Upload, Season 1 (2020)

 

In 2033, humans who are on the verge of death can "upload" themselves into a virtual afterlife of their choosing.  Assuming they have the money to do so, that is.

When handsome but rather self-centred computer programmer Nathan Brown dies prematurely, his wealthy girlfriend Ingrid pays for him to be uploaded to the very expensive Lakeview.  Which is better than being dead, but Ingrid - although by far the best person in her own family - is narcissistic and possessive.  Being financially beholden to her is not exactly a walk in the park.

As Nathan adjusts to the pros and cons of digital heaven, he bonds with Nora, his customer service rep.  In the living world, Nora struggles with the pressures of her job, her dying father who does not want to be uploaded, and her growing feelings for Nathan, all while slowly coming to believe that Nathan's premature death was a case of murder ...

I really enjoyed this comedy-drama.  I think it does a lot of things well.

First off, Upload is a show about some deeply flawed people. Nora is by far the 'best' human human being here, but even she is not without her foibles.  But is it also a show about how those flawed people might, as they work through some truly unusual situations in their lives, slowly evolve and change and - maybe, just maybe - become better people than they were.  I like that it takes the position that anyone can become more caring and worthwhile as a human being ... though it acknowledges that some might choose not to do so.  It draws a lot of its humour from these struggles.

It also profits from a strong cast.  Robbie Amell and Andy Allo are charming as Nathan and Nora, but the real stand-out might be Allegra Edwards.  She has the very challenging job of taking the narcissistic, rude and vain Ingrid and making her still somewhat sympathetic.  Because as awful as she is in many ways, she does care about Nathan and she does occasionally recognise how awful the rest of her family are, and try to be better than that.

Of course, hard-working actors couldn't save the show if it was sloppily written.  Fortunately, it is generally quite tightly constructed.  The writers have obviously given some thought to how the availability of a digital afterlife might work, financially and culturally, and the impacts it might have on the 'real' world.  Can the dead vote?  Work?  What other influences can they have on the still living?  These questions and others have been considered and they get addressed in the fiction.  It's nice to see that they're thinking about the wider picture, and not just the very narrow needs of a specific plotline on their show.

All in all, this is a smart, well-written and well-acted show.  If the premise sounds at all interesting to you, check it out.