Synopsis: Flynne Fisher (Chloe Grace Moretz), her Marine veteran brother, Burton (Jack Reynor), and their dying mother live in a small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains in 2032. As their mother’s health deteriorates and the medical bills add up, Flynne and Burton make extra money playing simulations (Sims). The two siblings share Burton’s avatar, “jockeying” for high-paying customers to beat challenging game levels. When Burton is offered a chance to beta test a new Sim, it’s Flynne who ends up playing, pretending to be her brother. The Sim takes place in London and it tasks Flynne with breaking into a corporation known as the Research Institute—to steal a valuable secret. When the assignment goes badly wrong, Flynne begins to realize the Sim is more real than she ever could have imagined.
Just when you were looking for the next great sci-fi obsession, Amazon Prime comes through in the clutch. The future we all imagined as a kid is closer than ever and if this show is any indication, author, William Gibson and showrunner, Scott B. Smith knows something that we don’t or has seen something that we haven’t. Either way, I’m here for it and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
Episode 1: Pilot
Cast: Chloë Grace Moretz, Jack Reynor, Gary Carr, Eli Goree, Louis Herthum, JJ Feild, T’Nia Miller, Charlotte Riley, Alexandra Billings, Adelind Horan, Alex Hernandez, Katie Leung, Julian Moore-Cook, Melinda Page Hamilton, Chris Coy, Austin Rising
“I can’t help but think that I was actually there…”
From the moment the first of this eight-episode series starts, The Peripheral is instantly intriguing. With a momentary glimpse at a future we are soon to see more of where art and architecture intertwine and people are seemingly scarce, the sci-fi drama immediately throws us into a mystery. Taking place in its present-day 2032 in a sleepy town within the Blue Ridge Mountains and eventually 2099 London, the series doesn’t waste time introducing us to our protagonist, Flynne Fisher, and her brother Burton or getting to the good stuff. Burton is a Marine Veteran and an avid gamer while Flynne works at a 3D printing shop and is a better gamer. Just as gaming seems to be going now, the SIM or simulation they frequently play is done through a VR headset. They do so well as a pair that their gaming is a secondary income stream. Once a beta SIM is dropped off, their lives will never be the same.
Once Flynne puts on the new and very different-looking device, she is instructed to follow through with a mission that feels intensely more real than anything she has ever played. Unfortunately, doing as she was told has real-life implications that she could have never known. This episode does a great job of introducing key characters as well as giving us just enough story and backstory to keep us slightly satiated while dangling more treats in our faces. There is a family of drug dealers that could be a real issue, their mother is very sick, the SIM is more than it appears to be, and Flynne saw something that could cost her and her family their lives. Also, who is this Aelita woman? It has action, deception, interesting and cool technology, and tons of budding conflict. Not only that, but it ends in a very climactic fashion. So far, The Peripheral feels simultaneously like a film and a television series which is not always an easy feat. Some series fail to deliver episodes that flow seamlessly into one another, resulting in a series of movies that relate to each rather than a continuous story. What a fantastic start.
Episode 2: Empathy Bonus
“I’m pretty fucked up, but not that fucked up.”
I’m sure the Pilot left you with more than a few questions. Like, what is a Polt? What is it that Flynne saw that warrants death? What exactly happened to Connor? What are the glowing vein-like contraptions in Burton’s body? What is the Research Institute up to? And what part does Aelita play in all this? Just to name a few. As the first episode ends with a cliffhanger, the second picks right up where the last left off. We get to see just how tactical Burton and his friends are and what they are capable of.
As the previous episode served as an introduction, this episode acts as an explanation to not all, but many of our most pressing questions such as, what The Peripheral is, what role Flynne plays, and who is bankrolling it all. Not to mention, we also welcome some new and very pivotal players in the future timeline. The main one is a man named Wilf, who I suspect is one of the most important to the storyline. This is a more dialogue-driven episode as everything begins to hit home as Burton has to come to the realization that all of what Flynne is telling him is true, and it’s not as easy as just putting the headset on again. Also, there are possible dangers in their own town as we find out that Flynne isn’t the only one in communication with the future. While these episodes may be slightly over an hour long, they are so engaging and exciting that time flies by. Combining conspiracy, video games, time travel, and the future of civilization is genius. I’m all in at this point.
Final Thoughts
I’m excited to see where this show takes us. And the fact that the episodes are weekly, leads me to believe it’s going to be an epic ride. Also, I still want to know what a Polt is.
New episodes of The Peripheral drop every Friday on Prime Video until the 8-episode run comes to an end.
Rated: TV-MA
Runtime: 1h+
Creator/Showrunner: Scott B. Smith
Director: Vincenzo Natali
Executive Producers: Jonathan Nolan, Lisa Joy
The Peripheral is instantly intriguing
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GVN Rating 8
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