Limitless (2015) s01e01 Episode Script
Pilot
Hey, hold it! Go! Go down that hall! Go.
Go there! Go, go! Don't move! Hands in the air! Hi.
My name is Brian Finch and the first thing you should know about me is I didn't do anything wrong.
Well, not the kind of wrong that leads to having a gun in your face, anyway.
I'll explain.
There were a few mistakes along the way.
Five expulsions, four misdemeanors, three fake I.
D.
's, two attempts at the 11th grade, and a partridge in a pear tree.
I always thought I'd find something different.
Something I don't know, great? Something like this.
I loved it.
When my dad asked me what I planned to do with myself, I actually had something to say.
Then time passes.
Everyone around you starts to grow up, and when your break is slow to come, people fall away.
- Eli, the guy I started the band with, - he was the first to quit.
It starts to feel like no one told you you were playing a game of musical chairs.
Get a job, get married, get a life, what are you waiting for? The song is gonna stop playing any second now.
So that's the thing.
I wouldn't really call it a band, per se.
It's a project, um, and it has its own name, but I'm the only one involved, so, uh, we're self-releasing So when you say you're the only one involved, when you say "we," you mean I mean me.
Mm-hmm.
"Me" is "we.
" Or is the other way around? We is me, me is we? Anyway, it's called "Resorbed Twin.
" And, uh, the album goes on Bandcamp next week.
- Oh.
- That's great.
Right? That's great! So, Brian, can I hear it? Uh it's embargoed right now.
Uh, but I'll let you know right away.
Good.
Who wants dessert? - Yes.
- Yes.
Yes, all around? Sure.
- Dad? - Dennis? - Dad.
- Dennis, Dennis - Are you okay? - Dad? Let's go, come on.
That was the first time my dad collapsed.
There were more.
Three in the next two months, and still, nobody could figure out what was wrong with him.
Hey, Dad.
- Hey.
- Hey, Brian.
Sorry I'm late.
I ended up playing till 2:00 in the morning last night.
And Jason from the club forgot to pay me.
I need to go back today.
You know what? Never mind.
How are you? How was the scan? Did you hear anything? No.
Maybe it'll find something this time, hmm? Well, you know what? I was thinking that maybe I should come out to the house for a little while.
You know? Just till they figure this whole thing out.
Wait a minute.
You want to move back home? Well, yeah not 'cause I need to, Dad.
Uh, I don't know.
I don't know.
I got your mom.
I'm getting around okay.
What would you do? What do you mean? What are you offering, Brian? How would you help? Tell me.
He wasn't trying to be mean; that's not my dad.
But he was saying a lot more than he meant to.
Help? I could barely take care of myself.
Other people had careers.
Me? I was a temp.
Manchester-Reid Bancorp is the eighth or ninth biggest bank on Wall Street, depending on how you measure.
Everyone who works here just took a sexual harassment seminar it's a liability thing and then they signed a form acknowledging that they went.
These are the signed forms, those are our employee files.
Your job is to put each form into the proper file.
We have 22,000 employees.
We figure it'll take you two weeks.
Jessamyn Eubanks.
I didn't break up with Teddy; I just didn't take the ring.
Doesn't mean we broke up.
No, it doesn't Brian.
Brian! Yep.
I'm, uh Wh Eli? What are you, uh, what are you doing here? Couple guys out on the floor told me the temp was snoring back here.
I can't believe it's you.
- You're an investment banker.
- Yeah.
Well, I mean, I wouldn't call it a band, per se.
Um It's a project.
Uh, but, uh, I'm the only one involved.
Man, I'm so glad you're still making music.
That's awesome.
Hey, do you have the record on your phone? Let's-let's listen to it right now.
Eli there is no album.
I haven't written a song in, like God, over a year.
Why not? I don't know, man.
I just I can't concentrate.
My dad's sick.
What's wrong with him? They're not sure.
If he doesn't get better I mean, my dad might die.
What has he seen me accomplish? You know, I might be able to help.
You carry around a money clip now? Yeah.
I got the biggest bonus in the bank last quarter and they gave me this.
- Yeah.
- It's got my initials.
- That's awesome.
- Yeah, I know, uh 20-year-old me would punch 28-year-old me in the face.
Here.
- Okay - Take it.
It'll give you, like I don't know, a-a jump-start.
What is that? - Is it some kind of speed? - No.
That's not where I'm Hey.
You hear of modafinil? Mm-mm.
Neuroenhancers? Well, it's like that.
Just better.
A lot better.
- I don't think that - Hey, Brian I don't think you understand what I'm offering you here.
"A jump-start.
" Okay.
What did I have to lose? Here we go.
Yeah, I filled out his business school applications.
Yep, essays too.
Wow, awesome joke, Eli.
He's smart, Mom, he is.
He's just you know, he's Teddy.
Okay? And I don't think that we should be getting engaged right now Then it happened.
The scales fell from my eyes.
Your brain is a miracle, but it's not efficient.
There's a maze inside everyone's head, a labyrinth of missed connections and untapped potential.
Business school applications.
Because he wasn't gonna do it.
But now, suddenly, I had access 'cause he's Teddy.
To every single brain cell.
That guy looks familiar, doesn't he? Who are you? You know who he is.
You remember a lot more than you think you do.
Every experience you've ever had, every idea that came to you in the shower and then slipped away while you were brushing your teeth it's all there for the taking.
The bank wants to know who's leaving them open to a lawsuit.
They should probably know about the guy whose frat got kicked off campus for selling a date-rape drug.
This guy's had five female assistants in a year.
What's the story there? Two weeks.
She told me it would take two weeks.
I guess I got carried away, 'cause I was done in two hours.
So, yeah, I read every file in here.
Then I sorted them into five tiers of potential risk.
It was pretty intuitive.
Tier one is color-coded green.
They're your safest employees.
Tier five, the reds, is reserved for total undesirables.
This is incredible.
One more thing: Break up with Teddy.
You deserve better.
But you know that; that's why you turned down the ring.
We've been together so long.
It's scary, I know.
But you'll be fine.
You're about to get a promotion.
This filing system? You're taking credit for it.
Then you're getting a bump to vice president, you spend six months there.
Then it'll be the bank that pays for you to go to business school.
How did you know I was thinking about an MBA? I know you filled out the applications for your ex.
