Limitless, Episode 6 – Acceptance

It’s odd I know. Where is episode five? Well, the thing is, I have no idea. Ironically it’s all about memory but it appears that the folks over at Disney PR forgot to put that particular episode up where we have early access so, don’t know what to say. I’m sure it’s more memorable than that though!

We are back with Mr Thor himself, Chris Hemsworth as he takes another look at how to fend off the ageing process in Limitless. This is episode five, although weirdly it’s tagged as episode six, so it feels like, for some reason, there’s been an episode that they’ve decided to ditch.

Anyway, I’m sure that, whatever the reason, it was a sound one and so this is the finale episode and it’s a doozy, one of acceptance, that is, despite all of the previous episodes we have seen, everything that Chris has learnt about slowing the ageing process, ensuring he’s better when he’s older, in this episode it becomes inevitable.

Which, when we’re honest with ourselves, is the truth. There is an inevitability to death, just as there is to ageing, whatever your plastic surgeon might say or do to make things otherwise.

This episode of Limitless with Chris Hemsworth sees him entering a retirement home, called Sunset Pines (why do they always have pine in the title?). This is no ordinary retirement home though, this one has especially been put together just for Mr. Hemsworth.

Whilst the other residents are real, the carers are actors and will not break character. Chris is greeted by BJ Miller, a man with an extraordinary story, who is guiding him through this process, one which is very personal to our Thor.

Whilst there are some comedic moments, this is, overall, a very serious episode and also immensely sad as Chris meets various people with heartbreaking back stories. And don’t think they’re all old people either.

Perhaps one of the most heartbreaking stories is when Chris sits with a 27-year old woman who has stage four cancer. She has been thinking about death every day for the last seven years, she has no idea how long she has left.

There are various surprises for Chris, some of which he takes in his stride, or tries to at least, but it does appear that this episode, more so than any of the others, actually seems to affect him, move him.

The final message of Limitless is a familiar one; live every moment, be in the moment, you never know what’s around the corner, or if there will even be one. Whilst many, most (all?) think of ageing as a negative, something we don’t want, a ‘dirty word’. I feel the final words must go to the young woman Chris meets who is living with cancer.

She would love to age, she would love to grow old, she’d give anything to.