The Peripheral

[Pelekophoros]

It's not slow, it's pretty much at a stand still. Almost none of the plot points amount touch at all - it thinks it's a sci-fi version of GoT with multiple moving factions in different timelines but...nobody really does anything of consequence.

 

So, so tedious.

[morcs]

All of the chief baddies (Zubov, Lowbeer, Cherise) are great.

[ZOK]

Lowbeer Is not a baddie!

[Captain Novaforce]

I thought this was pretty good, hopefully it doesn't disappear up its own arse like Westworld.

 

[ryanm]

There's a bunch of good stuff from the book that hasn't been included yet so I do hope there's another season.

[Kromeo]

On 04/12/2022 at 01:23, Kromeo said:

  Reveal hidden contents

So, about that ending... Did Flynn somehow upload her consciousness (and her 'brain bacteria') into herself from a different stub!? (If so, that's some shoddy-ass writing, considering the show never explained that peripherals could do such a thing.) Or did she simply make a stub that was very close to her current one, where her alternate self already had the brain bacteria? (Also a bad idea considering that'd be super predictable, and thusly easier for the R.I. to find out?)

Either way, it was explained horribly.

 

I like the show, though. The guy that plays Zubov needs a raise.

 

Anyone?

[ryanm]

1 hour ago, Kromeo said:

 

Anyone?

Spoiler

No, she created a new branch from her present, hid it from the RI by crushing the watch, then got Conor to kill her to keep the brain bacteria out of the klept's hands.

She's still alive in that new branch though.

 

[Kromeo]

2 hours ago, ryanm said:

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No, she created a new branch from her present, hid it from the RI by crushing the watch, then got Conor to kill her to keep the brain bacteria out of the klept's hands.

She's still alive in that new branch though.

Cheers. 

Yes, I got that, but...
 

Spoiler

She also clearly stated that she intended to use the data in her head (I forgot for what. Was it to stop The Jackpot? Either way, she had plans for it) so how could she do that by offing herself? That's why I'm wondering if the branch she opened was one that was almost identical to her own time, including her already having the brain bacteria.

 

Either way, I think it's safe to say that the show could've spent just a tad more time explaining her plan and the mechanics of it all.

[Alan Stock]

Watched the last two episodes and largely feel the same as folks here. Things did pick up a bit at the end, with some cool new ideas and factional stuff thrown in. But overall this just hasn't grabbed me. Its weird that the actors are quite good but the dialogue and demeanour of their characters mean you don't really warm to them. Flynn and Lev are probably the highlight characters. It's probably a combination of plot, dialogue and direction but I don't really care about any of them. Future London has a problem in that by portraying it as so regimented and posh, most interactions there feel very detached and stilted, even when the stub characters are involved. Lev and his cronies show that that doesn't have to be the case as they're the highlights.

 

Overall its been a decent albeit non-essential watch when I just want to zone out a bit. Sadly considering how high budget it looks, it doesn't feel like a high budget show.

 

Going to go into spoiler territory now:

 

Spoiler

I was also very confused about the new stub plot at the end. They explained it terribly, considering they have done a decent job of making us understand stub mechanics before. What I'm assuming is Flynn is making another timeline which will effectively continue on from the previous stub so the new 'her' will have the same memories and be at the same point in time. And the original stub will carry on going minus Flynn. There's so many questions with this, and I don't need them to explain it in great detail, but at least give us something.

 

Like from what I understood from the original stub explanation, its Future London sending back data with the stub tech that creates the new stub and causes it to branch off at an earlier point in time from Future London, the 'Prime Timeline'. But then to create a new stub starting at a different point in the timeline, none of the things that occurred in the first stub would have happened in the new stub because the interference from the Prime Timeline wouldn't have happened yet. So you'd assume what Flynn has done is have a new stub which uses the same Prime Timeline interference as the original stub, but then diverges again when she wants to hop ship. Yet none of that is explained or even shown, from the interface she uses it just looks like she's going to create a new stub from scratch. Wouldn't there be a strong possibility of a stub based on the original stub to end up with big differences that could occur from when the initial Prime Timeline interference occurs to the point Flynn wants to jump to? These are nitpicks, sure, but when the whole show's premise is based on this tech you'd hope for it to make some sort of sense for the viewer.

 

I do love the idea of introducing new stubs though and what could transpire. Unfortunately it seems we aren't done with the boring-ass original stub though, where we're stuck in a never-ending cycle of small-town boring villains and assassination attempts. You could have condensed all the small-town subplots into half or quarter of the time and made it a whole lot better. The whole policeman arc took a whole season for something to actually happen. The crime boss stuff wasted more time. If you're going to have a second assassination attempt plotline, make it way more scarier and high tech than Mr. Generic hitman. The Connor plotline was probably the one with the most depth to it, but was again dragged out. 

 

What's frustrating is there are glimpses of greatness here, the premise is cool, the tech is cool, there are good actors, some decent action, great visuals and lovely costume design. If there is a Season 2 I'll wait for the reviews before I commit though.

