Season 1

[The Peripheral] - Season One: 7.5/10 (Good, It Gets the Job Done, Slightly Flawed)

I had high expectations for “The Peripheral” after the two-episode series premiere, and although it has undoubtedly had its moments, overall, season one has been a little underwhelming. The story felt muddled at times, and its sluggish middle and hastily written ending certainly didn’t help. This, in addition to the underdeveloped characters and time spent on unnecessary subplots, ultimately holds the season back. Despite the flaws, the direction, visuals, and cast were all solid. “The Peripheral” has a promising premise, and the themes it has explored so far feel substantial, even if it occasionally falters in execution. I’ll definitely be tuning in next season, but unless you share my enthusiasm for sophisticated Sci-Fi television, I’ll hold off on any recommendations, at least for the time being.

The first episode intrigued me and left me wanting more, but almost every episode after was just wasted potential in my eyes. The plot was less engaging the longer it went on, most of the characters were uninteresting, and overall it felt pretty dull and boring. I won't be returning for season 2.

The first two episodes were interesting but as the show progressed, the writers lost the 'plot'. The finale was underwhelming given the buildup from Episode 7.

This show is pretty good overall and has a lot of promise. Some things aren't working but it is the first season. When they are in England it is a great show and the characters really come through and keep you wanting more, they have a sort of Matrix feel from the characters who are around Morpheus. When in America it feels very generic and boring at times. Burton and Conner really stand out with Conner being someone you want to see more of.
Chloe feels odd in the show and out-of-place sometimes as the character doesn't match her acting in my eyes... but she was great in some scenes.

I think this show will grow and become amazing if it is given a chance. I hope it does and I hope they can give it more edge and focus on characters and letting the actors make them their own.

The Peripheral is a worthy successor to Westworld. While Nolan and Joy aren't the show creators, their fingerprints are all over the themes and complex plot. I clamor for high concept, creative sci-fi and these two shows are prime examples. The Peripheral never reaches the heights of Westworld in either its joy to puzzle out or the thrill of the plot, but it works hard to earn our emotional investment in its characters and has excellent production value. While I don't think it's as brilliant or mind blowing as the stakes it tries to drum up, the concept of having a peripheral in a different timeline is so fascinating. No element rises above to make it a show I'd jump to recommend anyone, but each episode has exciting moments and is always grounded in a premise I enjoy. I hope season 2 expands the scope, as learning about the larger conflict between the RI and whatever Zukov's group was called was far more interesting than the small town character dynamics.

Average episode rating for this season: 6.75

If I had to describe what's wrong with this season in one word, I would choose "pacing". It dribbles out exposition over the first 6 episodes, spending too much time on side stories along the way, then tries to twist up all the loose ends at once. Needed either a couple more episodes in the season to say everything while maintaining the slow-burn style, or get going a bit quicker earlier on.

Flynne's self-sacrifice at the end doesn't make a ton of sense, probably because the show didn't have time to explain exactly how she pulled that off.

Amazing everytime Chloe is on scene. Sometimes gets us lost in translation with all future plot

Interesting show, would probably watch a second season, but definitely need a recap before that.