Streaming The Peripheral - Amazon Prime, 21/10/22

[James Colorado]

Debuts this Friday, to hopefully fill in the gap left by the Rings of Power finishing its season.

I'm not personally familiar with the original work, but it's based upon a novel of the same name by William Gibson, who is a driving force in cyberpunk, if not the genre's creator. The trailer looks interesting, with the setting seeming to be a technological dystopia that has heavy VR & AR elements.

Scott Smith is the creator and writer of the adaptation, with some Westworld alum serving as producers (hopefully it goes more like the first season of that show rather than what it became). Chloe Grace Moretz plays the lead.

The trailer grabbed me and the setting and themes leave a lot of room to grow, I'll tune in on Friday and hope it lives up to its promise.

 

[Gasometer]

Last chance for Prime otherwise I am having a break

 

[Frank Bunn]

Looks interesting.

 

[KAYNE]

Pumped for this. Looks really good from the trailer. Haven't read the book (which can sometimes be a positive)

 

[Frank Bunn]

The pilot episode is very strong and ep 2 pretty good. The production values are high as you would expect from the producers of Westworld. I don't quite know what is going on but I'll be watching more of it to find out.

 

[James Colorado]

The pilot episode is very strong and ep 2 pretty good. The production values are high as you would expect from the producers of Westworld. I don't quite know what is going on but I'll be watching more of it to find out.

I liked the pilot episode, some nice world building without giving everything away, and plenty of mystery to keep it intriguing.

Am going to watch ep 2 now

 

[James Colorado]

Ep2 was enjoyable, and really keeps the mystery intriguing. The physics behind the connection between time periods are obviously very speculative, but they make it work for narrative purposes. The use of technology is really interesting, and honestly, much of it seems reasonably feasible (the 2032 setting); I don't think we'll have a lot of that stuff in 10 years time, but I'm sure there's groups researching that enhanced integration between biology and technology.

One thing that I did find amusing in Ep1 was how Flynne is hired by rich gamers to help them progress beyond levels they're stuck at. If the video game industry ever does develop immersive sims like that, that is one occupation I can see as very likely to emerge.

 

[Strange Cat]

Very interesting just started the second episode last night

Keen to see how this unfolds

 

[Kirby]

Really enjoying this so far.

It was immediately immersive which is always a good sign.

 

[James Colorado]

Really enjoyed Ep3. A lot of intrigue unfolding in both time lines, with the villain in each being fleshed out nicely (the execution scenes of the bikers in the 2015 flashback and then of the scientist in 2099 by the bees really established just who we're dealing with here). I've been wondering about the super-monumental architecture in 2099 London, and we were given something of an explanation, even if the Classicist style is still a mystery.

 

[Frank Bunn]

Really enjoyed Ep3. A lot of intrigue unfolding in both time lines, with the villain in each being fleshed out nicely (the execution scenes of the bikers in the 2015 flashback and then of the scientist in 2099 by the bees really established just who we're dealing with here). I've been wondering about the super-monumental architecture in 2099 London, and we were given something of an explanation, even if the Classicist style is still a mystery.

Did they say the giant statues take CO2 out of the atmosphere? The shoulder pads woman is pretty evil. I wouldn't have been drinking that tea!

 

[James Colorado]

Did they say the giant statues take CO2 out of the atmosphere? The shoulder pads woman is pretty evil. I wouldn't have been drinking that tea!

Yep, called them "carbon-scrubbers". Haven't explained the design choice yet, though.

 

[Kirby]

This show is fantastic.

Great world they’ve built. Looks amazing.

Some brilliant acting too.

 

[Strange Cat]

Yep, called them "carbon-scrubbers". Haven't explained the design choice yet, though.

Why not it looks sick

 

[James Colorado]

I haven't read any of William Gibson's work, so I'm not sure about the depopulation for the 2099 timeline, but the "jackpot" event they're referring to is apparently the subject of a trilogy (which does include The Peripheral).

 

[ohhhBigMalcho]

enjoying it, liking the cast, particularly Jack Reynor as the brother and his little home militia

 

[James Colorado]

Another quality episode, but starting to get the feeling morality is another consequence of "the jackpot". Those 2099 villains are chilling (kudos to the actors and writers, though).

 

[Kirby]

There was a whole lot of information to unpack in that episode.

Now we know what the jackpot is.

 

[Frank Bunn]

Let me check if I've got this right around the time travel aspect of this show. The headset allows the characters in North Carolina, 2032 to inhabit the body of a robot Flynne in London, 2099. The people in 2099 are using this technology to change history by creating 'stubs' which are manipulated alternative timelines. But some of the people in 2099 need Flynne from 2032 for their own purposes.

Are they trying to prevent the Jackpot? Or facilitate it? I wonder if the Corbell Pickett sub-plot is because he's planning to somehow profit from the upcoming catastrophes.

It seems like Aelita might have disappeared because she knew too much. Or stole a key component?

 

[James Colorado]

Let me check if I've got this right around the time travel aspect of this show. The headset allows the characters in North Carolina, 2032 to inhabit the body of a robot Flynne in London, 2099. The people in 2099 are using this technology to change history by creating 'stubs' which are manipulated alternative timelines. But some of the people in 2099 need Flynne from 2032 for their own purposes.

Are they trying to prevent the Jackpot? Or facilitate it? I wonder if the Corbell Pickett sub-plot is because he's planning to somehow profit from the upcoming catastrophes.

