The Peripheral

Hardcore sci-fi mind fuck for the discerning from the creators of Westworld. The series is set in a small town near the Appalachian Mountains (the setting and local community reminded me of Banshee) where the talented Chloe Grace Moretz excels at virtual reality gaming (finally a proper project for her again). A company sends her a new video game system, untested so far, that is very close to reality. She moves to a futuristic London with interesting rules and world, putting her family at risk in the process. For my money, this is excellent sci-fi that doesn't have much competition this year. The creators of Westworld don't hold back, it's a really challenging show (lots of challenging concepts, names, philosophizing that I got lost many times but it didn't interfere with the viewing experience). It's definitely a nice mix of Ready Player One, The Matrix and Westworld that grabbed me from the first episode and didn't let go of my balls until the finale. There are some very likeable characters and excellent villains in the present day world and in virtual reality,. Corbell Picket is a classic urban mob boss and Cherise, well she's a noble and intelligent bitch (one of the most intelligent female villains ever!), and I also enjoyed the Irish assassin who has been working with a knife since he was maybe a kid. The character of the deputy sheriff who undergoes an unexpected development is also likeable and of course the whole bunch of marines with PTSD are perfect for the job. The series has excellent technical aspects, visually it's very compelling in places, it has a smart script and a well thought out sci-fi world. Also, I mentioned before, awesome characters and most importantly there is finally proper action that is brutal, uncompromising, physical, with choreography, it takes your breath away. Every single action scene had me falling on my ass and downright drooling and screaming obscenities across the board! There could have been even more action, but there had to be room for story and characters, as there really is a lot to explain. Quantum tunnelling, futuristic London, secret organisations, invisible cars, virtual reality, special weapons, a captivating game world, marines with PTSD, R-rated action, global disasters and much more. I'm very satisfied, I was very entertained by the whole series and after the crime and drama shows, it's definitely a nice change of pace this year. 85%. (12/03/2022)

Gibson's depressive and gloomy atmosphere is perfectly conveyed, and I like this nice concept showing time travel in a new and refreshing way. Nolan's precise Westworld-esque visuals and production design in general are unmistakable. The cast of supporting characters is often downright scrumptious. Moretz is excellent as a modern country girl who knows how to play games, and she's pretty decent as a killer. Her scenes with her brother Reynor have great chemistry. There are plenty of Gibson’s wisecracks. The ending is a wee bit creaky, but after a little thought it makes sense if... and that's what season two will show, I've got it right. So, yes, I’m looking forward to the next season. (12/02/2022)

The Peripheral came out with such a great pilot that I was literally jumping to the ceiling with joy, I was eager to watch it again and I was excited for the whole series like I haven't been in a long time. As time goes on, however, the series has turned into a sequence of excellent - great - good - passable and, though I hate to say it, even boring in the last two episodes. The first episode set up the rules of the worlds clearly and engagingly enough, the characters and their actors are likeable, the action was bold and the slaughter of assassins got me hooked and hinted that things were going to happen. But unfortunately, over the course of the following episodes, the world slowly starts to fall apart, the rules change in whatever way it’s convenient, the characters lose their fun and lack further development, the action is very sparse (and that's a hell of a problem for a sci-fi series) and the whole thing feels like the creators don't know how to work with the material, even though they have the idea and basic premise down pat. The series doesn't use the best elements at all (the connection between the war buddies, the background to the event that destroyed the world, the working with time parallels…). The last episodes had me suffering, the plot was developing in a terribly slowly, boring and uninteresting way and the interaction of the characters was pointless. A very infuriating drop in quality and a huge disappointment for me personally, because the opening was completely different from the ending, a bitter ending that dramatically spoils the impression of the whole "fine" build up of the series before... (12/09/2022)