This episode takes an exciting premise and amps it up to 11 (in Spinal Tap terms). Awesome real-life Call of Duty combat scene caught me holding my breath once or twice. Between the very believable near-future tech, recognizable small town characters, and very real hardships, there's something for everyone. But when you dial in the future connection, not only does it up the stakes, it gets exciting. For anyone who watched any science-fiction in the last 20 years, or even has just been alive for the last 20 years, there is not much suspension of disbelief required. Chloe Grace Moretz as Flynne starts to come into her own, holding "our little army" (as big brother Burton played by Jack Reynor puts it) in the palm of her clever hands. She is smart enough to negotiate with folks in the future who may not have her best interests at heart, while recognizing that they may have legitimate human concerns as well. I normally hate to come into a show so early, but I'm excited to see what comes next!
8 Reviews
As good, if not better than first episode. Excellent TV
namob-4367328 October 2022
To those of you thinking of watching this show, you probably should at least watch the first two episodes before making up your mind. This because the questions I had from the first episode, and the lack of character development are both solved here in the second episode. We also get more exposition so we now know, almost at least, what is going on although we do assume, as the main characters also do, that there is more going on here than we are told.
I still think this show main issue is that it is moving too fast. The first two episodes could easily been 1-2 more episodes. The pace is too fast, we need to get to know the world, the characters, this tech, this story a bit more before moving on but I get the feeling this show is made with little consideration for this, probably to accommodate teenage boys as the main audience in the US. But this is also my only small concern or negative, which tells you all you need to know. This is excellent TV, very entertaining, and the acting is top.
A weak 9/10, and I hope this show continues on this level because this cannot be recommended enough.
I still think this show main issue is that it is moving too fast. The first two episodes could easily been 1-2 more episodes. The pace is too fast, we need to get to know the world, the characters, this tech, this story a bit more before moving on but I get the feeling this show is made with little consideration for this, probably to accommodate teenage boys as the main audience in the US. But this is also my only small concern or negative, which tells you all you need to know. This is excellent TV, very entertaining, and the acting is top.
A weak 9/10, and I hope this show continues on this level because this cannot be recommended enough.
Empathy Bonus
bobcobb30110 December 2022
Warning: Spoilers
This show is not going to simply rely on its big name star in Chloe Grace Moretz to lead and dominate every scene and that is why because that formula never works for a sci-fi series like this, but I worry they're throwing a bit too much at us too soon. They didn't even seem to blink when discussing the notion of a virtual reality war where people can die and make decisions that impact people in the real world. Oh well, that is how TV goes I guess.
Another solid episode of what hopefully will become a big deal program for Amazon Prime, but I won't go calling it a classic yet by any stretch of the imagination.
Another solid episode of what hopefully will become a big deal program for Amazon Prime, but I won't go calling it a classic yet by any stretch of the imagination.
Has your brain stopped spinning yet?
cnrutledge-2804623 October 2022
I shan't, write as much about this episode as I did the previous one, because I had to first set the stage which I know sounds like some kind of, (lesbian s*** - but I said thespian not lesbian! Spell check sucks!) thespian trope. This episode, does give a nice fleshing out of the intellectual standards of this world, but also gives you all the action your Jackson can handle, plus some! So, in this one, we truly learn about the southern world that the author borrowed from Tennessee Williams' mind. It also gives sufficient explanation, to this other world and what it actually might mean without getting boring, stupid, or overplaying their hand; how kind of them! So, sit back, enjoy the ride, it's not just a roller coaster - it's for real man, for real! ( I didn't think "game over man! Game over!" would be quite appropriate. But, that's what I was going for, I don't think I made it.😩)
S1.E2 - Boring [6/10]
panagiotis19933 December 2023
Warning: Spoilers
(S1. E2) My Live Reaction / Review for The Peripheral Season 1 Episode 2 ''Empathy Bonus''. I gave the previous episode a rating of 8.6/10. Let's see if this episode is better or worse. Burton and his friends know how to fight, cool. Where did they find all these guns and ammo though? Im a bit confused. So this guy, Wilf Netherton, is from the future or not? And why is he interested in the past where Flynne and Burton are? Why is Aelita West so important to them? Now they want Pickett to kill Flynne and Burton? Is Flynne's mother now cured? That's awesome. This episode was so boring, it made me sleepy. I hope the rest of the episodes are better. Overall this episode was mediocre, my rating is 6/10.
Slowing down to get some answers
jordymadueno2 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
It continued exactly from where they left the last episode and it was a jab of adrenaline. It was fun. However, soon after it ended it all went back to a slower pace on which they started giving some explanations.
However, there are still some enigmas:
This episode was more concise and necessary to get some ideas to sink. I mean, at the beginning there was a lot happening and I didn't have enough time to process the plot, but now it starts to make more sense. Even though, there are still a lot of enigmas on the table.
I've seen something that will be a pain in the ass. I'm talking about the relationship between the two brothers because they have a really trashy communication. I still don't get why Flynne preferred to go to the town before telling Burton everything she found out. Also, Burton seems like he will try to protect Flynne by hiding things from her. I hate when this happens in a story because the solution usually is a word away and it gets frustrating. We'll see how the writers manage this.
That's about it for the second episode.