It seems like Aelita might have disappeared because she knew too much. Or stole a key component?

Afaik in re the time travel stuff:
The time travel is information transferred over space-time, via quantum entanglement. As there is no physical time travel, then conservation of matter is maintained. The people who are time travelling, the "polts", then inhabit the robots.

Now, as the future cannot be changed due to the possibility of creating certain paradoxes, the act of reaching out to the past via this quantum entanglement model means that you split the timeline. The polt did not time travel in the main timeline, the person in that past is completely unaware of the whole system. But, this new timeline where the polt does time travel, splits off from the main timeline, and as it's own future has not happened yet, it is shorter, hence "the stub"; the 2099 timeline is unable to know the future of Flynn etc from 2032, as it hasn't happened yet, they can only go to a point in their own timeline and then create a split, but cannot know what happens after that (besides information from the polt).

The reasons behind the stub have so far only been presented in commercial terms; we don't know the reason this one was created yet, but they can't so much prevent the jackpot as if they do, it only helps a divergent timeline rather than their own.

 

[Frank Bunn]

Afaik in re the time travel stuff:
The time travel is information transferred over space-time, via quantum entanglement. As there is no physical time travel, then conservation of matter is maintained. The people who are time travelling, the "polts", then inhabit the robots.

Now, as the future cannot be changed due to the possibility of creating certain paradoxes, the act of reaching out to the past via this quantum entanglement model means that you split the timeline. The polt did not time travel in the main timeline, the person in that past is completely unaware of the whole system. But, this new timeline where the polt does time travel, splits off from the main timeline, and as it's own future has not happened yet, it is shorter, hence "the stub"; the 2099 timeline is unable to know the future of Flynn etc from 2032, as it hasn't happened yet, they can only go to a point in their own timeline and then create a split, but cannot know what happens after that (besides information from the polt).

The reasons behind the stub have so far only been presented in commercial terms; we don't know the reason this one was created yet, but they can't so much prevent the jackpot as if they do, it only helps a divergent timeline rather than their own.

I was recently reading about quantum entanglement. Apparently it's a real concept backed by scientific evidence. What a crazy notion that two things, or a a multitude of things, could be intrinsically linked without regard to distance or time. The possibilities are endless. However, the current thinking is that it doesn't have a practical use because it only applies to random sub-atomic events. But I'm happy to go with the flow for the purposes of this show.

Time travel paradoxes have always messed with my brain. I might have to reread what you said several times. Now we have both plots and polts!

I must confess with Flynne's body occupation I was thinking Scooby Doo when Fred found himself in Daphne's body.

 

[James Colorado]

I was recently reading about quantum entanglement. Apparently it's a real concept backed by scientific evidence. What a crazy notion that two things, or a a multitude of things, could be intrinsically linked without regard to distance or time. The possibilities are endless. However, the current thinking is that it doesn't have a practical use because it only applies to random sub-atomic events. But I'm happy to go with the flow for the purposes of this show.

Time travel paradoxes have always messed with my brain. I might have to reread what you said several times. Now we have both plots and polts!

I must confess with Flynne's body occupation I was thinking Scooby Doo when Fred found himself in Daphne's body.

Hey, this is an intelligent show for intelligent people. Intelligent people ask questions, admit when they're unsure of something, and engage in discussion.

Keep it up, everyone

 

[Kirby]

Afaik in re the time travel stuff:
The time travel is information transferred over space-time, via quantum entanglement. As there is no physical time travel, then conservation of matter is maintained. The people who are time travelling, the "polts", then inhabit the robots.

Now, as the future cannot be changed due to the possibility of creating certain paradoxes, the act of reaching out to the past via this quantum entanglement model means that you split the timeline. The polt did not time travel in the main timeline, the person in that past is completely unaware of the whole system. But, this new timeline where the polt does time travel, splits off from the main timeline, and as it's own future has not happened yet, it is shorter, hence "the stub"; the 2099 timeline is unable to know the future of Flynn etc from 2032, as it hasn't happened yet, they can only go to a point in their own timeline and then create a split, but cannot know what happens after that (besides information from the polt).

The reasons behind the stub have so far only been presented in commercial terms; we don't know the reason this one was created yet, but they can't so much prevent the jackpot as if they do, it only helps a divergent timeline rather than their own.

Thanks mate, that helps me with the stub understanding much better!

 

[James Colorado]

Another really good episode, and expanded upon RI's motivations with the stub (I wonder if we'll have any interplay between different stubs, at all).

The former IRA terrorist, Bob, was incredible; this show really has brilliant villains.

I've come to the conclusion that we must be living in a stub ourselves when this doesn't get the chatter it deserves yet people to this day talk about The Big Bang Theory like it was an intelligent show.

 

[Frank Bunn]

Another really good episode, and expanded upon RI's motivations with the stub (I wonder if we'll have any interplay between different stubs, at all).

The former IRA terrorist, Bob, was incredible; this show really has brilliant villains.

I've come to the conclusion that we must be living in a stub ourselves when this doesn't get the chatter it deserves yet people to this day talk about The Big Bang Theory like it was an intelligent show.

Yeah, it was great that they put so much back story into a character within a couple of scenes. The actor did a great job too.

I'm wondering about the invisible car technology. Is that sent from the future? It also seemed to sustain no damage from the collision.

Good to see shoulder pads and Flynne having a ding-dong!