As Rings of Power Season 1 completes its run a new Sci-Fi series is taking the reigns on Amazon Prime Video called The Peripheral. The series is based on the 2014 novel by William Gibson of the same name. The show is created by Scott B. Smith but some reports also suggest the involvement of Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy. Both of them are credited as Executive Producers in the intro of the show and Smith is credited as the sole creator. I don’t know what’s the story there. The show stars Chloe Grace Moretz, Jack Reynor, Gary Carr, Charlotte Riley, Adelind Horan, Alexandra Billings, T’Nia Miller, Louis Herthum, J.J. Feild and Eli Goree. The premise of the show revolves around, “Set in the future when technology has subtly altered society, a woman discovers a secret connection to an alternate reality as well as a dark future of her own.”
There was a considerable amount of buzz around the show given the involvement of Westworld creators- Nolan & Joy. The trailer of the series was released at the NYCC and it was quite hypnotizing. Given that Westworld Season 4 was one of the better series that we’ve gotten this year and how it is a considerable upgrade from the previous two seasons, I was excited of what the creators had in store for us with this Sci-Fi series. The show like us most of the things days was met with mixed reactions upon its double feature debut on Prime Video. I found the first two episodes disappointing and I felt there was no hook for me to comeback again, other then writing this review, lol. I entered Episode 3 with zero expectations, I was stunned by the length of the episode, it was 71 minutes. Having seen it I’d like to discuss some things. You can check out Episode 1 and 2 review right here.
Episode – Haptic Drift (MILD SPOILERS AHEAD)
Rating – ★★★
The Peripheral Episode 3 Review: Finally Something Interesting?
The Peripheral Episode 3 begins not where you’d expect it to. It begins in the past where you learn the cruelty about Corbell Pickett. We later cut back to the present. I should say this right away. This episode is certainly an improvement over the previous two. The episode then moves onto the main track of the series which focuses on Flynne and how she is communicating with the people in the future through a peripheral and how we some forces want to take her out because of the same reason.
At the start of the episode we that the money that Flynne and Burton had gotten from Wilf and gang is being spent on creating an armory to protect themselves from any forces that might try to harm them. Flynne is not board with this and Burton is not about that Flynne has told the truth about their lives to Billy Anne who is connected to Corbell Pickett. Flynne travels to the future where she learns that someone is trying to hire Pickett to kill her and her family as she tells Burton he decides to clean out Pickett first.
Flynne and Wilf are still searching for Aelita. As they’re travelling in the real world, Flynne’s peripheral sticks out like soar thumb and a constable approaches them. Wilf is able to get them out this situation and in the process there is romantic moment between the two. We get to know about Wilf’s and Aelita’s past. Burton speaks or rather threatens Corbell to leave his sister and their family alone, he even offers him money per week as compensation. The episode ends with Corbell asking Jasper to find out what are the Fishers mixed up in.
On the other had, Flynne and Wilf finally solving the puzzle of Aelita’s whereabouts and when they get there they’re confronted by Dr. Cherise’s people who tried to kill Aelita in the first episode. There is a fight but Flynne and Wilf survive ending the episode on a badass note.
Verdict
The Peripheral Episode 3 is interesting enough to make me willingly tune into the next episode and not because I have a review to write. The writing of the episode has taken a jump in quality. I like how they establish the cruelty of Corbell Pickett. It is a very innovation and fresh way how he kills and tortures people not giving us the lame screaming psychopathic vibe. It is very sane and disturbing sociopathic instinct that feeds purely on the primal lust for blood. I even liked how they structured the transfer of information.
They showed this and then they cut to the present while we revisit this scene when Flynne and Wilf are discussing threats to her. This is where we understand what he did to those people after killing them. Another thing I appreciated was the episode providing us some background on all the characters. We understand who Wilf is and who Aelita is. Their relationship, their parents, etc. I like how they subtly hint through flashbacks that there would be a virus outbreak which will wipe out most of humanity.
The supposed antagonist of the series so far- Dr. Cherise was also quite menacing and entertaining in this episode. I don’t I have a thing for well dressed, well spoken and stylized villains. I didn’t like the scene between Wilf and Flynne, it didn’t feel earned, it was an injected moment of love and attraction which frankly felt misplaced. I loved the scene between Burton and Pickett. It gave me vibes of those westerns which Hollywood used to make. Both men threatening each other in the most subtle but direct way.
We know just any moment something can explode. The only character I like in the entire series is Burton. Flynne is still boring to me although, I liked how she fights back at the end of the episode. Burton is charming, caring and authoritative. I believe he is mostly right and he is not one dimensional I like how he is gray but yet he is the only one I root for. I like him around everyone. Wilf gives me John David Washington from Tenet vibes so I like kind of liked him. The episode very well explains and demonstrates the haptics on Burton’s hands.
Regardless to say, The Peripheral episode 3 does enough interesting things for me to be happy with it and believe that the series will get better over the course of 8 episodes. I hope the writing of the series continues to improve and from this point the series continues to grow interesting. That being said, this wasn’t a great episode simply a better one in comparison. There were flaws in it as well and many unnecessary and misplaced moments like Flynne and Wilf. Otherwise it was a decent-good episode and I think it is a 3 out of 5 Stars.
The first three episodes of The Peripheral are available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video. New episodes release every Friday at 9.30 am.
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