Tripwire Takes A Look At New Sci-Fi Show Upload

Choosing Your Own Afterlife

Tripwire contributing writer Laurence Boyce takes a spoiler-free look at the new sci-fi comedy series from Parks and Recreation creator Greg Daniels…

“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God,” says the Bible. If there is anything that capitalism has taught us, it’s that rich people can afford some mighty big needles as well as some extremely tiny camels. One of the central conceits of new Amazon Prime TV show Upload, created by Greg Daniels, is that heaven is even more heavenly as long as you can pay for it. In a world in which consciousness can be uploaded to a digital afterlife, the rich and well-to-do can spend an eternal life in glorious luxury … as long as the money doesn’t run out. After all, massive corporations spend their time making sure they get as much as they can from the living. Why shouldn’t they do it to the dead as well?

Set in 2033, the 10 episode series focuses upon carefree coder Nathan (Robbie Amell) who, after suffering a fatal accident in a self-driving car, finds himself uploaded to the luxurious digital afterlife of Lakeview. While being dead has certainly put a crimp in his lifestyle, you’d think that Nathan would be thankful that he can continue to exist. But with his overbearing and narcissistic girlfriend Ingrid (Allegra  Edwards) paying for everything – in essence, owning him – and him trying to get used to the rules of his new surroundings, things are very tough indeed. Thankfully, he has the help of ‘angel’ Nora (Andy Allo)– an employee who works for Lakeview in the real world, as basically a glorified customer services manager – to help him through. As Nathan struggles with his new life, and Nora deals with her own problems in the real world, the two find themselves getting closer. But as they living and dead try to find some equilibrium, the mysterious circumstances of Nathan’s death begin to rear their ugly head.

There’s certainly amibiton at the heart of Upload: there’s satire, slapstick, thriller and romance all wrapped within its multi-layered narrative. It has the potential to be complete mess, but it manages to balance everything beautifully. While the ultimate demise of Nathan is tragic (and mysterious) the final moments before he’s uploaded are dealt with a fine comedic set-piece with Nathan having to accept Terms and Conditions before he pops his clogs. Indeed, the future setting, as well as the ‘digital’ nature of the after life allows the show to indulge in a number of comedic conceits: the boy with a body of 10-year-old but is internally a horny 19 year-old. The talking dog who is Lakeview’s psychiatrist.  But this is also a work of dark satire, a peek ’20 minutes into the future’ of a society that drowns under the weight of corporate obedience. The rich live opulent lives, living and working in Apple Store aesthetics – all space and clean lines. But those less fortunate are crammed into small apartments, obsessed with the star rating that dictates their lives from work to sex. This may not be a Blade Runner dystopia – it’s still a recognisable world, with a few comestic changes (and the opening scenes with works crammed on a subway, many wearing masks, is uncomfortably prescient). But the rich have got richer and the poor have got a hell of a lot poorer.

The performances are uniformly good. Robbie Amell makes for a charming central protagonist with just a hint of conceit. Allo is also superb as Nora, just a normal person trying to do right in a world that makes it increasingly difficult to look out for anyone except number one. The two have a believable chemistry together and their burgeoning relationship is a highlight of the show. Also kudos has to go to Allegra Edwards whose manages to stop the character of Ingrid becoming too much of a parodic grotesque. Those who are fans of Daniels’ previous shows such as Parks and Recreation and the US version of The Office might miss the more broad sitcom elements of those shows. This is altogether a more subtle affair (albeit with much obvious CGI, which is fantastically utilised throughout the show). Indeed, comparisons with The Good Place are appropriate not only due to its association with Daniels’ Parks and Rec co-creator Michael Shur but also due to its exploration of life after death. But while The Good Place was an intriguing exploration of human morality, Upload is more a sharp indictment on capitalism and the road that we’re all heading down.