I didn't talk to Teddy yet.
You're as smart as anyone who works here.
How could you not think about an MBA? You know what else? They've got no women on the board.
They've never had one.
That's gotta change.
You could run this place, Jessamyn.
I'm not a CEO.
Yeah, but you can be.
You can have the job you want, you can have a guy that understands you You deserve it.
All you gotta do is know how to ask.
Kind of seems like you understand me.
Of course I do.
I read your file.
I remember this feeling.
The world is mine.
I just have to decide what to do with it.
Hey! Do you mind if I play? It'll just take a second.
My dad gave me a lesson or two when I was a kid, but to be completely honest with you, it never really clicked until now.
Re-brand.
You don't sell hot dogs anymore; you sell artisanal hot dogs.
That's the next thing.
Cupcakes are on the way out.
The mavens never embraced pie, so that's not happening.
Did you read The Tipping Point? You know about mavens? I'm telling you, Cesar, if you build it, they will come.
Checkmate.
Checkmate.
Checkmate.
We should play for money.
I dabble.
Dad, watch this.
Nice.
My brother's medical school textbooks were still at my parents' place.
Nobody else could figure out what was wrong with my father.
Why can't I? Suddenly, I knew exactly what I was looking for.
This.
A picture of my grandparents on their honeymoon.
Her eyes, they're the same as Dad's.
It runs in the family.
Ever been hungover? Yeah, this was like that, just worse.
A lot worse.
Oh, Brian, you look awful.
Good morning.
Dad.
I think you've got something called, um hemochromatosis.
It's caused by a trait that runs in our family.
Uh, Grandma Helen had it, your cousin Scott.
You've got it the worst out of anybody though and, um it's 'cause your body can't process iron All right, stop! Just stop.
You spend one night on the floor and suddenly you're a doctor, Brian? Dad, listen to me for a second, okay? Now, the inherited version of hemochromatosis is-is one of the most misdiagnosed diseases that there is.
Doctors mistake it for dozens of other things.
And if they can't find it, how could you? It's a long story.
But there is a test that they can run called a, uh, transferrin saturation test.
And, um I-I think you guys should take that.
Today.
You have one new message.
Brian, uh, I don't know how you knew, but you were right.
Your father has hemochromatosis.
But with your dad, the doctor said it's concentrated in his liver.
And they say he needs a transplant.
But they say they're not sure he'll get an organ in time.
Call me.
So, in the end, that pill got me past one problem I could never solve on my own and dumped me right in front of another one.
Find a liver? How do you even do that? I needed another pill.
Hello? Eli? Oh, my God Oh, my God I gotta call the police.
Wait if I'm gonna help my dad, I better find those pills.
Oh, God.
The money clip was gone, the place was trashed, but whoever tore it apart, obviously didn't know Eli as well as me.
He always kept a backup stash taped to the inside of his acoustic.
Open up, Eli! Open up! I need to talk to you! Whatever's coming through that door, I'm pretty sure Brian Finch is not qualified to handle it, not without help.
Clear! Eli's phone that could come in handy.
It doesn't look like there's a fast way out here.
But what if suddenly you knew how much strength you had in your hands? I mean exactly how much, down to the moment the last muscle fiber would give.
Hey! FBI! Three paths, three potential outcomes.
It's tempting to head into the park until you remember the mayor just doubled the foot patrols in Union Square.
I could try one more mad dash across the street but let's not push that.
Subway it is.
Don't move, hands in the air.
Hey! Dumb idea? Sure.
But what if you could remember every documentary you ever saw? Every trig class? Could you do the math? Could you figure out exactly where that train is going to stop? If you're positive that the driver could see you, I think you could get pretty close.
90% sure.
Maybe 80%.
And if you could remember that there's an abandoned track next to the L stop in Union Square, then the dumbest stunt you ever pull might just turn out to be the smartest moment of your life.
His name's Brian Finch.
We ran stills from the subway through facial recognition software.
He profiles as basically no one.
And yet he got away from six of our agents.
I saw him jump in front of the L train and bring it to a dead stop like he was playing chicken.
You're making a point? He knew the train was gonna stop.
Why did you ask us to bring Eli Whitford in for questioning? What did you expect to find in his apartment? There's an explanation for what you saw today.
firm that Finch is the leading suspect In 2011, the DEA picked up a dealer selling a nootropic compound he called NZT-48.
We don't know where it came from.
But it affects multiple regions of the brain.
The cognitive enhancements were like nothing you've ever seen.
I mean, we recorded stuff in the lab that would make you rethink the whole idea of the impossible.
"The lab"? You're a resourceful woman, Rebecca.
I'm sure you can imagine multiple applications for NZT.
Everyone in the study was either from Central Intelligence or the Bureau they all volunteered.
We reverse-engineered the compound.
The pictures on the right were taken a year into the study.
My God.
The program was called off after the first two fatalities.
They just closed up shop? We don't know how Brian Finch is connected to NZT.
But there are some important eyes looking at this.
You'll have all the resources you need.
Find him.
Is it me, or did the whole world just change? We can't think about it that way.
It's a fugitive case, let's work it.
I'll go see Finch's parents.
You want to get the word out to other agencies? Yeah.
Hey.
On that subway platform, you had your gun on him, the shot was clean, why didn't you take it? Crowd spooked me.
A lot of ricochet in a concrete tunnel.
You have to take care of this yourself, you know that, right? They think you killed Eli.
But you know that already, that's why you took Eli's phone.
Once you turn it on, the GPS will ping to a tower in about 40 seconds, so work fast.
Eli, my connect's out of pills.
Honey can't find any either.
We got to dig deep.
Have to stay ahead of the pack at M-R.
"M-R," that's Manchester-Reid.
There are two other people at the bank using NZT.
Eli's income went up by a factor of ten when he was taking those pills.
So did this guy's, Jay Winston.
And this guy's, Adam Honeycutt.
Adam Honeycutt.
Jay Winston.
Those are the other people using NZT.
Winston has listed a hotel in SoHo as his address.
He's living out of a suite.
It's about two miles from here.
Go there first.
Brian? You're sure you mean our son? The safest option for your son is to surrender.
If he calls, please tell him that.
I'm-I'm sorry, I don't understand.
He was friends with Eli.
Brian wouldn't kill him.
Maybe not the Brian you know.