 

[Exidor]

9 hours ago, Alan Stock said:

Going to go into spoiler territory now:

 

  Hide contents

Like from what I understood from the original stub explanation, its Future London sending back data with the stub tech that creates the new stub and causes it to branch off at an earlier point in time from Future London, the 'Prime Timeline'. But then to create a new stub starting at a different point in the timeline, none of the things that occurred in the first stub would have happened in the new stub because the interference from the Prime Timeline wouldn't have happened yet. So you'd assume what Flynn has done is have a new stub which uses the same Prime Timeline interference as the original stub, but then diverges again when she wants to hop ship. Yet none of that is explained or even shown, from the interface she uses it just looks like she's going to create a new stub from scratch. Wouldn't there be a strong possibility of a stub based on the original stub to end up with big differences that could occur from when the initial Prime Timeline interference occurs to the point Flynn wants to jump to? These are nitpicks, sure, but when the whole show's premise is based on this tech you'd hope for it to make some sort of sense for the viewer.

 

 

 

Spoiler

It's the git model of time travel. You can branch from master, ie the "true" timeline that led to the jackpot and the three factions and all that, or you can branch from a branch. Branching from a branch creates a copy of the branch that you can play around in while the original branch carries on as it was. The two will start to diverge from the point you took the branch. Everything before the branch was taken stays the same.

 

What doesn't quite add up is that in Flynne's original branch/stub, the right wing nut jobs are about to kickstart the jackpot early by blowing up the missile site because the RI are interfering to keep Flynne's brain worms under wraps. So now there are two stubs where that's happening. Flynne getting herself killed in the original doesn't stop the wheels that have been set in motion there. And the new one she's now operating out of has the same problem. Presumably she's going to have to send Burton and the lads round to put a stop to that in both.

 

[Alan Stock]

Ok, that makes sense, cheers. I take it you got that from the book?

Spoiler

They could have literally have described it like you did in the show. So what I'm assuming is that by 'destroying the coordinates' that Flynn did, that's what's supposed to prevent the RI from being able to locate the new stub. Although I don't see why anyone from Future London can't just backtrace Flynns peripheral to find the sender point, which they've already done.

 

Of course this means that with only Flynn dead in the original stub so far, there's the possibility of two Connors or her brother in Future London now, if they are allowed access to peripherals.

 

[Thor]

This is shit, even for me and I'm quite forgiving when it comes to Sci-fi. The acting is terrible (especially from the British), and the dialogue is worse (which might account for the bad acting). I got as far as the flashback scene at the start of ep5, and it was yet another big exposition dump, which is what most of the scenes are in this show: massive exposition dumps via dialogue from the characters. 

 

Not for me. 

[jonamok]

Terrible ending to a mediocre show.

One and done for me.

Huge waste.

[choddo]

Had to take a break from this cos of work etc. just carried on from ep6. Absolutely no idea what’s going on. Like the “Oracle” / Met Police chief character though.

 

Hang on - is this the first episode Anjili Mohindra has been in? My Lazarus project / Peripheral sgreams have been crossed and I’m all over the place.

[Mikes]

Started this last night. I tried the novel but for some reason it didn't gel with me, after one ep of the show I'm all in.  Effing love it.

[ucci]

On 20/12/2022 at 02:04, Mikes said:

Started this last night. I tried the novel but for some reason it didn't gel with me, after one ep of the show I'm all in.  Effing love it.

First episode was great. Not quite as subversive as characters in a William Gibson book but hey they gotta get the American bro camaraderie in there somewhere. You got this etc. 

[Festoon]

Alexandra Billings introduction in this is an incredible performance.

[ZOK]

I’m reading Count Zero again and it’s stunning how obviously better this is than The Peripheral for a tv adaptation. Loads of cool characters, a fairly transparent but clear plot with lots of potentially spectacular action, great ideas on every fucking page…but instead they made this.

[K]

This has been renewed for a second series:

 

https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/the-peripheral-renewed-season-2-amazon-1235518073/

 

I am slightly surprised they brought it back, as the series became very convoluted and a bit dull by the end of it, and didn’t seem to generate much in the way of buzz. It did an OK job of capturing the Gibbo tone and the cast were universally great, but the story seemed to be wilfully obscure at times, and I struggled to follow some of it - the end of the series was incomprehensible. 

[Exidor]

They should make season 2 VR Murder She Wrote with Billings solving a different space crime each week and shitting everyone up just walking in the room. Different mad tweed outfit every episode. That'll do me.

[choddo]

On 09/12/2022 at 11:20, Alan Stock said:

Ok, that makes sense, cheers. I take it you got that from the book?

  Hide contents

They could have literally have described it like you did in the show. So what I'm assuming is that by 'destroying the coordinates' that Flynn did, that's what's supposed to prevent the RI from being able to locate the new stub. Although I don't see why anyone from Future London can't just backtrace Flynns peripheral to find the sender point, which they've already done.

 

Of course this means that with only Flynn dead in the original stub so far, there's the possibility of two Connors or her brother in Future London now, if they are allowed access to peripherals.

 

I got it from the show but honestly it was contrived as fuck.

[milko]

I'm glad they are continuing it, in that I felt it was still redeemable despite losing the way. Future rednecks plus future klept London remains so far up my street I will probably put up with too much badness, but it was stretching my patience by the end.