- The VR is indeed not a SIM, but rather a virtual controller for a humanoid in the future.
- Flynne's mother, that is, Ella, has a glioma which is a type of cancer in the brain. That explains a bit more of their context.
- We now have seen how the biotech in Burton and his friends is for logistics on the battlefield and that they were some type of soldier.
- I realized that the corporation guys found Flynne and Burton because the humanoid had Burton's face and identity. That was definitely not smart.
- Also, it shows Corbell's role in the story.
However, there are still some enigmas:
- What's the relationship between Aelita and Wilf?
- What's the purpose of the big corporation and now with Lev? What do they want? Well, besides searching for Aelita.
- Why does Tommy seem alienated from the group?
This episode was more concise and necessary to get some ideas to sink. I mean, at the beginning there was a lot happening and I didn't have enough time to process the plot, but now it starts to make more sense. Even though, there are still a lot of enigmas on the table.
I've seen something that will be a pain in the ass. I'm talking about the relationship between the two brothers because they have a really trashy communication. I still don't get why Flynne preferred to go to the town before telling Burton everything she found out. Also, Burton seems like he will try to protect Flynne by hiding things from her. I hate when this happens in a story because the solution usually is a word away and it gets frustrating. We'll see how the writers manage this.
That's about it for the second episode.
Something just clicked and makes sense now
markwha26 October 2022
On the main page for this show I wrote a review scoring 7/10 which was centred around me trying to make sense of why others reviews and ratings seemed so inexplicable high and positive for an average-ish show. I did a little more reading outside IMDB and now things are starting to make sense. Rotten Tomatoes has this scored at 67%, IGN is 6/10 and Metacritic scores 53%. Seems that there's a particular audience who are way more into this than the collective of professional critics who average a 6/10 rating on this show and I'm struggling to figure who exactly this audience really is.
All we have here is a bunch of cliches, tropes and cardboard cutouts: we've got the Mary Sue lead, the hardened vet supporting role who will do anything to protect their own. We have guns, explosions, a futuristic version of Boss Hog, invisible cars, virtual reality, time travel and yet despite all this amazing tech we don't have a single prosthetic for our one limbed wounded warrior who is at risk of apparently drowning at the bottom of a bottle? (Or maybe two limbed, since he's also our token black guy, I dunno).
Come on people, this isn't an 8+/10 show. This doesn't compete with any other decent sci-fi like Supernatural, the early seasons of The Walking Dead, Fringe, The X-files or anything else that Amazon knocked out if the Park like The Boys or Yellowstone.
This show is at best in the league of American Gods and even that is a bit of a stretch. As much as we want another Westworld or Expanse that doesn't get dull and redundant after a while, this simply isn't it now matter how much this mysterious "audience" may be telling us so.
PS, a meta critic score is usually found to the right of the audience score on IMDB, I wonder why it's not showing up on this shows page yet?
All we have here is a bunch of cliches, tropes and cardboard cutouts: we've got the Mary Sue lead, the hardened vet supporting role who will do anything to protect their own. We have guns, explosions, a futuristic version of Boss Hog, invisible cars, virtual reality, time travel and yet despite all this amazing tech we don't have a single prosthetic for our one limbed wounded warrior who is at risk of apparently drowning at the bottom of a bottle? (Or maybe two limbed, since he's also our token black guy, I dunno).
Come on people, this isn't an 8+/10 show. This doesn't compete with any other decent sci-fi like Supernatural, the early seasons of The Walking Dead, Fringe, The X-files or anything else that Amazon knocked out if the Park like The Boys or Yellowstone.
This show is at best in the league of American Gods and even that is a bit of a stretch. As much as we want another Westworld or Expanse that doesn't get dull and redundant after a while, this simply isn't it now matter how much this mysterious "audience" may be telling us so.
PS, a meta critic score is usually found to the right of the audience score on IMDB, I wonder why it's not showing up on this shows page yet?
Cannot hold the quality of the pilot but still satisfying
moritzherz6 November 2022
Warning: Spoilers
The second episode of "The Peripheral" cannot hold the quality of the pilot but continues the story in an acceptable way.
After watching the first episode I had some expectations for the second. These expectations were too high.
We get a new storyline of the future Flynn which is interesting but I would have liked more of the vr game stuff.
In the present we see Flynn's brother and his gang fighting successfully the bounty hunters attacking Flynn and her family. After that they bury them in the garden. A cop discovers the invisible technology of the cars and suspects the nearby living family of Flynn.
At the end of the episode we get to see that Flynn's mother gets better, she can see again.
But that's all we get in this second episode. I hoped for more but maybe the third episode will deliver better. Still the scenes look amazing and the actors play good, so it's still satisfying.
After watching the first episode I had some expectations for the second. These expectations were too high.
We get a new storyline of the future Flynn which is interesting but I would have liked more of the vr game stuff.
In the present we see Flynn's brother and his gang fighting successfully the bounty hunters attacking Flynn and her family. After that they bury them in the garden. A cop discovers the invisible technology of the cars and suspects the nearby living family of Flynn.
At the end of the episode we get to see that Flynn's mother gets better, she can see again.
But that's all we get in this second episode. I hoped for more but maybe the third episode will deliver better. Still the scenes look amazing and the actors play good, so it's still satisfying.
See also
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