But if he's using, then he isn't that person anymore.
Uh, uh, Agent Harris, let me ask you a question.
You-you have kids? No.
Right, so this will make it difficult for you to understand.
Brian is lost in the world, and I can believe that he is mixed up with this drug.
But you're wrong about one thing.
Our son is not a murderer.
The news made this big thing about my leather jacket, so I took the coat and scarf from a coat check.
Sorry for stealing your coat, Tanner Evans, but to be honest, you seem like a little bit of a douche.
Now I just have to get into Jay Winston's suite.
I have tried to pick a lock before.
Different kind of situation.
Keep a slight turning pressure while doing this.
Now, the pick is used to manipulate the pins.
A torque wrench is inserted into the key way, in such a fashion as to push the pin upward to unlock a pin code.
Three people at Manchester-Reid are taking the pills, and two of them die inside 18 hours? This isn't a suicide.
Someone's killing these guys for their NZT.
The first pill I took lasted about 12 hours.
I have time to make one more move before I come down.
You get lost in your work.
You didn't hear me come in.
It's not there.
What do you want? I can't tell you who killed Eli yet.
But I can tell you a lot.
You're an FBI agent.
You can go places I can't.
You have resources I don't.
We're gonna figure out who really did it.
If you hand me my gun right now, I probably won't shoot you.
There are other people at the bank using NZT.
One of them is named Jay Winston.
Right now, he's lying dead in a hotel suite in SoHo.
It's set up to look like a suicide, but I think the same person killed Eli and Jay.
If Winston had the drug, that gives you motive to kill him.
Does it give me motive to come here and tell you about it? Someone is killing the people who are using NZT at Manchester-Reid.
That's Jay Winston's laptop.
He has several e-mails from someone with the user name "Hapaboy" there's nothing in here that says what Hapaboy's real name is, but he used to work with Jay.
He's at one of the big banks.
I just don't know which one.
He knows Jay was using something to get ahead.
He wants in.
Your story's got lots of threads for me to pull on.
Most lies told by addicts do.
What is it with you? Some part of you has to believe I'm right.
That's why you didn't shoot me on that platform.
Oh! You lost someone in your family to addiction.
Night of the Gun, How To Stop Time those are memoirs by addicts.
Was it your mother? Stop.
I'm serious.
Now.
No, wait That's the most recent picture of your dad.
It's at least ten years old.
You think I'm impressed that you can stomp around in my life? You're not smart, you're high.
I'm not lying, though.
Leave.
I'm not gonna take your gun.
I know you'd get in trouble for that.
How's my father? You wouldn't know all that without talking to my parents.
He looks really sick.
I spent the night in a hotel that was closed for renovations.
My stomach did backflips as soon as the pill wore off.
I told the FBI everything except for the name of the third guy taking NZT Adam Honeycutt.
If he's still alive, he has pills.
Hey.
"Hapa" that's Hawaiian.
It means someone of mixed heritage.
Can you help me hit the HR departments on Wall Street? See if there's a trader with a Hawaiian background? Someone about Eli's age? You're checking Finch's story? He breaks into your apartment, holds your sidearm on you.
I can't figure out why, though.
It was a huge risk.
Plus, Brian gave me good information, and then he left my gun behind.
Would a guilty guy do that? "Brian"? Finch, whatever.
Hey.
I'll do it.
Thanks.
- Oh! - No, look! Wait, wait, wait! Wait, do you know who I am? I didn't kill Eli.
I didn't kill Jay.
I came here for an NZT pill.
- No, go away, man! - I was gonna steal it.
I was gonna steal it.
Okay? But only to prove who killed Eli.
And to help my dad, okay? Listen, I'm not what they say on the news.
I'm not a bad person.
But I need help.
Okay? Oh, God I believe you.
I believe you.
Oh, my God.
Eli used to talk about you all the time.
He was jealous of you.
He gave up.
You never did.
I can help.
I'll get you a pill.
Just a rattle, right? No big deal.
But it made me curious.
Adam's apartment was immaculate.
Like, OCD immaculate.
Everything was symmetrical.
Almost everything.
The plant on the right, it's maybe two inches higher than the other one.
You were running out of NZT.
You took care of Eli and Jay.
You took their pills.
Yeah, I should have got rid of that.
Your buddy Eli was a snake.
He shorted the market using my research.
So, really, the biggest bonus that money clip they were mine.
He was a good person.
And you murdered him.
And you're going to jail.
You planning on going to the police? Hey, you want to call 'em, right now? I mean, I can't wait to tell 'em how I shot the fugitive who came looking for some drug called NZT.
Which, by the way, Brian, I'm not stupid enough to keep where I live.
Here's how I see it: Maybe you pass out from that hole in your leg.
Maybe you get arrested.
Or maybe I find you before anyone with a badge can.
Either way works out fine for me.
- Hello? - Guess what? I was wrong about Hapaboy.
- Brian? - Mm-hmm.
It's Finch? Um I know.
His real name is Andrew Benn.
He's been vacationing in Honduras the last two weeks.
The killer's name is Adam Honeycutt.
And, uh I can't prove it yet, but, um, he did kind of, uh he shot me.
- What? - Yeah.
Are you at a hospital? No.
I, I-I But they-they-they train you guys, right? To-to patch up bullet wounds? Like, in case of - emergencies or something? - They tell us - to get to a hospital.
- Yeah, well, - I can't do that, so - You want me to coach you through patching a bullet wound? Why would you expect me to do that? Because I'm innocent.
Where is the bullet? Is it in your leg, still? I don't know.
No, I think it just grazed me.
Is the blood bright red or is it dark? - Dark, I think.
- Okay, that's good.
That means it didn't hit an artery.
- Mm.
- We're gonna patch the wound.
If there's any cloth in there, that can get infected.
- Okay.
- So do you have a knife? Do you, do you have tweezers or something? Uh Tweezers? Yeah.
Yeah, uh-huh.
I g What-what are we using these for? 'Cause I can't go digging around in my own leg.
Yes, you can.
Think about something else and just do it.
Uh, okay, how? How am I supposed to think about something else? Um You like egg creams, right? The ones from Isaac's on Forest Hills? Yeah.
How did you know about that? I saw a picture in your house.
Hey y-you know something, um my mom always wanted me to be a doctor.
