Amazon Prime Video has been releasing numerous projects this year like My Policeman. Now the streaming platform has released on October 21, 2022, The Peripheral an American science fiction streaming television series executive produced and created by Scott Smith and produced by Amazon. The Peripheral is based on the 2014 book of the same name written by William Gibson, the series only has one season with eight episodes. Jonathan Nolan, Lisa Joy (Westworld creators), Athena Wickham, Steve Hoban, and Vincenzo Natali serve as executive producers. The series has its world premiere on October 11 at the Ace Hotel in Los Angeles, before its debut on Amazon Prime Video. It was recently confirmed that season two is in development.
The Peripheral is set in the future where technology has altered society. Flynne Fisher (Chloë Grace Moretz) who is described as an ambitious woman finds herself doomed at the hands of fate. While she is trying to hold the broken pieces of her family, Flynne discovers a personal connection to an alternative reality and her own dark future. The series is based on 2032 when the Fisher family (Flynne, Burton, and their mother) live in a small town located in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Being a family with limited resources, the Fisher brothers earn extra money by playing the simulations. Both share Burton’s avatar and compete for users who are willing to pay a lot of money to beat the game’s demanding levels. Burton is offered to beta test a new sim, but it is Flynne who ends up testing it for the first time, posing as Burton. The simulation takes place in London and the protagonist’s mission is to enter the Research Institute Corporation where Flynne has to steal a very important secret.
The mission goes wrong and our protagonist realizes that this supposed game is more real than it seems and the London she is exploring really exists in the year 2099 and the secret that Flynne finds puts her and her family in serious danger. People want to use Flynne for the secret she found and others want her dead.
The Pheripherial cast is formed by Chloë Grace Moretz (Flynne Fisher), Gary Carr (Wilf Netherton), Jack Reynor (Burton Fisher), JJ Feild (Lev Zubov), T’Nia Miller (Cherise Nuland), Louis Herthum (Corbell Pickett), Katie Leung (Ash), Melinda Page Hamilton (Ella Fisher), Chris Coy (Jasper Baker), Alex Hernandez (Tommy Constantine), Julian Moore-Cook (Ossian), Adelind Horan (Billy Ann Baker), Austin Rising (Leon), Eli Goree (Conner Penske), and Charlotte Riley (Aelita West). As recurring, Amber Rose Revah is Grace,and Alexandra Billings is Detective Ainsley Lowbeer.
The score IMDb gave the series 8.3 out of 10 while Rotten Tomatoes gave it 74% of 100% while the audience gave it 88% and FilmAffinity has give the series 6.3 out of 10. Yet, we may give Moretz all the credit since she is the main protagonist of the TV Show and has the most important role, but the actress only appears in half of the scenes.
In 2018 it was announced that an adaptation of Gibson’s books would be made, this was confirmed by the creators of Westworld, Lisa Joy, and Jonathan Nolan. On May 3, 2021, filming began mainly in London, England. The crew moved to Marshall, North Carolina in September. In November of the same year, the filming ended and the production wrapped. The series is only available on amazon prime video and there is no option to rent or buy on other streaming platforms such as HBO Max, Netflix, or Apple TV. Also, it is uncertain if the TV Show will be nominated for any awards.
Andrea Rich