The Peripheral [Amazon Prime]

Slydice

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119880308#Comment_119880308

It doesn't feel like the trapped close-ended Children of Men to me. This one feels like they have some sort of a future despite what happened to them. The children of men one felt different like they'd, understandably, decided they didn't.

cdgalwegian

The first three episodes of this are reminiscent of the other fantastic J Nolan and Lisa Joy season 1 of Westworld, in its mysterious mind-bending futuristic world-building. They were the show-runners with that, who had taken the concepts of a book (and films), and started out with an awe-inspiring sci-fi story, and proceeded to lower its panache considerably after the first season. Same situation here of an awe-inspiring vision of the future with deep mysteries, but the Nolan/Joy couple aren't the show-runners here, so I have hope this won't lose the run of itself.

So far, it's fantastic; metaphor heavy, where reality itself is questioned through the philosophical use of metaphor itself. Very clever, and very exciting.

Grace Moretz slighly over-egging the pudding with a bit of over-acting (is that down to the director?), but Jack Reynor great in this.

The philosophical conundrums of identity and reality were the core of Westworld, with the added layer of autonomy vs manipulation. This seems a variation of the same theme, but with more of a 'grounded' emphasis. This way seems

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more like the Matrix, and choices we make i.e. like the choice Cypher had negotiated - to stay in or out of the Matrix

I'd expect betrayal to feature later so.

Slydice

6: What?!?! That's how this one ends?! What's going on!?

Bit of a filler episode I guess. Things ticked along but nothing huge happened.

Shoutout to Ned Dennehy again though for another good performance! 🙂

cdgalwegian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119865493#Comment_119865493

Episode 4 certainly a dip in quality; that futuristic PowerPoint demonstration was just naff - as a continuation of the exposition-heavy episode as a whole. The episode seemed as if the writers felt like we, the viewers, needed a breather to catch up on all the heavy ideas, and let them sink in, before they press on. In truth, I think i probably did need it - I just didn't like the sense of being spoon-fed. To prevent bloating the season unnecessarily with a lot of "show don't tell", it seems we had to be subjected to the spoon-feeding exposition in preparation for what's to come. In that case, this seems to be the calm before the storm, as the team 'gear up' for the Peripheral, so with all the clunky heavy-lifting out of the way, I expect more like the first 3 episodes to come, and the need to be strapped in.

Mr.Nice Guy

I thought the recent episode was an improvement. I'm still finding the combat scenes a turn-off as I don't know that the show needs them. I also think the show could tone down the smugness from certain characters as it seems like the future London is rife with them. I much prefer the modern day (or near future) scenes rather than the far future scenes.

Slydice

Well though.. those scenes are also not the modern day near future scenes as there are scenes in between shown so they might be considered the near modern middle future scenes 😁

ejmaztec

I thought the futuristic "Miss Marple" was very entertaining, and odd at the same time 😐️

pixelburp

Episode 5 and definitely the most "filler" of the lot; a little segue featuring the assassin was OK I guess, but not especially tense nor moved the plot forward all that much. Seemed to have one purpose which was to ensure Flynn had a reason to confront Mrs. ShoulderPads, for the first time, so they could snarl at each other at the end of the episode.

AMKC

Well that's got to be the craziest title to an episode of a show I have ever seen "f uc k you and eat sh it" lol.

Not the greatest episode. It was OK but not really much happened.

Surprised your one beedes such an awkward bulky remote to operate Bob's collar. Surely a remote watch would have been better.

Weird odd ending. I wonder is she dead? Will bob get away?

cdgalwegian

Episode 5

https://screenrant.com/peripheral-lev-zubov-2032-twist-stub-theory-confirm/

I had been thinking about the Jackpot, and how unaffected London seemed to be, which is implausible, considering

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the damage that would have been inflicted on it with not just environmental factors, but the anarchy and its destructive tendencies afterwards. So considering the Zubov scenario, when Flynne realizes she is not in a SIM, but is operating the body from the past,could this turn out to be misdirection? Is the London of the future what Flynne assumed it to be, in fact, after all - a simulation? So the future London could be desolate, and the Peripheral is just a construct of this, or, it could all be future simulation.