Instead, I I-I turned out to be nothing, I guess.
Brian you're gonna get through this, okay? I am gonna talk you through this.
Oh! Brian? What are you doing? Combat gauze, stitches.
It's not perfect, but you won't bleed out.
Unless you get your dumb ass shot again.
Oh, her bedside manner's unorthodox, but you are in expert hands.
It's about time you and me talked.
Do you know who I am? Oh.
Oh, God.
I've been tracking you ever since you first bumped into the FBI at your friend's apartment.
And then, when they last traced your call, one of my sources intercepted and here we are.
Why? I'm nobody.
Everybody says you're gonna be president soon.
I haven't officially announced that yet, but between me and you, I don't even know if I'm gonna run.
Do you know how much time we get off in the senate? It's shocking, really.
I don't know if I can give it up.
One NZT pill.
I give this to you.
If you're not the killer, you can go prove it.
But what are you gonna do after that? Go back to temping? Every day a little closer to 30 40.
I know what that's like.
It's lonely.
God.
Your body craves it faster and faster, yeah.
You think it's bad now, it's only gonna get worse.
You actually might remember this moment as the last time you felt vaguely human.
But it doesn't have to be that way, Brian.
I took a pill this morning.
I've taken a pill every morning for the past four years.
I can't remember the last time I felt bad.
That's not true.
No, I had a headache two years ago.
How how did you how did you do that? That.
Millions of dollars of private research.
It works on a cyclical enzyme system.
Oh, you don't know what that means.
It doesn't matter.
All you need to remember is that every so often, you take one of these shots.
And you can have as much NZT as you want with no side effects.
You're on the verge of having a life that most people can't even begin to imagine.
Can you remember what it's like to be inside your mother's womb? I can.
I think about it when I need to relax.
Have you ever thought about why people have to age? Is it inevitable? I'm not sure.
So-so, wait.
What-what the hell are you offering me? You're offering me one pill? Well, if things go the way I expect they will, you're gonna have as much NZT as you need.
Why? Why would you help me? Let's just say I need somebody in a position that you soon will be qualified to fill.
But one thing.
This conversation is here and now and nowhere else.
You describe it to the FBI, to your parents, to anyone I will let you die more painfully and slowly than you can fathom.
So what's it gonna be, Brian? You ready to become somebody who matters? One pill.
One last chance to prove I'm innocent.
There's one piece of evidence Adam wouldn't get rid of.
I just have to get to it.
Hey, buddy.
Are you sure you're wearing the right name tag? What? - Yeah.
- Hey, did you ever see one of those instructional videos about pickpocketing? All you have to do is create one slight misdirection, and you can steal just about anything, like this gun.
Hey, don't worry about it, Francis.
I'm not gonna hurt anyone, okay? Excuse me, everyone.
I'm robbing the place.
Sorry.
Just try to stay calm.
You can hit the silent alarm now.
You want me to hit the alarm? Call the FBI, too, ask for Rebecca Harris.
Tell her Brian Finch just walked in here with a gun.
There's a lot of people out there, huh? What are we doing here, Brian? Did you know that Adam Honeycutt does his banking here? He had to fill out financial disclosure forms when he came over to Manchester-Reid.
I read it all.
He told me he doesn't keep any NZ in his apartment, but according to the manager here, he has a safety deposit box downstairs.
Let's go see what's inside.
Look at that watch.
You see that? That's Eli Whitford's blood.
I see it.
Well, in that case, I surrender.
And the police are still trying to piece this all together.
Just a short time ago, we spoke with the victim's mother, and she - You wanted to see me? - Yeah.
I just got copies of Brian Finch's CT scans.
You've seen the NZT files.
Does that look right? Brian took at least two doses of NZT.
His brain should be rewiring itself.
And yet, he presents as a perfectly healthy 28-year-old.
Brian's immune to the side effects of taking NZT.
We don't know how, but we certainly plan on learning.
You want to study Brian to figure out how to make a safe version of the drug.
Whoever created NZT still a mystery, by the way may be out there giving it to anybody.
This is an arms race, Rebecca, and Brian could help us win it.
He's a person.
A good one, actually.
Am I the only one that's thinking about this? If Brian's gonna take NZT anyway, then every time he takes it, he basically becomes the smartest person in the world.
That's a resource.
- Let's make it our resource.
- You're talking - about putting him to work? - Call him a consultant.
We can still study him, yes, but make the bank charges disappear.
Let's move him into the safe house in Greenpoint.
I'll be his liaison.
You trust him with that kind of power? I'm not sure I trust anyone with that kind of power, but if we keep him here, I can watch him, and we can use him.
Brian has the potential to be more effective than every agent in this division combined.
No.
No? Not unless you can get my father a new liver.
You do that, I'll do whatever job you want.
- We don't work that way.
- Well, start.
Someone, somewhere up the food chain they can move him up the transplant list.
If I'm as important as you say I am, then you find that person or don't.
Brian you're out on bail.
You could go to prison.
And even if you don't, do you really want to go back to your old life? I'd do anything to save my dad.
Nurses station.
Heard you got some luck.
Brian.
They're really operating tomorrow? You know, you don't have to pretend that this is a surprise.
The lady from the FBI was in this morning to visit me.
She wouldn't give me any details, but she said that she said that you made this happen.
What happened to you? You look different.
Yeah, I'll tell you all about it sometime.
Oh, boy, I'm proud of you, kid.
You don't even know what I did.
I don't need to know what you did.
I woke up this morning feeling scared.
Tomorrow, I'll wake up feeling hopeful.
You did that.
You saved my life.
Thank you.
You were right, you know.
About my father.
He used for ten years, when I was a kid.
My mom finally moved me and my sister out of the house in the middle of the night.
He cleaned up after I joined the Bureau.
He came to see me one night last year, and something was off.
He said he'd been blind his whole life, but now, tonight, he could see.
When he left, he said the next time I saw him, he'd be a different person.
A better person.
Three weeks later, his body floated up in the East River.
I'm sorry.
You know what I remember about that night? His eyes.
They had this shine.
Just like yours did on that subway platform.
That's why you didn't shoot me.
I think my father was on NZT that night.
And if I can figure out where it comes from, maybe I can figure out what happened to him.
You agreed to do a job, Brian.
It's time.
Just don't lie to me.
Ever.
