Showing posts with label Upload. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Upload. Show all posts

Friday, April 8, 2022

Upload, Season 2

The first season ended with Nathan (Robbie Amell) having a visit from his cloying girlfriend, Ingrid (Allegra Edwards).  She revealed that she had uploaded for him.  She had committed suicide to join him in the digital afterlife.  Now feeling massively guilty and beholden to her, he tries to make a go of it while wondering what happened to Nora (Andy Allo).  He had used his computer skills to rescue her from an assassin in the real world, but now he couldn't contact her.  Was she okay?  Indeed, Nora is fine though she has fled the city and now lives a technology-free existence with a cult of neo-Luddites called Luds.  In her absence, a new employee, Tinsley, uses Nora's avatar, much to Nathan's consternation.  The Luds are very interested in using Nora's skills and connections to oppose the eternal life granted to some while denied to the majority.

Only 7 episodes for the season, but overall good entertainment.  There is a strange fascination with going digital by some people.  Nathan's program, a free version for uploading, is online but controlled by unscrupulous people.  Nathan's mother plans to upload as a surprise to her son.  What?  You are healthy and not that old but you're going to commit suicide to have a virtual life?  What kind of nuttiness is that?  The show does reverse itself on technology from last season; it turns out that there is a backup that can be restored.  Thus, downloading into a new body and then getting run over by a truck will not result in permanent death.  Of course, that is going to quickly result in multiple versions of the same person.  More on that next season.

Good popcorn fun.

Monday, June 22, 2020

Upload

Nathan (Robbie Amell) is a programmer who is working on freeware software for uploading consciousness after death, providing digital immortality in a virtual world.  But before he has it ready to roll out, he is killed in a freak car accident.  His girlfriend has arranged for him to be uploaded to the popular Lakeview server.  He must now come to terms with his death while figuring out how to 'live' in this virtual afterlife.  Of course, all his family and acquaintances can 'visit' through virtual reality equipment or even just make a phone call.  To help him adjust, he has an angel.  Nora (Andy Allo) works as an angel, appearing when called and providing guidance and some emotional support.  Nora finds she is attracted to Nathan and he feels the same.  Their growing affection is a central part of the series.

The show explores a variety of possibilities in the near future.  There are the driverless cars, phones that are integrated into your hand, uploading consciousness into a server, the continued existence of the dead and their efforts to adapt, and much more.  There is even a young boy who died almost ten years ago but he has not aged.  His 'younger' brother is going to senior prom.  Huh.  However, the show has not delved into the idea of copy & paste.  If you can be digitized, can you be copied?  At one point, a dead person attempts to download into a clone of his old body and it is a given that he is no longer on the server after the transfer.  Why?  That's not how computer files work and we are repeatedly shown that Nathan is just a bunch of computer files.  Maybe next season.

It is an entertaining show and recommended.  It is available on Amazon Prime.