I'm still confused by the stubs though;

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Future items, except for headsets, can be sent back in time without creating a stub? If each stub is a branching off from the 'original' timeline, initiated by the quantum-tunneling from the future, via a headset sent back as information of how to build it, isn't the information from that stub sent forward to the new future timeline, rather than the original? It does seem a bit illogical if it goes 'forward' to the original than the new one; that there is interaction with the original rather than the separate new current timeline. But that's how it's supposed to work by the rules set down then; the headset maintains a link with the original timeline, and this is how hands-off experimentation can be done in the stub without causally affecting the original future. But I suppose 'causally' affects means physically, so they can't interact, but information is different. So maybe this is how the (dubious logical) link from stub to original timeline can be maintained.

Slydice

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119917745#Comment_119917745

I don't rememeber any

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future items being sent back. they seem to have a data/information/communication channel and they know a lot about the past so they can exploit it. where future items seem to have materialised, it seems to be from them sending the how-to for them. like sending a 3d printer a how-to and the pharmacy machine a how-to. I am guessing something similar with the haptics the military used... just sent as blue prints or plans or leaked emails or something.

cdgalwegian

Oops, I meant to specify the information sent back for the items, like the pulse gun, not the item itself. Added that in later, and didn't check it.

Slydice

7: Violence! Everywhere violence! Everything spirralling! Only violence remains!

I'm not sure where the bigger story is going but like.. it just seems like a whole lotta violence needs to be worked through to get there.

anyway.. Ned Dennehy .. yeah.. think I'll be turning around and walking in a different direction if I ever see him approaching in real life 😁

Not that's there's not a bigger more intricate story.. there's definitely something going on and it looks like they've put the details in. That encryption language makes sense and it feels a bit jarring to follow.. which kinda makes sense for a language meant to not be understandable.

I definitely thought 'Clean' during that one scene where

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Burton took out Ned Dennehys character. The setup, getting the body to move, the armour penetration shot through the wall. Yeah.. clean.

Burton doing the finishing off with the pistol was cold! 😲

The mother did seem to be thinking on a higher level when she told yer man that the third option was for him to die. She'd sacrifice for her kids.. but he wouldn't I guess.

I definitely agree with yer man about Tommy killing the sherrif, I did not see that coming! I knew he was thinking it but.. wasn't expecting him to do it. That really helped knock the story over to a spiral of violence for me.

The cops assistant is an AI bot modelled after a lost daughter I'm guessing.

 T'Nia Miller as Nuland really does ominous baddie so well. Something feels like she's a really big danger in all her scenes.

Oh! and there's some bacteria in Flynnes head now! What's that gonna do! I wonder are they trying to escape their Jackpotted world into a fixed up stub and use some kind of mind transfer to do it.

Right anyway.. one episode left this season. Unless it's violence.. I can't guess where it's going!

Slydice

Oh! and episode 7 was called "The Doodad" 😁😂

Mr.Nice Guy

I think if this was a longer season, I'd be out. I'm finding the storyline hard to follow and it's not engaging me enough to try and figure it out. Also I've realised there are only so many unbearably smug characters I can take on a show. I did at least like the stuff that happened in the last half an hour with the Sheriff.

De Bhál

I enjoyed this episode, few questions answered. Still confused about parts of what's going on, but still, I'll keep with it.

That fight between Denehey and Burtons friend in the clinic waiting room was a tough watch. Never seen so many stabbing wounds to a person.

pixelburp

Episode 6 and no question, this show loves its ostentatious antagonist's; the police inspector as camp and flamboyant as the RI bigwig. Even the "real world" mobster Pickett is a "big" character that feels like he was an unused player from Justified. It's funny cos the rest of the show plays it relatively straight laced and grounded to a degree; these characters keep appearing and just gear-change the whole energy of the show.