You sure about this? I couldn't help my father.
Maybe I can help you.
Go there! Go, go! Don't move! Hands in the air! Hi.
My name is Brian Finch and the first thing you should know about me is I didn't do anything wrong.
Well, not the kind of wrong that leads to having a gun in your face, anyway.
I'll explain.
There were a few mistakes along the way.
Five expulsions, four misdemeanors, three fake I.
D.
's, two attempts at the 11th grade, and a partridge in a pear tree.
I always thought I'd find something different.
Something I don't know, great? Something like this.
I loved it.
When my dad asked me what I planned to do with myself, I actually had something to say.
Then time passes.
Everyone around you starts to grow up, and when your break is slow to come, people fall away.
- Eli, the guy I started the band with, - he was the first to quit.
It starts to feel like no one told you you were playing a game of musical chairs.
Get a job, get married, get a life, what are you waiting for? The song is gonna stop playing any second now.
So that's the thing.
I wouldn't really call it a band, per se.
It's a project, um, and it has its own name, but I'm the only one involved, so, uh, we're self-releasing So when you say you're the only one involved, when you say "we," you mean I mean me.
Mm-hmm.
"Me" is "we.
" Or is the other way around? We is me, me is we? Anyway, it's called "Resorbed Twin.
" And, uh, the album goes on Bandcamp next week.
- Oh.
- That's great.
Right? That's great! So, Brian, can I hear it? Uh it's embargoed right now.
Uh, but I'll let you know right away.
Good.
Who wants dessert? - Yes.
- Yes.
Yes, all around? Sure.
- Dad? - Dennis? - Dad.
- Dennis, Dennis - Are you okay? - Dad? Let's go, come on.
That was the first time my dad collapsed.
There were more.
Three in the next two months, and still, nobody could figure out what was wrong with him.
Hey, Dad.
- Hey.
- Hey, Brian.
Sorry I'm late.
I ended up playing till 2:00 in the morning last night.
And Jason from the club forgot to pay me.
I need to go back today.
You know what? Never mind.
How are you? How was the scan? Did you hear anything? No.
Maybe it'll find something this time, hmm? Well, you know what? I was thinking that maybe I should come out to the house for a little while.
You know? Just till they figure this whole thing out.
Wait a minute.
You want to move back home? Well, yeah not 'cause I need to, Dad.
Uh, I don't know.
I don't know.
I got your mom.
I'm getting around okay.
What would you do? What do you mean? What are you offering, Brian? How would you help? Tell me.
He wasn't trying to be mean; that's not my dad.
But he was saying a lot more than he meant to.
Help? I could barely take care of myself.
Other people had careers.
Me? I was a temp.
Manchester-Reid Bancorp is the eighth or ninth biggest bank on Wall Street, depending on how you measure.
Everyone who works here just took a sexual harassment seminar it's a liability thing and then they signed a form acknowledging that they went.
These are the signed forms, those are our employee files.
Your job is to put each form into the proper file.
We have 22,000 employees.
We figure it'll take you two weeks.
Jessamyn Eubanks.
I didn't break up with Teddy; I just didn't take the ring.
Doesn't mean we broke up.
No, it doesn't Brian.
Brian! Yep.
I'm, uh Wh Eli? What are you, uh, what are you doing here? Couple guys out on the floor told me the temp was snoring back here.
I can't believe it's you.
- You're an investment banker.
- Yeah.
Well, I mean, I wouldn't call it a band, per se.
Um It's a project.
Uh, but, uh, I'm the only one involved.
Man, I'm so glad you're still making music.
That's awesome.
Hey, do you have the record on your phone? Let's-let's listen to it right now.
Eli there is no album.
I haven't written a song in, like God, over a year.
Why not? I don't know, man.
I just I can't concentrate.
My dad's sick.
What's wrong with him? They're not sure.
If he doesn't get better I mean, my dad might die.
What has he seen me accomplish? You know, I might be able to help.
You carry around a money clip now? Yeah.
I got the biggest bonus in the bank last quarter and they gave me this.
- Yeah.
- It's got my initials.
- That's awesome.
- Yeah, I know, uh 20-year-old me would punch 28-year-old me in the face.
Here.
- Okay - Take it.
It'll give you, like I don't know, a-a jump-start.
What is that? - Is it some kind of speed? - No.
That's not where I'm Hey.
You hear of modafinil? Mm-mm.
Neuroenhancers? Well, it's like that.
Just better.
A lot better.
- I don't think that - Hey, Brian I don't think you understand what I'm offering you here.
"A jump-start.
" Okay.
What did I have to lose? Here we go.
Yeah, I filled out his business school applications.
Yep, essays too.
Wow, awesome joke, Eli.
He's smart, Mom, he is.
He's just you know, he's Teddy.
Okay? And I don't think that we should be getting engaged right now Then it happened.
The scales fell from my eyes.
Your brain is a miracle, but it's not efficient.
There's a maze inside everyone's head, a labyrinth of missed connections and untapped potential.
Business school applications.
Because he wasn't gonna do it.
But now, suddenly, I had access 'cause he's Teddy.
To every single brain cell.
That guy looks familiar, doesn't he? Who are you? You know who he is.
You remember a lot more than you think you do.
Every experience you've ever had, every idea that came to you in the shower and then slipped away while you were brushing your teeth it's all there for the taking.
The bank wants to know who's leaving them open to a lawsuit.
They should probably know about the guy whose frat got kicked off campus for selling a date-rape drug.
This guy's had five female assistants in a year.
What's the story there? Two weeks.
She told me it would take two weeks.
I guess I got carried away, 'cause I was done in two hours.
So, yeah, I read every file in here.
Then I sorted them into five tiers of potential risk.
It was pretty intuitive.
Tier one is color-coded green.
They're your safest employees.
Tier five, the reds, is reserved for total undesirables.
This is incredible.
One more thing: Break up with Teddy.
You deserve better.
But you know that; that's why you turned down the ring.
We've been together so long.
It's scary, I know.
But you'll be fine.
You're about to get a promotion.
This filing system? You're taking credit for it.
Then you're getting a bump to vice president, you spend six months there.
Then it'll be the bank that pays for you to go to business school.
How did you know I was thinking about an MBA? I know you filled out the applications for your ex.
I didn't talk to Teddy yet.
You're as smart as anyone who works here.
