In the near future, people can “upload” themselves into a virtual afterlife of their choice (depending on how deep their pocketbooks are) before dying, allowing the recently deceased to keep in touch with their still-living loved ones. When a computer programmer named Nathan (Robbie Amell) dies prematurely, he is uploaded, at the convincing of his well-to-do girlfriend, Ingrid (Allegra Edwards) to the posh digital heaven of Lake View. He finds himself struggling with the transition into the afterlife, as well as dealing with being controlled by Ingrid, who is financing his stay. Nathan finds comfort in his handler, Nora (Andy Allo), who is a customer service rep for the tech company Horizon, who oversees Lake View.
“Upload,” which was created by Greg Daniels (“The Office” and “Parks & Recreation”) offers a satirical look at our digital world, from in-app purchases, to software updates, to online dating apps, to the day-to-day operations of giant tech companies. The show is also peppered with its share of dark humor, and while I wouldn’t necessarily call “Upload” a dark comedy, it definitely has its moments. “Upload” also has a lot of heart, thanks primarily to the two leads, Amell and Allo. Amell does a very nice job of giving some dimension to Nathan’s rather shallow demeanor and delivers a very relatable “everyman” character, while Allo, who has only recently transitioned to acting, is very believable as Nora, and demonstrates here that her talents extend beyond her music career. The two actors have some really nice chemistry together and do a nice job of selling their complicated relationship.
The show plays out like a perfect hybrid of “The Good Place” and “Black Mirror” (specifically the “Black Mirror” episode “San Junipero,” with hints of “USS Callister” and “White Christmas”). Like “Black Mirror,” most of the technology presented in “Upload” is more advanced than ours, but not no much more that we can’t relate to the world in which it exists. Everything looks as though it’s just beyond our reach, which really grounds the story and eliminates the need for suspension of disbelief.
The series suffers just a bit from an inconsistency in tone, which is understandable. That “Good Place”/”Black Mirror” mashup doesn’t come easy, but overall it rides that line pretty well. “Upload” is a very breezy watch and is incredibly entertaining, and with only ten half-hour episodes in its first season, it makes for a very easy binge.
Amazon has already announced that “Upload” has been renewed for a second season, but for now, season one is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Quick Scan
A very entertaining satirical look at tech and the afterlife, with moments of dark humor and strong heartfelt performces from its leads.