Slydice

8:

Me at the end of the episode: Hold on.. what?! 😲

Me at the end of the credits scene: Hold on.. what?! 😲

Well then, that's the end of season one. Wiki says:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Peripheral_(TV_series)

A second season is in active development.

well then.. that'll be an opportunity to see.. learn? more.. maybe?

Standout performances in this season, I'd have to give to Ned Dennehy as Bob and T'Nia Miller as Cherise Nuland.

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Both did baddies well. Ned as an assassin and T'Nia as an ominous overlord type

Don't get me wrong.. I would like a second season. I'm just stumped on what is to be revealed.

pixelburp

Episode 7 and finally, the two camp camps meet; I will say, as jarring as the power figures in this London can be, with their ostentatiousness and overall "big" performances, at least nobody else in the show comments about it. A lesser script would have had one of the peripherals snarking about The Inspector's ludicrous manner. Instead they're treated like they exist: colourful, absolute monarchs who might kill you just for the lols. Though of the trio, The Inspector seems the least mercurial?

So many questions remain about the nature of these timelines - especially this version of the past that has been interfered beyond repair, by the sounds of if. Where does that leave our protagonists and their place within it? I wonder is there room for evn more time-travel shenanigans.

Mr.Nice Guy

I'm done with it. Didn't like the finale, and haven't been a fan of the overall story. For me anyway, the characters aren't likeable enough to persist with it.

setanta1000

I loved it and especially the larger than life London characters but my favourite was Alexandra Billings as The Inspector; wonderful bit of casting and camped up to the nines, but with an undertone of sheer ruthlessness.

I did think Chloe Moretz was a bit wooden throughout the series but it didn't really bother me or take away for the story. I hope that there is a Series 2 - I read that the writers want multiple series but not sure it's been green-lighted yet

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119995127#Comment_119995127

The Inspector has been the kind of villain you just don't get much these days: utterly camp, borderline chewing of the scenery but as you say, there has been a viciousness behind the facade of bonhomie. Moreso Nuland but she has been much less nuanced, clearly presented as evil from the outset.

I'd argue that's why Moretz comes off a little wooden; she's surrounded by much larger-than-life characters half the time, coming across positively dull compared with Zubov et al. She's kinda saddled with Lead Character Syndrome, where because she's the lead she's not allowed to be fun, funny and must always be laser-focused and serious about the plot or the maybe-romance with Wilf.

Slydice

Wierd, I picked up Nuland as the villain and the Inspector as separate.. not-specifically-baddie-but-not-goodie-either type force to be reckoned with.

Certainly thought the Inspectors kinda faux all-knowingness is scary enough.

Pentecost

Chloe Moretz is incredibly pretty but she's never been much of an actress really. In Kick Ass it was more the shock value that was memorable. Having said that she's fairly ok in this and it didn't detract too much from my enjoyment of it.

pixelburp

Finished this up and certainly and ending hopeful or confident for a season 2: the choice made by Flynn was a bit brain melting and took me a moment or two to figure what the plan was and how it worked.

So am I to presume that

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The new Stub starts from ... when exactly? The old stub gets its Jackpot early, but what's going to be the jumping off point that this new Flynn can restart her experiences? Am very confused.

fritzelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120007713#Comment_120007713

Watched the finale twice and still not sure I understand what was going on

ixoy

I think T'Nia Miller would make a fantastic Servalan in any Blake's 7 reboot. Her high camp deliciously evil performance really reminded me of her:

pixelburp

Well it has been renewed for a season 2, so no worries about an unresolved cliffhanger (yet); a flawed show but I found more to enjoy than criticise.

AMKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120221149#Comment_120221149

That is great to hear. Look forward to it.

youcancallmeal

Only just got around to watching it. Enjoyable overall. I don't usually say this but I thought there could've been more exposition in the season finale to explain the plan of opening a new stub and having herself killed in the original stub. I get it now after thinking about it but the impact of what was happening while watching it was lost on me a bit. Looking forward to a 2nd season, just hope they don't go down the same route they did with Westworld season 2 which tried to be too clever and ended up being a mostly incoherent mess