How could you not think about an MBA? You know what else? They've got no women on the board.
They've never had one.
That's gotta change.
You could run this place, Jessamyn.
I'm not a CEO.
Yeah, but you can be.
You can have the job you want, you can have a guy that understands you You deserve it.
All you gotta do is know how to ask.
Kind of seems like you understand me.
Of course I do.
I read your file.
I remember this feeling.
The world is mine.
I just have to decide what to do with it.
Hey! Do you mind if I play? It'll just take a second.
My dad gave me a lesson or two when I was a kid, but to be completely honest with you, it never really clicked until now.
Re-brand.
You don't sell hot dogs anymore; you sell artisanal hot dogs.
That's the next thing.
Cupcakes are on the way out.
The mavens never embraced pie, so that's not happening.
Did you read The Tipping Point? You know about mavens? I'm telling you, Cesar, if you build it, they will come.
Checkmate.
Checkmate.
Checkmate.
We should play for money.
I dabble.
Dad, watch this.
Nice.
My brother's medical school textbooks were still at my parents' place.
Nobody else could figure out what was wrong with my father.
Why can't I? Suddenly, I knew exactly what I was looking for.
This.
A picture of my grandparents on their honeymoon.
Her eyes, they're the same as Dad's.
It runs in the family.
Ever been hungover? Yeah, this was like that, just worse.
A lot worse.
Oh, Brian, you look awful.
Good morning.
Dad.
I think you've got something called, um hemochromatosis.
It's caused by a trait that runs in our family.
Uh, Grandma Helen had it, your cousin Scott.
You've got it the worst out of anybody though and, um it's 'cause your body can't process iron All right, stop! Just stop.
You spend one night on the floor and suddenly you're a doctor, Brian? Dad, listen to me for a second, okay? Now, the inherited version of hemochromatosis is-is one of the most misdiagnosed diseases that there is.
Doctors mistake it for dozens of other things.
And if they can't find it, how could you? It's a long story.
But there is a test that they can run called a, uh, transferrin saturation test.
And, um I-I think you guys should take that.
Today.
You have one new message.
Brian, uh, I don't know how you knew, but you were right.
Your father has hemochromatosis.
But with your dad, the doctor said it's concentrated in his liver.
And they say he needs a transplant.
But they say they're not sure he'll get an organ in time.
Call me.
So, in the end, that pill got me past one problem I could never solve on my own and dumped me right in front of another one.
Find a liver? How do you even do that? I needed another pill.
Hello? Eli? Oh, my God Oh, my God I gotta call the police.
Wait if I'm gonna help my dad, I better find those pills.
Oh, God.
The money clip was gone, the place was trashed, but whoever tore it apart, obviously didn't know Eli as well as me.
He always kept a backup stash taped to the inside of his acoustic.
Open up, Eli! Open up! I need to talk to you! Whatever's coming through that door, I'm pretty sure Brian Finch is not qualified to handle it, not without help.
Clear! Eli's phone that could come in handy.
It doesn't look like there's a fast way out here.
But what if suddenly you knew how much strength you had in your hands? I mean exactly how much, down to the moment the last muscle fiber would give.
Hey! FBI! Three paths, three potential outcomes.
It's tempting to head into the park until you remember the mayor just doubled the foot patrols in Union Square.
I could try one more mad dash across the street but let's not push that.
Subway it is.
Don't move, hands in the air.
Hey! Dumb idea? Sure.
But what if you could remember every documentary you ever saw? Every trig class? Could you do the math? Could you figure out exactly where that train is going to stop? If you're positive that the driver could see you, I think you could get pretty close.
90% sure.
Maybe 80%.
And if you could remember that there's an abandoned track next to the L stop in Union Square, then the dumbest stunt you ever pull might just turn out to be the smartest moment of your life.
His name's Brian Finch.
We ran stills from the subway through facial recognition software.
He profiles as basically no one.
And yet he got away from six of our agents.
I saw him jump in front of the L train and bring it to a dead stop like he was playing chicken.
You're making a point? He knew the train was gonna stop.
Why did you ask us to bring Eli Whitford in for questioning? What did you expect to find in his apartment? There's an explanation for what you saw today.
firm that Finch is the leading suspect In 2011, the DEA picked up a dealer selling a nootropic compound he called NZT-48.
We don't know where it came from.
But it affects multiple regions of the brain.
The cognitive enhancements were like nothing you've ever seen.
I mean, we recorded stuff in the lab that would make you rethink the whole idea of the impossible.
"The lab"? You're a resourceful woman, Rebecca.
I'm sure you can imagine multiple applications for NZT.
Everyone in the study was either from Central Intelligence or the Bureau they all volunteered.
We reverse-engineered the compound.
The pictures on the right were taken a year into the study.
My God.
The program was called off after the first two fatalities.
They just closed up shop? We don't know how Brian Finch is connected to NZT.
But there are some important eyes looking at this.
You'll have all the resources you need.
Find him.
Is it me, or did the whole world just change? We can't think about it that way.
It's a fugitive case, let's work it.
I'll go see Finch's parents.
You want to get the word out to other agencies? Yeah.
Hey.
On that subway platform, you had your gun on him, the shot was clean, why didn't you take it? Crowd spooked me.
A lot of ricochet in a concrete tunnel.
You have to take care of this yourself, you know that, right? They think you killed Eli.
But you know that already, that's why you took Eli's phone.
Once you turn it on, the GPS will ping to a tower in about 40 seconds, so work fast.
Eli, my connect's out of pills.
Honey can't find any either.
We got to dig deep.
Have to stay ahead of the pack at M-R.
"M-R," that's Manchester-Reid.
There are two other people at the bank using NZT.
Eli's income went up by a factor of ten when he was taking those pills.
So did this guy's, Jay Winston.
And this guy's, Adam Honeycutt.
Adam Honeycutt.
Jay Winston.
Those are the other people using NZT.
Winston has listed a hotel in SoHo as his address.
He's living out of a suite.
It's about two miles from here.
Go there first.
Brian? You're sure you mean our son? The safest option for your son is to surrender.
If he calls, please tell him that.
I'm-I'm sorry, I don't understand.
He was friends with Eli.
Brian wouldn't kill him.
Maybe not the Brian you know.
But if he's using, then he isn't that person anymore.
