Upload is a sci-fi comedy created by Emmy-winning Greg Daniels, who also created The Office and Parks and Recreation.
This Amazon Original Series is about a man called Nathan Brown (Robbie Amell) who, after his untimely death, is uploaded into a digital afterlife by his girlfriend, Ingrid (Allegra Edwards). This digital afterlife program resembles a luxurious resort, and each person uploaded is assigned a customer service “angel” to help them with anything they need. This is how Nathan meets Nora (Andy Allo), who he befriends despite her being alive and him being an upload. Together they try to figure out why Nathan has missing memories and much more.
Upload is not only a show about the afterlife, but it’s also set in the future (in the year 2033) and tackles the topic of corporate intrusion in every aspect of our lives, since the afterlife is not only possible, but it’s also profitable. While it is a comedy and has a lot of witty jokes and hilarious scenes, the show also questions many things about life, and it’ll leave you pondering about what the future holds. Aside from all the philosophical questions, it is also filled with ideas about future technology, and all the moral implications that might come with it. Upload looks at the future of humanity and how much people are willing to accept before they realize change needs to be made.
If one were to compare this show to other popular series, the best way to describe it is as a mix of Black Mirror and The Good Place (which was actually created by Greg Daniels’ protégé and fellow Parks and Rec co-creator Michael Schur). Imagine if a Black Mirror episode was stretched out for an entire season, but was less pessimistic and also had good humor, like The Good Place. That’s Upload. While some people might still consider it pretty bleak because of all the topics the show entails, it still manages to give you some good laughs.
Even if you haven’t watched these shows, if you like sci-fi, or if you just want to watch a show that gets you thinking, then Upload is a good choice.
A lot of people’s usual streaming platform to watch shows and movies is Netflix, so some might consider it a downside that Upload is an Amazon Original, since it’s only available on their platform. However, it’s a very short series, since it only has 10 episodes, so you would be able to watch it with an Amazon Prime free trial of 30 days; even if you took your time, you’d watch it pretty fast. However, the show is going to have a second season: Greg Daniels confirmed this back in May. If you were to watch it now with the free trial, you’d have to pay for the service when the second season comes out later next year in order to continue watching the show, but for Upload, it’s worth it. An Amazon Prime membership also includes the other Amazon services, like fast shipping and sometimes even better prices for products. Amazon Prime Video also has excellent original content, 4K and HDR streaming, supports offline downloads, multiple viewer profiles, audio descriptions, and much more, so overall it’s a good streaming service you might consider getting —especially if you often do online shopping and want all the other Prime benefits as well. If you already own an Amazon Prime membership and watch many shows on their platform, then all you have to do is log in and start watching. By the way, don’t let Amazon’s trailer discourage you from watching Upload, because it does not do the show any justice. Give the first episode a chance and you’ll be hooked.
Overall, Upload is an amazing show. Since it isn’t very mainstream you might not have heard of it before, but don’t let that stop you from watching. This show is one of the first shows that Greg Daniels has come out with in almost 10 years, and with its amazing cast, storyline, and message, you should really give it a watch.
Rating: 5/5 stars
