Never mix business with vodka.
Warning: Full spoilers for the episode follow.
After last week’s major cliffhanger, this week’s episode promised to be drastically different from the usual FBI rigmarole, and to some degree it was. Most notably, Brian was left to his own devices to track down Piper in the hope that she had made headway on the enzyme formula. That said, “Bengranichnyy” wasn’t quite as divergent as I’d hoped it would be, and despite the unusual setup, most of the series’ procedural elements were still intact.
Nevertheless, Brian’s one-off adventure did come with a certain novelty. The Russian setting, for example, offered a nice change of pace from the standard New York City backdrop. Even the cold open offered a few “lulz,” as Brian drunkenly blabbed about his affiliation with the FBI and NZT to anyone who would listen. Then there was the oh-so amusing “Iron Price” subplot involving the Deputy Prosecutor General, Game of Thrones and one George R.R. Martin. (“Come on, man — it’s the end of A Song of Ice and Fire!”)
However, this storyline didn’t really kick into high gear until Brian found himself face to face with Piper just outside city limits — only for them to sneak back inside to get a rare flower for Piper’s enzyme. Which, on its own, was a fun mission, particularly the scenes at Zukov’s Mansion. With Brian and Piper posing as guests, I got a bit of an Alias vibe as the disguised Piper had to contend with one of Zukov’s security guards downstairs. And I liked how it was intercut with Brian playing the balalaika as a distraction. Fun stuff, all around.
When in St. Petersburg…
By comparison, Brian and Piper’s romantic subplot didn’t really click with me — yes, even though it was hinted at in Piper’s last appearance, to Brian’s intoxicated point. Aside from the fact that Brian hooks up with every other female guest star (to be fair, he’s a charismatic guy!), Brian and Piper’s hookup just didn’t really add anything to the episode. While I enjoyed Brian and Piper’s differing opinions on what NZT means for the “greater good,” their sudden fling felt a little forced in the midst of all that. Still, this storyline ended on a high note, as Piper returned Brian’s favor by bailing him out of jail using the same GRRM trick on the general.
Meanwhile, Rebecca’s search for Brian resulted in some meaty scenes, including Ron Rifkin’s monologue expressing how pissed he was at the FBI — definitely a “drop the mic” moment for his character. But the biggest bombshell came later on when Rachel identified Sands as the bleeding agent at Brian’s safe house, which… damn. That’s pretty huge! On top of that, Sands discovered that Piper is still alive, which means Brian is going to have some hefty explaining to do on both sides of the NZT fence.
This week’s Limitless wasn’t quite the departure I thought it might be, but it did mark another major milestone for Brian, who, with Piper’s help, successfully secured a key ingredient for the enzyme formula. And while their romantic angle didn’t really jibe with the rest of the episode, Brian and Piper’s teamwork brought about some very fun scenes, especially at Zukov’s Mansion — not to mention the humorous Game of Thrones tie-in. Of course, the most notable moments came from Rebecca and Sands, who both uncovered massive secrets about Brian this week.
