The Peripheral: Life on the Edge

The word “Peripheral” has several meanings, “something not as important as something else”, “a piece of equipment, such as a printer, that can be connected to a computer”, “indirect vision which occurs on the outside the point of fixation”. The title of the new Amazon Prime series The Peripheral, adapted from the novel of the same name, may refer to all the above.  In the near future, 2032, a smart and ambitious girl named Flynne (Chloë Grace Moretz) secretly has a talent in AI gaming, but she uses her brother, Burton’s (Jack Reynor) avatar.  When Burton is asked to test some new tech, Flynne gets more than she bargained for, and what she originally thought was a basic “Sim” game, turns out to be a journey to alternate future timeline, seventy years in the future.  Flynne experiences something that puts a target on her back in her own time.  Burton is ex-military, and he and his friends use their skills to protect her, while she jumps between the two worlds to solve the mystery and possibly save her world.

The first two episodes of the series were released simultaneously, which I am quite grateful for.  The first episode introduces the main characters, but you don’t really get a sense of what the real plot is about.  You get to know Flynne and her family, and although they don’t spell it out, you understand that there have been some dark times in our near future.  There has been a war, lifesaving pharmaceuticals are still way out of reach and your average person needs to get medicine on the black market.  It is not a future that is hard to imagine, given the current status of the United States.  But future London may be even scarier.  The mere statement that “a lot can happen in seventy years” adds to the odd feeling of desolation in what should be a very crowded city. This isn’t a post-apocalyptic wasteland, it is actually quite opulent, with giant statues of what appear to be Greek gods looming over the population.  The audience is given enough to understand who Flynne and her family are but given very little info on the actual events that shaped their current world.  Like little breadcrumbs.  We are given even less information about the alternative future.  Episode two does fill in some of the gaps, but just barely.  It is like giving us appetizers before the main course.  Just enough to whet your appetite, but not enough to satiate the hunger.

The production value is quite high, the special effects fit into the story well and do not overwhelm it.  The settings are well designed and give a sense of what the two different worlds are like.  The actors are all very good.  Chloë does a wonderful job as Flynne, as a vulnerable girl with a heart of gold, who can also kick some ass when it needs it.  Jack Reynor’s Burton is your standard tough guy ex-military, but he does that part well.  He is both attractive, which he knows, and yet somehow tender. The two bicker like siblings but also love each other just like real family. The main cast is endearing and easy to connect to, making the viewer almost instantly invested in the plot.  The storyline is complicated and intriguing, there is mystery, adventure, action, and love all represented in the first two episodes.