Amazon Prime Video’s original series ‘Upload’ arrived at the perfect time, as millions were quarantining due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only did ‘Upload’ provide ten hours of entertainment, but its optimistic tone offered an escape from our brutal reality. But interestingly this show, set in 2033, wound up being remarkably similar to the real world right now, with people wearing face masks in public and other similar elements that reflect this plague-ridden reality.
The show’s creator, Greg Daniels addressed these coincidences, stating (via Deadline):
“Definitely a feeling of weird timeliness to it. We shot that in 2018 January, when we shot the pilot, so it was just the costume designer’s anticipation of what people would be wearing in the future cause the air quality would be bad. Weird things like that keep happening on this show.”
Daniels previously co-created ‘The Office’ and ‘Parks & Recreation’, and ‘Upload’ continues the tradition of being a show with a darker edge (there’s a bit of a murder-mystery element) but with a heart of gold, with a colorful cast of supporting characters, all of whom get their moment to shine.
Robbie Amell stars as Nathan Brown, an aspiring tech entrepreneur who is mortally wounded in an accident in his self-driving car. To “save” him, his girlfriend Ingrid (Allegra Edwards) has his brain uploaded to an expensive digital afterlife, the country club-like retreat known as Lake View. Nathan’s guide in the afterlife is his “Angel” Nora Antony, played by Andy Allo, a minimum wage cog toiling for the conglomerate that owns Lake View. With Nora’s guidance, and his growing friendships with fellow residents, not to mention continued interaction with Ingrid and his family– the deceased are able to stay in contact via cell phones and other methods– Nathan evolves from an entitled jerk into the man he never was on Earth.
‘Upload’ Season 1 ended on a cliffhanger, but thankfully, Amazon quickly ordered a second installment, although, at this point, it’s unclear when that might finally arrive. (It can’t be soon enough, if you ask me! This is my favorite show to come along in ages!)
Season 1 can be binged in its entirety on Amazon Prime Video now. Check back for updates as they become available.
