I was initially drawn to watching "The Peripheral" due to its production company-Kilter Films-being the same creator of "Westworld". While this show struggles more with nailing the over-arching philosophical and plot-heavy machinations of that predecessor, it generally makes up for it with an engaging action/adventure-oriented presentation.
For a very basic overview, "The Peripheral" is set in the 2030s and tells the story of Flynn Fisher (Chloe Grace Moretz), a young lady who happens to be as good at "sims" (virtual reality games) as her military-trained brother Burton (Jack Reynor) and his buddy Conner (Eli Goree). But when a new piece of hardware shows up on their doorstep, it proves to be more real than anything previously imagined. As Flynne is introduced to it via Wilf Netherton (Gary Carr), she comes to learn that she is actually in the future-well, at least a version of the future. In meeting more nefarious types like Lev Zubov (JJ Feild) & Cherise Nuland (T'Nia Miller), Flynne realizes that the past, present, and future are mixed up in ways she could not have possibly imagined.
I'm actually going to start with the show's greatest weakness here: the heavier, timey-wimey concepts are not as fully explained-or even understood-as they probably should have been. While it is clear the showrunners don't want to go "full sci-fi", as the episodes tick on there are moments when more plot exposition is required for basic understanding and that groundwork hasn't always been built. It is the type of show that loves to tease really interesting concepts and then sort of hand-wave them away with a wink-and-nod "don't think about it too much" approach. The show's excellent pacing mitigates this a bit, but such muddled concept-explanation truly does limit the ceiling of "The Peripheral" thus far.
While normally the above critique would cause me to drop a show even lower in the star-rankings, I can still give "The Peripheral" a solid 8/10. Why? Because it features an engaging, action-packed, adventure-oriented presentation that leaves little time for boredom or mind-wandering. The phrase "well-produced" could easily be applied here-a great mix of concepts (even if sometimes falling by the wayside) and interesting character machinations. In short, I was always invested in what would happen next and that "next thing" was usually entertaining.
"The Peripheral" also introduces many quirky/interesting characters and casts solid actors to inhabit those roles. Perhaps the best example of this is Corbell Pickett (Louis Herthum), a supremely entertaining character that expertly provides equal parts levity and real-world menace. Field's Zubov is particularly strong, as is a late-season performance from Alexandra Billings as Inspector Ainsley Lowbeer. Basically, across the board this show features great and unique performances.
My final comment on Season One of "The Peripheral" would be that for this 8/10 star ranking to "hold up", the show needs to continue. If this is all viewers get, it likely won't hold up as well because of its extreme breadth and little matching depth. But as a jumping-off point for further adventures, this first spate of episodes is solid. It is certainly a universe I would return to and I hope viewers get that opportunity.
For a very basic overview, "The Peripheral" is set in the 2030s and tells the story of Flynn Fisher (Chloe Grace Moretz), a young lady who happens to be as good at "sims" (virtual reality games) as her military-trained brother Burton (Jack Reynor) and his buddy Conner (Eli Goree). But when a new piece of hardware shows up on their doorstep, it proves to be more real than anything previously imagined. As Flynne is introduced to it via Wilf Netherton (Gary Carr), she comes to learn that she is actually in the future-well, at least a version of the future. In meeting more nefarious types like Lev Zubov (JJ Feild) & Cherise Nuland (T'Nia Miller), Flynne realizes that the past, present, and future are mixed up in ways she could not have possibly imagined.
I'm actually going to start with the show's greatest weakness here: the heavier, timey-wimey concepts are not as fully explained-or even understood-as they probably should have been. While it is clear the showrunners don't want to go "full sci-fi", as the episodes tick on there are moments when more plot exposition is required for basic understanding and that groundwork hasn't always been built. It is the type of show that loves to tease really interesting concepts and then sort of hand-wave them away with a wink-and-nod "don't think about it too much" approach. The show's excellent pacing mitigates this a bit, but such muddled concept-explanation truly does limit the ceiling of "The Peripheral" thus far.
While normally the above critique would cause me to drop a show even lower in the star-rankings, I can still give "The Peripheral" a solid 8/10. Why? Because it features an engaging, action-packed, adventure-oriented presentation that leaves little time for boredom or mind-wandering. The phrase "well-produced" could easily be applied here-a great mix of concepts (even if sometimes falling by the wayside) and interesting character machinations. In short, I was always invested in what would happen next and that "next thing" was usually entertaining.
"The Peripheral" also introduces many quirky/interesting characters and casts solid actors to inhabit those roles. Perhaps the best example of this is Corbell Pickett (Louis Herthum), a supremely entertaining character that expertly provides equal parts levity and real-world menace. Field's Zubov is particularly strong, as is a late-season performance from Alexandra Billings as Inspector Ainsley Lowbeer. Basically, across the board this show features great and unique performances.
My final comment on Season One of "The Peripheral" would be that for this 8/10 star ranking to "hold up", the show needs to continue. If this is all viewers get, it likely won't hold up as well because of its extreme breadth and little matching depth. But as a jumping-off point for further adventures, this first spate of episodes is solid. It is certainly a universe I would return to and I hope viewers get that opportunity.