Uh, uh, Agent Harris, let me ask you a question.
You-you have kids? No.
Right, so this will make it difficult for you to understand.
Brian is lost in the world, and I can believe that he is mixed up with this drug.
But you're wrong about one thing.
Our son is not a murderer.
The news made this big thing about my leather jacket, so I took the coat and scarf from a coat check.
Sorry for stealing your coat, Tanner Evans, but to be honest, you seem like a little bit of a douche.
Now I just have to get into Jay Winston's suite.
I have tried to pick a lock before.
Different kind of situation.
Keep a slight turning pressure while doing this.
Now, the pick is used to manipulate the pins.
A torque wrench is inserted into the key way, in such a fashion as to push the pin upward to unlock a pin code.
Three people at Manchester-Reid are taking the pills, and two of them die inside 18 hours? This isn't a suicide.
Someone's killing these guys for their NZT.
The first pill I took lasted about 12 hours.
I have time to make one more move before I come down.
You get lost in your work.
You didn't hear me come in.
It's not there.
What do you want? I can't tell you who killed Eli yet.
But I can tell you a lot.
You're an FBI agent.
You can go places I can't.
You have resources I don't.
We're gonna figure out who really did it.
If you hand me my gun right now, I probably won't shoot you.
There are other people at the bank using NZT.
One of them is named Jay Winston.
Right now, he's lying dead in a hotel suite in SoHo.
It's set up to look like a suicide, but I think the same person killed Eli and Jay.
If Winston had the drug, that gives you motive to kill him.
Does it give me motive to come here and tell you about it? Someone is killing the people who are using NZT at Manchester-Reid.
That's Jay Winston's laptop.
He has several e-mails from someone with the user name "Hapaboy" there's nothing in here that says what Hapaboy's real name is, but he used to work with Jay.
He's at one of the big banks.
I just don't know which one.
He knows Jay was using something to get ahead.
He wants in.
Your story's got lots of threads for me to pull on.
Most lies told by addicts do.
What is it with you? Some part of you has to believe I'm right.
That's why you didn't shoot me on that platform.
Oh! You lost someone in your family to addiction.
Night of the Gun, How To Stop Time those are memoirs by addicts.
Was it your mother? Stop.
I'm serious.
Now.
No, wait That's the most recent picture of your dad.
It's at least ten years old.
You think I'm impressed that you can stomp around in my life? You're not smart, you're high.
I'm not lying, though.
Leave.
I'm not gonna take your gun.
I know you'd get in trouble for that.
How's my father? You wouldn't know all that without talking to my parents.
He looks really sick.
I spent the night in a hotel that was closed for renovations.
My stomach did backflips as soon as the pill wore off.
I told the FBI everything except for the name of the third guy taking NZT Adam Honeycutt.
If he's still alive, he has pills.
Hey.
"Hapa" that's Hawaiian.
It means someone of mixed heritage.
Can you help me hit the HR departments on Wall Street? See if there's a trader with a Hawaiian background? Someone about Eli's age? You're checking Finch's story? He breaks into your apartment, holds your sidearm on you.
I can't figure out why, though.
It was a huge risk.
Plus, Brian gave me good information, and then he left my gun behind.
Would a guilty guy do that? "Brian"? Finch, whatever.
Hey.
I'll do it.
Thanks.
- Oh! - No, look! Wait, wait, wait! Wait, do you know who I am? I didn't kill Eli.
I didn't kill Jay.
I came here for an NZT pill.
- No, go away, man! - I was gonna steal it.
I was gonna steal it.
Okay? But only to prove who killed Eli.
And to help my dad, okay? Listen, I'm not what they say on the news.
I'm not a bad person.
But I need help.
Okay? Oh, God I believe you.
I believe you.
Oh, my God.
Eli used to talk about you all the time.
He was jealous of you.
He gave up.
You never did.
I can help.
I'll get you a pill.
Just a rattle, right? No big deal.
But it made me curious.
Adam's apartment was immaculate.
Like, OCD immaculate.
Everything was symmetrical.
Almost everything.
The plant on the right, it's maybe two inches higher than the other one.
You were running out of NZT.
You took care of Eli and Jay.
You took their pills.
Yeah, I should have got rid of that.
Your buddy Eli was a snake.
He shorted the market using my research.
So, really, the biggest bonus that money clip they were mine.
He was a good person.
And you murdered him.
And you're going to jail.
You planning on going to the police? Hey, you want to call 'em, right now? I mean, I can't wait to tell 'em how I shot the fugitive who came looking for some drug called NZT.
Which, by the way, Brian, I'm not stupid enough to keep where I live.
Here's how I see it: Maybe you pass out from that hole in your leg.
Maybe you get arrested.
Or maybe I find you before anyone with a badge can.
Either way works out fine for me.
- Hello? - Guess what? I was wrong about Hapaboy.
- Brian? - Mm-hmm.
It's Finch? Um I know.
His real name is Andrew Benn.
He's been vacationing in Honduras the last two weeks.
The killer's name is Adam Honeycutt.
And, uh I can't prove it yet, but, um, he did kind of, uh he shot me.
- What? - Yeah.
Are you at a hospital? No.
I, I-I But they-they-they train you guys, right? To-to patch up bullet wounds? Like, in case of - emergencies or something? - They tell us - to get to a hospital.
- Yeah, well, - I can't do that, so - You want me to coach you through patching a bullet wound? Why would you expect me to do that? Because I'm innocent.
Where is the bullet? Is it in your leg, still? I don't know.
No, I think it just grazed me.
Is the blood bright red or is it dark? - Dark, I think.
- Okay, that's good.
That means it didn't hit an artery.
- Mm.
- We're gonna patch the wound.
If there's any cloth in there, that can get infected.
- Okay.
- So do you have a knife? Do you, do you have tweezers or something? Uh Tweezers? Yeah.
Yeah, uh-huh.
I g What-what are we using these for? 'Cause I can't go digging around in my own leg.
Yes, you can.
Think about something else and just do it.
Uh, okay, how? How am I supposed to think about something else? Um You like egg creams, right? The ones from Isaac's on Forest Hills? Yeah.
How did you know about that? I saw a picture in your house.
Hey y-you know something, um my mom always wanted me to be a doctor.
Instead, I I-I turned out to be nothing, I guess.
