking a pill will get him to find a liver sooner. He goes to Eli’s place to find the place is trashed- and Eli’s been murdered. He goes to call the police, then decides to get the pills first. He figures that’s what the people who trashed his apartment were looking for them, but he knew where to look. He takes the pills and Eli’s phone and escapes, just as a group of people storm the apartment- the same group that’s chasing him in the future.
The lead agent sees him escaping. The drug kicks in and he uses the powers to get a better escape route- and time catches up to where we first met Brian. He bails onto the tracks, and the subway comes towards him. He turns and makes the argument that with the new math skills he’s tapped into, he knows where the train will stop- or is mostly sure. He turns out to be right, and the train stops a couple of inches from him. He makes his escape and the lead agent and the woman who hesitated from shooting him are left looking for him.
The next day the two main agents, Rebecca and Boyle, talk to their supervisor. She tells them about the drug. She goes on, showing how the drug eventually kills people. She tells them they have all the resources needed, so just find him. He calls Rebecca out on hesitating to shoot him. She apparently saw something in his eyes, but she doesn’t tell him that. Back with Brian, he goes through Eli to try and find leads. Rebecca goes to Brian’s parents home to tell them if Brian calls, to call her. His parents insist that Brian wouldn’t kill Eli. Brian’s father says he knows Brian is mixed up with the wrong crowd and drugs, but murder isn’t his thing. With Eddie again, he breaks into one of the lead’s apartments to check it out further, but he’s dead too. He puts it together that these people are getting killed for the NZT. He says he has one more move to do before the effects wear off- he goes to see Rebecca. He confronts her and says that they’re going to figure out who killed Eli- as in the pair of them.