The Peripheral on Amazon Prime (NO SPOILERS)

[neil_w]

This is a non-spoiler thread to discuss the Amazon Prime series "The Peripheral", based on the book by William Gibson which I have not read. Season 1 is 8 one-hour episodes.

Anyway: this is IMHO the best science fiction on TV since The Expanse. Superb all around. Great acting, beautiful conception of the future, very nice special effects. A little hard to figure out how some of the things fit together, but by the end of the season the pieces have mostly been assembled. At least, until some aspects of the season 1 finale confused the heck out of me. Maybe we'll need a spoiler thread as well to discuss.

The worst part of this series is that I have finished season 1 and now must wait a year or whatever to continue.

In any case: extremely highly recommended by me.

Without any spoilers, I am curious how close this series is following the book.

 

[KenECoyote]

FWIW - I wasn't that impressed initially and was actually getting bored/annoyed, but they really picked up at the end.

My wife fell asleep on the last two episodes and wasn't going to bother watching them, but I told her to watch the last 40 minutes of the last episode and she agreed that it got very good at the end.

 

[neil_w]

I found the first episode to be slow but after that it had me hooked. Episodes 6-8 were really bangers IMHO.

 

[kuririn]

Now I have to watch it.

 

[KenECoyote]

I disliked that the main character at the beginning is an unbelievable pro kick-ass (haha) gamer/ fighter/ strategist/ predictor and then I didn't really see any of that after. Even at the end.

Also too much makeup on her.

Also I hate her avatar hair lol

 

[Marc_G]

(engaging no-spoiler mode)

I've read the books (The Peripheral and Agency). The first one I read shortly after it came out (2014 maybe?) and the second one was maybe a year ago. So, I remember some things from the books but not a lot of detail.

The first season seems to track closely enough to the books to not piss me off. I thought the acting was well done and the characters well cast. They better have a season 2 renewal announcement soon, or I will be PISSED.

Oh, and not a spoiler but very important: THERE IS A POST-CREDIT SCENE. Be sure to watch it.

 

[neil_w]

The first season seems to track closely enough to the books to not piss me off. I thought the acting was well done and the characters well cast. They better have a season 2 renewal announcement soon, or I will be PISSED.

Agreed!!!

Oh, and not a spoiler but very important: THERE IS A POST-CREDIT SCENE. Be sure to watch it.

Yes indeed. Season 2 should be fun.

 

[John Kemker]

Okay, so you've interested me enough to start watching it.

 

[teepot]

Is it on the computer or TV?

 

[neil_w]

Amazon Prime Video.

 

[KenECoyote]

Is it on the computer or TV?

Yes.

Amazon Prime Video.

 

[SecondRow]

I’ve never liked William Gibson novels, or the cyberpunk genre in general. But I’m gonna try this because

this is IMHO the best science fiction on TV since The Expanse.

And I love the Expanse (and I remember you did, too). Sci-fi shows today sure do look a lot better than the schlocky effects and mostly poor acting of the past.

 

[jd2cylman]

I watched the first season. I was entertained and it kept my attention and interest.

 

[neil_w]

I can’t wait until those who watch it on my recommendation come back here and tell me it sucked. Good times a-comin’.

It is really good though.

 

[KenECoyote]

I can’t wait until those who watch it on my recommendation come back here and tell me it sucked. Good times a-comin’.

It is really good though.

It sucked and you're welcome.

 

[Marc_G]

I may go back and reread the first book because it's been long enough since I read it that I forget the details. Having finished watching the first season, I'm curious to line up events in the two versions to see how much of the book the season covers.

 

[Sooner Boomer]

So when do we got to do spoilers?

 

[neil_w]

I’d say start a separate spoiler thread.

 

[neil_w]

OK, I did it: https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/the-peripheral-on-amazon-prime-s-p-o-i-l-e-r-s.176534/

 

[Marc_G]

Crap! Amazon reversed the season 2 renewal! Now cancelled.

Hopefully someone else picks it up. It was pretty good.

https://collider.com/the-peripheral-season-2-cancelled/

 

[neil_w]

Yes, this a huge disappointment.

 

[SecondRow]

Bummer. Looks like it was a casualty of the writers’ strike.

 

[techrat]

If there *is* a season 2, it's going to be horribly delayed due to the writers and actors strike. Hollywood is at a standstill right now, and there's no way anything is coming out until late 2024 at the earliest. Their only hope right now is to pull things that "didn't make the cut" (i.e, were shelved) and use that as filler until we can get something. "For all Mankind" I'm pretty sure finished shooting before the strike, so, once edited and FX are done, we can see season 4 of that, and it looks like Ashoka is "in the can" as that's airing now, but there isn't going to be much beyond that. I assume they's got some stuff for September (fall season), but it seems like we're getting a year of repeats.

 

[Joshua Smith]

Crap! Amazon reversed the season 2 renewal! Now cancelled.

Hopefully someone else picks it up. It was pretty good.

https://collider.com/the-peripheral-season-2-cancelled/

What?! I literally, TONIGHT, just got my wife hooked on this. She doesn't watch much TV, so I am very particular about what I try to get her to watch. I watched it when it first came out. Son of a...

 

[Marc_G]

Apparently a lot of shows that were green lit for season 2 are now getting cancelled across multiple networks due to a feeling that with the writers/acting strike, it will be 2025 before new content may be ready, and that too long a gap between seasons 1 and 2 bodes poorly compared to brand new shows.

 

[Sooner Boomer]

This is bad news. I suppose "Resident Alien" won't be coming back, either.

 

[Antares JS]

Apparently a lot of shows that were green lit for season 2 are now getting cancelled across multiple networks due to a feeling that with the writers/acting strike, it will be 2025 before new content may be ready, and that too long a gap between seasons 1 and 2 bodes poorly compared to brand new shows.

I hate this reasoning and want to smack anyone who espouses it. People who like a show are perfectly capable of being patient while problems are worked out.

There hasn't been word either way, but I'm nervous now about season 2 of The Sandman.

 

[neil_w]

I hate this reasoning and want to smack anyone who espouses it. People who like a show are perfectly capable of being patient while problems are worked out.

+1.

I sure hope that Apple doesn't operate this way, because I will wait as long as necessary for season 2 of The Silo.

 

[Antares JS]

A real-life example of what I said in my previous post:

Metalocalypse was last on TV (aside from reruns) with the "Doomstar Requiem" TV special in October of 2013. It left off on a cliffhanger and Adult Swim wouldn't fund another season.

I don't know the specifics, but the stars aligned and the creators of the show were finally able to make a conclusion in a direct-to-disc movie called "Army of the Doomstar." It just came out this week, nine years and ten months after the airing of Doomstar Requiem.

Army of the Doomstar is now "temporarily sold out" on Amazon and the #1 seller for comedy.