Brian you're gonna get through this, okay? I am gonna talk you through this.
Oh! Brian? What are you doing? Combat gauze, stitches.
It's not perfect, but you won't bleed out.
Unless you get your dumb ass shot again.
Oh, her bedside manner's unorthodox, but you are in expert hands.
It's about time you and me talked.
Do you know who I am? Oh.
Oh, God.
I've been tracking you ever since you first bumped into the FBI at your friend's apartment.
And then, when they last traced your call, one of my sources intercepted and here we are.
Why? I'm nobody.
Everybody says you're gonna be president soon.
I haven't officially announced that yet, but between me and you, I don't even know if I'm gonna run.
Do you know how much time we get off in the senate? It's shocking, really.
I don't know if I can give it up.
One NZT pill.
I give this to you.
If you're not the killer, you can go prove it.
But what are you gonna do after that? Go back to temping? Every day a little closer to 30 40.
I know what that's like.
It's lonely.
God.
Your body craves it faster and faster, yeah.
You think it's bad now, it's only gonna get worse.
You actually might remember this moment as the last time you felt vaguely human.
But it doesn't have to be that way, Brian.
I took a pill this morning.
I've taken a pill every morning for the past four years.
I can't remember the last time I felt bad.
That's not true.
No, I had a headache two years ago.
How how did you how did you do that? That.
Millions of dollars of private research.
It works on a cyclical enzyme system.
Oh, you don't know what that means.
It doesn't matter.
All you need to remember is that every so often, you take one of these shots.
And you can have as much NZT as you want with no side effects.
You're on the verge of having a life that most people can't even begin to imagine.
Can you remember what it's like to be inside your mother's womb? I can.
I think about it when I need to relax.
Have you ever thought about why people have to age? Is it inevitable? I'm not sure.
So-so, wait.
What-what the hell are you offering me? You're offering me one pill? Well, if things go the way I expect they will, you're gonna have as much NZT as you need.
Why? Why would you help me? Let's just say I need somebody in a position that you soon will be qualified to fill.
But one thing.
This conversation is here and now and nowhere else.
You describe it to the FBI, to your parents, to anyone I will let you die more painfully and slowly than you can fathom.
So what's it gonna be, Brian? You ready to become somebody who matters? One pill.
One last chance to prove I'm innocent.
There's one piece of evidence Adam wouldn't get rid of.
I just have to get to it.
Hey, buddy.
Are you sure you're wearing the right name tag? What? - Yeah.
- Hey, did you ever see one of those instructional videos about pickpocketing? All you have to do is create one slight misdirection, and you can steal just about anything, like this gun.
Hey, don't worry about it, Francis.
I'm not gonna hurt anyone, okay? Excuse me, everyone.
I'm robbing the place.
Sorry.
Just try to stay calm.
You can hit the silent alarm now.
You want me to hit the alarm? Call the FBI, too, ask for Rebecca Harris.
Tell her Brian Finch just walked in here with a gun.
There's a lot of people out there, huh? What are we doing here, Brian? Did you know that Adam Honeycutt does his banking here? He had to fill out financial disclosure forms when he came over to Manchester-Reid.
I read it all.
He told me he doesn't keep any NZ in his apartment, but according to the manager here, he has a safety deposit box downstairs.
Let's go see what's inside.
Look at that watch.
You see that? That's Eli Whitford's blood.
I see it.
Well, in that case, I surrender.
And the police are still trying to piece this all together.
Just a short time ago, we spoke with the victim's mother, and she - You wanted to see me? - Yeah.
I just got copies of Brian Finch's CT scans.
You've seen the NZT files.
Does that look right? Brian took at least two doses of NZT.
His brain should be rewiring itself.
And yet, he presents as a perfectly healthy 28-year-old.
Brian's immune to the side effects of taking NZT.
We don't know how, but we certainly plan on learning.
You want to study Brian to figure out how to make a safe version of the drug.
Whoever created NZT still a mystery, by the way may be out there giving it to anybody.
This is an arms race, Rebecca, and Brian could help us win it.
He's a person.
A good one, actually.
Am I the only one that's thinking about this? If Brian's gonna take NZT anyway, then every time he takes it, he basically becomes the smartest person in the world.
That's a resource.
- Let's make it our resource.
- You're talking - about putting him to work? - Call him a consultant.
We can still study him, yes, but make the bank charges disappear.
Let's move him into the safe house in Greenpoint.
I'll be his liaison.
You trust him with that kind of power? I'm not sure I trust anyone with that kind of power, but if we keep him here, I can watch him, and we can use him.
Brian has the potential to be more effective than every agent in this division combined.
No.
No? Not unless you can get my father a new liver.
You do that, I'll do whatever job you want.
- We don't work that way.
- Well, start.
Someone, somewhere up the food chain they can move him up the transplant list.
If I'm as important as you say I am, then you find that person or don't.
Brian you're out on bail.
You could go to prison.
And even if you don't, do you really want to go back to your old life? I'd do anything to save my dad.
Nurses station.
Heard you got some luck.
Brian.
They're really operating tomorrow? You know, you don't have to pretend that this is a surprise.
The lady from the FBI was in this morning to visit me.
She wouldn't give me any details, but she said that she said that you made this happen.
What happened to you? You look different.
Yeah, I'll tell you all about it sometime.
Oh, boy, I'm proud of you, kid.
You don't even know what I did.
I don't need to know what you did.
I woke up this morning feeling scared.
Tomorrow, I'll wake up feeling hopeful.
You did that.
You saved my life.
Thank you.
You were right, you know.
About my father.
He used for ten years, when I was a kid.
My mom finally moved me and my sister out of the house in the middle of the night.
He cleaned up after I joined the Bureau.
He came to see me one night last year, and something was off.
He said he'd been blind his whole life, but now, tonight, he could see.
When he left, he said the next time I saw him, he'd be a different person.
A better person.
Three weeks later, his body floated up in the East River.
I'm sorry.
You know what I remember about that night? His eyes.
They had this shine.
Just like yours did on that subway platform.
That's why you didn't shoot me.
I think my father was on NZT that night.
And if I can figure out where it comes from, maybe I can figure out what happened to him.
You agreed to do a job, Brian.
It's time.
Just don't lie to me.
Ever.
You sure about this? I couldn't help my father.
Maybe I can help you.